Casual Dressy for Fall

Dress - Old Navy / Cardigan (similar here and here) - Halogen / Maternity Tights - Loft / Booties - TOMS / Bag - Tory Burch / Necklace (similar here and here) - Madewell 

Over my long weekend, I went to not one, but two rehearsal dinners with "casual" dress codes. Let me tell you, a casual dress code for a normally dressy event like a rehearsal dinner or a wedding is basically the most confusing thing. Some people will still really dress up because they feel the event calls for dressing up, whereas other people will show up in jeans. I always try to ride the middle in this type of situation, with some pieces that feel more dressed up but casual elements too. 

To break it down for this outfit - just wearing a dress in itself can make your outfit feel dressed up, while the actual fabric (it's just basically a giant tee shirt) help it hit that casual note. According to my sister, the tights also make me look dressed up, although really, they're just tights ;) And the color helps too - black automatically looks dressier than other colors. 

Instead of choosing heels, I went with my favorite casual booties which brought things down a notch, and added a longline cardigan for a little more visual interest (and warmth since we've already hit icy tundra stage in Chicago!). A cardigan like this is great because it really toes the line - it's appropriate with a dress, with jeans, with leggings, and even with dress pants for work. Oh and my jewelry - this long necklace reads casual, while a sparkly statement necklace or statement earrings would dress things up a little more. 

In case you're wondering what I wore for the second rehearsal dinner, it was basically this outfit but with the black tights, booties, and bag. Outfit repeats for the win! 

Oh and hey, look at that bump! We're at 23 weeks right now and I'm feeling the baby kick a lot - especially after I down some ice cream ;) 

Dress - Old Navy / Cardigan (similar here and here) - Halogen / Maternity Tights - Loft / Booties - TOMS / Bag - Tory Burch / Necklace (similar here and here) - Madewell 

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What to Wear to a "Casual" Wedding

Back in 2013 (was that already two years ago?!) I did a series on what to wear to different types of weddings, including what to wear to an outdoor wedding, a church wedding, a hotel wedding, and a beach wedding. I'm in that phase of my life where basically everyone I know is getting married, so I've seen it all. I thought I'd share another type of wedding to get dressed for - a casual dress code wedding. My brother had a casual wedding (I believe the invite actually specified "barn casual") and people wore everything from heels (not great in the grass!) to cargo shorts. My sister and I were groomsmen (grooms ladies?) and we wore pretty casual dresses with fun belts and flat sandals (and got a little too into the lawn games):

(photo by Brad Ryan Photography)

This spring I'm invited to another casual backyard wedding for one of my good friends, so I've been thinking about what to wear. I guess it really depends on if the weather cooperates, but I love the idea of wearing a pretty little linen dress and some fun sparkly flat sandals:

Necklace - Loft / Clutch - Sole Society / Sandals - Sole Society / Dress - Loft

For a casual wedding, I also love the idea of wearing a pretty skirt and blouse instead of a dress. Here are some of my top picks:

Have you ever been to a casual wedding? What would you wear?

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