formal


Little black dress spring 2022

little black dress spring 2022
spring 2022 black dresses
little black dress outfit ideas

Little black dress spring 2022: sunglasses / earrings (old, also love this pair) / little black dress / spring nail polish / cocktail ring / top handle bag / classic black heels /

I finally got to dress up and go somewhere! Yay! Now that the pandemic is behind us, and the local mask mandate has eased, we have been able to enjoy what life was once like. This means formal affairs have returned!

Since I lost roughly forty pounds last year, none of my formal go-to dresses fit anymore. So, I had a good excuse to invest in one fabulous little black dress! Love that!

This little black dress was perfect for the event I went to, which was to honor my senior daughter and the work she has done in the community over the course of her high school career. Parents wore black, while daughters wore white, in order to ensure our daughters could shine. This dress code worked out perfectly since I firmly believe every woman should own at least one fabulous little black dress. You never know when you need a go-to dress last minute which can be worn for a cocktail event, or something more formal. Of course, it cannot work for black tie when dresses should be long, but it does work for most formal or dressy affairs. Love!

halibut Corinthian ballroom san jose

The event was held at the Corinthian Grand Ballroom in downtown San Jose. I was thrilled to find out how delicious the food at the venue was that evening! I enjoyed this halibut dish, which was so yummy, I cleaned my plate; even though, according to etiquette, you are supposed to leave a couple bites on the plate. I couldn’t help myself; this was delicious! Don’t worry, I didn’t scrape, and I did leave some asparagus, I’m not big on asparagus. haha

I am looking forward to future events where I can wear this little black dress again. It looks great with a classic Chanel bag or spiced up with a brightly colored bag and/or shoes. As you know, the little black dress gives you endless possibilities!

Shop my little black dress outfit online:

Are you excited for the return of formal events?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

perfect little black dress

Junior League of San Jose celebrates 50 years of service

holiday party dress valentino rockstud noir handbag

Wearing: MAC lipstick / metallic holiday cocktail dress / Kendra Scott ring / Dior Cosmic nail polish / Valentino Rockstud Nior mini handbag / Prada pumps

On Saturday, November 5, 2017, the Junior League of San Jose celebrated 50 years of community service to the San Jose community. Over the past half-century, the Junior League of San Jose, or JLSJ for short, has contributed over a quarter of a million volunteer hours to the local community, as well as presented numerous grants to local community projects and non-profits. It is amazing to see how much a group of talented, hard-working, and dedicated women can achieve when the common goal is for the good of the community.

As a sustainer of the Junior League of San Jose, I am so proud of all the accomplishments the league has made throughout the years. It is truly amazing, and humbling, to see the fabulous community service projects JLSJ has developed over the years such as the Georgia Travis Center, InnVision, The Wonder Cabinet, and more; much, much, more! All of this hard work and dedication throughout the years was celebrated over the weekend at Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose.

The event included a speech and an award from the Major of San Jose, as well as a video depicting all of the accomplishment JLSJ has made over the past fifty years. Loved it!

It was fun to see a recap of all of the community service projects JLSJ has contributed to over the years, as well as catch up with old friends.

The dinner was  beautiful, complete with show-stopping floral arrangements. Dinner was followed by a yummy dessert buffet, and of course, dancing! It is entirely possible I danced in my 4″ heels for roughly 40 minutes. Yes, my feet hurt the next day, but it was so worth it!

If you would like to learn more about the Junior League of San Jose, and all of the wonderful community work we do throughout Silicon Valley, please visit jlsj.org.

Here’s to 50 more years of service in the San Jose area!

Outfit details:

 


How to wear a special occasion dress multiple times

fundraising gala gown

Have you ever been invited to an event and wondered if you can re-wear a dress from your closet? Do you have a fabulous gala gown just collecting dust in your closet that you would love to wear to another gala but you are not sure if it is OK to rewear a formal dress? We have been programmed over the years to never be caught wearing the same special occasion dress twice. Therefore, it can be difficult to know what to do with a formal dress hanging in our closets!

Special events are just that; special. So we all have this subconscious feeling inside which tells us we need a special, new dress for the occasion. While shopping for a new gala gown, or cocktail dress, is a lot of fun, it can also add up! Think about how much you spend each time you attend an event. Could that money go towards a fabulous designer bag you can wear on a daily basis? Or maybe that money could buy an entire new summer wardrobe, or pay for a trip to Hawaii. Perhaps the money could be used for a new washing machine. (I know boring, but reality)

Saving money, and still making a special event feel special, is easier than you think! You can absolutely re-wear a special occasion dress, gala gown, or cocktail dress; again, and again, and again! The only rule of thumb is to never wear the same dress, to the same event, twice. That silver cocktail dress you wore to your friend’s party last week? You can’t wear it with that group of people again, but you can easily wear it to the upcoming charity event you are attending, and then your second cousin’s Friday night wedding. Get the idea?

While it seems to be a simple thing to be able to wear a dress over, and over, there is one easy way to remember where you have worn each dress. I easily forget where I wore a dress; especially if it hangs in my closet for two or three years. Since formal attire trends don’t change often, you can hold on to a dress for several years and continually re-wear it. Love that!

I have one simple system I use to help me keep track of where, and when, and with who, I wore a dress. In order to keep track of where my dress has been, I make hang-tags which I keep on the hangers of my dresses while they hang in my closet. This tells me when I wore a dress, which group of people I wore it with, and to which event it attended. This enables me to get many wears out of a cocktail dress, gala gown, or party dress without getting caught in the same dress twice, with the same group of people.

Here are the steps for making your own hangtags! You can see what they should look like in the photos below.

  1. Buy a package of index cards.
  2. Use a hole punch on the end of one index card to make a hole about a quarter-inch from the top. Hold the index card vertically when you punch the hole so that the hole is on one of the short ends of the card, not the long end
  3. Using scissors, cut a straight line from the end of the card to the hole.
  4. Make three columns on the card and label them “Date,” “Event,” and “Group.”
  5. Fill in the card with the event information from the place you wore it.
  6. Hang the card on the hanger; and voila! You have a record of where. and when, and with whom, you wore each gala gown, cocktail dress, and party dress!

punch a hole how to make a formal dress hangtag steps for making a formal dress hangtag how to rewear a cocktail dress how to remember where you wore a dress how to remember where you wore a cocktail dress how to wear a special occasion dress again

In addition to a special occasion dress, you are likely to own special occasion shoes, and clutches. These can be re-worn over, and over, and over again. If you have a clutch, or a pair of shoes which are kitschy, they will have a shelf life and should be labelled, so that they are never re-worn to the same event twice. If you tend to own classic formal accessories, like me, then you can easily re-wear them to the same event, and with the same group of people.

formal high heels shoes

Pictured: Tom Ford formal pumps

When it comes to formal accessories, I recommend owning three formal clutches or mini-bags, one in black, one in silver, and one in gold. I also recommend owning three pairs of formal shoes, one pair in black, one in silver, and one in gold. My black satin mini bag is fifteen years old, yet every-time I wear it, the bag looks fresh and new. Look for formal accessories which are classic and can be used over, and over. You will save a ton of money over time. Besides, when you attend an event, everyone is looking at your dress, not your shoes or bag. #FunFact

There you have it! It is OK to re-wear a formal dress to another event as long as you are keeping track of where you wore it before. Do you have a system to keep track of where you wore your gowns? If so, please share in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy saving money by re-wearing your formal gowns, cocktail dress, and party ensembles!

XOXO

Cathy