Wedding season is nigh approaching! And for some of us, it may already be here. If your schedule this season is shaping up to be anything like mine, you’ve probably got multiple weddings to attend. And where there’s a wedding, there’s a bridal shower. And sometimes, there’s even a bachelorette party, a lingerie shower, and a rehearsal dinner, too!

If you’ve got more than one wedding to attend, and you don’t want to buy different dresses or outfits for every single wedding-related event, never worry! All it takes is a little creativity and imagination to transform one outfit into several distinguishable looks. From the bachelorette party to the big day, if you’re on a budget like me, or you simply want to avoid as much closet clutter as possible, below are some unique ways to really get a lot of mileage out of your outfits for wedding season.

The Bachelorette Party

For the bachelorette party, I want to feel breezy and confident. Maybe even a little sexy. My main piece of clothing is a black capri-length jumper. It’s super comfortable and the best part? No bra! I’m all about finding clothes that look good with no bra.

In this first look, I’ve kept it simple and casual. Denim jacket and black sandals. Hair down and a pop of color with my red dot earrings and red lipstick. For me, red lipstick means insta-confidence.

For the second look, I wanted to make it a little more elegant and also a little more daring. I ditched the jacket, donned a pair of fuchsia heels, and went for a tight half-up ponytail. I added gold accents with my isosceles triangle studs and my power crystal necklace. The berry-hued lipstick is my last touch before I walk out the door.

PS: The picture in the middle is what I’ll look like after our third round of drinks!

For my final look, I feel it’s a mix between the comfort of the first one and the edge of the second one. This three-quarter sleeve cardigan I got at a clothing swap a couple years ago, and the turquoise earrings my friend brought back to me as a birthday present from New Mexico (Toni’s home state)! I put my hair in a half-up bun, threw on some flirty pink lipstick, and finished everything off with some comfy black heels.

Takeaway Tip: When you start with something black as your main piece, it’s super easy to add whatever color accent you want! Pick something out of the ordinary for your main piece. Then it’s a snap to dress the look up or down with the accessories, hairdo, and makeup.

The Lingerie Shower

I’m only going to one lingerie shower, but it’s a brunch on the day before the wedding (and the morning after the bachelorette party). There better be plenty of mimosas, y’all! I figure for this, I should wear something that would look appropriate at a garden party, so these variations could also work for bridal showers. My main piece is a floral and geometric floor-length dress.

For this first one, I let the dress speak for itself. I love the high slits on the sides and the delicate straps in the back. I went with a low, side ponytail so that the dress straps would be visible, a pair of pink pearl studs, and some hot pink lipstick.

The second look is one where I really transformed the whole outfit. First I safety-pinned the hem of the dress so that it wouldn’t hang too low. Then I put on a black high-waisted skirt so that the main dress now looks like a cute top. The good thing about using a dress as a top is that the bottom of the dress weighs the top down, so there’s a lot less bunching and twisting than you usually get.

My only suggestion is, if you decide to do something like this, make sure the event is inside, especially if it’s the summer and you’re in the South, like me. No one wants to be sweating up a storm when you’re trying to look classy! My black sandals from before worked perfect with this outfit. Again, I wanted to show off the straps at the top, so I put my hair in a low ponytail and wore some subtle pink lip stain.

Takeaway Tip: Sometimes the craziest ideas can turn into something completely unique and amazing. Don’t be afraid to try an idea that seems odd at first. Try mixing patterns, layering, pinning things. Anything is possible!

The Wedding

So we’ve finally made it to the big day. The weddings I’m attending this summer are traditional church weddings. So I know I’ll need to wear something nice but not extremely fancy. Obviously, there are different expectations for different kinds of weddings. But for my main piece, I’ve chosen a light blue dress with some sparkle at the top. I’ve been hesitant to wear this dress. I liked it when I tried it on, but there’s something about the sparkle that has made me hesitate in the past. When brainstorming outfit ideas, I challenged myself to make this dress work.

For my first look, I kept everything ultra simple. All I added were some gray heels. I’ve pinned my bangs back and straightened my hair, and my jewelry is a silver bracelet and some studs (don’t want to compete with the sparkle). My lipstick is a delicate pink to complement the soft blue of the dress.

For the second look, I took my creativity up a notch. I have this shawl-type cardigan that my grandma gave me that I seriously wear all the time. It took a little work to get the pleating right under the belt, but I’m pleased with the end result, especially because the sparkly bits at the top are really shown off to advantage with this arrangement.

I wore my black Ked’s to remind y’all to stash a pair of comfy shoes for when the dancing begins! Never opt out of dancing at a wedding. NEVER.

To complete the ensemble, I felt that this look was quirky enough to warrant some red lipstick.

Takeaway Tip: Revisit those outfits that have been gathering dust. Maybe what they need is a burst of new inspiration.

So there you have it! All you have to do is look at what you’ve got and figure out a way to make it new and interesting. If you’d like some tips on how to do this with your everyday clothes, I suggest checking out this post by Tana and Tahereh at We Still Write in Cursive. Their tips and ideas inspired me. I didn’t have enough money to buy seven completely different outfits, but after getting creative with what I already had, I’m feeling confident and excited to attend all the nuptials this summer!

What do you think? Are you inspired to try any of these ideas with your current wardrobe?

(Thank you to Kolbe Ricks, who took these pictures without laughing too much.)