Before attending an event, I make sure to know the occasion. If it's a small, formal gettogether during the day, I avoid wearing short dresses.
But, for a late evening party, I choose a jazzy number which may allow some skin show.
At times, I dare to wear something out-of-the-box. For example, a dress that has bold prints is bound to make you stand out.
One should figure out what shade suits one's skin tone. A fair-skinned person can pull off hot pink or red whereas an olive-skinned person needs to look for pastel shades.
A little black dress and the white shirt-denim jeans ensemble can always bail you out.