What to wear to a family party

What to wear to a family party is always a dilemma. The last weekend of August for a big family gathering in Chester has been in our diary for over eight months so there was no excuse for not planning my packing well in advance. The weekend consisted of two nights at the Carden Park Hotel. There would be two dinners one on Friday night (slightly less formal and then a larger one in a private dining room to celebrate my brother’s birthday on Saturday. We were forty-two in total (we are a large family).

For the first evening, I wore a skirt from Jaeger shown above (I bought it in the sale – now sadly sold out). Having done some research I found a similar one at MarksandSpencer (US link) My cream silk top is also by Jaeger. MeandEm has some excellent ones. My burgundy cross body bag is by Jaeger still available at John Lewis (reduced in sale)

I love the feel of the skirt, the way it swooshes around my legs. It is a good style for my pear shape figure as it shows off my waist and then follows the line of my wider hips without clinging.

I found a good selection of similar styles at LKBennett (US link) I fell in love with this one (only size 12 left) but decided my blue one would be more practical. Ted Baker also offers a very pretty one as do The Outnet.

I have slung a wool/cashmere shawl over my shoulders. I bought mine on a trip to India about twelve years ago. Etsy has an excellent selection.

Carden Park Hotel and Park

My Jaeger bag is perfect for day or evening. It is a great trans seasonal piece. The colour will go well with my autumn 2017 wardrobe, which I am in the process of planning now and will be sharing with you in the near future.

My pearl earrings are by Claudia Bradby. My pearl necklace was a present from my husband a few years ago. Similar.

Photos by Mr.P

This is the outfit I wore for the first evening. I will be sharing what I wore for the second night next week.

Chicatanyage

I write a fashion and beauty blog for women over 50 with the aim of inspiring mature women to continue to enjoy and have fun with their fashion choices. I have spent most of my working life in some way connected to fashion. I started my career in Fashion PR and then trained as an Image Consultant when my children were young. I subsequently worked in the corporate world running seminars, doing private coaching and speaking at conferences. I started my blog in 2009 as I wanted to share my years of experience working in the world of fashion. I truly believe we can continue to have confidence in the way we present ourselves. Our style may evolve with time and changing lifestyles, yet with a little knowledge and inspiration, we can all continue to have fun with fashion. As women of a certain age we are a growing demographic let us prove that we can also be a chic one.

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View Comments

4ladyfiftyfifty says:

28th August 2017 at 16:32

Perfect choice, you look great!
Hélène G. says:

28th August 2017 at 20:00

What bright and interesting ideas !
I do appreciate too the proposed variations, or shopping which looks like the main idea...
I also enjoy very much your very English elegance, and style : I'm French, and I think that most of French loose the sense of elegance...So, I'm very pleased to discover all your ideas, always great (I discovered your blog two days ago !).
Amitiés,
Hélène G.
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  29th August 2017 at 11:37
  
  Hi Helene
  Welcome to my blog I very much appreciate your comment. I think you may have a point the English can do elegant very well. The french I would say do style and chic. Our neighbours in the South of France always look "soignee".
Susan Smallman says:

28th August 2017 at 20:13

Carden park is a favourite family hotel of ours, your photos are the same locations as we have taken there!! We took our 3 and 6 year old granddaughters for the night in July. They have such fun. Good choice. The pool and spa is gorgeous, as are your outfits. Can't wait to see what you wore for your second night.
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  29th August 2017 at 13:55
  
  Hi Susan
  Yes, it was a great hotel I loved the separate rooms at the back. It was excellent for my three small grandsons 7,4 and 2.
Debbie Hull says:

29th August 2017 at 01:31

Hi Josephine ! Do you think that ponchos will be in this fall and also I have a pear shape so do you think that it would be a good purchase for me ?
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  29th August 2017 at 08:52
  
  Hi Debbie
  I think ponchos have become a classic and are always in. Being pear shaped myself I favour bright coloured ponchos as they draw the eye upwards and away from the hips. Also if they are long enough they cover the bum.
Kate hampshire says:

29th August 2017 at 08:01

I love the shoes. Where are they from?
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  29th August 2017 at 08:48
  
  Hi Kate
  My shoes are from L.K.Bennett about three years ago. I searched however sadly I did not find anything similar. I think nude flats or nude kitten heels would work just as well.
Ladies Golf Clothes says:

30th August 2017 at 13:54

The tribal pashmina is gorgeous, i like how you combine it with the rest, especially the color. Well done!
Ann says:

31st August 2017 at 18:45

Lovely things you've put together. And how fortunate that the blues of your skirt and your shawl match so well. I like the solid colors, too. The pashmina's border is just enough pattern for me.

Glad you had a wonderful time.