As you may have read in this post, I recently visited a great Virginia winery in Charlottesville. It was my first trip to a winery and despite the vast amount of photos I’ve seen of other people at wine related events, I had no idea what to wear. Ironically, I ended up overdressed and in flip flops, which is not a very chic look. While there, I saw a huge range of dress to include shorts, maxi-dresses, sun dresses, and even casual blue jeans. But I did take note of two women who nailed the perfect outfit.
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The first woman I spotted was wearing a beautiful, sleeveless, navy/cobalt, midi-dress with eyelet and lace inserts. She had on casual yet event appropriate sandals with a very small cork wedged heel and large tortoise sunglasses. Her look was so perfect for the day and it appeared both extremely put together and elegant while retaining that air of simplicity you want when walking around sipping wine. If you want to replicate her look on your own, follow these simple steps: 1) Choose a navy or cobalt dress, preferably below the knee length with small details such as lace or eyelet. You want to avoid fussy fabrics like silk or too many details (i.e. ruching, velvet, etc.) that you can’t dress down as easily. 2) Find a black sandal. You do not want to be that woman with obnoxiously complicated shoes, so keep things easy with a flat or wedge sole (between 1-2 inches) with cork or other natural materials, and black uppers. The black is key here as the blue and navy will contrast for a very classic look. 3) Lastly, follow up with gold and black accessories. If you like arm parties, stack it up or if you are more minimal, try a few rings or studs.
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The second woman was wearing a much more casual outfit, but it was striking in her attention to details. She had paired black skinny jeans with a feminine lace top, a gorgeous turquoise pendant necklace and the requisite black floppy hat. She had simple black sandals and no other noticeable accessories. If you want to try this look it’s very easy: 1) Find a pair of black jeans that fit you well, but are comfortable. This look may be better for an indoor wine event such as the Virginia Wine Expo (for details keep reading!) or an early spring or late fall winery trip. 2) Choose a lace sleeveless top. This can also have added details such as a peplum or high or low neckline. You could even go with a t-shirt style lace top if sleeveless isn’t your preferred preference. 3) Get a floppy hat! The good thing about this detail is that you can make this an inexpensive, trendy purchase if you don’t typically wear hats. 4) Stand out with Southwest inspired jewelry. Again, this can be a trend-based purchase or you can use it as an excuse to start a collection of this gorgeous jewelry. 5) Top off the look with simple, flat black sandals.
Now that I am more comfortable in knowing what to wear to wineries, I can’t wait to check out some of the many, many wineries (approximately 252 according to this site) that are located in Virginia or wine-related events such as the Virginia Wine Expo, an annual event that brings a lot of our Virginia wineries together under one roof. While I have never attended this event before (which really shouldn’t come as any surprise seeing as how I had never been to a winery), the Virginia Wine Expo has become known as the nation’s premier single-region wine event, heading into its 8th year on February 17-22. In addition to the tastings, what they call “Grand Tasting,” the Expo offers visitors the opportunity to meet vineyard owners and winemakers, a culinary and beverage feature that is growing in popularity as many people are seeking more farm-to-table, or in this case, vineyard-to-table, experiences with their food and drink. If you are in Richmond, I highly suggest getting tickets early as many of their special/featured events (such as the Burger Blast) have sold out at past Expos. I have my eye on the Sunday tickets which allow for tastings at an affordable price, but there’s also a Virginia cider and cheese tasting on Saturday which sounds absolutely delicious. Even if you are not local to Richmond, the event is a destination one and I hope to see you there, maybe in one of the Winery Inspired looks!
This post was sponsored by and created in collaboration with the Virginia Wine Expo. I was compensated monetarily for the post. All opinions and text is my own. I receive commission from any items purchased through Keaton Row.
Chic Stripes 