Little Black Dress

Dress - Kate Spade / Heels (similar here, here, and here) - Ann Taylor / Bag - Tory Burch / Earrings (similar) - LOFT / Lip - Maybelline

Chances are, if you're in your 20s or early 30s, you're heading to a couple weddings this summer. Jeff and I are finally out of the thick of weddings for our friends, but we still have a couple of friends tying the knot this year. While it's always fun to buy a new dress, it can get super expensive, especially if you're invited to a lot of weddings or need outfits for rehearsal dinners and showers and bachelorette parties too! 

For the past couple of years, I've been using Rent the Runway for weddings and big work parties and I freaking love it. This isn't sponsored at all by the way. It's great because you don't end up buying dress after dress, but still have something new to wear. Plus the rental fees are so much less than the cost of purchasing a new dress, but allow me to wear brands that I normally wouldn't be able to afford. 

Now let me just tell you - renting for the first time is nerve racking!! I mean, the dress gets delivered a day or two before your event and you have no idea how it's going to fit! I have a couple pieces of advice to help.

Advice for Using Rent the Runway

The first is to make sure you always have a back up dress in your closet. When I first started renting I probably only actually wore a third of the dresses I rented because of bad fits. They will give you store credit if you return the dress fast enough so you can always send it back, and if you have enough time they'll send you a replacement dress. But really for ease of mind, I always make sure I have something in my closet I want to wear, just in case. 

The second tip is to know your body. If you think something won't work on you, it likely won't. Those dresses I got that didn't fit? Yeah, I basically always had a clue they wouldn't work ahead of time. Just because there are lots of positive reviews, if something is built for a small chest it just won't work if you have a large one. 

And then finally, I say look at the reviews with photos, but do a sort for reviews that have a similar body type or size. That way, you can see what the dress looks like on bodies that are similar to yours! I've become a little crazy about looking at the photos, and actually haven't had a problem with a dress not fitting in the past year. 

The Little Black Dress

Little black dresses can be pretty basic, but are the perfect canvas for dressing up with different accessories. I freaking love this one - the sleeves are so fun, and I love the pearl button on the back! Plus, the a-line shape is super comfortable but still flattering, and great for dancing. And really, the biggest selling point was the ability to wear a regular bra! You guys know I'll wear a strapless bra when necessary, but if I can find a special occasion dress that doesn't necessitate one I'm a very happy camper.

Dress - Kate Spade / Heels (similar here, here, and here) - Ann Taylor / Bag - Tory Burch / Earrings (similar) - LOFT / Lip - Maybelline

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

A Surprise Wedding By The Lake

Dress - Eliza J (also available here) / Sandals (just one size left, some similar sandals are here and here) - Target / Bag (similar here and here) - Ann Taylor / Necklace - Stella & Dot / Similar earrings

I bought this dress back in the depths of Chicago winter, because my theory has always been to buy the dress when you find one you like, because an occasion will always pop up. That way, you don't have to be stressed out trying to find a dress at the last second for an event - you always have the perfect one waiting in your closet. 

Well things really worked out this time. When I got the dress I had no idea when or where I would wear it, and then Jeff's dad did me a solid and decided to elope over the weekend! 

I've been to some small weddings before - my sister and her husband only had their immediate families (plus my new boyfriend Jeff - things really worked out there!) at their wedding. This one though? Just the bride and groom, Jeff as the minister, the photographer, and me! We went down to Adler Planetarium on Saturday morning for a short and sweet ceremony by the lake. 

I've said it before, but I am such a sap at weddings. Jeff took me to a wedding once where I had never met the bride or groom and a late minute seat change put me on the aisle in the second row. And I sobbed. Can you imagine getting married and seeing a stranger sobbing right in front of you?! Yep, that's me. 

This wedding was somehow even more emotional, because it really was just two people declaring their love for each other - no pomp and circumstance. I managed to hold it in because I was focusing on my assigned task (the photographer showed me how to work her fancy dancy camera so I could take a video of the ceremony) but the vows? Yep, you'd better bet I cried. 

Gosh, maybe never invite me to a wedding. 

I made Jeff snap these pics of me before we hopped in the car to head to brunch to celebrate. I used to go running on this stretch back when we lived in the South Loop, and man did I miss that skyline view! Chicago, you're pretty. 

Dress - Eliza J (also available here) / Sandals (just one size left, some similar sandals are here and here) - Target / Bag (similar here and here) - Ann Taylor / Necklace - Stella & Dot / Similar earrings

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

What to Wear to a Casual Wedding

Have you ever been invited to a wedding with a casual dress code?

I've been to a few casual weddings (and have another coming up at the end of the summer!), and while I know that the couple getting married intend the dress code to make things easy and laid-back, I've found that it usually causes more confusion than anything! I mean, you want to dress up more than you would for an average weekend, but still have that casual feel.

I've found that for women, the best option is a pretty sundress or maxi dress. I like to think of it as something I would wear for a casual date night with the hubs - my usual plus a little extra festive flair. Keeping your accessories casual and fun is key too. If it'll be chilly, instead of a pretty wrap go for a cardigan or a denim jacket. Instead of heels, choose flat sandals, wedges, or casual block heels (also helpful because casual weddings also tend to be outdoors - you don't want to be on grass in stilettos!!).

earrings / sandals / dress / bag / nail polish (in Fiesta)

More dresses for casual weddings:

Fun accessories:

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

Go-to Wedding Outfit

Dress (similar) - Ralph Lauren / Bag - Michael Kors / Heels (similar) - Shoe Mint / Bracelet - BaubleBar

I don't know if I mentioned it (except for, like, a billion times) but we had two weddings last week. Work has been crazy lately so they both kind of snuck up on me. When we first started getting invited to a lot of weddings, I put a lot of thought into what I was going to wear, how I would do my hair and makeup, what accessories I would choose, and then would sometimes spend hours getting ready. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm a girly girl so spending hours getting ready is fun for me and I love planning outfits, but I don't always have that kind of time. For the wedding we went to in Chicago last week, it was really nice to be able to throw on my go-to little black dress that I know will look good and works for just about every wedding occasion, heels that I know I can last through a wedding in, and a bag that I know will hold everything I need and be ready to go. No second guessing or last minute "nothing to wear" freakouts to worry about!

I've had this dress in my closet now for over five years now (you may have seen it waaaaay back in the early days of KDTI), and it works for cocktail hours and charity dinners, winter weddings and summer weddings, and everything in between. Do you have a go-to wedding guest outfit? If not, I rounded up a couple of cute, classic options that will last for years to come:

Linking up with Style Me Wednesday.

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

Orange on Orange

Dress - J. Crew / Belt (similar) - Old Navy / Necklace - Stella & Dot / Sandals (similar) - Sole Society / Bag (similar) - Ann Taylor / Bracelet - Michael Kors

How have I not shared this dress on the blog yet?! I bought it back in May for my sister-in-law's graduation, and have since worn it all over town. It may actually be your lucky day though, because the dress is now super marked down. I actually was going to buy the white version, but the sales lady told me I had to go with the orange. I'm pretty glad I listened to her! I thought that the orange would be a little too crazy with my hair, but somehow it works.

Somehow my closet has gone from crazy colorful to super neutral over the past few years, and having something fun and bright to pull out is so perfect for the summer. I especially love it for the office. My office is pretty casual so traditional work dresses can feel a bit stuffy, but in orange (and paired with my denim jacket) it's just right. I'm kind of wishing I had a late summer wedding coming up so I'd have a fun reason to dress this little number up a bit like I did here! Last year we had wedding after wedding all summer long, but this year we just have a couple in fall and early winter (which means I get to break out this ruffled number again - eee!).

Linking up with Friday Fab Favorites, Summer Style.

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

Summer Sundress Dressed Up / Dressed Down

Dress

Dressed down: Jacket / Earrings / Bag / Espadrilles

Dressed up: Heels / Earrings / Pashmina / Bag

Pretty little summer dresses are my favorite thing to shop for. I've been seriously holding myself back because after what seemed like just about everyone I knew got married last summer, this year we don't have any weddings until fall! With just some baby showers on the horizon I felt like I didn't need any pretty new dresses, until I realized just how easy it is to dress down a cute little sundress. With a crossbody bag and a denim jacket, this ruffled number feels just as appropriate for a weekend running around the city as it does with heels and a pretty pashmina for a summer party. Not pictured: the pretty ruffled straps on the back of this dress - so cute!

Completely unrelated: my brother and his wifey come home today! They've lived in South Korea for the past couple of years, and are coming back for their summer break. I haven't seen them since they were here last summer for my wedding, so needless to say I'm a teensy bit excited ;) We're having a family dinner at my parents' house to celebrate, and then a couple of family parties over the weekend - I can't wait!

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

Go-To Wedding Guest Outfit

Dress (similar) - Jessica Howard / Heels - Charles David / Bag (similar) - Ann Taylor / Earrings (similar) - JCrew Factory / Bracelet (similar) - BaubleBar

I've mentioned this just you know, 18 thousand times, but we got invited to ten weddings this summer, including three in a row over the past three weekends. With that kind of density, it's really nice to have a few old standby's in the closet to make pulling an appropriate wedding guest together easy. I've had this dress for three summers now and it has seen it's fair share of ceremonies and dance floors. I love that it has a fun pattern and the full skirt is great on the dance floor, yet the higher neckline and longer hemline make it feel appropriate for any ceremony. Bring it on, wedding season!

Shop some of my favorite wedding guest dresses below:

Previously on Kristina does the Internets: More things I've worn to weddings!

 

Linking up with Trend Spin Linkup, Just Jacq, Style Sessions, Style Bloom.

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!