I have one good floor length gown. I have it for work, because every once in a while I have to work at a black tie event, and once in a blue moon, a white tie event.
It’s black and silver, and the design is very plain. I must have tried on about 100 gowns when I was shopping for it, because at these events I’m actually working so if there is any sort of problem (no press passes, microphone stops working, mysterious phone call for the guest of honor, etc) I have to leap up out of my seat and run (literally) to do damage control.
The best thing about it is that it is long but not too long. I usually dress for the event, and then wear sneakers while I am doing pre-event stuff and then slip my shoes on right before the event starts. Because of the running thing, I wear velvet ballet-style slippers instead of heels. But, the last time I wore it, I was at a dinner for the US President and the UK Prime Minister and realized during dessert that I was still wearing my sneakers. :eek: Fortunately the dress is long enough that you can’t see the shoes when I am standing up.
I do have this dark green prom type dress I got at Goodwill when I went as Rose from Titanic for Halloween-it has a full skirt and a lace top with short sleeves. But it’s too big and it’s old and ripped.
Dammit, I want a dress like from Titanic, or something like that! An old fashioned, gorgeous ball gown, or an evening gown.
Okay. I say we do it. I say we do it as a Dopefest in Glasgow. Ther’s yet to be a local one so I say we should have one near me. In Nice’n’Sleazy,, the ultimate goth bar. For references… just go find 'em. It’ll be the biggest weirdness since the new Scottish smacking laws.
Yes, I own a tux. But that’s not why I’m posting. Sorry for the hijack, but this is important.
Gentlemen, give me your attention please.
If you’ve got a cummerbund, the pleats go up, not down. In other words, they should look like the siding on a house if the house was turned upside down.
Please guys, please… learn how to tie a real bow tie with your tux. It doesn’t look as cookie-cutter perfect as a strap-on one, but that’s the idea. It’s very easy to learn to tie, so don’t let that stop you. And at the end of the night you can undo it like Sinatra singing his last set. Very sex-ay, I’m told.
Like Jess, I have four formal gowns in my closet at the moment.
The blue velvet, which is not full length, a beautiful purple gown, a forest greeen one, and a deep burgundy. I love them all, but I’ve not had a reason to wear one in a while.
The blue and the green I got because they were on sale and fit great. I got the other two for specific reasons- the purple for a concert at church and the burgundy for New Year’s last year.
I suppose I’ll have to just pick one for the company Christmas party this year-I don’t really need to buy another one…
I have four formal dresses in my closet and only three belong to me. One is for my sister’s upcoming Deb Ball, two were for my Year 11 and Year 12 Formals (I think you guys call them ‘Proms’?) and the last one I picked up for $2 at a flea market.
My sister’s dress is your basic Deb dress, but minus the beading because mum thought she could sew it on herself, but never got around to it.
My pink Formal dress has an inner layer and an outer layer - I’m actually wearing it in my Doper photo I think. The inner layer is white and the outer is bright pink, and there’s a frilly asymmetrical cut at the bottom. My purple Formal dress is just a normal evening gown with a tight bodice and a flowing skirt.
My $2 dress has two layers - the inside layer is a pale blue and the wispy outside layer is a powder blue. When I spin around, the material sort of floats around me. I love this dress - it fits perfectly and was so damn cheap!
I have three. A short black, long black and one black and white. ALl purchased for Christmas parties but now they are becoming much more useful as my job has me attending galas and the like as a representative for the company.
I have seen a few lately that look like definate possibilities for this Christmas season
Sleeveless floor-length gray satin with silvery sheer fabric from top-of-bra region to neckline. Two streamers from the shoulders down the back in same sheer fabric. The streamers are attatched with a line of rhinestones.
Tea-length black satin with a very full skirt. Has an off-the-shoulder with a wide band of white satin to accent the neckline.
Short blue-purple (ie, looks blue next to purple and purple next to blue) velvet with a medium-full skirt. Does the same sheer-to-neckline trick as Dress #1 (in purple-blue this time), but this one has long, sheer sleeves as well.
I don’t have much call to wear any of them, but one never knows. I’m a sucker for a gorgeous dress on sale–I even tried on a deeply discounted wedding dress at Birch Run a few weeks ago! (It was gorgeous! It was everything I want in a wedding dress! It was marked down from $799 to $550! I was ready to buy it right there despite my pesky lack of male companionship.)
Plus assorted waistcoats, real bow-ties, wing-collar shirts, pocket watch and several chains, shoes etc…
What can I say, I collect clothes and any reason to dress up is a good one.
Athought I get sick of wearing formal or period clothing for a long period of time (try wearing a heavy kilt or button fly trousers for a week) I agree that the idea of Formal Dress Fridays is much more fun than Casual Fridays (which were a stupid and fast disapearing idea anyway).
A very plain ankle length dress with thin straps in black silk crepe . I’ve worn it to several black tie occasions. It’s extremely versatile. It’s loose and empire line, so it doesn’t care that my waist has gone from 28" to 31".
A tea length cocktail dress in black net with coloured beading and embroidery.
A plain cut just below the knee cocktail dress covered in silver and gold sequins.
A knee length strapless cocktail dress in silver satin with a snakeskin print.
I used to have a long green velvet dress with a crossover back, but it no longer fits.
Shoes…
Burgundy mary Janes with a block 4" heel and thin strap.
Black court shoes with pointed toe
Silver strappy sandals with matte silver sequins
Black shoes with platform, knot detail and peep toe
Lots here, as well. Several evening/cocktail dresses and a couple of ball skirts. I keep my white-tie formal stuff in storage, as it only takes up room and the dawg has a tendency to try and paw 'em down and sleep on them. :rolleyes:
Lots of occasions. Formal weddings, holiday events, swank parties, movie premieres…I love getting dressed up, and cliche or not, I am as comfortable in evening dress as I am a pair of jeans.
I forgot to give reasons for mine. Let’s see: college Balls; formal dinners with college dining society; office Christmas party; miscellaneous Christmas parties; miscellaneous dinners; the dress was on sale and I knew I’d wear it at a future event.
:whining: I want a formal! I never went to prom and for the past Xmas (since we’ve been short on fundage), I’ve worn the same black velvet short skirt and white shirt with fancy black buttons. Boring!
Last year, I dug out a heavy blue-gray velvet full-length skirt my grandmother had made for my mother; very 60’s. Looked cool, but my dream has always been a backless, black velvet dress with a square neckline and small straps. :sigh: someday.
I have a tuxedo…not a tailcoat, a tuxedo. I got it almost ten years ago and it’s paid for itself many, many times.
'Course, for real special occasions, I’ve got my Marine Dress Blue ‘A’ uniform…though I might not wear the sword.
I’m very comfortable in the tux and enjoy any oportunity to wear it. The same could be said about my Dress Blues, and even though they can get a bit scratchy around the neck by the end of an evening, you can’t help but feel 10’ tall wearing them.
Say, I’ve notice many a’Doper that is going to be at te “quiet ChiDope” in this thread…not that I’m suggesting a formal chiDope, but…
Formal dopefest sounds awesome!
Actually, the next time I’m at Sears, or Kaufmans’, I’m going to look at their Clearance evening gowns-they usually have some DAMN good deals!
Similar to the guy who’s an Elk, I am a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus and their uniform is a tux as well. So I’ve got one hanging in the closet that I’ve worn once. One more event and its paid for itself! I love the idea of the Formal Dopefest only I say we go bowling.
