ConGRADulations!

It’s graduation season, which means tons of parties, BBQs, and other soirees to attend. And any time there’s an event, there has to be an outfit to go with it! I originally planned to wear this look to my brother’s college graduation a few weekends ago, but it turned out to be way too cold for shorts…I opted for this teal blouse and polka dot pants combo instead. If you’re not sure what to wear to your own graduation (mine is tomorrow!) or to the parties that follow, keep reading for a few tips. 🙂

My graduation takes place outside, on a grass field. Which means it will probably be super hot and sunny, especially in a black gown! When I was a freshman and my brother graduated high school, I wore this outfit along with a circular silver necklace that had a sparkly G. The next day, my chest was insanely red and burnt except for a little circle in the middle from where the necklace had been!

Anyway, when you plan your graduation outfit, you want to consider a few things.

• How does your dress look/fit underneath a graduation gown? If you’re wearing a dress with bulky sleeves or a poofy skirt, it might look funny under the gown. Also, try wearing the gown zipped versus open—which looks best with your outfit? Do the colors clash?
• How hot will it be? Even if your graduation is inside, it might still be really warm because a high number of people in a small space. You probably don’t want to wear a super thick material dress or something with ¾ length sleeves. There’s nothing worse than being hot and miserable at an event!
• Will you have to climb lots of stairs? At my brother’s college graduation, it took place inside an arena in which we had to climb many flights of stairs to get to our seats. There were a lot of girls wearing super short, loose-fitting dresses, and I can’t tell you how many near-flashing incidents I witnessed. Just something to keep in mind, for all of our sakes.
• Where will you be walking? Shoe choice is a huge factor in graduation. You don’t want to wear 6 inch heels that you can’t even walk in because then you’re just going to look like a waddling penguin when you walk across the stage to get your diploma. My best suggestion is wedges—they’re easier to walk in, and if you have to walk in the grass (like me) you won’t sink into the ground.

I have yet to figure out what I’m going to wear and my graduation is tomorrow! I’m hoping to go shopping for a new dress after my last final today. I will definitely keep all of these thoughts in mind as I browse the stores. (And probably wonder why I’m such a procrastinator…)

In terms of going to other people’s graduations, my outfit in this post makes a great look. It’s still fancy, and while I’m wearing black, the floral shorts and pastel hues of the accessories keep the look spring appropriate. I love the idea of wearing nice trouser shorts to graduation—they’re comfy and they’re perfect for any parties you attend afterwards. That way, if you end up sitting in the grass or on a curb, you don’t have to worry about flashing people or being uncomfortable in a skirt/dress.  

I wouldn’t say you can just wear any shorts though. You definitely have to pick a nice fabric with clean lines; mine are from JCrew. Also, be sure to dress them up with statement jewelry, hair accessories, sparkly belts, and heels. No cut-off shorts allowed!

I hope you found this post helpful! Will you be attending any graduations soon? What do you plan to wear? I’d love to hear. 🙂 And as a side note, sorry these pictures didn’t turn out great! I snapped them last night after a fancy dinner and for whatever reason they turned out blurry and faint. Ah well…Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Black Peplum Blouse: Nordstrom Rack, $20 // Blue Floral Shorts: JCrew, $18, first time worn // Navy Heels: Kelly and Katie via DSW, $40 // Pink Kate Spade Purse: Kate Spade Store, was a gift