An afternoon event of any sort is a relatively new concept to our social life. Until a few years ago, we were used to being invited to either morning or evening events and we had our wardrobes tailored accordingly. Over the last few years, a new idea dropped fro mthe sky and immediately took off - afternoon events.
In Malta, these are mostly popular throughout late Spring and early Summer months and they normally start at around 5 pm after the intense sun and heat has somewhat died down... They generally do go on till late hours/early hours of the day/next morning and this is what makes choosing an outfit more difficult - the event is both a daylight and evening event rolled into one!
In this post I'm going to talk about how I go about styling an outfit for an afternoon fashion event. As I normally do, I will start by some words of individuality wisdom and point out that this is a FASHION event not a wedding - one of the best ways to score an awesome outfit is to include your personality in it. You can simply start by choosing a simple dress/ensemble and then start layering different accessories or other clothing pieces that say something about you..a quirky bag if you are a quirky person or an ultra stylish perspex one if that's more you...a sleevless tuxedo ...or how about a funky pair of shoes or even just a huge pair of bombastic earrings? Don't be scared to have some fun.
Colour
Since the outfit will make its first appearance in daylight, then I prefer going for something with a bit of colour, if you really favour wearing a black dress, the option is still there but I think something a little less heavy on the eyes is nicer. However, I wouldn't go down the head-to-toe pastel route either, I find that a bit too 'morning'. This means we need a vibrant colour/s - bright pinks, cobalt blue, a nice fiery orange, coral - these are all lovely colours that are really popular this season. White is another winner - since this is a fashion event and not a wedding there's no problem with wearing white and head-to-toe white is one of the most popular trends this season. Personally, for a fashion show or such I wouldn't wear a cute white lace dress, during the later hours of the event this will probably look a little out of place. However an all-white pantsuit or a white box dress is awesome.
Style
Dresses can be worn at any time of day and will always have a place in my heart, pantsuits look amazing both in the afternoon and evening and I'm presently really loving the princess a-line skirt and box-shaped crop top idea. A smart pair of shorts paired with a jacket/ elegant top can also be an interesting idea..just make sure you have the right legs for it. Jeans - this is a fashion event so jeans are an option BUT they have to fit well (be them boyfriend/skinny/bootcut) and they need to be paired with something more formal...a formal shirt/ blazer / sleeveless blazer. Makeup shouldn't be too heavy and I would avoid making up both the lips and eyes....however, when ti comes to hair, I like both the relaxed style and also some kind of really stylish up do of some sort...it depends on the outfit..a plain, simple outfit will fare better with interesting hair rather than a relaxed style.
Accessories
Accessories can really make or break an outfit - too much and you risk looking overdone, too little and you risk looking boring. If you've decided to wear a black dress, pick some bright coloured accessories, if there's something a bit 'different' about them all the better. DON'T insist on matching your shoes and bag - you can if you want to especially if they're patterned but you absolutely don't have to. In the same way DON'T wear jewellery sets...matching bracelet, earrings, necklace - that look is a bit dated and you end up looking like a catalogue picture, instead mix your jewellery around. A chunky necklace and big earrings will look a bit overdone in the afternoon, pick just one.
Shoes
Interesting shoes at a fashion event are always a good idea - fashion people are obsessed with shoes, however, this is likely to be a long event so be careful, wear something you can walk and stand in for a good number of hours or half the fun will be lost to feet agony.
Above everything else - simply have fun - and if you have any ideas of your own - tell me in a comment below - love hearing what everyone else thinks :)
