Fashion Files: What to Wear to an Engagement Party

I have my first engagement party on Saturday for one of my oldest and dearest friends. I'm so excited to celebrate her and her fiancé! It's at a local rooftop restaurant, one that I surprisingly never have been to. 


Because I've never been to an engagement party, I wasn't sure what to wear. I also wasn't too keen on buying a new dress because I have a bunch of dresses in my closet from other parties. 
After trying on only two different dresses, both black, I decided to wear a J.Crew dress that still had the tags on it. I bought it over a year ago because it was on sale and I figured I would be able to wear it sometime. I mean, it's a simple black dress with scallop accents. 

This is in blue but my dress is black! 

*Before I even knew what dress I was going to wear, I had my shoes picked out and they are the SJP Collection Newsprint shoes -- more on those in another post!I think the key to an engagement party is to dress for the couple and the venue. I know this will be a slightly fancier event because we're a group that likes to look our best, but it won't be over the top because it's on a rooftop. 

Just remember to not outshine the bride to be and remember that it's not a wedding. My motto for any kind of party is "when in doubt, wear black". 

Even though I knew I wasn't buying a new dress, that didn't stop me from looking. These are my favorite dresses that would be perfect for an engagement party.