Black Tie Dinner - dress for dd, 18

[goingmadinthecountry]

Dd has been invited to a smart black tie dinner - she's 18 and blonde, blue eyes, 5'6/7 and a curvy size 10. Nothing like her lumpen mother then.

Anyway, what should she wear? Others there will be same age.

What will her friends be wearing? Does she want full length?

What's the budget?

What's her usual style?

How about something like this?

beaded

red

black

if she's feeling daring

What about old gold, would look stunning!

Drapy

I've got that red Phase 8 dress in gold (or v similar from last year)! Wore it to a James Bond do.

There won't be any other girls she knows there so can't ask around. It's a hard age - don't know whether short or long but either would be absolutely fine I'm sure. Maybe long would be better. Her usual style is pretty mixed and casual but she can rock a dress and heels when required.

Gold looks lovely on her but she thinks it blends with her hair too much. She's a bit too pale for black but it can look stunning on her. Apparently she's a soft autumn - pink is a no no but teal and blue look fantastic.

There are some lovely dresses there but apart from the short at front one all what I'd wear (think quiet academic types aiming at Oxbridge for PPE and posh - not dd though). Budget not a huge problem (within reason) - she'll wear it again over party season even if only tagging along with us.

I'm not sure if she'd want long or not... How short can you go for black tie?

long black

too gold?

pale blue

Black tie should really be on the knee or lower, if it's a dinner depending on how traditional/'strict' it is she should have her shoulders covered whilst at the table.

What kind of event is it other than being black tie? That'll have an impact on how 'stuffy' it is/how formal she really needs to be.