I have been invited to a black tie wedding and have absolutely no idea what to wear. I have never been to a black tie event before, especially a wedding, so I'm stumped. I have a little black cocktail dress that I wore once before to a movie premier and was leaning towards wearing that dress. I think I should also add that the couple are religious, so I can't wear anything too revealing. The dress I wore to the premier is pictured [at right]. I added a beautiful feathered belt to the dress, which came together very nicely. Love to hear your thoughts. —Stacy-Ann M.
While I love the cocktail dress you've shared, you'll probably want to wear a floor-length dress if the invite says "black tie." If it says "black tie optional," then you can probably get away with a shorter cocktail dress. As a general rule, it's best to err on the side of being over rather than under-dressed. Besides, opportunities to get this glammed up don't come around that often so seize the chance to go floor-length and fabulous! It doesn't hurt to do a little detective work, too. Ask friends, relatives or even the bride to help clarify the dress code expectations. Bring a shawl or jacket so you can cover your shoulders during the religious portion of the ceremony (always a safe bet at any place of worship).
Now, on to the dresses! If you decide to go with a floor length gown, vintage is the most budget friendly and unique. Another option is to rent your dress. This jeweltone Carlos Miele gown costs $150 to rent from Renttherunway.com:
If you want to buy a gown, David's Bridal is a surprisingly good source for evening gowns on a budget. This Vera Wang dress is $178 and comes in a few different colors. I'd add bold costume jewelry to make it really pop. The fact that it looks a lot like the first dress I posted is purely a coincidence!
There's always the time honored tradition of scouring the sales racks at your favorite department stores. I've always had luck at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor. You just have to dig and try things on.
What advice would you give Stacy-Ann? Do you think the dress she's thinking of wearing is okay for a black tie wedding? Let her know in the comments!
If you want to buy a gown, David's Bridal is a surprisingly good source for evening gowns on a budget. This Vera Wang dress is $178 and comes in a few different colors. I'd add bold costume jewelry to make it really pop. The fact that it looks a lot like the first dress I posted is purely a coincidence!
There's always the time honored tradition of scouring the sales racks at your favorite department stores. I've always had luck at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor. You just have to dig and try things on.
What advice would you give Stacy-Ann? Do you think the dress she's thinking of wearing is okay for a black tie wedding? Let her know in the comments!