Wedding outfit - will this do?

[NotQuiteCockney]

We have a wedding to go to over Easter, and I've totally failed to sort out clothes.

I have a white dress with lots of grey swirly stuff on it (doesn't look like a wedding dress!), and some beading. It's below-knee length. Empire waist, short sleeves. I have, somewhere, a big black and white hat, from another wedding. And I have some black Mary Janes. I guess I'd buy white tights? Not sure what to do there, don't think I can go without tights, the wedding is Easter and England.

Anyway, does this sound formal enough? The dress is here .

(And that's not nosy, I have a fab dress upstairs worn once I could lend- even got the MN seal of approval when Dh bought it for me LOL) it would ft 12 / 14, Monsoon green silk (sort of mid green, has a bronzey shimmer, 3 / 4 length)

I am a 14 or a 16, depending on cut. 14 for anything empire waist. So unfortunately that would be too small.

The coast stuff looks nice, but I am not norkish enough for topless, and I don't really do sleeveless (will if I have to, hate shaving pits).

I did see some nice enough dressy stuff the other day, forget the name of the shop. Will go again and have a look.

Just to check: Black tie for women means what? Floor-length? Is that where the Oasis dress goes wrong?

either long or cocktail-dress-type short

the Oasis dress just isn't glam enough, it's obviously a day dress not an evening dress - cotton jersey, isn't it? In (eg) embroidered silk the shape could work.

Oh, it's viscose, not quite as daytime as cotton, but I take your point (ish) about the daytime thing. (It does have some sequins and beads, but not much.)

Ok, am PMSL at the 'obviously' bit. I'm not being intentionally obtuse, I really am this clueless about clothing.

Hmm, someone linked to a silk Monsoon dress that might work for this, before. I'll have a dig tomorrow if I get a chance.

Aargh it's not at Monsoon any more, at least not on the web. Ok, bed time for me.

sorry, that wan't meant to come across as 'Well, duh, it's a day dress, stoopid' but as 'If you wore that to an black tie function it would stand out amongst the eveningwear'

So if I buy the right dress, I won't stand out?

Even with my shaved head?

Still, yes, I do want an appropriate outfit, obviously.

Hmm, looked at some things today, didn't see anything that tempting. No, I lie, I bought a cotton skirt with skulls on it, but I don't think it will help with the black tie thing.

DH says I can just wear the white/grey dress, as it will be a geek do, and when he went to the US one, there were men in lounge suits, anyway. So I can do that if stuck, but might try to get something I really like. It's not even 100% that we're going anyway, at this point.

Oh, I do have a dress with a nice silk panelled skirt (screen printed with stars), and silk shantung bodice, lacing up the front etc etc. Knee length. But it's a bit norktastic, tbh, a bit scary.

I quote from you post a while back

"The coast stuff looks nice, but I am not norkish enough for topless"

DO NOT GO TOPLESS TO A BLACK TIE DO - even I know you don't do that!

I wear flats to weddings all the time and they still let me in!

Dress is lovely.

I have no idea about the black tie white tie thing - I think the key is to under-dress and be really comfortable and confident.

Black tie is evening dress = floor length dress or skirt, not knee length cocktail dress. White tie is ultra formal evening dress.

So why are all the shops full of topless gowns, then? I saw a bunch in Monsoon today?

Maybe they're ok with a shrug or similar?

I could go have a look at that Fairy Gothmother place. It's actually near me. But probably not appropriate either?

Hmmm, lots of it is fetishy, but they do have some nice big taffeta dresses, and matching corsets, with shoulder straps ... see here .

Nah - you can wear a knee length cocktail dress to a black tie do. In fact a ball gown would have looked odd at some of the black tie things I've been to.

This isn't exactly an Ascot old-worldey actual classy people thing. This is going to be a big room full of geeks.

Hmmm, my knee-length cotton skirt with skulls on it is looking tempting. I have some lovely purple-and-black stripey high socks, with skulls on them ...

Oooooooh - where did you get your skull skirt if you don't mind me asking? Sounds VERY cute!

H+M. It's cotton, lined, a bit rah-rah. They have so many cute prints in H+M these days.

It's dark grey with black skulls.

Will have a look! Thanks hon; haven't been in H & M for years though; think I might be a bit old?

I'm 37, and recently rediscovered clothes shopping (as I think I may have stopped losing baby weight?). I go into all the shops, but only like the clothes at topshop and H+M. They haven't yet started throwing things at me.

I've found a possible dress hire place. I did see some nice formalish stuff at Phase 8 (I think? is that a shop?) the other week.

right

if it's geeks you may get away with the Oasis dress - black tie can be remarkably flexible (the standard of dress at the open-ticket army balls is markedly more relaxed than the invitation-only ones )

The silk outift does sound lovely though, and the norks are hardly scarier than the haircut, are they. Are they?

Or the black shift with the purple and gold Indian wrap?
If you're non-negotiably wearing flats a long dress could look more elegant than a short one.

oh yes, lovely stuff in Phase 8 - I covet the green outfit on the right

some nice things on the hire site too - do I recall you are a suiter of halternecks?

Yes, that's the place. The second dress in this bit, or the first here, or the first one here all might work.

Hmmm, good point re: flat shoes and long dresses. Which green one? The one with embroideryish stuff? Or ruffles?

I will dig out the black simple one and see if it's wearable. It's simple, with lots of beading.

I wish the ball gown still fit, but it would be overkill for this (or anything, tbh) anyway. Maybe it will fit later.

Norkish dress is v wacky, from here . I will try it on again with the fancy bra and rethink. It's very sweet, in its mad way ...

the ruffly blouse and skirt combo - wouldn't normally go for either ruffles or the big bow but the combination of the colour and the neckline (both of which suit me exquisitely but are rarely seen in the shops) makes me love it.

The website the silk outfit's from looks terrific - I think you should wear it and knock the geeks dead.
Black shift sounds a bit safe-but-dull and I think you'd be wasted in it .