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Need help deciding what to wear to a fancy work dinner tomorrow

27 replies

hytury · 12/08/2026 13:11

Hi all, 30F here. I got invited to a dinner tomorrow night with some senior execs and an important client fancy restaurant, "informal" but clearly not casual, there'll be actual business talk mixed in with the socializing. I've genuinely never been to this kind of thing before so I have no idea how to calibrate.

I've narrowed it down to 4 dresses and I keep going back and forth

  1. floral maxi dress (green/pink pattern) feels elegant and covers a lot, but maybe too brunch and not enough dinner with executives
  1. leopard print gown, more fitted with a deep-ish neckline feels the most fancy dinner to me but I'm worried clevage visble
  1. A green midi dress simple, safe, but maybe too plain for the setting

4.A black polka dot dress cute but it's above the knee and I'm worried that's too short/casual for a room full of executives and a client

I want to look put together and appropriate for the seniority of the room, but not overdressed like I'm going to a gala, and not underdressed either. This is the kind of dinner where I really don't want to be the one who got the memo wrong

Need help deciding what to wear to a fancy work dinner tomorrow
Need help deciding what to wear to a fancy work dinner tomorrow
OP posts:
Likeiloveyou · 12/08/2026 15:13

Green

randomnamegenerated · 12/08/2026 15:14

I'm on the fence about if this thread is real, but on the chance it is, while I usually think Mumsnet is over the top on issues of appropriate dressing, in this case, no, just no. I've been to a lot of these kinds of dinners and the green is the only one that's remotely even close to ok. Shiny fabric and boobs hanging out, not on. Since it's a weeknight, you're presumably going straight from work? If so, most of the others will be in their work clothes, so I'd stick closer to that.

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