How to Adult: 3 Outfits for Hosting in Your Home

Because the hostess with the mostest wants to look cute, too!

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Hosting, to me, seem like the pinnacle of sophistication and adulting. You’re inviting folks over to your home, which is effortlessly clean, and you have wine or cocktails ready for your guests that came together at the flick of a wrist, and the food is delicious and complex but, really, it’s just ‘something you whipped up’.

Having hosted a few dinner parties, let me tell you that is NOT how they go. You’re cooking up until the last minute so you can entertain without slaving over the stove, you’ve spent the day before cleaning, and you barely have time to shower, let alone spend an hour getting ready.

I’m making hosting sound like an absolute pain, but it really is a joy to bring people you love into your home (especially if you’re a homebody like me) for good food and a good time. But because hosting has so many moving parts, you need no-fuss outfits that you can throw on in a couple of minutes, simple makeup that you won’t need to touch up, jewelry that won’t get in the way, and a fresh pedicure for when you inevitably kick your shoes off, even if they ‘pull the whole outfit together’.

If you’re planning on hosting people in your home this fall, here are a couple of suggestions for what to wear:

Dinner Party

How to Adult: Hosting - Dinner Party Look

Products: Jumpsuit – Nordstrom, Necklace – Kendra Scott, Hair Spray – Sephora, Nail Polish – Macy’s, Earrings – Macy’s, Lip Stain – Target, Slides – Ann Taylor Loft

Whether it’s a casual potluck, Sunday family dinner, or a dinner party with your work team, dinner parties often have the most moving parts and therefore need the most careful consideration regarding what you’re wearing. I love a vintage-y jumpsuit for this – not only do they give you a trendy, “Megan Draper entertaining in the Penthouse” vibes, but they’re comfortable AF, meaning you won’t be tugging or adjusting all night. Plus, a busy but sophisticated pattern will more easily hide a cooking stain than, say, all white or soft gray.

For accessories, opt for statement stud earrings and a dainty necklace that’s not too long so you’re not accidentally dipping it in the pasta sauce or someone’s drink. Oxford loafers read very fall and are very trendy right now, but they’re also easy to kick off if you get sick of wearing shoes in your home – just be sure to touch up your pedicure in a cool color the night before, like the jewel-toned teal shown here.

Beauty-wise, opt for a lip tint or stain rather than lipstick – this way, you’ll get a bit of color without looking too made up, and you won’t have to touch up during the night or worry about getting lipstick on your teeth. Finally, put your hair up in a polished top-knot and seal that sucker up with some hairspray – this way, no one ends up eating your hair.

Sunday Brunch

How to Adult: Hosting - Brunch Look

Products: Blouse – River Island, Shoes – Shopbop, Bracelet – Outnet, Contour Palette – Sephora, Salt Spray – Saks Fifth Avenue, Cardigan – MANGO

Sunday brunch at home with your best buds is fairly low-risk as far as dressing goes, but you still want to look cute without looking too put together, and that line can be hard to ride. I try to aim for a polished “I went to the farmer’s market just before this” look, like your normal weekend look but dialed up by like, 20%, so you can look cute and comfy without looking like you’re trying too hard.

Start with a classic pairing of a button down and jeans, but with trendy touches, like a frayed hem on your jeans and a dusty mauve color on your blouse. A soft taupe-tan cardigan will cut through the sometimes-cold September mornings, but won’t leave you sweating if it’s warm. A heeled mule looks cute and elevates this simple look a bit, but is comfortable enough to wear at home, while simple silver jewelry adds a cool element to an otherwise warm-toned look.

Finish with a bit of blush and contour and some beachy waves or effortless curls, so you can spend more time on juicing oranges for mimosas or cooking bacon (‘cuz you have to have bacon at an at-home brunch, naturally!)

Also Read: Adulting 101: What to Wear When Going Out with Coworkers

Date Night In

How to Adult - Hosting: Date Night Look

Products: Lipstick (in Sake) – Sephora, Eyeliner (in Black) – Sephora, Blouse – Boohoo, Tights – ASOS, Skirt – Nordstrom, Booties – MANGO, Perfume – Nordstrom

Whether it’s your first time inviting your new boo over for dinner, or you’re making a special dinner for your significant other of years, a date night in can be surprisingly challenging to dress for. You want to look cute and sexy, but you also don’t want to look like you’ve tried too hard, and you want to be comfortable in your own home. Plus, you’ll probably be making something a little more complex, so you’ll need a bit of mobility.

Paired with a black top with a choker neckline, a sexy plaid ’90s-vibe miniskirt gets a sophisticated update. Black tights give you a bit of coverage (and help you transition this outfit into fall as temps fluctuate), while a chunky heeled boot gives you a little lift and a sexy silhouette, but is totally optional if you don’t want to wear shoes in your home.

A soft mauve lipstick with staying and staining power, like this one from Bite Beauty, will stay through dinner (and maybe a make-out sesh), while a little winged liner plays up the French-schoolgirl vibe of this look. Finish with a sexy, floral perfume, like this little number from Byredo.

What do you think?

What do you enjoy most about hosting in your home? What do you wear to host? Would you wear any of these looks? Let me know in the comments below! 

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