Family barbecues are a fun way to spend the lazy afternoons and evenings of summer — hanging out with your cousins you haven’t seen since Christmas, enjoying your grandma’s fruit salad, and lying in the hammock your uncle dug out from his garage and put up for the occasion. It’s nice to have an activity that’s consistent every year without any of the unexpected jolts that life likes to surprise us with; family barbecues are simple and easy.
The only thing that’s not exactly consistent, simple, and easy every year at family barbeques? Your style! Your family is used to seeing you traipse around with a cute little sundress on with jeweled, chunky flip flops on your feet and pigtails and bows in your hair. They’re not going to react well to you showing up in the body-con mini-dress and platform heels you plan on wearing to the late night concert you’re hitting up once the barbecue has ended.
Spare your family from going into shock, and take it easy in your outfit choice. By no means am I advising that you give up on fashion though! Take a cue from this Fashionista, and put a stylish and grown-up spin on your traditional barbecue outfits of the past. Wear a brightly colored jersey tank dress, like this sassy but sweet pink, empire waisted, cross-backed one. Pair it with super cool gladiator sandals like these purple, jeweled, and strappy ones that will surely show that you have style, and bring this unique version of a jean jacket along for when it gets chilly at night. It’s basically the outfit your family has seen you grow up in, but with a whole new fashionable twist.