Receiving an invitation to a glamorous cocktail event can provoke two simultaneous reactions โ joy and horror.
Of course, itโs super fun to get dressed up and have an excuse to let our hair down with close friends and family, Champagne in hand.
But at the same time, now we have to scramble around to find an appropriate outfit that we feel fabulous in.
If youโre anything like us, sometimes you just canโt be bothered with the whole dress and heels situation, and instead ask yourself, โCan I get away with wearing pants to this thing?โ
So, what do the fashion set think about donning trousers to a formal event?
We asked celebrity stylist Donny Galella for a straight answer.
Donny counts women including Home and Away star Ada Nicodemou, former Miss Universe Australia Tegan Martin, model Erin Holland and former MAFS bride Jules Robinson among his A-grade clients.
READ NEXT: Yes, you can totally wear black to a wedding

If Kate Middleton can do it, so can we!
(Credit: Getty)
British model and actress Cara Develgine looked awesome in this suit at Princess Eugenieโs royal wedding too Jack Brooksbank in 2018.
(Credit: Getty)So, can we get away with pants at a formal cocktail event?
โPants? 100 per cent yes,โ Donny said.
If you want to take your look to the next level, Donny suggested updating your simple top-and-pants look to a matching two-piece suit.
โWeโre seeing a huge resurgence in the pant suit this season. At the Melbourne Cup, one of the biggest trends was pant suits. Itโs almost a bit of a throwback to the Dynasty era, and that sharp power suit. I love it. Itโs powerful,โ he said.
โI think itโs great women are wearing the pants again and theyโre totally rocking the pant suits at all these different event.โ
Phew!
READ NEXT: Celebrities who wore pants instead of a dress on their wedding days

Kate Ritchie looked chic and smart in this pant suit at The Australian Womenโs Weeklyโs Women of the Future Awards in September.
(Credit: Getty)
The Queen of cool Cate Blanchett is rocking the hell out of this suit, and also proving you donโt have to wear heels to a fancy event! We love how she styled this with matching white sneakers.
(Credit: Getty)While we had him, we asked Donny about that other fashion query we have every year around wedding season โ can you wear black to a wedding?
โYou totally can!โ Donny said.
โYou can never go wrong with a classic LBD [little black dress]. You definitely wear black to wedding.โ
Hallelujah!
WATCH BELOW: How to master Ariana Grandeโs classic high ponytail. Story continues after video.
Donny says the only hard and fast dress rule at weddings these days is that you cannot wear white.
โThe main thing is not to wear white, so you donโt take away from the bride,โ he said.
โTry to avoid anything thatโs too similar to white, so ivory or off white. Pastels are a huge trend right now, so I think itโs fine to wear pastel pink, pastel blue, pastel apricot, thatโs totally cool. Just donโt delve into the whites.โ