Next week my sister is getting married so recently I bought an outfit to wear on her special day.

When you have a special occasion coming on, why don’t you read these tips?! They might help you in your search for thé perfect outfit…

1.Find out if there’s a dresscode

First of all, find out whether there is some sort of dresscode. Is it a black tie event or can you wear a cocktail dress? What about the length of your dress? Is there a colour scheme?

Before going shopping, ask the bride-to-be if there are any restrictions (or perhaps you can find out on the invitation!). I hope for you there aren’t so you can buy an outfit which is really you…

Luckily my sister didn’t have any restrictions at all… but perhaps not white?!

2.Do some research online and in magazines

Once you know whether there’s a dresscode or not, you can start your research. Don’t just go out shopping, because chances are that you won’t find anything or just buy something that you aren’t fully in love with.

Check out some magazines, browse the internet, use Pinterest and Instagram to find out what styles you like.

3.Narrow your options down

Once you start doing research, there’s no stopping you! Believe me…you’ll pin, screenshot and rip out ads non-stop!

At one time, you’ll have to narrow your options down. Think about a couple of obvious things you probably have forgotten: what season is the wedding? Am I stick-thin like the girl in the ad? What is my style?

4.Set a total budget for your outfit…

Set a total budget… and stick to it! Your outfit doesn’t only exists out of a dress… you’ll have to buy shoes, a clutch or shoulderbag, jewellery, a scarf, lingerie,… So you’d better have a budget in mind or you’ll go waaaaaaay over!

5.Dress your age and bodytype!

I’m sure that you have a fantastic figure. I advise you to just love the way you are and search for an outfit which complements your bodytype.

Another thing to bare in mind… dress your age! There’s nothing so tacky as a 45-year old dressing like a 16-year old… even if she has the figure for it! Stay classy ladies 🙂

6.Stay true to your own style!

You probably have a certain style… stick to it! No point in wearing something completely different as you’ll probably feel uptight in it. Wear something you feel comfortable in, wear something that is YOU. Now is definitely not the time to go experimenting.

7.Find an honest shopping companion!

When you go shopping, find an honest shopping companion. No point in taking someone who thinks even a trash bag looks good on you.Take someone who dares to say the truth…

8.Be prepared on your shopping spree!

When you’re off shopping, be prepared:

• Write down the adresses of the shops you want to visit and check out the opening hours (one shop I really wanted to visit was being renovated so I had to go to another town… but no surprises for me there as I had looked it up beforehand!).
• Have some styles on your smartphone that you can show the shop assistant.
• When out shopping, wear an outfit which you can take off easily.
• Wear nude lingerie and a neutral top.
• If your legs aren’t tanned yet, take a nude pantyhose on your shopping spree.
• Check your account 🙂

9.Take pictures!

When I went shopping, I let my husband take pictures of me in the dresses I tried on… front AND back. You can check the front in the mirror of course, but the back is a bit more difficult. A picture is so much clearer!

I tried on several dresses without buying. Then we had a bite to eat. In the brasserie I could browse my pictures, I could send some of them to my daughter and sisters to have their opninions and I could just think about it for a bit.

10.Less is more

Bare in mind that less is more. You don’t want to be overdressed, you don’t want your outfit to look like a costume. Always ask yourself whether your outfit complements you. You definitely don’t want an outfit which is too overwhelming.

Same goes for jewellery, shoes and a shoulderbag. Always ask yourself whether the accessories complement your outfit. Do you really need earrings ànd a necklace ànd a bracelet? Probably not…

11.Buy the right lingerie

Make sure you wear the right lingerie underneath your outfit… and make sure it fits you right! You don’t want straps or seams to show.

• Wear a t-shirt bra instead of a lace bra when your outfit is made out of a fine fabric like satin or silk.
• There are many different kinds of bra to wear underneath low-cut cleavages or backs. If you have a dress that has a deep cleavage or back or that has a halter neckline, take the dress with you when you go shopping for lingerie.
• Will you wear shapewear? Make sure it fits you perfectly and that you don’t see any lines!

12.When shopping for shoes and a shoulderbag, take your outfit with you!

Easy as that. You might need the outfit to look for the right colour of shoes/bag. In some shoe stores, it is even possible to put on your outfit so you can see how the shoe looks underneath your dress.

I ordered my shoes online and I always put on my dress and a nude pantyhose to see how it looked like. The third pair I ordered was spot on 🙂

Also bear in mind that you’ll have to be able to wear those shoes an entire day… you might want to take an extra pair of shoes on the special day! Also take bandaids and blister patches.

13.Alterations?

When you buy an outfit, make sure to buy it a couple of weeks beforehand. Chances are that it might need some alterations, which can take up to two weeks to complete!

14.When in doubt… don’t!

Golden rule when shopping… when in doubt, don’t!

When I went shopping, I tried on a spectacular dress (see above picture).I loved the dress, but it would have to be altered so much that I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. How would the alterations look like? And would the dress lose it’s shape because of the alterations? Too many question marks so I didn’t  buy it!!

I actually bought one of above dresses… any guesses which dress I’ll be wearing next week?

Well I sure hope I gave you some tips on how to shop for a special occasion. Do you have any more tips? Let me know in the comments!

Love, Kathleen

Here you can read some tips on how to strike the best bargains during the sales!