Red Gown + Gold Details

Last weekend I attended my jobs 2016 Gala. If you’ve ever been to a gala, a prom, or just any formal event in general, you know that attending one can get pretty expensive. Since I knew this was the case I made an effort to spend as little as I could. Sometimes it doesn’t matter the amount of money you spend on a look. I was able to look and feel amazing by spending less than $150 on my whole outfit for a formal event! 

 As I mentioned in my last post, “Five Gowns Less Than $200“, from the beginning I set a price budget for my dress. It had to be under $200, otherwise I wouldn’t be purchasing it. So I’m proud to say that after trying on so many different dresses, I lucked out and was able to find one at nordstrom.com for only $58! This dress was one of the four that I had shipped to me since it wasn’t available in stores. The shipping process with Nordstrom was a great experience, and the return process of the other dresses that I didn’t want, worked out even better. I’ll definitely be using nordstrom.com again! 

The dress is showing sold out on Nordstrom but you can also purchase it at Macy’s for a little bit more. 

Accessories 

Platform Heels 

After I found my dress, accessory shopping was the easy part. I knew that gold details would be a nice touch with a bold red dress. Luckily I already had these rose gold platform heels that went perfect with the dress. If you want to see how to wear platform heels casually see my post “Baby You’re a Firework!“, to get some inspiration.

 Last year I bought these platform heels from Forever 21 for only $20. I never thought they would come in handy at a formal event, but they did and I have no complaints.

Clutch 

My next focus was on my bag. I have a lot of bags, but this event made me realize that I don’t own any formal clutches or purses. I searched a few websites and settled my heart on this beautiful gold clutch from Lulu’s for $36. I fell in love with the amazing details. I purchased it just in time because it is unfortunately sold out online. However, I left the link to it below because sometimes on lulus.com, items can become available again. I also featured a similar one that you can find below too.

Earrings 

I found all of my jewelry the day before the event at the mall. I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to find and I was right! I went looking for a pair of earrings that had a little of bit edge but still classy enough for a formal event. I discovered these cluster earrings at Charming Charlie for only $10. I loved the mix of gold, diamonds, and pearls. 

Necklace 

At first I wanted a faux pearl necklace to go with my outfit for the night. However, after trying on several in Charming Charlie, and getting my fiancé’s opinion (my shopping partner for the night), I realized that that style wouldn’t suit the dress the best.

Aldo is always one of my favorite places to shop for jewelry. I’m glad that I decided to take a look this day, because I was able to find this stunning gold necklace for $20. I loved that it was simple but still very noticeable. I’m glad with the necklace I decided to keep it simple and throw some pearl and sparkle in the outfit with the earrings instead. 

Overall I had an amazing time at the gala and I felt like someone in Hollywood on the red carpet! I’m so happy that I said yes to this dress and all of my accessories!

DJS & STYLE tip of the day: When you know specifically what you want to wear for an event,  shopping online can make the process of finding something so easy. Using filters (price range, style, color) on the websites will allow you to find exactly what you are looking for at ease. 

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What I’m Wearing 

Dress: Nordstrom | Earrings: Charming Charlie | Necklace: Necklace | Clutch: Lulu’s | Shoes: Forever 21 

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