Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
Desk to Date Night Looks With these Beauty + Fashion Staples
A problem I have with many of my fancier clothing is that I don’t wear it very often. While my glittery floral dress with skinny chain straps makes a very fun date night outfit, I wanted to be able to wear it during the day too.
I started thinking about new ways to wear it and ended up coming up with a solution that will help me wear even more of my fancier wardrobe pieces more. I also found an old product that makes hair BIG and lasts from desk to date night.
Here for the shopping links only? Find most here in my Amazon Shop.
I adore this white shirt!
The Day to Night outfit concept has been in my mind ever since I got my Day to Night Barbie in the 1980’s. She had a cool pink office business suit that turned into an evening gown when she reversed her skirt and took off her blazer at night. With thinking about that favorite Barbie doll, I’ve made that desk to date night idea come to life with some of my own solutions to a fashion problem.
This fancy dress/voluminous hair was also inspired by the movie Miss Congeniality starring Sandra Bullock. The scene where she completes her makeover….well…take a look here at it via YouTube and you’ll see some of my inspiration!
Using my Beachwaver for big curls
Curls + Volume: Beauty Staple Item
For the overall look, I wanted to create a hairstyle that lasted from desk to date night, so I curled my freshly washed and dried hair (I love Viori shampoo and conditioner…use code CAROLYNBRADEN at viori.com for 10% off your order) using a large barrel curling iron. I use this heat protect spray from Amazon.
I like my Beachwaver Multi Barrel tool because my curls always last when I use it. I parted my hair in the middle before curling and this has become my “staple” look for about a year now.
See me curl my hair with the Beachwaver MEGA cone in my 1-minute video tutorial below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Then I applied some Sexy Hair Big Powder Play ($22, Amazon…it lasts as you only need a tiny bit and it is colorless on hair) at my roots, used my fingers to work the cool and lightweight powder into my roots and BOOM! Long lasting volume was mine.
Before and after using Powder Play
I found an old bottle of this in my favorite hair product cabinet and I totally forgot how great it is. It’s the only volume product I’ve ever used that truly lasts for days, as I only wash my long hair every three days. Lastly, I added a bit of hairspray (get my favorite hairspray at Target) and my hair lasted all day, even in southwest Florida summer heat.
See my 1-minute tutorial for the SexyHair Big Powder Play product in the video above or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden.
The Power Play really works!
White Shirt: Wardrobe Staple Item
I ordered this sparkly sequin floral dress from Amazon as well as this short puff sleeve button down white shirt. A white shirt is a staple for all to have in their wardrobe. I adore white shirts and with being hot a lot, a short sleeve version is perfect for me. Each item was under $25, and this is why I love Amazon fashion! I washed the white shirt, hung it to dry and used a steamer to get the wrinkles out.
2 ways to wear a sequin dress
My go-to day look: I put the shirt under the dress (I used my SPANX by Assets body suit from Target as a slip and bra and it is very comfy) paired it with my go-with-everything Adidas tennis shoes (Amazon) and a Hello Kitty bow bag I got at the Sanrio store in New York many, many years ago.
I’ve had this purse for many, many years and still love it
It made the perfect on-the-go daily outfit that I would have worn to my corporate or teaching job. It’s colorful, yes, however, it’s ME, it’s comfortable and I LOVE IT.
A “sexy” date night look
For a date night look: I thought you could pair the dress with a strapless bra (I like this Wacoal one from Amazon as it really stays put), a pair of heels (I had a pair of wedges, which are more comfy for me), and a small evening bag. I could see the strapless bra on the sides and back of the dress as it was cut a bit low, so if I’d wear the dress sans shirt, I’d get a different bra.
A simple and fab look
My thrift-store find look: I also found a flared jean denim jumpsuit at a thrift store a while back and loved it. I knew I wouldn’t wear it without anything under it, so when I found the white shirt on Amazon, I knew it’d work.
When flared jeans fit well, they can look great!
The combo makes a great date night outfit OR a day time look. You could wear the jumpsuit sans shirt for a sexier date night look too. Jeans are always appropriate in my world, but if your job won’t allow jeans, a pair of black pants always matches a white shirt.
I wore the shirt under the jumpsuit with the jumpsuit buttoned over my chest AND unbuttoned the jumpsuit to wear it more like a “skirt”. I think I may paint or add hot pink fabric to the underside of the jumpsuit top in the future to make it look more purposeful. Get a similar strapless denim jumpsuit on Amazon. See more flared jeans + date night outfit ideas via Sydney Sweeney and Cosmopolitan here.
Coming Soon: More ways to wear this white shirt staple!
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Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.