Help with Christmas outfit needed please!

[Gigaflops]

This year I'm on a serious budget - but am also the hostess at a fabulous dinner party on Christmas Eve so I want to look gorgeous. I've just lost 9kg so am feeling rather good (although it'll all go back on again after the salmon, ham and champagne, I'm sure!) so can you lovely MNers help me get dressed?

I've found this dress on eBay, it arrived yesterday and looks seriously glam... I think it would look even better with a belt to accentuate my new waistline! Any suggestions? I have a pair of nude heels that could work, but shoe suggestions will also be appreciated... particularly if they match the new belt... :)

Jewellery will be simple I think - pearl earrings maybe? With a practical hairdo - maybe a twisted chignon or something?

All help is graciously appreciated! Thank you...

I realise this all sounds rather poncy... As I'm normally a jeans-and-Lands-End-fleece kind of girl this is seriously out of my comfort zone! Hope you can help...

I'm not sure if it should be a skinny belt - like this

or a fatter one like this

I quite like this but am not sure it'll go with the lace - chevron

All of these are black - should I be looking at a colour instead? Red? Turquoise? I have NO idea!!

Well done on your weight loss!

The dress is lovely but personally I wouldn't put a belt with it, i don't think a belt would look right with that type of dress. Obviously that's just my opinion though!!

I wouldn't put a belt with it either. Are you worried about the fit? Is it too big at the waist? Do you need to alter it? If not, let your figure do the talking - long and lean, rather than tied in the middle. It's a lovely dress!

Yes, I would think hair up and I'm sure pearl earrings would be lovely. Personally I would go for a classic black court shoe (but I am a bit of a gimmer...). You could show off your wrists with a bracelet.

Ok so belt is out - that's cool, with the lace it's very detailed as it is! I do have black patent courts - but have a secret hankering for these...

I know they're over the top but they're sooooooooo pretty!

(see why I need help ladies? It's like a bull in a china shop over here... my inner princess is being unleashed - I seriously need to get out more...)

Phwoaaar! those shoes! I love them too. But I would think they were a bit "panto-mimey" and ironic.

Seriously if you have to have the shoes I would wear them with a very plain outfit - think black ankle-grazers and black sweater - and not the dress.
Or poss blue gingham ... with pigtails ... accessorised with a little dog ...

I could get a dog... oh yes I could...

So results so far - dress is good, no belt, jazzy bracelet, hair up, black heels and tights? Black or nude? I'm getting seriously excited now... pity I have to be slaving in the kitchen feeding 30 people while wearing all my finery, but hey ho!

I did just find a pair of red patent heels - M&S here which look vvv practical and comfy as well as RED... would they be too much?

(can you sense a theme here?? I waaaaant red shoes!!)

Hmmm I think those are class - I still wouldn't, personally, not with that dress. OTOH what colour apron are you wearing ....?

Re tights - I think depends on your colouring. I am quite dark, so with a black dress and black shoes I tend to go for "barely black" tights - nude looks stupid on me.

If you were wearing the red shoes I would go for nude but not too pale IYSWIM.