I had to dig deep into my closet for this one. It was a harrowing journey which revealed that WOW do I need some new clothes.
My boyfriend and I were invited to attend the 2017 Barrymore Awards celebrating Philadelphia’s theater scene. I’ve been to a lot of black tie and cocktail events over the years, but never an award show so I was particularly excited.
But as I explained to my incredulous boyfriend as he stared into the absurdly cluttered abyss that is my closet- I absolutely, 100%, had nothing to wear.
Every woman I know has said this and meant it at some point. It’s that moment you realize you hate everything you own, or the sinking feeling in your stomach when you try on 5 different dresses and realize that you’ve gone up or down a size. My issue was the latter- I went through a cocktail dress buying phase a few years ago, and stocked up– but a few pounds and a few years meant that none of them fit. To compound the issue, it was the first really cold day in Philadelphia, and my cthulhu-esque tangle of black tights finally separated only to reveal plenty of pilling and a whole lots of holes.
I ended up liking the outfit I pulled together well enough. I included a few staples like my black H&M cropped blazer, vintage black envelope clutch, and my glitter peep toe pumps. However, this was my first time wearing this BCBG jersey neon printed dress. My mom found it for me at Goodwill for $1, and I had always thought it was a bit too loud…a bit too “Real Housewives” for me. But once muted with some classic accessories, I actually thought it was just the right amount of fun for a night celebrating theatrical folks.
And most importantly, it fit.
See the links below to DIY a version of this look, and apologies for the bad picture quality.
H&M Blazer (Similar- $; Similar- $$; Similar- $$$) / Lulu Townsend Shoes (Similar- $; Similar- $$) / Black Envelope Clutch (Similar- $; Similar- $) / BCBG Dress (really any loud, jersey material dress works, like THIS- $, THIS- $, THIS- $$, or THIS- $$$)
Fashion Wonk 