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Last night I had the privilege of attending a function sponsored by one of my city’s largest banks, in celebration of a newly renovated exhibition space in our major art/history museum. It gave me the chance to see what real women-not models or celebrities-are wearing, and so I will share my findings with you.

These events are sometimes annoying in terms of what to wear, because they tend to take place in elegant surroundings, with lovely entertainment and wonderful food-yet invitations almost always state “business casual,” which throw me for a loop. Now, business, I understand, and casual is by no means an issue, but putting them together seems to stump a lot of other people as well. A couple folks showed up in what looked like picnic attire, while many went all out fancy. (Men have it so easy when it comes to things like this; the most noticeable male outfit consisted of a gent wearing white pants, royal blue jacket, and a flowered shirt. He had to have a great sense of humor, don’t you think?)

Anyway, while one of the curators gave an impassioned presentation, my mind drifted to those around me; people-watching can offer some of the more interesting facets of a night out. The crowd was comprised mostly of older individuals who were clients of the banks, and as such, had reached their current professional levels through years of work. So, it was naturally a more sedate and conservative array than one might find at one of a city’s new hotspots, where checking ID’s for age is still a major function. Although some 20-somethings looked fashionable, the older women weren’t slouches, either.

One gal had on a strapless purple dress; its looseness removed any hint of formality, as did her hair, which was in a simple bun. What caused a double take was that she had paired it with bright orange, closed toe, high heels. I gazed at those shoes for more than a few seconds, asking myself if any other color than black would have worked with that particular purple, and came up blank. So-first lesson: if you can’t find a color that is a complementary one, and you don’t want black, go for the color that’s in direct opposition on the color spectrum. It just may work.

Another gal had a short, tight skirt that took center stage, being made of hot pink silk. She may have been in her 40’s, and was able to pull it off, but I think it’d be hard to find something to go with a hot pink mini under any situation.

The outfit I thought most put-together was seen on a lady with a white, A-line, knee length dress with ¾ length sleeves-which boasted black appliqués up the middle front, and around the neck and cuffs. She paired it with shoes that were basically black, with a band of white across the toes, with a black bow or ornament smack center-all in patent leather-and totally trimmed in gold strips. Her light hair was up and she had a black band in it. Perhaps a younger girl may find it not bare or sexy enough, but it was still very attractive and sophisticated, yet perfect for this occasion in client socializing.

Perhaps what I liked least was an outfit whose pieces seemed to jar, alhough they were similar. A lady wore a jacket/top with a wild animal motif. Her capri’s were trimmed with the same material as the jacket. Those two would have been busy enough, but she added leopard-skin socks, and shoes that were detailed as well. In my opinion, it’s appropriate to wear animal prints to a natural history museum event, but either jacket or pants, not both. And I am still wondering about those socks…

(Just in case you're wondering, I wore a skirt and top set, rather Indian in design, in light gold, with a lot of beading and lace. The top is sleeveless and tight across the waist, and the skirt is almost floor length. I chose sandals of the same gold color, with a smattering of colored stones across the bands. It’s not something I can wear to many places, but for such an event, it worked. This is what real women are wearing, not models or celebs.)