Lounge suits/smart dress code

[Travelcrazy]

I am going to a comedy night with male colleagues in a few weeks and no idea what to wear! I am a size 10, 5 feet 2 and 53 with a round middle. I already own 2 above the knee skirts one is black sequins and the other is silver sequins but apart from that I have nothing really suitable. Budget about £100, any help please?

Where is the event? It seems odd for a comedy event to have a dress code. They're usually in grotty basements or theatres- so nothing special required.

A quick Google and Debretts suggests Lounge Suit dress code is smart, women in skirt or trouser suit or dress with jacket, men in suits with shirt and tie. So less party and sparkle and more understated. For some reason I imagine wedding guest attire sort of thing. If the man is wearing a suit, I'd match his smartness though.

https://debretts.com/deconstructing-dress-codes/

That's a helpful article but if wearing a dress a jacket isn't needed as well.

Thanks for the replies, it is at a golf club near to Cambridge with a comedy guest speaker, I didn't explain properly. I still haven't really got a clue what to wear!

In the context you've given, it means no jeans and trainers or golf clothes. So dress or skirt/ trousers and top/blouse

In any context above the knee sequin skirts are unlikely to be the female equivalent of a lounge suit.

This isn't my type of thing but this sort of very safe dress will be fine and is a direct equivalent of lounge suit.

The Fold
The Fold jersey

Finery does similar (and I think more interesting) but much cheaper dresses.

Obviously loads of orher dress brands exist.

Finery dresses

Finery
Finery velvet

Or Joannie

Joannie Damask dress

The last one is nice but may swamp me with the big sleeves and frills

it is at a golf club near to Cambridge with a comedy guest speaker,

Is the main event a comedy event or a dinner where the after dinner speaker is a comedian?

The main event is dinner and a charity night with a guest speaker
Thank you

Okay so that makes sense now.

What about something like this with a nice top like the below, so you could take the jacket off (I saw Reiss had a similar but the jacket alone was nearly £200).

https://www.next.co.uk/style/ls442369/k22662?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAudG5BhAREiwAWMlSjAKO_KxXvypFloNmR1ahasajvc68RbRSUv1w-Tv1RrW9BFWA5DVH6RoCzLYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#K22662

https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/product/tuc144652622

In that case I'd suggest something dressier than if it were just a comedy night- e.g the Finery velvet dress or this Joannie velvet dress. The Joannie brocade would be great too. I'm your height. I don't think it would drown you.

Joannie velvet

That Tu trouser suit is astonishing for the price.

The Tu trouser suit is gorgeous but don't have the sizes I need in black and I am not so keen on the other colours, thanks though.
The velvet dress is nice but I don't really want a maxi because the coat I will wear is knee length.

There's no reason you can't wear a knee length coat over a long dress. Even if you think that looks odd (and it doesn't) you are only wearing it to get from your home to the venue.

Up to you , but that's creating an unnecessary difficulty.

I'd wear one of your skirts with a toning fluffy sweater.

I have a couple of nice fluffy jumpers I could try that thank you.

If you don’t already own a range of options I wouldn’t buy something with limited use and for me the dresses linked would fall into that category. I’d go with something like a fine knit dress that can be glammed up a bit, or not, as the occasion demands, or a satin bias skirt which can be worn in a dressy way or equally with a chunky sweater and boots. Given you mention two sequin short skirts and nothing to wear to a dinner event it would be a good idea to make your budget work a bit harder for you.