I’ve deemed April the month of celebrations for our family. We’ve got Benson’s birthday, Ella’s birthday, my birthday, my cousin’s wedding, Easter, and three close friends/kids’ birthdays. So many get-togethers to attend! (And so much good food to eat! ?)
In case your spring calendar looks like mine, today I’m partnering with J.Crew Factory to share more outfit ideas for special occasions like birthdays, baby showers, graduations, or other celebrations you’ve got coming! J.Crew Factory is one of my favorite stores! They’ve got the same classic styles as J.Crew except much, much more affordable. I always scope out J.Crew Factory for staples like blazers and puffer vests as well as for fun pieces with cute details that are still classic and easy to wear. They’ve got some super, super cute things for spring that I’m excited to show you!
SIZING: I’m 5’6″ with a short torso and usually S/M or 6 in clothes, 8.5 to 9 in shoes.
White Jeans + Colorful Top
I’ve already told you this is one of my go-to outfit formulas for dressy casual outfits, and here it is coming through once again. This top is really good for special occasions AND for work! The material is dressier, and the extra details like flutter sleeves, faux wrap, and peplum help it look special without you having to try very hard. You can pair it with jeans for a birthday or casual baby shower. Or pair it with grey pants and leopard print pumps for work!
It runs a bit small, plus it’s form fitting, so there’s not a lot or give besides a little elastic in the waistband. I’m wearing size 6 but would size up even more if I needed to accommodate a larger chest. It’s on the shorter side, which I prefer since I have a shorter torso. Size 6 is 22.5″ from shoulder to hem, if that helps any! This color green is super vibrant and I LOVE it! But in case green’s not great for you, it also comes in a gorgeous lilac and black. See them HERE. (Note, the color on the product site looks muted. In person, the color is more of a vibrant green like in the pics above.)
Also, I’ve gotta mention these jeans. Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes for them because jeans are always hard. Am I right? I was pleasantly surprised! They are fairly thick and not see-through if you are wearing nude colored underwear. While they don’t feel like yoga pants (you know me and how I like my jeans, haha!) there is at least a bit of stretch to them. They have a bit of texture and are an off-white rather than bright white, both of which I find hides dirt marks better. The ankles are fitted enough for my preference, and though the product site says they’re a 8″ rise, they feel more like a 9.5″ rise to me. I do wish they had more stretch and were a bit softer, but I’m hoping the latter is taken care of with washing. Overall though, definitely worth trying if you’re in the market for white jeans. See them HERE. (BTW this link has been taking some people to the Canadian site with Canadian dollars. Not sure why, but yay if you’re from Canada! 😛 Should be $46.50 USD on sale.)
Shop the Outfit:
Top (size 6) | Jeans (size 6) | Bag | Similar Sandals
Casual Top with Special Details + Jeans + Colorful Shoes
Next is an outfit for casual gatherings when I’d want to dress a step up from my everyday casual outfits but still want to be able to wrangle kids in if I need to. ? A cotton top like this is PERFECT for that! The eyelet at the bottom gives it that little oomph, but it’s still super comfy to wear. Finish it off with a metallic necklace and colorful wedges, and you’ve got an elevated casual outfit!
If you’re worried about wearing white, this top also comes in grey! See it HERE. It has a rounded hem that curves up near the hips. I wear size S. (This link is also taking some people to the Canadian site with Canadian prices. Should be $29.99 USD on sale.)
These wedges are such a fun pop of color and are fairly easy to wear. The upper is canvas, and I love how the espadrille sets a more casual tone. I’m usually between sizes since I usually need to accommodate for my feet being slightly wider than average. Size 9 fits perfectly width-wise, but they are a tad long. These come in this bright red, beige, navy, and black. See them HERE.
Shop the Outfit:
Top (size S) | Jeans | Similar Bag | Wedges (size 9) | Necklace
Cotton Dress
SO many times I’ve been at an event where my casual dresses are too casual, but my nicer dresses are a little too nice. I was in one of those situations years ago and saw a girl in a cotton dress similar to this one and made a mental note: cotton dresses are the most fantastic in-between! This cotton eyelet dress is exactly that! It’s dressed up without being out-of-place overdressed.
This dress not only has adorable eyelet detail, it’s fully lined, has POCKETS, and has functional buttons along the front which means it’s breastfeeding friendly! I mean, could you really ask for more? OH WAIT–it comes in a suuuuuuper cute bright YELLOW and light blue! See them all HERE. I wear size 4.
A couple notes about the dress: First, the skirt is shorter than I typically go for as it hits several inches above my knee. Somehow, though, I don’t find it too short nor am I uncomfortable in it. ??♀️ Second, one review said the waist was not tight enough and caused awkward bunching of material. I did not have that problem, and I’m not sure what causes it. I sized down to 4 based on those reviews, suspecting the dress might have been too big for that person, but no way to know for sure. Just a heads up! Otherwise, this dress is adorable, and I’m contemplating whether I should get the yellow one instead! ?
Shop the Outfit:
Dress (wearing size 4) | Wedges (size 9) | Necklace
More Special Occasion Options
If you still want more ideas for things to wear for special occasions, take one of the outfit formulas above and swap the pieces out for one of the ones below instead! Swipe through to shop them all:
Thanks to J.Crew Factory for sponsoring this post!
