Can I wear a 50s style shirt dress to a black tie do?

[wejammin]

I've been invited to a black tie dinner and dance by an organisation that I have links with at work. It's not my thing at all but it will be a great networking event (and my boss would kill me if I said no).

I've been looking at formal dressed, tried a few on, and I feel absolutely ridiculous. At home I live in Dr Martens Married and even at work I wear shirt dresses and flat brouges. My wedding dress was very simple and knee length. I do like fashion but I'm not very good at it!

I've seen a nice 50s style collared halter neck dress in a vintage shop near me. I tried it on and I was pondering whether with an underskirt, and the right jewellery, it would be smart enough. I could get some really nice wedge heels and then not feel scared of walking all night.

Does that sound alright?

I have no idea about these things!

If it helps, I'm 5ft 1, size 10.

No idea where that rogue "married" came from

What sort of fabric is it?

It might look a bit fancy dress if it's overtly 'vintage' and you're adding an underskirt (to add volume?).

It's cotton.

This is the closest image I could find, but it's dark green without the belt or underskirt

www.amazon.co.uk/Pretty-Kitty-Fashion-Collared-Halterneck/dp/B011ILWDPE?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Something like that would be fine, I think - 'black tie' has become a fairly flexible term when it comes to women's clothing, and I'd guess most people will be in cocktail dresses. Which that one is - it's definitely not a shirt dress!

I think that would be fine and you wouldn't be out of place.

I was at a black tie event last week and there was a wide variety of dress there. Mostly knee length cocktail dresses, a few maxi style dresses and quite a few wide legged jumpsuits.