To be this clueless about “Black Tie” dress code? Help needed!!

[EmptyHouse0822]

I’ve been invited to some big fancy awards night, it’s work related and the dress code is “Black Tie”.

I don’t know anyone else who is going and for various reasons I don’t want to tell any of my colleagues I have been nominated. There would be accusations of “showing off” as being the main one.

I have never been to a Black Tie event and the awards ceremony is a really big deal and somewhere extremely swanky so I don’t want to get it wrong.

Anyhow, I understand what “Black Tie” means for the men…..but what about women?

Do we have to wear black too? And do the dresses have to be floor length?

Im looking for dresses online and there are some really beautiful ones, but I don’t want to be either under dressed or over dressed.

Im not usually one for wearing black as I like a bit of colour, but if that’s a big no-no then I will have to suck it up.

And what about handbags and shoes - do they have to be completely black?

The event is in less than two weeks and I really need to sort this.

Help!

I'm probably a bit late to the party (no pun intended) and haven't read the full thread...

... but I was at a black tie event on Friday. About 700 people there.

Men - all in black suits white shirts and black bow ties.

Women - HUGE array of styles and colours. Lots of sequins, lots of short dresses, lots of animal prints - plenty of black, massive amount of green - 50/50 I would have said for knee length or long.

I wore a black all over sequin strappy shift dress - just below the knee and black sandals - felt fine like that.

My second choice had been a blue chiffon pleated skirt dress with sparkly jewellery - that would have been fine too.

Hope you have fun OP

These tick all the boxes for black tie for women's attire:

Dress 1
Dress 2
Dress 3
Dress 4
Dress 5
Dress 6
Dress 7

@Glitteratitar - just to pick up on this comment you posted "And no, black tie is definitely not long gowns. Gowns are overdressed. Black tie includes cocktail dresses. So clearly your own googling skills need improvement."

If an invite says Black Tie, then it is generally expected that blokes will wear a tux with a black tie (not just a regular suit) and women will wear long gowns.
If the invite says "Cocktail Wear" then shorter evening dresses/cocktail dresses to the knee or just below is generally expected (with long gowns being the exception).

That is what is generally expected.

It depends on context though. Black tie at a law conference or law awards looks exactly like what poster linked earlier - majority of ladies in knee or midi dresses, very few in long gowns. Men in black tie.
I bet there’s some pics from previous years or similar industry awards I’d definitely have a google.

@gogohmm
I wish I had somewhere glam to go & I would snap it up in a flash!!

Tuxedo for men at a black tie is very much optional. And women will definitely not be wearing long. It will be a mixture.

White tie however will involve tuxedos and long gowns.

Perhaps we might all acknowledge that levels of formality or otherwise will differ according to the culture of the institutions or communities involved?

White tie shouldn't involve tuxedos. Dinner jackets/tuxedos are the very definition of black tie.

White tie should be tails.

I have a Wolf and Badger dress that I wear for black tie events. It's not this exact one but it's very similar.

www.wolfandbadger.com/uk/royal-velvet-knot-dress/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzLHskoWz-gIVgr13Ch3jcgKYEAQYAiABEgI2-vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Are u Zoe OP?

OP as the awards are the 5th are they in Manchester by any chance? ;)

I love the green silk Fred one you replied to, I think it’s perfect.

Thanks for the link to Coast!
I've just bought the tux jumpsuit in blue. Used the code coast3 and got more money off.