There I was, less than 48 hours before my flight to Charleston took off, and I had absolutely nothing to wear to The Blog Societies Annual Conference Welcome Party.

Of course, nothing to wear is a relative term. Sure, I have a closet full of dresses, skirts, and heck, even rompers that would fit the bill. But, I loved the excuse to buy a new dress. So I skipped class for one of the first times ever and headed off to the mall on a Monday night to scope the scene.

If you’ve been to a blogger conference/sorority gathering/any bar on a Saturday night, you know that picks from what I like to call the big three—J Crew, LOFT, and Banana—run rampant. So I knew I’d have to get a little creative, and stray away from my usual retail destinations. And because I just moved and was saving up for all that good food in Charleston, I knew this impulse outfit purchase could not break the bank.

So I did something I probably haven’t done since 2013—I went to Forever 21.

Now don’t get me wrong, my closet still has quite a few Forever 21 remnants from my going-out-in-college days, but I hadn’t added any new F21 pieces lately. They just don’t hold up over time, I’m not that trendy or boho, and usually, I don’t have time to dig through the racks and racks of disorganized fast fashion.

But for some reason, that particular Monday, I worked up the strength and sorted through hoards and hoards of crop tops to find a hidden gem: this Forever 21 Contemporary Floral Dress.

Usually, I’m not one for cutouts. But this number, which has both front and back cutouts, was very conservative, so I took it to me with the dressing room, but still wasn’t expecting too much.

(I mean, does one go into any Forever 21 dressing room expecting a lot?)

Forcing an open mind, I put it on, and bam, I knew it was the perfect under $30 look for the first night of TBScon. I received so many compliments on this number in-person and on the ‘gram, so if you’re looking for a cocktail chic dress, this one should shoot to the top of your list. Who knew Forever 21 still had it in them? My 2008 self would be proud.

*** SHOP THE POST ***
Forever 21 Contemporary Floral Dress—similar here, here, and here
Michael Kors Chronograph Runway Watch—new version here
J Crew Factory Stacked Heel Sandal
OPI Alpine Snow
Revlon Lustrous Lipstick ‘Cherries in the Snow’

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Photos by Monica Dutia