Is this okay for tea at the Ritz and ROH?

[DieDreiHexen]

We visit London quite often, but mostly supper in Marylebone, picnic in the park, the theatre, lunch by the river, an exhibition or Ronnie Scott's (or work!) Basically, nice stuff but nothing fancy, just wear jeans or a day dress. This outing is unusual for me...

We are celebrating DD's 16th birthday in January with a trip to Mikimoto for pearl earrings, tea at the Ritz and Onegin at the Royal Opera House. We are overnighting at the Ritz (already looking forward to breakfast!)

DD has an amazing Sister Jane dress.

Would this dress do for me? How do people dress for ROH? Is it better in black or cream? (I'm a Deep Autumn apparently) And what shoes might work? I was hoping I might get away with loafers as I hate heels.

Any ideas appreciated!

It was a bit tongue in cheek because the share price fell last week and we have a vested interest .

DH buys his lunch from Greggs and speaks highly of their sandwiches.

Both dresses are amazing , have the most amazing time. I prefer the cream btw but black would look chic too

Your daughter’s dress is gorgeous !
I would wear a low block heel pair of Mary Janes with your ivory dress .
I have never been to the Ritz so I don’t know what people normally wear for afternoon tea there .
For the ballet , well I don’t live anywhere near London , but the last time I was at a ballet I had a lightweight summer dress as the theatre was really warm !

@TrueOlympian I'm currently a very part time primary school teacher. I have been to Glyndebourne three times this year - tickets cost me far less than a football match or musical at the theatre. Same with going to ROH.

Only stayed at The Ritz once - dh was there for work because it impresses the American team. I had a cold so watched tv and had some hummus and carrot sticks for dinner, but hey, I stayed at The Ritz 😂I've stayed at hotels I prefer but it's fun to stay somewhere like that. DCs liked that kind of thing as a treat too.

It's all about priorities and how you spend your money - each to their own. Funny how everyone always chooses to criticise those who choose to spend it on something more cultural.

To look better together, I'd go for black - a bit of a clash of colours otherwise with the green, if you are thinking of taking photos especially..Plus as you say, OP, you are clumsy so black is safer - those cps are very delicate, easy to wobble, haha.
The DD's dress is wonderful!

tea cups, that is.

Agreed, showing off about so many things. You know perfectly well that 99% of the people reading this do not have MILs in SJW, attend Cambridge University, have properly posh husbands etc etc.., and all from a 'lower middle class' background, too.
Perhaps it would have been better simply to stick to the ROH and the dress?

Seems you can get away with anything at ROH these days, nobody cares. But if it were 1st night or v good seats, I would make a bit of an effort, for your own pride.
Having said this, most were reasonably dressed this afternoon in front stalls for Hoffman, even though Sun Matinee.

However, I think the Ritz would be more concerned. Not sure they would refuse entry, but I doubt you'd get best table.

Enjoy Onegin.

Jeysus.

I don't know what to say.

I prefer the Barbican and the LSO.

Why are you all so dreadful? Why you be so mean?

Why do you care?

I’ve never been to the Ritz. DP and I are members of a club around the corner which we stay at when we visit London either for work or leisure. The room rates are cheap once you are a member and you are treated like family members. We are also both members of money can’t buy access places in London we can access for work and leisure through our respective professions. In fact I am a member of two of the most exclusive places in London courtesy of my work so lucky me. I suppose people would call us new money on here because we both come from socially and economically deprived towns, state educated and first in families to attend university. It doesn’t bother us though. We dress quite conservatively and even though I’m from ‘the North’ I don’t dress in ‘body con’ clothes. I usually wear oversize jumpers/blouses, docs etc. I have nice handbags though. One of my friends is a professional opera singer. She wouldn’t care what you wear to watch her.
Have the best day with your DD OP.

Gosh I wonder if you (mainly DD) might feel a bit overdressed to be honest! Sounds like she’s confident and wouldn’t mind that but as a 16 year old I would have been mortified if even a little overdressed 😅
I’d also go dark for you as would go better with DD dress.

I hope you have an amazing time OP. I would have LOVED this as a girl. Loved it. What an amazing treat.

The poster familiar with ‘old money’ 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 what a knob.

Wot no Batsheva?

I'm loving how everyone's queueing up to state their opera/theatre/ballet/swanky hotel brags.

This is a great thread.

Why not? It’s good fun.

I've got past being baffled by the mind bending levels of self aggrandisement being demonstrated by some posters on this thread. All this in response to a 16 year old being taken out for a birthday treat. If you ever wonder why people cross the road to avoid you then perhaps a skim through your posting history might help.

I've filed the posts in the Mumsnet bucket of '£100k salary is a pittance really' and 'AIBU to resent that I can't walk five paces without someone stopping me to tell me my child is so beautiful that they must surely be an angel sent from heaven to bless this earth'.

Meanwhile on another S&B thread posters comment on Royal pearls and discuss how they style their own pearl pendants ...

The dress is gorgeous: very Chanel. With respect, the suggestions of metallic footwear could take away from the simple classiness of the outfit.

Love it! Me+Em always hits the spot! x

Last time I went to the ROH it was smart jeans and a nice top for me. If you are in the orchestra stalls or the stalls circle people are sometimes more smartly dressed but I would just wear what makes you feel good.

OP, I prefer the lighter dress (mainly because I find dark clothing a bit corporate and safe), and I absolutely LOVE your daughter's outfit... it will be perfect.

Have an absolutely fantastic time - I am sure you have worked out that there are some real Hyacinth Bucket-style thunderers on S&B so ignore all talk of old money etc - my message to them is that this sort of talk is hugely passé and shows an utter lack of class in itself :)

The Ritz has a dress code for afternoon tea so people focusing on ROH are a bit misleading - they wouldn't let you in to the afternoon tea in jeans for example.

I think the dress may be a bit short - depending on your height - there may be a few raised eyebrows.

I have known people go in smart casual outfits and still be asked if they needed to be shown the bathrooms to get changed 😱

I think people need to chill and realise that you can’t always say this stuff out loud in real life (and who would?) so chatting about it anonymously online is fine.

I mean, I don’t disagree with you that snobbery is never attractive, but I can assure you that it’s just as prevalent among the upper classes, it just expresses itself differently. It’s far from reserved for the aspirational Hyacinth types.

Enjoy Onegin, whatever you wear, OP.

Blimey - so they do! Gentlemen must wear jackets - so that's my son ever going for tea there out the window then.

That's me! Twirls 😘

I think I'd only mentioned it because of something another poster said. But, at the same time, fuck me, some of my older friends (and clients) are ridiculously posh/from generational wealth. But, who am I to comment anyway, am noveau paurve despite my nouveau riche parents 😂

The thing is, am saying nothing that anyone who doesn't read fiction/watch tv, particularly Jilly Cooper/watch Riders/Succession (to name two things) that touch on this. Jilly Copper books are full of references to old money 'looking smart' which just means they're dressed up. Old money vs. new money is as old as time. And besides, today's old money was one's new money anyway.

Anyone who sneers at others clothing choices are cunts anyway. So long as the wearer thinks they look great, why should anyone else even care? But people do judge, often those whom have no business to. I don't blame OP for wanting to see if her outfit will blend in. Who wants to be ridiculed by others?