https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results- Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 10 May 2026 18:04:16 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-59626 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:45:17 +0000 Inge 59626@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi Hannah, I'm not sure if it's an actual 'tradition', but I have seen (and heard of it) before. Among other things in an episode of Inspector Morse, I think;-) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-59217 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:40:39 +0000 HannahC 59217@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>San,</p> <p>Yes, sorry, I just took the picture down. I uploaded it again, here is the new link:</p> <p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zLGjYgVFzdrTIS2QR76ncQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCNv4p_6wwI23bw&#038;feat=directlink" rel="nofollow">http://picasaweb.google.com/lh.....directlink</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-59215 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:36:53 +0000 Anonymous 59215@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thankyou for sharing the stories. You have painted good pictures for us being at such a sophisticated event.<br /> I could not find the picture, have you taken it down?<br /> I will look again. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-59198 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:26:45 +0000 HannahC 59198@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Inge! Aha, so the napkin ritual is a tradition! How interesting! I thought it was just a way to deal with the situation where we are too many to have the second dessert in the senior common smoking room, but they don't have enough napkins to replace all of them in the dining hall. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-58975 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:18:03 +0000 Inge 58975@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm very late in the game, but still wanted to congratulate you on this major achievement Hannah!!</p> <p>You looked absolutely beautiful and elegant, and I really enjoyed reading about your evening (I knew about the 'napkin tradition', but you painted such a lively picture! Wonderful!!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-58894 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:55:19 +0000 HannahC 58894@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you so much everyone! Every time I am looking at this thread I am blushing again from all your compliments! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57310 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:45:06 +0000 Maya 57310@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You looked so lovely Hannah! I hope you share your purchases with us </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57281 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:42:40 +0000 Dani 57281@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah, I'm so glad the trip and the dinner went well! I echo everyone else...you looked wonderful! Thanks for sharing all the details! It sounds like it was a fascinating event! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57204 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:36:24 +0000 shana 57204@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah, you looked wonderful and it's nice to hear the happy ending part of your story! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57163 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:42:41 +0000 Tanya 57163@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow Hannah, thank you for sharing the photo with us, you looked absolutely beautiful. Your outfit was amazing. I hope you had a lovely time too. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57159 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:31:34 +0000 Angie 57159@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Absolutely gorgeous, Hannah! You look radiant and fabulous, AND are an effective problem solver! I’m impressed with how you solved your wardrobe malfunction. </p> <p>It sounds like you had a wonderful time and that’s the most important part. Thanks for sharing your feelings with us. Hope you got a nice bit of shopping in too :0) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57153 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:08:21 +0000 Dawn 57153@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You look gorgeous Hannah! Glad to hear that you had a wonderful night and that you got some shopping time in London. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57151 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:50:07 +0000 Kristen 57151@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah, you looked fabulous, and even better you knew it! You have such an air of contentedness in your expression, you're positively glowing! Good for you.</p> <p>The dinner sounds like it was a fascinating adventure; so glad you were able to enjoy it! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57141 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:20:07 +0000 HannahC 57141@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you all, I am so touched that you were thinking about me!</p> <p>Shiny, I cringed when I saw the hair clip in that woman's hair too! But this seems to be the trend - to be very unfussy with the hair: they either wear it short enough to be left on its own, or, if it is longer, just pull it back in the simplest way. On the plus side, I have to say that all women wore very little and very tastefully applied makeup.</p> <p>Joy, I object - I ALWAYS have room for dessert I love the second dessert concept. The first dessert was some kind of a mousse, and the second dessert is always the same - it is fruit, chocolates, coffee, and port.</p> <p>Tara, my lectures went quite well (there were four of them!! three were the same, just in different places, and the fourth was in a conference, on a different subject). It was way too much traveling, though: today I woke up in panic, not remembering where I am. </p> <p>Anne, thanks so much for checking with the local ladies for me! Your advice was spot on! </p> <p>Oh, another interesting part: we all assembled in the senior common smoking room (the one with the non-smoking sign) for the pre-dinner champagne, and then to get to the dining hall we went on the roof! Apparently, the only options are either to walk on the roof, or to go via a very narrow underground passage, which would be very slow since there were over 100 people there. I must tell you, it is quite hard to walk on the roof in high heels. And a final stairs-related story: when we had to leave the dining hall and go to the yard with out napkins (before the second desserts), the stairs down there are very steep. So, when the Queen of England attended such a dinner in November, they brought an equipment for wheelchairs, because the security refused to let her use the steep stairs (what if she falls?). People say she was quite embarrassed.</p> <p>I didn't manage to sneak a picture of anybody else Academic gowns are quite similar to the batman cape, so you can imagine how it looks like (no mask, though) :)</p> <p>I had a little time to walk around London (basically, half-a-day of Sat and then half-a-day of Sun). I did just a little bit of shopping (bought a jacket, two scarves, and two pairs of shoes) - the sales haven't started yet, so everything was quite expensive. Maybe I will start another thread for my purchases.</p> <p>Now I have a deadline for a research proposal with seven participants from different countries approaching Must get back to work ... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57041 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:47:52 +0000 anne 57041@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah, I am so glad you had such a great night and that you felt that you dressed appropriately. I'll let the ladies who I asked about this know that it went well. What a wonderful experience!!</p> <p>Nice save with the brooch too. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57038 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:39:40 +0000 yublocka 57038@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congratualtions hannaC - you pulled off a great outfit. Sounds like an amazing night!!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57035 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:32:54 +0000 shiny 57035@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've been waiting for this post! So glad to hear it went well, and you look so gorgeous and happy and confident in that photo!!!! </p> <p>I have to say I cringe to hear a woman was wearing a hair clip though! I admit to going through a long hair clip phase of my own, but surely by now most grown women know that they are awful.... especially for a formal event?? Shudder....</p> <p>Okay I'm being catty perhaps.... </p> <p>Thanks so much for sharing!!! Are you still there or are you back now? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57028 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:35:53 +0000 Lee Hovey 57028@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah I was looking forward to the result, so thanks for posting. You looked perfect! So beautiful. I love your color choice for the pashmina and for the purse. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57021 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:00:59 +0000 hanna 57021@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>you look beautiful! it sounds like an amazing trip. tell us more! i am longing to go on such a trip, but our budgets won't allow it </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57006 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:06:13 +0000 tarzy 57006@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah - you look fabulous! I'm so glad you shared this with us! I have had more times when I feel I'm dressed wrong than right, so it must have been a pleasure to feel like you hit it perfectly, and could just enjoy the event. </p> <p>How did your lecture go? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57004 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:04:07 +0000 bella 57004@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You looked lovely! Thanks for sharing your story, the whole experience sounds fascinating! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-57002 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:56:31 +0000 Anonymous 57002@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah, thank you for letting us know how the event went. We have been thinking of you. You look lovely! How strange to have everyone take their napkins, and who would have room for a second dessert!?<br /> Did you get any time to shop? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-56999 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:48:26 +0000 Ariadne 56999@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah, you looked really beautiful and I'm glad everything worked out so well. I love the bit about the napkins and walking around while they re-laid the table. And TWO desserts, and a choir before the meal? Wow. I've never experienced anything like that. Did you manage to sneak any pics of the fellows in their college garb? How was the rest of London? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-56987 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:38:57 +0000 Kari 56987@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hannah, you look beautiful! That's also awesome that you were able to be innovative with a last-minute problem and make the solution look intentional.</p> <p>How was the rest of your trip/sightseeing/getting out to London? I'm longing to get out there again! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-black-tie-dinner-in-oxford-results-#post-56985 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:55:18 +0000 HannahC 56985@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi ladies,</p> <p>I am back home from a very exhausting trip, and just wanted to share with you how the black-tie dinner in Oxford went. First of all, here is a photo of me after dinner, in the "senior common smoking room" (where there is a non-smoking sign): <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0MSUkN0vVWAbi_Z_vEpGjA?authkey=Gv1sRgCP-P2YqY4MWzhAE&#038;feat=directlink" rel="nofollow">http://picasaweb.google.com/lh.....directlink</a><br /> I have to say that I was VERY appropriately dressed, all thanks to your advices and feedback! A big thank you to you all!<br /> There were over 100 people there, with less than 10 being women. The women who are not college fellows (college fellows wore academic gowns), wore a variety of festive garb. For example, I saw a woman in a black dress with an open back, a woman in a small velvet jacket and a knee-length taffeta skirt, a woman in a pale green silk dress, and one even wore a full length strapless ball gown, complete with a matching wrap. As for hairstyles, most women had short hair (shorter than shoulder-length), so they just blow-dried it and left it as is. I saw two with longer hair - one did a bun, and another pulled it back with a hairclip.<br /> As you can see, I wore my black silk Sofia dress from JCrew, with a black cami underneath, pearls, pearl studs, a teal pashmina, black classic pumps, and a pewter clutch. The dress has little snaps inside to hold the bra straps in place, but of course something had to happen, and it did: when I was dressing, I discovered that one of this snaps came off. So I pinned my vintage brooch on the left side, holding the dress, the cami, and the bra together. It was actually not too much bling all together.<br /> For the hair, I did a sort of half-updo: I pinned the top and sides of my hair back with invisible pins (black in my case), and left the rest loose. After I put some gel, my hair unexpectedly became curly, so it actually looked very nice. As for the makeup, I did the necessary minimum: a little liquid makeup, a tiny bit of liquid black eyeliner, black mascara, brow pencil, and a lipstick from MAC that is supposed to stay for 10 hours.<br /> The dinner was very formal. There were sitting arrangements, a choir before the meal, three courses meal accompanied by several wines, and then a second dessert. Before the second dessert, we were asked to go outside and walk in the yard for ten minutes, while the tables are being re-laid. This is because the sitting arrangements were changed for the second dessert, thus making sure that you chat with the maximum number of people over dinner. Everyone was asked to take his napkin with him. It was quite a sight: over a hundred of men and women, all dressed in a black-tie attire, walking around the yard with the white cloth napkins in hand </p> <p>So, thank you all again, my outfit for the dinner was perfect! </p>