If you’re a college girl, chances are you own a few little black dresses and refer to almost all of them as going out dresses. The black dress is a foolproof go-to when you’re too blitzed out on jello shots to really think about what to wear as your heading out the door — an always flattering, always in season item that hides cranberry juice stains pretty well.
But in your collegiate lifetime, you’ll be faced with difficult choices. Do you want to stumble over to the nearby frat house for free beer? Meet new guys at the most popular sports bar in town? Fist pump at a hot new club? Or maybe you want to keep it classy, enjoying a nice dinner and a glass of wine you can’t pronounce the name of followed by cocktails at a swanky lounge. You can’t exactly wear the same outfit to all these places but you can wear the same dress…just as long as you know to style it for each occasion. Luckily I’ve got you covered, girl. Party on.
Let’s take this black dress that appears below. It’s pretty standard issue: inexpensive, simple, versatile. It’s unremarkable on its own but it makes a good canvas. Let’s come up with a few different ways to rock a dress this (which you can purchase here) for four different nights.
Frat party: You don’t want to look overdressed for a night like this. You also don’t want to wear fancy shoes because the combination of sticky floors, spilled beer and clumsy dudes is lethal to a pair of cute heels. The solution? Stay comfy and on-trend by rocking out a pair of so-right-now slip-on sneakers. We’re loving this super affordable pair. Finish it off with a cute cross body bag and keep jewelry to a minimum because necklace + cross body strap = overkill – stick to a chunky wrist cuff or a pair of earrings instead.
Sports bar: You can dress down your LBD while still keeping it night-out worthy by topping it off with a leather jacket and some booties. If you’re a flats girl, moto or combat boots will up the edginess of the look and create a cool contrast with the dress. Need a little lift? A cute pair of booties with a chunky heel is definitely not too formal for a night at a sports bar. Add some coral lipstick for a pop of color that isn’t over-the-top at all.
Club: Leave those arms bare if you’re hitting a club because let’s face – you’re going to be too hot/too busy dancing to wrangle with a jacket of any sort. Put your feet into a pair of heels – cage sandals are huge right now and you can find a chunky-heeled pair that is relatively comfortable. A pair of edgy wedges will work too and keep you dancing all night long. Add fun jewelry to finish off the look. and carry a blinged-out clutch.
Lounge: Class up the simple dress by wearing a boyfriend blazer over top. The cut of the blazer will help you look classy and sophisticated while the oversized fit of the boyfriend style keeps the look from becoming stuffy or overly corporate – and if you choose a vibrant color like red or bright blue, it adds some much-needed color to you look. Add some simple pumps – or perhaps super ladylike strappy sandals, a slim clutch and some red lipstick for a completely mature and swanky look.
