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As I’ve mentioned in my previous columns, graduating and going out into the real world means having to trade in frat parties and keggers for cocktail parties and art shows and abandon the too-familiar Westwood bars for ones that have a slightly more mature crowd.

However, I’ve realized recently that one of the more embarrassing things that can happen to a person in life is showing up to an event dressed completely wrong. We’ve all been there and had those moments when you’ve made a serious fashion faux pas and are left feeling totally self-conscious and awkward as you pretend you either don’t care or aren’t aware of it.

This happened to me last weekend. A friend from work invited me to go to an art show with her in the Valley. And while I was unfamiliar with both the artist and the venue, my pride prevented me from actually picking up the phone and asking my friend what I should wear. After all, I didn’t want to seem the tragically unsophisticated undergraduate student who didn’t know what to wear to an art show.

But when I showed up to the place where the show was, Storyopolis, I realized in about two seconds that the majority of the people there weren’t so much members of a hip, artsy circle as they were 4-year-olds.

The artist illustrated children’s books and the venue was a children’s book store. Thankfully, I was wearing a long coat over my outfit. But I was left struggling to pretend like I wasn’t sweating to death inside the building in my overcoat.

Basically, the moral of the story is it’s a lot more embarrassing dressing like Paris Hilton in a kindergarten class than it would have been to call my friend. OK, that was an exaggeration, but you get my point.

Then, in my new “I’m getting too old for Maloney’s” state of mind, I decided to bring my visiting sister to Q’s.

In my attempt once more to look sophisticated and chic, I wore a black blazer with black shorts and heels to the bar, which, by the way, has a line that’s as long and embarrassing to be caught standing in as Maloney’s.

Once there, I noticed a bunch of guys dressed in suits and made fun of their decision to dress up and look like they came from work. “Who are they fooling?” I pointed out to my sister. “It’s a Saturday.”

Just then, two guys came up to me and asked if I just came from work. Shocked, I asked them why they were asking me and they reminded me that I was wearing something resembling a suit on the weekend.

That experience was definitely embarrassing and made me understand that I have a lot left to learn about going out in the working world. You can dress up for a bar, but only on weekdays.

There was something else I realized while I was standing in line at Q’s with a bunch of people I didn’t know after spending money on cab fare. I’ll be hanging out with people from the working world for the rest of my life, but I only have a few weeks left to be able to walk to Maloney’s and BrewCo and party with UCLA students. As much as I may complain about Westwood bars and parties, there is something really nice about being almost guaranteed to run into people I know when I go out, and being able to spend my money on alcohol rather than taxis.

Plus, at least I know what to wear to Maloney’s.

Rodgers may say she hates Maloney’s, but she’s actually in a Maloney’s Facebook group. E-mail her at jrodgers@media.ucla.edu.