Is this frock ok for dress code 'cocktail dress'?

[Fierceflora]

I'm going to a do next weekend. I love clothes and fashion etx but really really hate these kind of things where I am told what to wear! If it was just black tie I have a lovely floor length vintagey sequin dress. But it's not and am stumped. I'm thinking this frock with a spray tan and black ankle boots. I do tend to have a bit of a drama teacher look, it doesn't seemt I be something I can escape so am just going to go with it. But will I be horribly out of place in this? It is silk with lots of embroidery so fed not a day dress. Can't walk in heels so boots are flat but am tall so that's ok. Also am fairly heavily tattooed so sleeves with somewhat disguise them. What do you think? Is this ok? If not feel free to suggest something else!! Am 5'8, size 16-18, lean towards looser clothes. Shops I likeinc urban outfitters, top shop, all saints, oh and I'm 39 so a combo of overweight and approaching Middle aged means a lot of proper eve short dresses make me look horrific!

Ps frock is just above knee

I think it will be perfect. You seem to have a very keen sense of your own style and I like that in a person.

From the picture it looks like a cottony hippy-ish dress to wear to the park - and you may get answers from people who have looked at the picture and only skimmed the thread.

When I see 'cocktail' I think 'glam' - hair and makeup all done, nice jewellery, etc. It is a beautiful dress, and as long as your boots aren't doc martins, biker or cowboy, I'm sure it will be lovely.

Cocktail usually just means 'smart, dressy, short (as opposed to full length if it's a dress) and suitable for evening rather than casual day wear. There is lots of scope with that.

I would wear it with shoes rather than boots

No trills, its silk! All swushy and shiny silk. I have a very similar one in ivory - jigsaw?

Ah ok thanks, yes dress is very 'me' and I know I will 'feel' like I'm in fancy dress if I wear a structured say satin frock as it's just not me . I also have silver peroxided cropped hair and a nose ring! Forgot to add that! So yeah a tendency to look a bit butch however I do make an effort with my make up and Maybe a bright lipstick will drag it a bit closer to glam!

Ah it's monsoon trills I coveted it for ages then it went in the sale for £20!!! I was GIDDY with excitement that day!

Cocktail just means it doesn't have to be long which evening dress traditionally was (though you can often wear short these days to non traditional evening dress events).

I think it would be fine, it is very pretty. I'm not sure about the flat boots though. What style are they?

Who on earth would wear a heavily embroidered silk 20s style dress to the park?

I have been to lots of cocktail type things where the crowd have been an odd mixture of either been city banker types and their immaculate designer clad wives who look great but a bit cloned, and arty Boho types who like to defy convention and have a wanton bedraggled streak, so I've seen all sorts and everyone looks just fine. I don't think that dress would look out of place in the least.

Yes, could you find some flattish black strappy sandals, or really glamorous flip flops? (not rubber ones )

Ah well the only shoes I could poss wear are these beauts however I fear I can only walk in them when really very drunk (which may detract from the glamness) and also at my size (and cankles-sexy) I may look like a pig with trotters non??

I think the shoes are lovely and would look really good with the dress.

I am doubting the boots now. The fact I'm too ashamed to post a picture of them prob speaks volumes
Ok so dress is ok (phew) but maybe I need to think about alternative shoes? If really like to wear boots to cover my cankles

I can't walk in them though Dexter!! I bought them for a wedding about 5 years ago and sporadically get them out to look at before putting them back in cupboard. I have also had a spectacular falling over in them resulting in splitting my knee open nothing to do with cocktails it was def the shoes fault

Those shoes are beautiful and perfect. Do what I do, travel in flats, with them in a bag, put them on just before you arrive, stand still a lot, and then take them off again when you are drunk it's time to travel home and walking/standing up properly is required.

as long as you arrive looking gorge no-one will notice or care what you do halfway through. I am famous around these parts for going to black tie things in vertiginous heels and leaving in flip flops.

sorry I meant travel in flats with the heeled shoes in a bag

Ok ihavenever sounds likea plan! Otherwise I may well end up barefoot. Though this may not be a surprise to dh and df who I am going with. These are photos of me today, right now. You can see what you're working with right?! I'm no glam WAG type

That's a really lovely dress and imo very 'now' in terms of its vibe. I think it's perfect and a big yes to some statement lipstick.

I personally don't like the high shoes, I think high shoes have had their moment to some extent (but they wouldn't be wrong either). Black ankle boots could potentially be fine (shine them up) but maybe we'd need to see them.

You look awesome.
I wish I could pull off glasses. I look terrible in mine.

And that dress is beautiful

Ah no, you are no brittle, cloney WAG type and thank fuck for that - who needs more of them?! You look absolutely great, I love your look.

Wear the birkies. You'll look like.a fashion blogger.