Not ideal, I know, but is this dress 'okay' for a ball?

[babedia]

Getting ridiculously stressed about a work ball on Saturday. It's not my work, it's DH's. I was planning on just wearing a dress I bought recently for a wedding but it's black tie and the more I think about it the more I think this dress is wrong. It's this one:
www.hobbs.co.uk/index.cfm?page=1078&element=3345& amp;parent=1068&numdisplay=0

Normally I wear it with a bolero jacket from the same shop, but I bought an ivory shawl yesterday (those that are a bit stiff) to tie at the back (so it's just round my shoulders) and an ivory clutch bag.

I went to the same ball about 6 years ago and some people had evening gowns but most just looked really smart, but with evening-looking clothes, iyswim, my dress is too much of a day dress. Does that make sense? I don't want to spend a fortune buying something new and I haven't got much time either! Help. Will it be okay?

lol poor owman has stumbled orf

oh gawd... DH keeps saying not too worry. I really haven't got time (or money) to go anywhere to buy anything! Hiring costs something like £150, so might as well buy something new but I went to Monsoon yesterday and hardly had any evening stuff, and it was all too weddingy. I'm off to London this evening for work and will be working all day tomorrow until the evening, so that only leaves me Saturday during the day (if I cancel inlaws ) to sort this out. DH not keen on me cancelling inlaws which means I won't have to time to have my hair done, so it'll be just straight. Boring. I only bought that Hobbs dress with the excuse that at least I'd use it for the ball too... Have rang all my friends and nobody has anything appropriate, except one who's going to the ball too and obviously wearing it herself (a lovely long plum dress she wore for her wedding). I'm in Oxford and around size 12 - although the dress from hobbs is a 10. Oohhhhh

im a childs age 5-6 in dresses

you cna borrow my fabbol red phase eihgt kneew lenght affair
btu you better be careful with it
i love it

bloody hell, took me so long to type all that that I missed all the discussion about sizes! Did I say size 12? I meant 1.2, obviously.

I'd be happy to lend you this dress of mine.

It's a leg warmer to most but I wear it as a boob tbe.

www.onatoko.com/pictures/legwarmers/A1317-100.jpg

I look great in this dress which you borrow if you like?

ooh no

Sorry to hijack

Got a 50th birthday party invitation from boss/friend.

It says party wear. What do I wear! DH also wants to know. He's sure jeans are a no.

Thanks

night? at home or a place?

omg that pic is horrific

you know what? if you wore your hair up, wore killer silver or black evening heels, and fab make up....don't think anyone would bat an eyelid. I've seen much much 'day'-er at balls before.

and don't do what i did once and go all para only to find tons of women in eve trousers at a ball ffs!!

There's a lady a few links up with a dress for a ball, bought from Monsoon. Have you seen it?

Nice dress, but to be honest it looks more appropriate for a day at the races or a garden party.
Do you have a LBD?

Yes, I did see the other dress and it's GORGEOUS! I wish I had something like that.

What's LBD?

Little Black Dress

oh, I see. I have a very plain black dress, sleeveless, little dangly black belt, just below the knee. Not sure if that'd be better. And it's 5 years old.

Can you do the bolero jacket thing with it, to get it going a bit? Might be better for an evening do?

babedia

I'm in Oxford

they are Monsoon 10s so on the generous side
long bias cut satin cowl neck royal blue
long bias cut satin halter pinky lilac
long bias cut satin v front & back olive green
one of these

Non-Monsoon:
long strapless black with laced back
long brown with draped neckline and floaty tail things on back of bodice.

badger weasel at hot mail . com

omg, Mrs Badger! But you don't know me! I don't know what to say - only that you're extremely generous. I'll email you.

Zoinks, MrsBadger, why so many evening frocks?

the blue one is this colour but with spaghetti straps and a cowl neck.

The green one is that shape but olive green with a little bit of beading on the underbust seam.

at least one ball a year since I was 17
also black tie for choir concerts etc

I think I am remarkably restrained