Coordinating Your Cocktail Attire with Your Date
Matching your date’s cocktail outfit doesn’t just look cute – it also makes a fashion statement that will get both of you noticed. Achieving perfect balance and a harmonious vision, however, necessitates a bit more than a matchy-matchy approach.
The key to outfit coordination is subtlety and attention to detail. Here’s how to emphasize both, getting the visual cohesiveness and elegance you’re envisioning in your head.
What’s Appropriate Attire for a Cocktail Party?
The term “cocktail dress” was coined in the 1940s. Fashion mastermind Christian Dior was the first to conceptualize a dress appropriate for early evening events. Vogue and Vanity Fair embraced that concept and a new fashion trend was born.
Cocktail attire has changed through the years to become what we consider “the norm” today. In the 1950s, mid-calf length dresses reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn’s outfit in Breakfast at Tiffany’s were common cocktail party choices. A fashion shift occurred in the second half of the century, as younger people started seeking more freedom and self-expression in the way they dressed. Mod dominated cocktail attire in the 1960s.
In the 1970s and 80s, the term cocktail party started applying to various different events. As a result, the dress code became even more diversified.
Today, cocktail attire depends on the season and how formal the event is. A little black dress is still a great choice. If you’re attending a summertime event that’s a bit more casual, however, floral patterns are going to be completely fine. While pants aren’t typically the norm for ladies, a dressier pair and a nice blouse will look really good.
For men, cocktail attire typically encompasses a well-fitted suit and a dress shirt. A tie isn’t always mandatory but it does add polish to the outfit.
To be on the safe side when attending a cocktail party, always follow the dress code. Even if one isn’t provided, you can still reach some valid conclusions based on the cocktail type. A business event will have you dressing one way and you’ll never approach outfit selection in the same manner when going to daytime or semi-formal cocktail.
Coordinating Your Cocktail Attire with Your Date: Dos and Don’ts
Now that you know what style is appropriate, it’s time to have some fun.
To coordinate your outfit with a date, you can count on a few simple tips that will give you a polished outcome every single time.
- Don’t try to match everything perfectly: Matchy-matchy outfits don’t look elegant or stylish, rather you’d be entering the realm of kitschy and ridiculous. Delicate elements can be used to achieve absolute coordination so that people will immediately know you’re attending the cocktail together. A subtle thing you can do is have matching accessories instead of outfits. Identical patterns (like a trim, for example) can also tie the concept together without making you look cheesy.
- The importance of color and pattern selection: Color and pattern coordination provide one of the simplest opportunities to create stylish matching cocktail outfits. A very distinctive and intriguing pattern that appears on both your clothes and your date’s outfit will leave no doubts about you being together. If you decide to do color coordination, choose slightly different shades of the same tone. That’s how you make the visuals subtler and aesthetically pleasing.
- Style and seasonal considerations: Choosing pieces from the same designer’s collection is the easiest way to achieve stylistic cohesiveness. If you want to experiment, you can accomplish the goal on your own by embracing a style – modern casual, classic, slightly vintage. Don’t forget about dress code and seasonal considerations when picking the right pieces for yourself and your date.
- Accessories can make or break an outfit: Tying everything together is heavily dependent on accessory selection. If you don’t choose pieces that go together, you’ll ruin all of the coordination you’ve tried achieving in the previous steps. For example, have your dress match exactly the color of his tie. Your purse could be made from the same material your date’s belt is crafted from. That level of attention to detail immediately elevates an outfit and turns you into a cocktail fashion pro.
- Footwear selection: Obviously, you can’t match footwear (unless the cocktail dress code asks for sneakers and that’s very unlikely) but you can embrace the same style. Choosing the same designer is once again the easiest coordination opportunity. You can also pick shoes crafted from the same material or footwear that has a distinctive element (a decorative piece, a pattern).
- Let your personalities shine: While you have to follow some rules when choosing cocktail attire, it’s still a good idea to sprinkle a bit of personality into outfit selection. A silk scarf that matches your date’s pocket square will look awesome. If both of you enjoy vintage accessories, go for a brooch and a pocket watch from the same decade. Not only will these pieces coordinate awesomely, they’ll add uniqueness and personality to your cocktail attire. Remember – formal doesn’t mean boring! There’s always room for a bit of artistic interpretation.
Finally, don’t forget to break the rules, especially if you have a strong concept that you feel very confident about. Going for matching suites (here’s how Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus did it) will make you the power couple that everyone would want to emulate at an upcoming event. A perfect fit and the most elegant style will be a prerequisite for a stunning look if you choose such a bold option.
Talk about It and Get Your Date Involved
Coordinating cocktail outfits is even more fun when you get your date involved in the process.
A person who has an eye for fashion may approach the “project” in a way that’s completely different from your interpretation. Together, you’ll easily come up with a concept that will increase both the cohesiveness and the originality of the chosen attire.
Doing outfit selection together will also build excitement for the upcoming cocktail party while allowing you to bond. Don’t be afraid of sharing the idea, even if you feel it’s a little bit cheesy. Nobody likes to feel excluded, especially when it comes to their appearance. Do some clothes shopping or outfit styling together and both of you will be fully satisfied with the end result.
Author Bio:
Jonah Levine is the Creative Director of NewYorkDress.com. NewYorkDress.com, established in 2008, is the #1 online source for Evening and Prom dresses worldwide. As Creative Director, Jonah works to create the ultimate online and in store luxury shopping experience with a focus on service and personalization.
xoxo