20-year HS Reunion...Help!

[cougarmom4]

So my 20 yr HS reunion is next month and it has me stressed out. I shouldn't be feeling this way, but I am! I haven't seen anybody from HS in years, and only recently got in touch with a few on facebook. I am looking forward to seeing a handful of people (which is why I really do want to go), but I find myself feeling nervous to go!

 

And as lame as it sounds, I want to look good...I recently got a fun new haircut & highlights, which helps some. I know I can't get rid of the twenty pounds in a month, but I've been exercising & eating better, trying to at least feel a little better about myself.

 

But here's where I really need some help...what should I wear?!? There is an evening at a club (okay...I've never even been in a club!), a family picnic at the park, and an evening dinner & dance. I'm planning on going shopping--but I'd love some general ideas/advice, I'm not the most fashionable person & really quite conservative, but yet I want to be a little stylish & not look too hokey. :D

 

Anyone have a minute to share any advice for me? :bigear:

[Cricket]

So my 20 yr HS reunion is next month and it has me stressed out. I shouldn't be feeling this way, but I am! I haven't seen anybody from HS in years, and only recently got in touch with a few on facebook. I am looking forward to seeing a handful of people (which is why I really do want to go), but I find myself feeling nervous to go!

 

And as lame as it sounds, I want to look good...I recently got a fun new haircut & highlights, which helps some. I know I can't get rid of the twenty pounds in a month, but I've been exercising & eating better, trying to at least feel a little better about myself.

 

But here's where I really need some help...what should I wear?!? There is an evening at a club (okay...I've never even been in a club!), a family picnic at the park, and an evening dinner & dance. I'm planning on going shopping--but I'd love some general ideas/advice, I'm not the most fashionable person & really quite conservative, but yet I want to be a little stylish & not look too hokey. :D

 

Anyone have a minute to share any advice for me? :bigear:

 

Did you go to my high school? :) Seriously, that is exactly what is planned for our reunion the first week in August! I wish I could go but it doesn't look like I'll make it.

 

I have no fashion advice. My dh advises me on what to wear. :lol: I'm that bad. Just find something you think is cute and feel comfortable in. I prefer casual dresses. I did recently get some cute long multi-colored skirts made of light cotton from India and some matching tank tops.

[Ferdie]

Our 20 year reunion was at a golf course country club. The dress was pretty varied so I suggest that you wear whatever you feel most confident in. Most of the women wore knee length cocktail dresses. There were a few in floor length dresses and a couple in pants. The majority of the women wore black or darker colors. A few wore pastels or jewel tones.

 

The one thing that cracked me up was how many ladies had french tip manicures. So book your nail appointment before you go.

 

I missed my 30 year reunion and really regret it. Go and it will be worth all the expense and effort.

[cougarmom4]

Any other fashion advice? Please? :bigear:

[skaterbabs]

You'll want a cocktail-type dress for the dinner dance. Something comfy for the family picnic; I'd suggest chinos and a nice top with cute but comfy shoes. For the club, nice slacks or skirt with a jazzy top and cute dress shoes.

 

Chadwicks of Boston has some GREAT options. http://www.chadwicksofboston.com/

[5sweeties]

Be yourself! Find stuff that you love! I love a good excuse to shop! I'm pretty conservative too, but love to dress up...so I'd probably look for something like this:

 

Club: flashy, fun skirt in a cool fabric...something really trendy and fun...but for me, it would be longer...like around knee length I'd probably wear a fun, solid colored top with it...I like a basic, fitted t-shirt style...and cool shoes and earrings

 

Picnic: It would depend on what was going to go on at the picnic. If it was going to be games and such, I'd wear my cargo shorts and a t-shirt. If it was just sitting around chatting, it would be a pretty pair of pants from my favorite...J Jill, and a light top. I'd wear my leather flip flops and my freshwater pearl necklace with either outfit.

 

Dinner and Dance: I'd go with the little black dress for this one. Never can miss with that choice. Strappy black heels, and my diamond jewlery.

 

I'm pretty casual (semi-granola), and come from the sticks...so that probably shows up in my suggestions.:001_smile:

 

Have fun! My 20th is, yipes, only 3 years away!

[Ohio12]

You are smart to start shopping now. Take your time and try a bunch of stuff on. For the evening party, I would say a nice knee length dress with spanx and you will be good to go! I would try Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor loft. A lot of stuff is getting marked down. I have a wedding in August and I need to get something before all the summer dresses are gone!

[cougarmom4]

Thanks for your suggestions, ladies. I think I am just afraid to be over-dressed or under-dressed!

 

It must just take me back to the high school days of insecurity! I know I'll love it once I'm there--there are a select handful of friends I will love getting back in touch with. I appreciate the reminders from you to have fun, be comfortable, and just enjoy this...once I figure out the clothes situation then I think I will stop feeling nervous about it!

 

I think I'll do the following:

evening at club: black pants, cute shirt, fun scarf, cute earrings

picnic: capris, sandals, shirt

dinner/dance: black dress, earrings/necklace, heels

 

I don't usually do much with accessories--but I think finding a few jewelry pieces and a scarf will help me feel more put together. I sure do wish I had a fashion consultant to go shopping with me...but at least now I have an idea of what to look for.

 

Thanks...(and I'd welcome any feedback still!)

[Hoggirl]

Unless your goal is to look just like everyone else, do NOT wear a "little black dress" to the dinner/dance. Now, I have nothing against little black dresses, but, honestly, 50% of the women (maybe more) will go this route. It is understandable: it's classic, it's safe, and it's slimming. What I tell everyone who is going to any class reunion is not to wear black!!! At my twenty-year dinner/dance I wore a FUSCHIA dress. I am a stand-out in all the photos! :D Now, I AM an only child, and relish being the center of attention, but I do think you will get noticed more if you wear a bright, flattering color to the dinner/dance.

 

Also, in reality the MOST important outfit is the one you wear the FIRST night, b/c this is when everyone will be seeing you for the FIRST time! I would wear a cute sundress or skirt. Whatever style is most flattering on you. Again, NO black! And, I would err toward dressier rather than casual.

 

For the picnic I would wear either capris, shorts, or a skort. With my ever-creeping southward cellulite, it would be capris for me.

 

Have FUN shopping! Before my twenty-year reunion, I met two classmates in Atlanta, and we all shopped together. It was such a FUN girlie weekend.

 

HTH. Advice is worth waht you pay for it! ;)

[AuntieM]

Go to the library and check out a copy of What Not to Wear. It will give you good ideas for styles to match your body type.

 

FWIW, I think that capri length pants are overrated (ducking tomatoes!). I mean, they're great for around the house, but at an event where others might actually be paying attention to what you have on, I'd choose something else. If you like that length, go with something wider-legged and swingy, like gauchos. Or a pretty peasant skirt. Otherwise, I'd opt for Bermuda shorts length (either shorts or skirt) that hits just above the knee, or go with a casual pair of wide legged linen pants. Either of these two options will make your legs look longer. And, personally I prefer sandals with some heel, over flats, for making my legs feel more attractive and giving me some height.

 

I've been shopping lately because I have lost some weight. Looks like dresses are making a comeback, and some of the maxi-dresses I've seen in stores are very pretty, and they can either go casual or dressy, depending on what shoes and jewelry you add.

 

Have fun, both shopping and at the reunion!

[skaterbabs]

Unless your goal is to look just like everyone else, do NOT wear a "little black dress" to the dinner/dance. Now, I have nothing against little black dresses, but, honestly, 50% of the women (maybe more) will go this route. It is understandable: it's classic, it's safe, and it's slimming. What I tell everyone who is going to any class reunion is not to wear black!!! At my twenty-year dinner/dance I wore a FUSCHIA dress. I am a stand-out in all the photos! :D Now, I AM an only child, and relish being the center of attention, but I do think you will get noticed more if you wear a bright, flattering color to the dinner/dance.

 

Also, in reality the MOST important outfit is the one you wear the FIRST night, b/c this is when everyone will be seeing you for the FIRST time! I would wear a cute sundress or skirt. Whatever style is most flattering on you. Again, NO black! And, I would err toward dressier rather than casual.

 

For the picnic I would wear either capris, shorts, or a skort. With my ever-creeping southward cellulite, it would be capris for me.

 

Have FUN shopping! Before my twenty-year reunion, I met two classmates in Atlanta, and we all shopped together. It was such a FUN girlie weekend.

 

HTH. Advice is worth waht you pay for it! ;)

 

 

:iagree:

 

I wore purple to my 10 yr. reunion dinner dance.

[MamaSheep]

I'm right there with you. My 20 yr hs reunion is next weekend and I'm a bit nervous about it too. High school was a miserable experience for me. It was in a very small town and I'm fairly sure I had a target painted on my forehead. I'm going mostly to "prove something to myself"...lol. I think I need to see those awful people 20 years later and get a different perspective on them. I figure either they'll have grown up into actual members of the human species or they'll be just as awful as I remember them and I will feel like my memories are based on something tangible and aren't just wild exaggerations. 20 years make you wonder, y'know? Either way, I think it'll be cathartic. Plus, my wonderful dh is going with me, and grandma is keeping the kids while we stay overnight which is something we NEVER do, and dh splurged and got us a hotel room with a jacuzzi, so even if the reunion is a mess we'll at least get a romantic weekend away in a little tourist town in Montana.

 

Your reunion sounds fun. Wanna know what's planned for mine? Friday evening, a social at one of the local saloons, Saturday evening a pig roast at a park with families, with bouncies for kids to play on, bring your own alcohol, and after the pig roast the grownups will be gathering at another of the local bars. Sunday morning there's a farewell brunch at, you guessed it, yet another bar. (As a non-drinker, I must say that a lot of this has somewhat limited appeal...but it does mesh well with what I remember about the people I went to high school with. )

 

Like you, I'm fussing about wardrobe, hair, and makeup in a way I haven't done in...well...about 20 years. I've changed my mind about going a dozen times, and about what to wear about ten times that...lol. And the whole time there's a part of me standing off to the side laughing at myself. The whole thing is just silly. I never fit in back in high school and I'm not going to fit in now either, so why should I even care what they think of me? And yet, I obsess about what clothes to bring...lol. Reunions are funny things, aren't they?

[amyco]

What I like to do when I have an event where I am clueless about what to wear: go to my favorite store at the mall and have them help me pick out stuff! This takes a little courage, but some of the sales people are really great. I've had good luck doing this at J.Jill and Talbots. They are kind of pricey but you can get good ideas, for sure. Even Dress Barn has really good sales people and inexpensive trendy clothes for grownups.

 

Whatever you wear, make sure you are comfortable and that it fits properly! Stuff that fits well will make you look so much better than stuff that doesn't.

 

Ideas off the top of my head: a skirt and slinky top and strappy sandals for the club. This would be the hardest event for me to dress for! Or maybe a chic dress. The picnic is easy--capris or the popular long-length shorts with a t-shirt, polo, or simple buttoned blouse. Sandals or sneakers. Cute sunglasses and a hat if you need one. The dinner dance: a nice dress, maybe strapless if you like those, plus a shrug or shawl. Whatever shoes you like, pumps might be too formal, maybe dressy wedges? How dressy you get kind of depends on where the reunion is...out here in the west things are rarely ultra dressy and you see everything from cowboy boots to tuxedos. Sometimes boots with tuxedos!

 

Don't worry too much about it--everyone will be in the same boat, hoping they picked the right things to wear, and really, they'll just be glad to see you!

[cougarmom4]

MamaSheep...I think you are my twin! Well, I'm headed to the small town in New Mexico, rather than Montana, but we seem to be having a lot of the same feelings right about now! And yes, all of our reunion gatherings are centered around alcohol (every event is a no-host bar) and in clubs. My dh is also going to be with me, and the kids with grandma...so we're looking at it as a fun getaway together, too. My dh is dying to see this town that I've told him about all these years--he doesn't believe it is as crazy as it was!

 

I think you described it very well: "I never fit in back in high school and I'm not going to fit in now either, so why should I even care what they think of me? And yet, I obsess about what clothes to bring...lol."

 

And amyco71, you're right...everyone else is in the same boat. I need to just focus on how much fun it will be to see those I was closest to!

 

Thanks, guys...

[sadiegirl]

I agree with the advice to not go with a "little black dress" and I would also say no on capris...my husband doesn't like the look except for casual wear but to impress others...I wear cute heels with my favorite dark denim jeans and a cute top with fun jewelry instead.

If you need suggestions, I would go to Coldwater Creek, Chico, Ann Taylor and other similar stores and get with one of their sales clerks. Tell them what events you need outfits for and see what they have in mind. Try them on for them and get opinions. It helps as I am my own worst enemy when it comes to how I look.

I think it is also good to update lipstick, blush etc. if you haven't in a while. I always have good luck at Sephora but I don't trust most of the girls at Dillard's...

Have a great time and remember a confident but friendly smile is the best accessory!(oh, and a proud husband on your arm doesn't hurt either! my husband always makes me walk a little taller as he is my greatest complimenter!)

[MamaSheep]

MamaSheep...I think you are my twin! Well, I'm headed to the small town in New Mexico, rather than Montana, but we seem to be having a lot of the same feelings right about now!

Well it's nice to know it's not just me. :)

And yes, all of our reunion gatherings are centered around alcohol (every event is a no-host bar) and in clubs.

Yeah...as a non-drinker (on account of being LDS and taking my faith seriously--in fact I gather "Mormon was stamped on one of the circles in the aforementioned forehead target) I think I'd have more fun if there were some other form of entertainment in addition. Sitting around watching people you don't much like anyway act foolish is not as amusing as it's made out to be. But I've had lots of practice smiling and nodding...lol.

My dh is also going to be with me, and the kids with grandma...so we're looking at it as a fun getaway together, too. My dh is dying to see this town that I've told him about all these years--he doesn't believe it is as crazy as it was!

My dh says that to listening to me talk about it makes him feel like he might be walking into a bad episode of Jerry Springer. I am curious to hear what he thinks afterward...lol.

[cougarmom4]

MamaSheep--I'm LDS, too! :)

My first name is Diana, and in high school when the Michael Jackson song "Dirty Diana" came out, lots of the cool guys used to get a kick out of singing that song as I walked by in the hallway...because it was so obviously opposite of my 'reputation' for being such a 'good girl.' It will be interesting to see how people have changed over the years.

 

Good luck at your reunion! I hope you have a great time.

[lvbnhome]

a friend of mine, just returned from her 29th HS Reunion.

It was funny to hear her describe all of her teen insecurities coming up again in her 30's, before attending the reunion. (The exact reason why i didn't go to my own 20th, more about that later).

Anyway, she said all the women looked much better, but it was amazing to see all the "cute and popular guys" from highschool - "balding and fluffy". Had a great time, hearing about people's lives, and brought some "closure" to that thought - "I wonder whatever happened to her".... She was glad to find out!

Facebook has been fun, to visit with people from highschool for me.

Have a beautiful time!

[MamaSheep]

MamaSheep--I'm LDS, too! :)

My first name is Diana, and in high school when the Michael Jackson song "Dirty Diana" came out, lots of the cool guys used to get a kick out of singing that song as I walked by in the hallway...because it was so obviously opposite of my 'reputation' for being such a 'good girl.' It will be interesting to see how people have changed over the years.

 

Good luck at your reunion! I hope you have a great time.

 

That is too funny (the "what a sick coincidence" kind of funny, not the haha funny, though that sort of thing is often easier to laugh at in hindsight). They all used to holler "talk to me baby" at me. One of "the guys" hollered it at me as a joke my first day of 7th grade just as I walked in the door and I blushed. That was my FIRST mistake. Sigh. Darn facial capillaries. So then it was all day every day from 7th through 11th grade. It toned down some my senior year because most of the perpetrators graduated a year ahead of me. The "fun" part of this reunion is that because it was such a small town and therefore a small school, it's an "all class" reunion for anyone who ever went there who wants to come. Members of my class are running the show in honor of our 20th, but the class ahead of us didn't have one, and I happen to know that several of those jerks are going to be there. I wonder if they've changed, and if so, whether any of them would have the guts to apologize for making my life miserable all those years. My guess would be not, but it'll be interesting to see what they HAVE turned into.

 

Anyway, I hope you have a good time at your reunion. Maybe we should compare notes afterward...lol.

[FunnyFarmMom]

Reading this post is reaffirming my decision NOT to go to my 20th! I had been fretting and fuming and worrying about it. Then I suddenly realized that if I didn't really like most of those people 20 years ago (and I didn't!) then why would I bother spending a whole day with them now? And on my anniversary no less. I didn't have an awful time in high school, but it wasn't great either and those people did not add to the experience. My best high school memories are mostly out of town experiences! While I love to shop, I would super stressed by finding something for an occasion like that. I think I'll just stay home that night and enjoy the life I've built SINCE high school! ;)