Going Out + Night Out

Anything you would not wear to class. In practice that means one of three shapes: a short fitted dress, a going out top with denim or a mini, or a bodysuit with something structured over the bottom half. The fabric does most of the work. Satin, mesh, sequin and anything with a sheen reads as evening even when the cut is simple, which is why a plain slip dress outperforms a fussy one. Sizes vary by label, so check the options on each product page.

A dress is one decision and it is the right call when you are short on time or the night has a dress code. Separates give you more nights out of the same money, because a going out top works with jeans you already own and a mini you already wear in daylight. If you are building rather than buying for one occasion, buy the top. If it is a birthday, a formal or a date, buy the dress.

Change the top half and the shoe, and leave the denim alone. A corset top, a bodysuit or anything satin over a straight or baggy jean is the outfit most people actually wear out, and it survives a long night better than a dress does. Keep the jean plain and dark so the top reads as the point. A heel or a boot finishes it. A sneaker keeps it casual, which is fine if the night is.

Whatever you can stand in at the end of the night. A block heel and a western boot both do more work than a stiletto, and both photograph better with a mini than a strappy sandal does. Boots take a slip dress somewhere less obvious and they handle a floor that has been danced on. If you are outdoors or walking between places, take the boot. Shoes live in Shoes.

Dinner then drinks. Slip dress, a boot rather than a heel, gold jewelry, and something to throw over it when the patio gets cold. Reads considered and takes four minutes.

Birthday, someone else's. Corset or mesh top, a mini or a straight dark jean, block heel. You are dressed without competing with whoever the night belongs to.

Late, casual, still trying. Bodysuit, baggy denim, sneakers, one good bag. The outfit that works when the plan changes twice.

Going out pieces run shorter and tighter than the same size in a daytime cut, so read the length and the fit notes on each product page rather than assuming. Sizes vary by label, so check the options on each product page. Free People, Motel Rocks and Lucy In The Sky each follow their own house sizing. If you are between sizes, message us and we will pull it off the rack and tell you what we see.

Going out sits next to Dresses, Tops, Corset Tops, Bodysuits and Skirts. For a night with a theme, the country concert guide covers what to wear when there are boots involved. The Miss Behavin' Label is our own line and the one nobody else carries.

If the night is a school dance rather than a bar, Hoco + Homecoming Dresses and Winter Formal Dresses narrow it to the short shapes that work for those.