Invitations to a barbecue are challenging when it comes to dressing. You want to feel great about yourself which means dressing up, but at the same time, not have to worry about mishaps ruining your clothes. Read what clothing to consider when creating a look for a cookout invitation. Dress for Success means to have the right outfit for the weather, venue and location as well as feeling great about yourself.
- Barbecue Outfits Don’t Have to Be Boring
- What to Wear at an Afternoon BBQ
- How to Dress for an Evening Grill Party Invitation
- What to Wear to a BBQ on a Lawn in a Park
- Wrapping Up
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Barbecue Outfits Don’t Have to Be Boring
May is national barbecue month. For many American families, Memorial Day is the official start of summer and the BBQ season. A barbecue look must be practical because of the the many spill risks. Here are some awesome tips for a stunning BBQ look.
At a BBQ, food, drink, and grass spots are possible. Thus, it is a no-brainer that any sensitive fabrics are to be avoided. Nevertheless, you want to create a cute, subtly fashion-forward outfit. This catch-24 puts forward the question
What to wear to look stunning at a BBQ? #styletips Click To TweetAccessories are a great way to showcase your style. Statement earrings or a short statement necklace – read short enough to not end up on the grill – are great accessories to add a trendy item.
What to Wear at an Afternoon BBQ
If the BBQ invitation is in the afternoon, a hat and sunglasses are must-haves and should be part of your look. Let your outfit be the guide whether to go for a floppy sunhat, a baseball cap, or a straw fedora. the same applies for the style of your sunglasses. Aviators don’t look great with a Bohemian maxi dress, while cat eyes or round glasses do. You get the idea.
Denim and khaki long or as shorts with a cute T-shirt or cotton top are a no-brainer. Linen drawstring pants are a nice alternative to khakis and jeans. Pair these options with a straw fedora or baseball cap. Don’t turn your baseball cap backwards when your are 40+. It is not fun at our age. A cotton maxi dress or crochet dress are another light weight option. When you go for a dress, go for a floppy hat.
How to Dress for an Evening Grill Party Invitation
If the BBQ is in the evening hours, have a cardigan, utility or denim jacket handy. When you are wearing a dress, a stole is a great stylish cover-up when it chills down after sunset. Make sure in your choice of your cover-up that it matches the vibe of your outfit.
Note that when rain is in the forecast, the grill will probably stay cold. In this case, grill parties at your friends’ are sort of dinner invitations so dressing for a dinner party is a good choice.
Pro tip: Accessories are a great option to add trendy fashion-selfie at last year’s party, you probably don’t recall what you wore anyhow.
What to Wear to a BBQ on a Lawn in a Park
When the BBQ is in a park, at a riverbank or a lake, you may also get outfit inspirations from what to wear at a picnic. On a lawn or on dirt, moccasins, clogs, espadrilles, ballet flats, embellished flip-flops, plateau sandals or flat sandals are your best options. Any heel would stick into the ground and get ruined. Plateau sandals may bear the risk of injury when your ankles are not strong and you step on some uneven terrain. Again think of the shoes as an accessory that has to match the vibe of your outfit. Clogs, embellished sandals or flip-flop look great with a Bohemian style maxi dress. Moccasins look great with linen drawstring pants or cutoffs.
Avoid plateau sandals or heels when a BBQ party is on a lawn or gravel. The former is a recipe for injury, the latter for ruining your shoes. #BBQ #MemorialDay Click To TweetBelow are further inspirations for BBQ appropriate outfits.
Oliveo leather shorts, Carhartt gingham button-down shirt, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Kieselstein Cord belt and buckle, straw hat, Ray Ban sunglasses and Michael Kors sandals (all own)
Karl Jäger dress, GNW cardigan, Hermes collier de chien bangle, 3.1 Philip Lim tote, statement belt, Ray Ban sunglasses, and nude Juicy Couture sandals (all own)
Oliveo jeans, coin necklace worn as belt, Great Northwest shirt, Paloma Picasso sunglasses, Hermes collier de chien bangle, and Madonna True or Dare pointy toes (all own)
Great Northwest denim shirt with Loft flare jeans, white Fossil denim jacket, Coach bag, Studio strappy multi-color sandals, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Ray Ban mirrored aviators, and statement belt (all own)
Loft distressed jeans with GNW luxe sweater, Kieselstein Cord belt and Ivanka Trump shoes (all own)
BGBG capri, Moda International sweater, Great Northwest denim jacket, Hermes collier de chien bangle, silk scarf and Anne Klein slingbacks (all own)
Chica summer dress, floppy straw hat, D&GM sunglasses,Hermes collier de chien bangle, and metallic thong sandals (all own)
Liz Claiborne denim dress (shortened), statement belt, Great Northwest suede utility jacket, structured bag, Michael Kors patent leather wedges, Ray Ban sunglasses (all own)
When you liked the outfit recipes of this post, and want recipes for all kind of dressing situation in midlife, buy my book How to Dress for Success in Midlife.
If you liked any of these outfit inspirations, it would help me if you pinned them to your own Pinterest board. It’s a great way that your friends, family, and others can see them too.
Wrapping Up
Except for a posh backyard BBQ, you are seldom wrong with a clean good-fitting dark-wash pair of jeans, a high quality clean T-shirt, medium length earrings, statement sunglasses, a pendant gold or silver necklace and a pair of good flat strappy sandals or sneakers.
When the BBQ is sort of an Alaskan potluck party bring a side dish. When you are at home grilling with your family dress casual with easy-to-clean clothes.
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Photos of me: G. Kramm
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