Black tie event - what to wear?

[SensibleJaneAndrews]

DH and I have been invited to a black tie event. What is the woman’s equivalent of black tie? I have a green satin sort of tea dress, will that do? I’m not a dressy sort of person, advice welcomed!!

Black tie traditionally means evening dresses for women (i.e. floor-length), since watered down to cocktail dresses, and formal trouser suits or jumpsuits will also be fine. What it doesn’t include (in theory) is formal day wear. So anything you’d normally wear to the office, even a very smart office, would normally be considered underdressed. Does that help?

A green satin tea dress sounds fine, by the way, as it sounds more going out than going to work?

I don’t have anything floor length! The green dress is definitely dressing up, so hopefully it will do

I always wear evening trousers and a fancy top. As wide trousers are in fashion at the moment, you could get away with a pair of those.

You don't need floor length. If it's of any help I've been wearing the navy version of the Pauw dress to black tie events for about the last 8 years, although the last black tie event I wore the Sister Jane dress.

I'm not suggesting either of these for you. These are just dresses which met the requirements.

Pauw dress
Sister Jane dress

Thank you! The Pauw dress is nice, a bit like the Grace one by Katya Wildman which I lust over but so pricey!!