What to Wear to a Military Promotion Ceremony
Having already covered the Promotion Ceremony here, and the reception here, let’s talk about attire. Non-promoting service members and civilian employees who attend as guests typically wear the “uniform of the day”. Service members participating in the event usually, although not always, tend to match the promotee. Tyler opted to wear his service dress, as did his Commander (the Presiding Official), the MC and the POC. My rule of thumb on what to wear when going to a military event is to first consider what your service member is wearing. If he/she is wearing his/her ABUs or flight suit, it’s typically more casual. Service Dress is dressier (like what you would wear to church) and Mess Dress (the formal Air Force uniform) can occasionally be semi-formal (cocktail) but usually formal. I’ll get more into more detail on what to wear to different military functions in a future post.
After finding out what my service member is wearing, I consider the occasion. We were celebrating an achievement. For me, dressing up is one way of showing that I was proud of him and that his achievement was important to me too. It’s a lot like going to a wedding. Often times the people closest to the couple are the ones most dressed up. Think close family, wedding party, etc (although from personal experience I know this isn’t always the case…yikes!). That being said, just being present is the most important thing. Clothing is just the wrapping, and if your presence means you couldn’t go home and change, well, who cares! They’ll just be happy you’re there!
When picking out what to wear I always try to think about comfort first. Can I walk in it? More importantly, can I sit? Nobody wants a seam busting. How do I feel? If I feel good in something, I feel more confident. And friends, confidence is a good thing! Now on to my outfit! I wanted to do something a little different than my usual, which would typically be a dress. I LOVE dresses. I usually find any excuse to wear them. However, I saw and fell in love with this nude colored, pleated “midi” skirt and knew it would be perfect for a mid-day event…that, and I really wanted it. ?
My Outfit. Don’t mind the funky grass in the background. Not raking after mowing is good fertilizer, right?
Now for the details. My shirt is from Target and could originally be found here. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available, but you can find a similar one here. It looks really cute completely tucked in as well. My necklace is SUGARFIX by Baublebar, also from Target, and a similar one can be found here. I’ve seen the exact same one on clearance in several stores. My loss is your gain! The skirt is from ASOS and could originally be found here, but I love the buttons on a very similar version in the same nude color, found here. Last but not least, the shoes. These Sam Edelman beauties are from Nordstrom and can be found here. I got them in “Nude Linen Patent Leather” and went up half a size. The pointy toes can be killer, but going up half a size solved that problem (for me anyway).
My second example of a Promotion Ceremony outfit comes courtesy of my good friend, Amanda. Below is the outfit she wore to her husband’s recent promotion.
My good friend, Amanda. How adorable is this outfit?!
Cute, right?! I LOVE that flared “midi” skirt! Luckily for us, she was kind enough to share the details. Her shirt is from Express and can be found here. Her necklace is from Baublebar and can be found here. I love Baublebar! So many chic pieces and they are often running some sort of sale. That adorable skirt is from Morning Lavender and can be found here. Have you guys heard of Morning Lavender? It’s this small boutique that sells the most lovely, feminine clothes. If you sign up for their emails, you get 10% off your first purchase! Last, but not least, the shoes. They are BP. in “black patent” from Nordstrom and can be found here. Thanks for sharing Amanda, and congratulations!
Both of these examples happen to be of outfits with skirts, but dressy pants and a nice top would be absolutely appropriate as well. For my male readers, you can’t go wrong with slacks and a collared shirt or even a sport coat or suit (my Dad wore a suit). I hope these examples are helpful for those who aren’t sure, or are indecisive on what to wear to a Promotion Ceremony. At the end of the day, regardless of what you choose, just remember why you’re there…to celebrate and share in your hero’s success! As always, thanks for reading!!! ? ~Lyssa
