Business wear I can transform into partywear for the evening?

[disneydatknee]

Our work Christmas party has been disguised as a meeting. We are to come to the event dressed smartly for a one hour company meeting at a club in the morning, followed by a buffet lunch and a free bar all afternoon. We are then to move on to other bars in the evening. I am so confused as to what I'm supposed to wear. What can I wear that is businessy during the day and can be turned into party wear for the evening? All they have specified is smart dress for the meeting and no denim (as venues they are planning to move onto afterwards has a dress code). Throw some ideas at me please!

What would you usually wear for a smart business meeting? And what would you usually wear for going out?

It's hard to make the boring navy business suit fit day to night, but a dress would work.

I'd go for or a naice dress from marks a wrap if I could carry it off. Some nice shoes / boots and nude tights. Smart handbag

This?

Slim leg trousers, silk blouse and heels? Take some killer earrings and bracelets?

Day to Night Barbie’s outfit would solve this in a trice. The glittery cami is covered by the sensible jacket and the skirt reverses to reveal the fun netting.

I had this doll as a kid and was quite anxious about how I would navigate what was clearly a prominent issue for working women.

What is your budget, please?

Although, at any budget I’d have said this was what the tailored suit and silk camisole were invented for!

🤣 Hermione I love that.
Agree with NoDairy - the devil is in the detail. Accessories, hair and face to be added.

Budget is about £150. I could probably stretch to more for shoes and accessories.

This was my exact thought too. Barbie had it covered. This was one of the 2 barbies I owned. Quality.

OP can you do something like a really nice dress with jacket over for the meeting and jacket off for the evening?

God no to "something naice" from M&S with nude tights but maybe that's just me! I'd go for tuxedo style trousers with a silk shirt and heels but it all depends on the kind of style you usually go for, your figure, age etc etc

Slim black trousers. Sexy blouse Heels and red lippy for later

Yeah, sheer or satin blouse. Add sparkly earrings and evening makeup.

Black knee length wrap dress. Put a blazer over it for work, then ditch the blazer, add a sparkly necklace and silk scarf / velvet jacket / evening type wrap.

Easy peasy.

In addition to day to Night Barbie, I feel that this is the sort of conundrum that used to be endlessly discussed back in the day in Cosmopolitan. I seem to remember ( mystifyingly) glittery ankle socks being suggested at one point.

Another vote for slim trousers, silk shirt, swap low for high heels and do the rest with hair and jewellery.

I'd go for a nice sleeveless shift dress that would look businesslike with a blazer on top, then in the evening throw on some more jewellery

@LadyOfTheCanyon i think you’re right - I vaguely recall my anxiety being stoked by such articles

We had similar nonsense last year I wore a Tuxedo dress with thick opaques and kind of buttoned up to the neck for the day time and then by the time I was dancing on the stage at about 7 pm due to the amount of alcohol consumed between then and 11 am, It was sheer tights and the buttons at the top of the dress and miraculously come undone

Where is she going to store her sensible shoes exactly ?

In her big handbag? Mines a monster- more than capable of holding several pairs of shoes!

Blimey I thought big handbags it got in the way of the matching skirt and jacket suit out of the window mines the size of a iPhone

What would be the existing outfit you feel best or smartest in at work? We'll see if we can pimp it so you can easily change to an evening look -swapping your everyday blouse for a satin camisole for example.

Or this if you feel brave www.reiss.com/style/ST187285/T57241?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3P3ctPiZ-wIVg_XVCh3NiwTLEAQYBSABEgK14_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#T57241

It would help if we knew more about your size/age/budget ...

Tbh the meeting is only an hour and if you're not presenting or particularly I'd just dress to go out myself. Maybe ramp up the make up after lunch

I'd wear a bit of velvet

Yes to this.

Velvet blazer M&S have a nice runched sleeve one. Business shape but party fabric. Under it you could get a silky shirt in either plain or pattern fabric or a sparkly t shirt (again m&s do a black sequin one) because it sounds like you don't need to be full on Business for the one hour meet. Slim or wide leg crop trousers (i recently got some good ones from m&s) and high back boots (asda have some good ones in black leather and a clunky heel).

At your budget m&s is best you could do for that lot. I think their stuff is OK for work or work party At the moment.

The men won't worry about changing and will be wearing chinos and an open neck blur or white casual shirt, maybe a navy/dark colour jumper. The official smart casual male uniform.

I'd just wear clothes that look smart but you feel nice in and not too formal. We had a day to night conference recently and I wore a long dress, brown boots and a denim jacket (it was summer)