How To Avoid A Wardrobe Of One-Hit Wonders

Scan the room at any wedding, work event, or insert-festivity-here, and one thing's clear: Dressing up isn't what it used to be. What was once defined as wearing a dress and heels for women is now totally open to interpretation. And we're stoked. But even so, we're often left with a variety of frillier-than-usual pieces — from over-the-top tops to sparkly mules — chilling in the back of our closet until an invite hits our inbox. Well, we're here to change that.

In today's more creative fashion climate, it's absolutely possible to wear your fanciest pieces IRL — all it takes is a strategic pairing of items from opposite ends of the style spectrum (think: sneakers and lace or denim and heels). So for our fourth episode of #R29StyleStalking with ASOS, which we filmed in Berlin, we're mastering the ever-elusive dressy-casual mix. Check out the video above, then keep scrolling for more ways to give your one-hit party wonders endless lives.

You could probably wear florals just about anywhere and it would be 100% appropriate. But certain dresses may be a little extra for any given Monday. We recommend layering yours with super casual pieces like a long-sleeve tee, cropped denim, or even a hoodie to tone down any wedding-guest vibes.

We don't need to tell you that ruffles are still in, but we will give you a new way to wear them. Our first instinct is to pair ruffles with something more streamlined and refined, since the silhouette tends to steal the whole outfit show. Mixing ruffles with more ruffles, however, makes the look more playful than proper — and perfect for every day.

Though this might be the oldest trick in the book, that doesn't mean it's not still good: When in doubt, just add sneakers. Fresh kicks can instantly turn anything pretty and sweet — pastels, lace, florals — into the kind of unexpected look you'd heart on Instagram.