How Do I Dress for Special Occasions Without Buying Clothes I’ll Only Wear Once?

Start by shopping your own wardrobe, choose clothes that suit your colouring, body shape and personal style, and look for pieces you can mix and match. 

Changing your shoes, accessories and styling can also give the same clothes a completely different look for your next event.

Key Takeaways:

• Shop your wardrobe before buying something new for a special occasion.
• Choose versatile pieces that suit your colouring, body shape and personal style.
• Use mix-and-match pieces, shoes and accessories to create different looks and get more wear from your clothes.

Special occasion styling has been part of my work as a personal stylist for a long time, and for good reason. 

An invitation to a wedding, a corporate function or special birthday can leave you wondering where to even start, especially if you’re already in a bit of a funk with your wardrobe. 

So why buy an outfit you’ll only wear once? Most of my clients want pieces they can wear in different ways, simply by changing the shoes and accessories to suit the next occasion. It takes away the last-minute outfit stress, and helps you get more wear from what you already own.

Shop Your Own Wardrobe

Depending on the client, some of my special occasion styling sessions start in their own wardrobe. This is where I witness the panic buys: the "I only wore this once" or "I bought this last minute but did not end up wearing it."

Before buying something new, I help my clients see whether we can make what they already own work, either by styling it with other pieces in their wardrobe or finding something at the shops to complete the look. 

That’s why I call it "shopping in your wardrobe."

And if something doesn’t suit your taste anymore, there are plenty of ways to recycle or pass it on to someone who would be happy to wear it. 

Choose Clothes That Suit Your Colouring, Body Shape and Personal Style

Every client has their own likes and dislikes, proportions, body shape and colour season. There are no set rules that work for everyone. 

We start by identifying these elements and thinking about the occasions you need to dress for. For some clients, it’s multiple weddings. For others, it might be black-tie work events, special birthdays or a combination of occasions.

I then create an inspiration board where we can both share images. We look at the colours you love, the patterns and proportions that look great on you, and most importantly, what feels like you. This becomes the basis of our shopping list when we meet in person for the shopping trip. 

Once we find outfits you love, we also look at how else you can wear them so they don’t become one-occasion pieces.

Choose Pieces You Can Mix and Match

I worked with a client, Jan-Maree, who was the Mother of the Groom. It was a pleasure helping her create a look she felt confident and beautiful in for her son’s wedding.

Jan-Maree has significant health issues that cause severe swelling in her legs, and her Australian dress size is in the 26+ range. This gives her very few options to buy in-store or online, even from international businesses. 

And when she does find something that fits, it often isn’t something she likes or feels stylish in. 

So, we’ve been working with a fabulous bespoke dress designer and couturier Daniel Learmont to create an outfit based exactly on what Jan-Maree loves. She loves bling-bling, sparkles and she isn’t afraid to wear colour.

We have had exquisite fabrics from around the world at our disposal. The outfit includes wide-leg pants, a waisted top that shows off Jan-Maree's neckline and shoulders and a fabulous coat in a beautiful fabric fit for a queen.

From the start we have kept our eye on the fact that each of these three pieces can be worn separately, as Jan-Maree has many functions to attend to throughout the year.

Use Shoes and Accessories to Create Different Looks

A look can feel completely different with just a change of earrings, shoes or handbag. Combining these elements in different ways can truly transform the outfit and help you wear it to more than one occasion. 

Complementary colours can also highlight and lift an outfit. Think navy and gold, for example - one of those divine colour combinations that make each other shine. I could fill a whole page with wonderful pairings!

Which colours are best for you? That really depends on your skin, hair and eye colour. Some colours will lift you, while others will make you look like... well you can fill in the blank here.

Avoid Last-Minute Special Occasion Shopping

I’ve seen women running all over shops because they "have" to find an outfit, only to come away frustrated and unsuccessful. It’s not a nice feeling and it can also become very expensive. These outfits are rarely bought with a clear head or positive energy. You may have experienced that stress yourself. 

Then there are clients who give themselves the peace of mind of working with a professional stylist like me and being prepared with options. We create outfits that suit them, along with a PDF mix-and-match guide showing different ways they can wear each look. 

The balloon of stress is gone, along with the hundreds or even thousands of dollars that can be wasted on panic buys that don’t really work.

Get More Wear From Your Special Occasion Clothes

The right special occasion clothes shouldn’t be destined for the back of your wardrobe after one wear. With a little thought around colour, fit, versatility and styling, you can create outfits you love wearing in different ways for different occasions.

And if you’d like some help creating a few fabulous outfits that make the most of what you already own, it would be my honour to help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I wear to a special occasion if I don’t want to wear a dress?

You certainly don’t have to wear a dress. A beautiful pair of pants with a fabulous top, a jumpsuit or well-chosen separates can be just as elegant. What matters is that the colours, proportions and style suit you and the occasion. Most importantly, you should feel like yourself wearing them.

What should I do if I can’t find special occasion clothes that suit my body shape or size?

Don’t settle for something simply because it fits. Look at different silhouettes, proportions and colours, and consider alterations or bespoke pieces if ready-to-wear options aren’t working for you. There is usually more than one way to create a fabulous outfit that suits both your body and your personal style.

How do I know if a special occasion outfit is worth buying?

Think beyond the event you’re shopping for. Ask yourself whether you genuinely love the outfit, whether it works with pieces you already own and whether you can imagine wearing it again in a different way. If the only reason you’re buying it is because you “have to find something,” it may be worth looking again.

Is it better to buy or hire an outfit for a special occasion?

It depends on how much use you’re likely to get from it. Hiring can make sense for something very specific that you genuinely don’t expect to wear again. Buying can offer better value when you choose pieces that suit you, work with your existing wardrobe and can be styled for several occasions.