Potluck: a dish to share. Birthday party or baby shower: a gift suitable for the recipient. Dinner party: a bottle of wine or a hostess gift. Casual high school or college parties: no gift, unless specified.
Some people will drink coffee or another caffeinated beverage before going out for a late night party. Eat a protein-packed meal before going out. Even if there will be food at the party, you don’t want to arrive starving.
You can listen to music while you’re getting dressed, or while you’re driving to the party! Sing along. You’ll feel confident and expressive, which is a great way to feel when you arrive at a party.
You can even practice in the mirror if you’re really shy. Practice introducing yourself to someone by saying, “Hi, I’m ___. How do you know the host?” Think of topics you can talk about with other guests. Do you follow current events? Have you been working on an interesting project? Can you share a humorous story about the host?
Don’t be late to dinner parties, children’s parties, or parties where a space has been rented for the occasion. Doing so is considered to be rude. Aim to arrive on time.
Look at the invitation for clues about what to wear. Some invitations may say something like, “black tie optional” or “space-age theme!” If the invitation doesn’t say what to wear, it’s always fine to ask the host to find out what’s appropriate. [6] X Expert Source Ashley KahnWardrobe Stylist Expert Interview. 30 September 2020. If you’re worried about the weather, ask: “Will the party be indoors or outdoors?” If you’re still not sure what to wear, you really can’t go wrong with dressy casual—like a pair of skinny or straight leg jeans, great heels, a lace cami, and a blazer. Then, you could accessorize that with a statement necklace or earrings. [7] X Expert Source Ashley KahnWardrobe Stylist Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.
Black tie: women will wear long evening gowns and men will wear black tuxedos. White tie: women should wear long evening gowns and men should wear black dress coats (tailcoats) with matching pants that have a single satin stripe (US) or double satin stripe (EU and UK). Business formal: both men and women should wear suits. Creative black tie: women can wear shorter dresses, such as cocktail dresses. Men may wear more whimsical or trendy items, such as colorful cummerbunds.
For men, business casual can mean going without a suit jacket, or wearing dark jeans instead of suit pants. [9] X Research source For women, dressy casual means wearing nice shoes such as heels or classy flats with a tailored shirt and dressy pants or a nice skirt. For a truly casual party, wear something you feel comfortable in and that you’re excited to show off to a larger social group.
For another kid’s birthday, wear the same thing you’d wear to the park or school. Something that’s comfortable and can get dirty is ideal. For a formal gathering or a holiday party, wear clothing that reflects the style of the party: suits for boys and fancy dresses for girls. If there will be swimming or other kinds of water fun at the party, bring a bathing suit!
If it’s a summer event, dress in light clothes. You don’t want to sweat through your outfit or feel overheated. If the event is in winter, wear a coat or sweater. Make sure that matches your outfit in case you to put it on during the party. For holiday parties, be sure to dress festively, emphasizing holiday colors.
You can even post a photo of your outfit on social media to get your friends’ opinions!
Brush your teeth if you’ve already eaten a snack or are planning to wait to eat at the party. If it’s a dinner party, you may want to do this about an hour or so before your shower (depending on how far away the place is), so the toothpaste taste doesn’t linger while you’re eating. Do your hair and makeup if you wear it. You may want to shave. If you’re wearing a long or 3/4 sleeve top and/or long pants, you probably could get away without shaving your legs/armpits if you don’t want to. You may want to clean or polish your nails. Or, you may have had those professionally done earlier in the day or week. Parties are great opportunities for perfume or cologne. Wearing a scent can give you a little extra boost of confidence, but a little goes a long way. For best results, spray directly in front of you, then quickly step under the mist.
Make any changes that you think you need. You don’t want to feel uncomfortable or unconfident at a fun party. Ensure your footwear and accessories go well with your outfit and are appropriate for the party. Don’t want to wear sneakers to a fancy gala, or high heels to a bowling party. You may want to bring a jacket, scarf, or umbrella, depending on the weather.
Bring enough money to get home, especially if you need to pay for an expensive cab ride at the last minute. If you think that you might be dancing or putting your bag down, only bring the bare necessities. That way, you won’t have to keep track of a bulky bag and you won’t risk losing something important.
If the party has an online invitation, you may be able to see who’s been invited and who’s going. Be sensitive when asking if a friend is going. Remember that they may not have been invited and might not even know about the party.
With more intimate parties, hosts often expect that invited guests will bring one person who is their date. Check with the host if this is the case, and invite a date to come with you if appropriate. If you’re not sure whether it’s okay to invite others to the party, ask the host. Let your friend know what to expect. For example, if the party has a theme or a dress code, make sure your friend knows so that they can dress appropriately.
Ask your friends about their plans. Does one of them want to be the designated driver? Do they live within walking distance of the party? If so, maybe you could crash on their couch afterward. Red the public transportation schedule if you plan to use it. If the party goes late, make sure that you’ll still be able to make the last bus or train. Keep the phone number for a taxi service with you in case you end up needing it. Check with your friends before the party whether or not you’ll leave together. This way, if you lose track of each other during the party, you’ll already know what the plan is.
