Yesterday, I wrote about what you shouldn’t wear to CPAC. Today, I thought I’d share some ideas of potential outfits.

To my male readers: I have no intention of turning this blog into a fashion site. Others are doing that that job much better than I ever could. However, I felt guilty for telling people what not to wear without providing any examples. What better way to be an honest blogger than to share ideas from my own closet?

Yeah, this is also an excuse to play with Polyvore. It’s like paperdolls for grownups. So much fun!

The Classic Black Suit

When you think DC, you think armies of men and women in black powersuits. While it doesn’t get pulled out very often, the black suit should be a foundation of every wardrobe in the DC Metro area.

My suit has gold buttons on the sleeves and a gold clasp rather than a button. Since the neckline of the shell (mine is from Ann Taylor) is busy, I kept jewelry simple.

Classic LBD

This is my favorite look. Some may find it boring, but I love it. Actually, this could be my uniform. LBD + slingbacks and pearls. Pearls do get boring, but I like them with this dress given the white accents along the waist.

Professional without the Suit

So imagine this dress as red, and the outfit looks much better. For whatever reason, I can’t find a photo of it in red. Also, my cardigan was a deal I found at the Junior League Bargain Mart in Chattanooga for $10.

Vintage Black

Remember when I said that I love vintage-inspired clothes? Actually, if you’ve read this blog for any amount of time, that shouldn’t be a surprise since I write about Mad Men so much. Recently I discovered Shabby Apple, which is basically my dream boutique. I just ordered this dress and am excited about it.

What you can’t see is that it has an exposed red zipper in the back. With all of the black and white, it cries out for something red. I tried pairing it with red shoes, but it just didn’t look right. The black stacked heels look awesome in real life. The bag in the Polyvore is just a stand-in. Several years ago, I picked up a 1960s red train case at an estate sale that is perfect for this look. There’s no chance of finding a similar photo online.

It’s Not Black…

Polyvore won’t allow me to copy images from WordPress, but this outfit would also be paired with this cardigan. (Remember to dress in layers, ladies!) I also made a huge departure from my mostly black closet and went with a gray dress! Huge step, I know! (I really, really like black dresses. It’s almost an addiction.) In all seriousness, this dress was on clearance for $20 at Marshall’s and is very comfortable since it’s jersey.

I hope this helps if you were feeling confused. You could easily pair black slacks and sweater for CPAC and get away with it. Since I’m local, I don’t have the issue of packing, and can wear a different pair of shoes every day. If you want to build a wardrobe based on classic pieces, I highly recommend this cheat sheet from Matchbook Magazine.

In the words of my wise mother, “You can never go wrong with a classic look.” She also raised me with the mantra, “You can never have too many shoes or handbags,” which may explain my extensive collection of footwear.