St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Even if you’re not Irish, it’s still a great excuse to have a good time…and to plan a great outfit. Chicago is one of the best cities in the country to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Where else do you find a river dyed green just for the occasion? So, Chicago is the perfect place to talk about how to dress chic for St. Patrick’s Day.
I should add that St. Patrick’s Day is special to me personally. My dad was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and immigrated to the U.S. when he was a small boy along with my grandparents. He became a U.S. citizen and even lost his Irish brogue, but never lost his love for his home country. So I grew up hearing stories about the culture, especially the music, dancing and the food! I used to make him Irish Soda Bread every year.
So, I wanted to showcase some ways to have fun with St. Patrick’s Day through fashion. No longer do you need to wear a “Kiss Me I’m Irish” t-shirt. There are lots more options to look both festive and fashionable on the holiday!
Click to watch the segment on WGN’s Style Files
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“I Love a Parade”: Chic on St. Patrick’s Day
Model: Lori
If you live in a city that has a strong Irish culture, then there’s probably a parade. I wanted Lori to be warm yet chic. Depending on where you live, it can be 30 degrees or 50 degrees on St. Patrick’s Day, so it’s good to have options.
Lori is wearing a black faux fur jacket along with a matching beret. The beret is just a little more fun than a classic beanie. She has a monochrome black look including her leggings and knee-high boots,, but we had to add a wee bit of green. We did that in her wool scarf with the shamrock accents along with her crossbody bag.
Shop Lori’s Look:
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“Chic Casual”
Model: LeeAnn
If you’re heading to a restaurant/bar or even have a more relaxed dress code at work, then LeeAnn’s look is for you. Her green suede jacket is in a traditional “Irish green” but it’s a jacket with a modern feel. We kept the rest of her look classic with the flare jeans and pointy-toe booties. We added LeeAnn’s touch of Irish with a silk shamrock scarf, so if she decided to take it off, she still has a perfectly chic outfit.
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“Keeping it Professional”: Chic for St. Patrick’s Day
Model: Dianne (Me!)
Of course, we had to go green even for a work look. But we did go with a trending style in the blazer dress. What I love about this look is that the dress style says “business” but the color says “festive”. Because it is a true professional look, we went a little more subtle on the St. Patrick’s Day accessories. But if you look closely, you’ll see that Tina is wearing two shamrock bracelets.
Shop Dianne’s look:
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“Everyday Casual”
Model: Erica
We had to put together a very casual look for a bar night or for even a home party. Erica could wear this to an event at her children’s school as well. I loved the checkered pattern on the sweater, paired with the subtle green stripes on her Adidas sneakers. There is another “hidden” shamrock in this outfit, this time it is in her necklace. This is another look that you can wear outside of St. Patrick’s day.
Shop Erica’s look:
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My Plan B “Chic For St. Patrick’s Day” Outfit
Unfortunately, my original model for the professional look, Tina, had to cancel at the last minute. So, I switched gears and wore the dress myself. But I wanted to share with you the original look I had planned to wear (I had the photo, so why not?). I had wanted to show that you can go with different shades of green – it doesn’t always have to be a traditional “kelly green”. That’s why I chose the olive green leather pants for myself, paired with the black jacket and boots.
Shop my look:
I hope this gave you some ideas for your own St. Patrick’s Day outings! Let me know in the comments.
And check out my previous segment on WGN: “How to Wear Four Fashion Trends Over 50”
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