Question of Proper Attire to Event(Please Help)
 

I have finally made the proper connections in my local area and have been invited to an event. The event is not sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha specifically, however, I was invited by a member and many others will be attending. The event is a luncheon at a local community college. My question is of what should I wear. I know not to wear pink and green. I was thinking about wearing a black dress and pearl necklace. Is it inappropriate for me to wear the pearls? Thanks!!!

P.S. I am a graduate student.

The redonkulous plethora of wardrobe threads have found and mated with the recent overabundance of AKA membership threads. THIS. IS. THEIR. LOVECHILD.

LOL.

To the OP, this is a total lane swerve, since I'm not a member of AKA, but I think maybe business professional is the standard, right?

This is a total shot in the dark, but maybe a nice blazer to go with your dress? I'm not sure about the pearls but I tend to accessorize with chunky or fun jewelry when I do business professional just to keep it young and fresh.

My apologies if I'm totally wrong (or giving too much info).

/feeding those who should probably not be fed.

I have a question about all of these wardrobe questions - if you aren't sure if an item is appropriate, then instead of agonizing over it, why don't you just pick something else out?! If you've really only got one dress/necklace/coat/pair of shoes/[insert trouble-causing item here], you ought to be going to mall before heading to any sorority events anyway.

Umm how old are you?

This actually is a regional thing, I think. Pearls are pretty much for old ladies here in the Midwest, but apparently they are perfectly normal on twenty-somethings in other parts of the country.

Okay got it. I figured it was regional, but yeah I only think old ladies, or if it is your personal style ( a la Mad Men)

I am in my early thirties....

I am also an ordained Christian minister and an assistant pastor of a Pentecostal church, so I am very conservative. I just do not want to do or wear anything offensive to the ladies I am trying to impress.

This is not organization specific, but why not err on the side of caution? If pearls could possibly send the wrong signal, don't wear them.

Cosign.

Even though I'm a dumb NPC girl, I'm pretty sure the pearl question is more organization specific than regional here.

Thanks, KS. I thought it was just me!

To the OP, take your cue from the organization that is sponsoring THIS event. Even if members of your organization of interest were not in attendance, what would you wear?

Use the KISS (keep it simple and sweet) principle. Works every time!

Yeah, I know, I was responding to the poster who implied that only old ladies wear them.