To resent being told what to wear to a party.

[Rollergirl1]

I realise that all themed parties have an element of this. But we are going to a party soon where it specifically says on the invite "long" evening dress for the ladies. I don't own any long dresses, largely because I am a short arse and I don't really do them justice (also I have great legs and if I'm wearing a dress I generally like to reveal some of them!) I have plenty of perfectly adequate dresses that would do the job in terms of being glamorous and sexy and WOW. But no, it has to be a long dress. This means that I'm going to have to go out and buy a dress specifically for this event that I know I will never wear again.

I can understand that the hosts want to set the tone for the evening. The tone is glitz and glamour. I can pull that off without wearing a long dress and begrudge being told the length of my hem.

Grrrr.

See now I've bowed to the pressure and taken a look on the Next website. There is a rather lovely Lipsy dress that I quite like the look of. But I know that it would sit languishing in the wardrobe after this party...

I'm really torn between sticking two fingers up (and possibly looking the most interesting person there) to their mis-placed grandeur or just sucking it up and fitting in with the crowd.

Family members party? Fuck the 'long' dress code then as long as you go in something classy.

I would wear a shorter dress, and screw the long-dress-to-sit-around-in-someone's-house dress code.
What are they going to do? Refuse you at the door? Hardly.

If they are insisting on full length, then the equivalent dress code for men is white tie. If it is black tie for men, then shorter lengths are appropriate.

the dress you like, would it work if you after this event had the hem taken up?

Or go for the shorter dress, you might find while the hostess is keen to say everyone is going with the theme, a lot of others won't be buying a new dress for a house party if they have something short and formal. Do you know anyone else who's going you can ask about what they are wearing? (if you can talk one other into joining you in a knee length but glamorous dress then you'll be more comfortable, I bet other guests are having similar angst)

debenhams has a cracking sale on dresses and my mate picked one up for a tenner reduced from £60 :-) leave the tags in & take it back the next day :-)

I feel a trip to Debenhams is in order! Thanks for that.

at a house party, how controlling! I really thought it was going to be a forces do or something?

Good idea re:debenhams.

Are they celebrating something big?

I doubt everyone will turn up in a long gown. They won't all own one. I am a short arse and just wouldn't shell out £100+ just to please a silly host. I would only wear it once. Plus would probably break my neck as long gowns are generally a foot to long. Don't wear one. You will look crap.

I'd just wear a 'glitzy & glamorous' dress I already had in the wardrobe, since it's just a house party. If it was a proper formal event then I'd follow the dress code to the letter so as not to embarrass myself.

OP just turn up like this

They're having a laugh requesting this when it is just at their house.

You sound like you're good at making yourself glamorous without having to wear a long dress so I would just wear something from your wadrobe.

Just wear one of the smart dresses you already own. I really doubt the host will accost you at the front door and say "you can't come in- I can see your ankles". Maybe the "long dress" thing is more to make sure people get the right idea of how glam (boke) it's supposed to be and to make a suitable amount of effort.

Just borrow one.

I would just wear something you already have that fits the glam theme. I would wear knee length rather than short. I woudn't worry about this for a moment.