Massive Ball - £800 a ticket, what on earth to wear?

[anonymousbird]

In a few weeks DH and I are going (as someone's guests) to a massive Ball in the West End, dress code is naturally, black tie. I have a few dresses (none full length) that could pass as Black Tie, just, but when people are spending £800 and upwards A HEAD on my ticket, I kind of feel I ought to make an effort, but I HATE shopping under pressure to find "the right thing". I am a shit shopper basically. Does this type of do need to be a long dress?? Does a short cocktail style dress cut the mustard??

Also, slightly more crucially, finances are tight right now. We just had a wonderful holiday, been away for most of August, but there ain't much left in the pot and DH took the time off unpaid as well, so now til end November should really be "tighten the belt" time, to enable us to get afloat again...

I have a lovely dress from Phase Eight - one of those swirly tapeworm type dresses with a matching shrug - but it might not be dressy enough (sorry, cannot find a link). And, I can't get it out of my head that I wore this same dress to the 40 quid a head knees up at my local sports club, so wearing it to a major public event just seems wrong!!

I'm confused, as you can see, so need help/advice please!

I know exactly what you mean by swirly tapeworm . Love that description.

COuld you not hire a dress?

What size are you?

I wondered about hiring, but I don't know anywhere local to here and to be honest, if I am going to spend £100 (I assume - never done it before) hiring something, then I'd rather end up owning something!

I am a curvy 14, fairy norky.

oh what's the ball?
nosey.

i'd do for something cocktail.

You could try girlmeetsdress for hire. Here's what they have in a 14 http://hire.girlmeetsdress.com/collections/size-14?__utma=1.343703325.1283760795.1283760795.1283760795.1&__utmb=1.1.10.1283760795&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1283760795.1.1.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=girlmeetsdress&__utmv=-&__utmk=77421333
Phase Eight one sounds lovely though if you want to save the money.

try again!
hire.girlmeetsdress.com/collections/size-14?__utma=1.343703325.1283760795.1283760795.1283760795.1&__utmb=1.1.10.1283760795&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1283760795.1.1.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=girlmeetsdress&__utmv=-&__utmk=77421333

Suspect you might need something dressier than Phase Eight. Could you get to TK Maxx or look on line. They sometimes have some nice bargains.
Being nosey- what ball is it for £800 a head?! Could google and may be able to find some pictures from past years?

(Altho Phase Eight dress does sound lovely as well)

here

i'd wear something like this.

or something a bit more ott.

can you get away with a tiara.
i'd love to wear a tiara again!

Jackstini love the link, will investigate further....

The ball is British Olympic Ball so it's never happened before... and we are on a Silver table or something..

The Phase Eight dress is about as dressy as Phase Eight gets, but agree that Phase Eight just doesn't smack of "big do dress".

Also have a Coast DIVINE lilac satin item which I know probably sounds seriously suspect, but it is much more glam (and strapless) but need mega tan to go with it, and it's a no holds barred, shows every spare tyre going! From my pre-DC's days..... Not sure I have it in me any more to wear such an item, requires major self confidence and lack of mumsy-ness, and doesn't really work for me these days. I lust after it when I see it in the cupboard though..... Ugh.

no to phase eight tapework dress

yes to hiring soemthing

yes to Coast dress. get st moritz fake tan for £3 and invest in Spanx

debenahsm often have good evening wear and they have 25% off this week

I think the Coast one is the way forward as my starting point, but will look at the other options. Once DC back at school (less than 48 hours to go.....) then will be able to look into this a bit more and actually GO TO A SHOP, perhaps, just maybe.... And will in mean time try on Coast dress, get it cleaned, and maybe persuade myself that it can still work nearly 7 years on, and save the cash for something else!

I like your Debenhams tip, I have never even been to Debenhams, but just checked out their website and seriously liking some of what is there... apparently there is a store about 15 miles away, hoorah.
this one

or

this

Is there any fake tan that doesn't look fake or smell? Separate thread might be needed for that one! Or suspect it has already been done to death!!!

I always thought that a formal ball meant a long dress.

Or am I hopelessly old fashioned?

Trubert I am kind of stuck on that.. did wonder if it means full length, but I have only worn a full length dress once in my life - my wedding dress! And am sure long dresses are just dead frumpy (sorry, maxi dress wearers, but they just are unless you are very long and slim!)

Won't everyone just fall over their own, or someone else's dress if it is full length?? I feel like I am signing the middle age contract if I go full length.

Been to plenty of so called Balls in my younger days, and most people wore shorter style dresses. Was hoping that would still be the case!

I've been to a few big corporate balls and I have to say that almost every woman was in a full length dress. A couple of young women had short skirts but they looked underdressed.

But times may have changed as this was ten years ago.

I would go for a long dress since it has the word 'ball' in the title.

I love this green one

Hmmm, maybe I do need to think LONG. As long as I can avoid frumpy. I would hate that, and my DH will laugh a lot as it is so NOT me to wear a long dress.

I think if you look in magazines like OK, Hello, etc. at very dressy parties lots of ladies are wearing knee length cocktail dresses. I think if that is the kind of style you like, stick to it. Don't buy a long dress for one night that you may never wear again and wouldn't necessarily find comfy.

make a personal shopper appt at debenhams

they are free and you get chocolates

ace for buying stuff-you-wouldn;t-normally

You get chocolates?!

MrsB, this is seriously good news.

I will be investigating forthwith!

Have a look at Monsoon too, Lots of lovely long floaty floor length dresses and shrugs.

I thought that Black tie was cocktail dresses and white tie was ball gown dresses?

Unfortunately it's not that simple at all Alouiseg. These things were all designed when women weren't allowed out of the house, I suspect.

Black tie dinner = cocktail dress (or slightly-less-posh long dress)
Black tie ball = long dress
White tie = dress must be floor length, long gloves recommended

I didn't like the fabric that the ball/bridesmaid type dresses I saw in Debenhams were made of.

What about Style Shake?

I have no idea how good they are, though.

I saw a lovely deep red long dress in a boutique yesterday, but for the life of me can't remember which one. That's not terribly helpful, is it?