How To Wear Pants in Formal Events | Aelida


Dress Code: Formal.

Your thoughts: Dresses, skirts, gowns. (Okay, and maybe wines and champagnes)

Basically, when someone says that you have to wear a formal attire, it typically translates to wearing fancy dresses and gowns, elaborate hairspray-filled hairdos, and costume jewelries. I mean, we all want to look fancy every once in a while, right? But there are those of us whose personal style doesn’t conform to the typical uniform for formal events.

And that’s the great thing about this era. The acceptable outfits for a formal dress code is much more flexible than it was a decade or two ago. You could now wear cocktail dresses in events when only long gowns were appropriate before. And that old gender rules have been completely thrown out of the window. These days, you can go to formal events and say, “Yes, I’m wearing pants but, hey, I’m still a woman”.

But just because the rules are much more adaptable these days doesn’t mean that you can just go on and wear whatever pair of pants you want. TPO is still one of fashion’s most basic and irreplaceable rule. There are numerous ways for you to be able to wear pants in a formal event.

Your first option is to wear a black silky pants. The dressiness and glossiness of the fabric make it…well, dressy and glossy that you would be able to wear it for any formal event. The pants doesn’t necessarily have to black, mind you. You could go for any color that you would think will make a better pair for your chosen top. However, black is a highly recommended color because of its simple elegance and versatility to pairing with any other color.

Having your pants tailored is another good thing that you can do. As mentioned in an earlier post of mine, tailored garments usually give off this certain amount of fanciness that makes your outfit look more pricey than it actually is. This kind of impression will be to your advantage since we usually wear clothes of greater quality in formal events. Again, befriending that nearby tailor won’t hurt you or even your wallet. So don’t hesitate.

I’m going to lay it down to why high-waisted pants are here. I personally think that there is a certain classy glamour that comes from a wearing a high-waisted pants that is not denim. Especially when the pants is of an elegant material. It treads the fine line between casual and formal quite well and if the event you’ll be going is during the day, then you might want to consider high-waisted pants.

I’ve mentioned above how pants made of glossy textiles are great for a formal attire and leather pants is no exception to that. Yes, leather may have this initial biker/punk impression but you can soften that up with whatever top you will pair it with. I recommend soft, lightweight tops made of silk and leans more on the feminine side such as floral printed tops and the billowy ones. Just remember that they should be appropriate enough for a formal affair.

Here’s a common way to wear pants for a formal attire and it’s been widely accepted by a lot of A-list celebrities this year: pant suits. And I’ve got one great tip for nailing the pant suit outfit amidst a crowd of ball gowns and silk dresses. Learn to navigate the fine line between feminine and masculine.

Pant suits are something we’ve taken inspiration from a common formal men’s outfit. To own it, you have to put a flair of femininity to that edgy look. Take cues from Lorde and wear a matching crop top and glam yourself with a statement necklace that screams fragility amidst the sleekness of her hairstyle and pant suit.

Or if you’re confident the jacket can cover you enough, go for a more daring look like other celebrities such as Miley Cyrus did. The plunging neckline brought the attention to her face and kept her outfit overall sleek and clean.

miley-cyrus-white-pantsuit

If there was ever any time that jumpsuits will shine, it’s during these times. Jumpsuits are perfect alternative for long gowns and they offer the comfort and easy movement that pants do. Most jumpsuits designed for formal events have wide-leg pants that is great to wear with platforms hidden underneath.

Speaking of wide-leg pants, these pants are another thing that you can wear for a formal affair. Wide-leg pants are usually billowy and silky which makes them a great alternative to maxi skirts and, when paired with crop top or tucked-in top, is a great long gown alternative. Take note of this, petite ladies, because wide-leg pants are great at making you look taller, too.