Dressing for the Unexpected

Summertime inevitably calls for two things: dresses and weddings. Once again, I thought we would have no weddings to attend this summer and once again, I was wrong. For the most part, wedding attire in Germany is fairly conservative, formal and traditional. This combination means I rely on a few formal dresses in my wardrobe. However, the wedding we attended last weekend was alternative, the event kicking off a year-long camping trip for the pair. I was in a dilemma, what would I wear? I knew my usual go-to dresses would be out of place. The weather would also be incredibly humid and warm (90 degrees with at least 50% humidity.) As I was looking through my closet I came across a dress that sadly hadn’t been worn since our girl’s trip to NYC.

This striped shirt dress from Zara was purchased on sale in March in anticipation for our girl’s trip. Giddy with excitement for our grand adventure, this €12 dress was being saved for May. It made two appearances during our trip. The light material makes it a perfect outfit for humid weather and takes up minimal space in a suitcase. I find this dress timeless with the pattern, collar and overall dress length.

The tie waist provides a flattering fit while the pockets are if nothing else, practical. The dress can be dressed up with heeled sandals, which I did in New York. For the farm setting wedding, however, I opted for more practical sandals (a T.J. Maxx purchase in NYC.) As the evening cooled down, I wore denim jacket, which was a great compliment to the dress.

The rolled sleeves and sandals gave this dress a more casual look. Usually I would’ve paired it with gold accessories, but I kept it very minimal for this wedding, which saw most of the guests camping on the property (us included.)

I was right on the mark with the dress. I wasn’t the most formally dressed nor the most casual. I’m already looking forward to when I can wear it again.