Friday Playdate » Blog Archive » unsolicited advice: what to wear to BlogHer 2010

Because I cannot leave well enough alone, let’s talk about what to wear to BlogHer ‘10. That will be fun, don’t you think?

Yes. Yes it will.

You’re waiting for me to make some big pronouncement now, aren’t you, like DON’T WEAR JEANS or PACK SOME HEELS or FOR GOD’S SAKE BUY A PROPER COCKTAIL DRESS. But I’m not going to do it. Instead, I’m going to give you three simple things to think about ~~while you’re~~ instead of standing in your closet freaking out about what to wear.

scarf: J. Crew
tee: Old Navy

1. Identify your goals. Ooh, that sounds lofty, doesn’t it? What I mean is this: be clear about why you’re going to BlogHer. Are you thinking of this as a girls’ getaway weekend? Are you hoping to make professional connections? Or are you doing a little of both? Be honest with yourself about what you’re hoping to get out of the conference and pack accordingly.

2. Know your comfort zone. Every year I hear the same things: I don’t ever dress up! I don’t own a cocktail dress! And — my favorite — I’m a mom! I only wear capri pants and t-shirts! (That last one kills me. Truly.) Wear what’s comfortable for BlogHer — if you’re a flats girl (holla!) don’t feel compelled to bring heels. If you’re not a dress person, then don’t bring one. If your entire closet is tees and capris, pack ‘em. Just leave the stained tees and ill-fitting capris at home. Please.

3. Remember: New York City, baby! Maybe it’s just me, but I’m geeking out about spending five days in New York City, largely because I know I can get away with wearing things there that I cannot pull off at home, both because I’ll be in the Fashion Capital of America and because my kids will be half a continent away and not wiping their hands on my dress. Take advantage of the opportunity and do something out of the ordinary. Why not?

I’m happy to offer packing basics or tell you specifically what I’m taking, but the bottom line is this: stop worrying. If you really feel like you have nothing to wear for BlogHer, think about why that is. Are you afraid that your current wardrobe won’t measure up to some imaginary fashion standard? Or are you honestly working with a closet that consists entirely of yoga pants and logo tees? Either way, think less about what everyone else will be wearing and more about what you can put on each day that will make you feel like your best self.

And then do that every day, not just for the two and half days of BlogHer. The end.

15 Comments so far

Awesome post, and I think that even though I’m not going to BlogHer and never have! Also, that scarf in the photo is my dream scarf. Really! I’ve been on a hunt for a scarf exactly like that for about two years. I guess I wasn’t looking in the right places.

I know you love scarfs, so I just had to share with you this “new” way to tie them. I hope you like it. http://tiny.cc/p4gyr
And I love this post. It can be related to every day, not just Blogher and I love that. Those last few lines need to be hanging in my closet!

I love that color on you!

I just got the most awesome ombré yellow scarf from Old Navy on clearance, I just wish it wasn’t too hot here to wear it! I did get to wear it when we went on our vacation to San Francisco this month, though, and that made me happy.

No BlogHer this year for me, but I am sad to miss out on seeing some of you ladies.

I would like to enter the contest to have you come pack with me. Ok, shop with me, THEN pack with me. Because that sentence about yoga pants and logo tees hits a leetle close to home.

Wish I was going to BlogHer (poor PTO planning on my part leaves me with 0 days off in August). As usual, I agree 100% with your advice. Why do people feel like they should dress differently when going to meet thousands of new people? It is likely to be a stressful situation, don’t add to that stress level. Be yourself, be comfortable. But, be comfortable in a stylish way!

I’m hanging this post in my closet.

Also? It is going to be so, so, soooooo hot. And humid. So really you might just want to run around Midtown naked. That’s cool too.

I ran the unclothed conference concept by Elisa yesterday and she said the Hilton would likely frown upon it, but I’m with you, HB. And wondering if i should prepare people from low-humidity zones to forget about clothing worry and go straight for the OMG MY HAIR issue.

I kid. We are tough here on this coast.

It’ll be dresses for me, per usual, as I stole that advice from this very URL years ago. Also, hang out in dimly lit bars and no one can see your clothes! Now about that bra…

Susan says: I already told Heather this, but I am finding it hard to believe that the heat can be ANY worse in NYC in August than it is in Oklahoma, oh, ALL SUMMER LONG. When your baseline is 95 degrees and 90% humidity, there’s nowhere to go but up. Seriously.

(I hope I do not wind up regretting saying that.)

I was told to get cocktail dresses for the parties. I am sort of excited because I have been coveting these dresses on one website and now I will have an excuse to buy one!

Yes yes yes yes yes! And maybe now that YOU have said it, people will believe it!

I realllyyyy need to get crackin’ on my wardrobe plans for this event.

P.S. You are one of the people I am most looking forward to meeting!

My goal is to make it to a blog conference sometime in the near future, either AltSummit or Blogher someday. Good advice on clothing, all the way around.

My girlfriends and I talk a lot about the slippery slope of motherhood into sweatpants and ill-fitting tee shirts. My mantra is that it takes just as much effort for me to slip on nice looking jeans as it does to put on a slumpy pair of sweatpants. It’s no harder to look nice, really.

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Standing in my closet, trying to figure out to bring, feeling overwhelmed, so I went to Blogher website and found your link. Thanks so much! Glad I’m not alone here…

[…] apparently the BlogHer Conferences are a bit of a fashion show (or not). It makes sense – women like to dress up for other women. I was walking around the shoe […]

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