You guys, I’m so tired. I’m nuts for still being awake at 2:56am (I am NOT good at staying awake late… for reals), but I guess that’s what a Dave Matthews concert can do to you. Plus, I didn’t wanna let y’all down with a blog post. So I’m doin’ this thing and then going to SLEEP.

I know I mentioned a bazillion times over the last month that I was going to Dave Matthews last night and it was AWESOME. Per usual. I mean, in my mind, there’s no such thing as a BAD Dave show. My only gripe was the encore was a LITTLE bit of a letdown… the whole set list was so strong and then the encore was sorta wah wah.

ANYWAY. This post is about WHAT TO WEAR TO AN OUTDOOR CONCERT!

It’s concert season! I love live shows. SO much. But, ESPECIALLY here in North Carolina, it gets REAL HOT, REAL QUICK and you start to sweat like crazy. Not cute. But I’ve gone to enough shows to know a few things about what works and what doesn’t for concert fashion.

DON’Ts of Outdoor Concert Fashion:

• DON’T Wear heels / wedges. I don’t care who you are. Heels or wedges are ADORABLE, yes, but NOT practical for wearing to an outdoor concert. ESPECIALLY if you’re on the lawn. I can’t tell you how many poor, poor girls I saw sinking into the wet grass at the show.
• DON’T Wear JEANS. I love jeans. LOVE them. But if it’s a summer concert and you’re outside, you’re going to be MISERABLE in jeans. Wear a long dress or a long skirt or shorts, cause jeans are going to make you sweat.
• DON’T Wear something that’s gonna show those sweat stains / sweat marks. You guys, everyone sweats. It’s natural. If someone tells you they don’t sweat, then you should tell them to see a doctor. Be mindful when going to an outdoor concert – you’re PROBABLY going to sweat. A lot. Especially if you’re like me and you love to dance! Wear a color that is conducive to HIDING sweat, not broadcasting the sweat to the world.

DOs of Outdoor Concert Fashion:

• DO wear your hair UP and off your neck if you can help it. This is the time to try that cute ponytail or messy bun. Wearing your hair down is NO fun if you’re sweating and moving around a bunch.
• DO wear flat sandals or COWBOY BOOTS 🙂 (if you’re like me) – flat soles on your shoes are your BFF at shows (especially on the lawn)
• DO wear something you can move in – like a light dress, skirt, or flowy top. Your body with thank you.

SO, with that being said, here’s what I wore to the DAVE show last night:

[first, i will say i KNEW i was going to wear this dress but COULD NOT decide to wear teal or pink boots and necklace… i went with teal. but here’s what i used to help decide for your reference…]

[so, here’s the outfit i went with]

[i TOTALLY lucked out and got a SICK deal on this dress. it was an online exclusive dress for Target in that Webster collection and i found it on the clearance rack a month or so ago for $9! It was originally $40! YESSS!! But I loved that it’s cute, lightweight, doesn’t show sweat, breathable, AND i loved the back of the dress. That little open back part is so cute and I loved how it kept me cool in the hot sun at the show. BEST EVER.]

[JUST in case, i did bring my trusty white jean jacket if it got chilly. it did not. i left the jacket in the car. BUT, it looked cute so i thought i’d include it anyway].

[do y’all know how much i love my cowboy boots? A LOT].

[i went to the show with my friend Diana – Diana and I served together last summer on our mission trip to Kenya and I just LOVE this girl. Seriously. She is SO fab. And her dress was SO cute and I loved her necklace, too. Plus, she’s hilarious – this is us in the parking lot before the show].

[gotta get an AT the show pic]

[excited]

[this was a creeper photo i took for my friend janeberry. hahaha]

[terrible quality photo of dave. that’s what you get for watching from the lawn].

[and… this is the dress in action. that’s me dancing. don’t judge. you know you dance at concerts, too! i mean, it’s MUSIC for pete’s sake. that’s what you do, you dance. but yeah, this dress was PERFECT for dancing. even if i’m not the greatest dancer in the world.]

Outfit Deets:

• Dress: Target ($39.99 – again, I got lucky and got it on clearance for $9 at my Target…)
• Necklace: JCrew via Hong Kong via eBay
• Boots: Boot Country USA in Nashville, TN circa New Years 2010/11
• Jean Jacket: Old Navy via Consignment Shop
• Sunnies: The dollar store, yo.

So yeah, what do you think? What do you love to wear to concerts? Do you have any DOs and DON’Ts of concert fashion? Learned anything along the way?

xoxo, all for now.