What on earth to wear to an awards ceremony?

[CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo]

My boss is up for a volunteer heroes award and has asked me to go to the ceremony as I've helped him out with admin / fundraising for his charity. What do I wear? I've a two piece dress - top with elbow length sleeves and calf length skirt in navy. I don't know anything about the ceremony, is it table seating or cinema seating. Trying to look at last year's but not much online.

It's next month, I've got three weeks. Size 18/20, don't like low cut as very booby. Suggestions gratefully received. Can go to £100, not much over.

I've seen this https://www.lightinthebox.com/en/p/women-s-dress-set-two-piece-dress-midi-dress-green-blue-gray-half-sleeve-floral-print-summer-spring-u-neck-casual-2023-s-m-l-xl-xxl-3xl_p9042089.html the red one.

No, please don't buy that! Someone will be along with good suggestions in a minute, but there is much better out there. I am not booby so...

What about wide leg trousers with an evening top? You can wear again then. I go to awards sometimes and people wear all sorts as long as it's smart.

Or a simple black dress?

Try and find pictures from last year's ceremony - will give you an idea of the kind of outfits people wore.

If you can find on vinted (they no longer make them) I highly recommend pepperberry for larger up top evening dresses, mine is "really curvy" sized

You seem to feel strongly, @CharlotteRumpling would you mind telling me why? If I were rich I'd have a personal shopper / stylist as I'm hopeless. I thought the sort of overcoat thing would hide things a bit.

Light in a Box is a down-market Shein. Cheap, poorly made clothes coming from China with no guarantee when they will arrive and no guarantee you'll get a refund.

Don't order from light in the box it's cheap Chinese crap. I ordered a hoody from there for my oh at Christmas and it was awful. Same with teashirst and pyjamas. Looks great on line but cheap crap made from plastic in real life. I was so embarrassed when it arrived I didn't give it to the recipients

Wide leg trousers don't look good on people with wide legs unfortunately.

Is it a daytime or evening ceremony?

Not to be nasty, but the Light In the Box dress looks cheap and polyester-y. And you have £100 to spend, so you can definitely find something better. Am just not suggesting anything because I am pretty flat-chested and find it hard to visualise dresses on a more well-endowed woman.

Try Adriana papell on John Lewis or next

I was the same size as you earlier this year, wide leg trousers with a kimono type top looks great at that size.

It's an evening ceremony, 7pm. No idea if there's drinks or anything, but I imagine boss will suggest pre- or post- drinks. Two other people are going but they're men so can't ask them - one's been asking me for advice what he should wear! I said a collar & tie and pref trousers not jeans. Men have it easy.

Oh OK , not familiar with Light in the box but all your comments are saying avoid so I will. Don't like polyester and defo don't want to look cheap. I don't want to stand out at all.

www.next.co.uk/style/su082703/619386#619386

I wore this to a similar awards event last week.

Everyone was wearing similar type dresses.

What is the dress code? Traditionallt n evening awards ceremony would be black tie.

What colours and styles do you love wearing?

The men all wore shirt, tie and suit trousers and jackets.

The event was labelled "formal"

Maybe a simple black dress with a blazer @Bornonsunday but not the one in the photo as don't want the sack tied in the middle look.

I think your original pic was a bit 'wedding guest' rather than awards ceremony.

You can't go wrong with something dark and elegant like a shift dress and jacket.

On your budget I'd look at Cos and some of their more dramatic dresses. I assume it's not Oscar level of dressyness?

Cos assymetric dress

All Cos

Cos way over budget but rather fabulous

The only awards ceremony I've been to was black tie but it said so on the invitation. I'd go dressy evening wear and enjoy the chance to dress up.

The cos dresses are great

I've got a week day evening, black tie, industry related awards dinner in a couple of weeks. I'm wearing this but in a dark blue.

Week day evening black tie award dress

I don't think it's formal, I think it's recognising people who give their time because they don't have money, if that makes sense, hands-on people not donors. Will have to ask boss for a look at the invite.

Loving the suggestions, thank you. I like arms, legs, and cleavage covered. Is there such a thing as elegant frump? 😂That's probably what I'm aiming for!

Aren't they just !