
How to Style your Capri Pants for Formal
Quote of the day: “Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.” Elizabeth Gilbert
Capris for formal occasions may seem quite oxymoronic. I’m sure most of us consider the capri pants as a casual element, and wear them only for our informal wear. However, the three of us did venture a try into this category earlier this summer.
So when Sheela and Eve, another mother and daughter team, asked to join in with styling capri pants, how could I say no? The mother and daughter duo joined in with us for styling capris with an athletic vibe and with a French Chic look! And you can blame Hurricane Harvey for making us post this so late in the season!! But it’ll be great for next spring and summer so feel free to pin the images!
Eve (The World According to Eve): I think Eve does a fabulous job of showing how to style her capris for formal times.
I do feel that showing off our shoulders is one way to incorporate a dressier feel to any outfit. And then even though her shoes are really sneakers, they are gold, metallic sneakers which make them sparkle and shine. It’s the sparkle and shine that really adds a fancier idea for anyone!

Sheela (Sheela Writes): Sheela incorporates a long flowy, cardigan over her outfit to add the glam
I think the fishnet stockings along with the gorgeous clutch purse, make this outfit incredibly fascinating.

Jodie’s (50+) Outfit: I admit that when Sheela & Eve first presented this category, I was at a loss. I didn’t have any carpis for formal times in my closet.
So what does any smart girl do when that happens? She goes shopping, of course! Well, I did just that in my mom’s basement for material so she could make me a pair for this category!! When I found this material that was shiny, yet very lightweight, I thought it would be perfect!! In a way, they almost look like leather, don’t you think? And, of course, mom already had a couple of patterns to choose from, so this was a great deal all the way around!

To add in a dressier element, I wore my bell sleeve top! I was discussing these kind of tops in my Fall Fashion post. This particular top was a steal when it was on sale and with my reward dollars I got it for a price of about $3. I did shorten the sleeves on this top about 3 inches, because I wanted it to be functional and be able to show off my bracelets. You can also see that I wore a cami under it in these photos, but I’ve since worn it without the cami underneath it.
I think you’re going to be seeing a lot of these fun sleeves in the future, so if you are looking for a good deal, check out what I found! This one is a nude version, here is a basic white, and then there’s a striped one!

Both my earrings above and bracelet below are from my Rocksbox experience!
The earrings are so colorful and pretty that they would be something I’d have bought if they weren’t so heavy! I’m sure we’ve all had those earrings that can only be worn for a couple of hours. And maybe this try before you buy service could help with those issues?
The bracelet was a perfect match to my vintage purse that used to be my grandmother’s! The fun aspect about the bracelet is it could also be worn as a choker too. I thought this was a smart tactic for a piece of jewelry especially if you’re travelling and are limited on space.

The other element that takes this outfit up a notch in my opinion is my shoes!! I have to tell you that this pair of sandals is one of the most comfortable pair that I own. Nancy has a pair almost like mine in a rose gold and she agrees about the comfort. I think it’s the ankle straps that makes all the difference. That and the fact, that there is very little material on the shoe to rub and annoy your foot!
If you don’t have a pair like these yet, then let me help you! There are block heel versions that may be preferable to some of you, the kitten heel version or even a flat pair!

Pants: Mom made them (similar here)~~Top: Banana Republic (here)~~Shoes: Abound (similar here)~~Necklace: (similar here)~~Earrings: Kate Spade through Rocksbox-get a month free with code: JtouchofstyleXOXO (here)~~Bracelet: Nakamol through Rocksbox-get a month free with code: JtouchofstyleXOXO (here)~~Purse: (similar here)~~Sunglasses: (similar here)
Nancy’s (60+) Outfit: I know many women keep with a black theme for dressing up, so that’s the route we went with Nancy’s capris for formal occasions.
She wore her black, Traveler’s pants that she bought recently from Chicos and actually tucked them up so they’d be carpi length!

Baring our shoulders is always thought of as dressy, so I had Nancy pull out her cold shoulder shirt for this look. I figured it was shiny and sexy! I have been seeing more and more women sporting these fun open shoulder shirts lately even around town!! So I have to think they are becoming more mainstream.
Now with winter around the corner, I can see you thinking that they wouldn’t work. But I saw a women once wearing a lace top under her cold shoulder shirt which looked very interesting. It may have me considering wearing a long sleeve under a cold shoulder shirt. Just think, we layer a turtleneck or another shirt under our sweaters. And if we did this with an open shoulder shirt, you could actually see more of the layered item underneath it!
It’s an interesting thought, and I could see it working with one like this one or this one possibly. What’s your thought on that?

I figure when you’re wearing a solid black top, this is the perfect time to wear a necklace that will really stand out!
Since we were going formal for this look, we stuck with silver and bling, but just think how any light color would pop against the black!
For example, this yellow leaf necklace would show up fabulously and so would a turquoise one!! I realize that we tend to think about matching items, so if you’re wearing black, you look for black pieces. But if that’s the case, the black necklace wouldn’t show up?

And then for Nancy’s shoes with her capris for formal times, we thought the silver pumps would add more sparkle and shine!!
I do think that silver shoes are quite versatile. Ever since my reader, Jude, created a silver pair of sneakers for me, I’ve been hooked!! In fact, I’m planning on getting a pair of silver booties sometime soon! If you like this idea too, there are other options like mules and kitten heels!

Pants: Chicos (similar here)~~Top: Romwe (similar here)~~Shoes: Chinese Laundry (similar here)~~Necklace: (similar here)~~Earrings: (similar here)
Charlotte’s (70+) Outfit: My mom also chose the black and silver theme to style her capris for formal events!
Although I did suggest the melon colored cardigan as her topper to try to add in a little color to the outfit!
Many cardigans are quite lightweight and can do the job of adding in some fabulous print or color to any outfit. If you prefer print cardigans then this one is lovely. Or if you tend to reach for solid colored cardigans then this one even has some nice ruffle detail!

My mom even chose flat shoes for her footwear!! Since many women prefer to wear flats for any and all occasions I rounded up some pairs at the bottom of this post!

Since mom’s capris aren’t super dressy, she chose to add in fancier items with her top and jewelry.
There are many shirts that can be considered fancy due to their sparkle and shine. There are some with sequins, shine or even lace details that make any outfit seem dressier!

Of course, another aspect that can add pizzazz to our looks is the accessories part! We recently showed our outfits with and without accessories to give a side by side comparison to this fact! I think any of the metals can make the outfit look great. Whether you prefer gold or silver is a personal preference!!
And as a funny aside, doesn’t my mom look incredibly formal next to the dirty truck?? Isn’t it always about perspective-ha ha??!!

Pants: Mom made them (similar here)~~Cardigan: Nine West-thrifted (similar here)~~Top: Fashion 2 Fashion (similar here)~~Shoes: thrifted (similar here)~~Necklace: (similar here)~~Earrings: (similar here)
So I have to admit, that I think all five of us showed there are ways to style our capris for formal times. With metallics, bling and dressier items, there can be occasions when your capris may get out on the town for fun!!
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