Updated-Help needed with dress for work holiday party

My husband's department's holiday is coming up - it's cocktails and buffet dinner at a local restaurant. I'm never sure what to wear to this event: I'm a SAHM with a casual style generally. I've attended the event in the past and there's a big range of attire from basically work clothes with a festive scarf or accessory to party dresses.

Dh would like to see me wear the gold Lauren by Ralph Lauren dress on the left. He argues it's a party, it will be dark so it will be not so shiny looking, and why not, it looks nice! I feel the dress is outside my comfort zone and would lean more towards one of the other two dresses pictured. The black one is hard to get details in the picture. It's also a Lauren dress with side shirring and a cowl neck. I'd wear the black/white dress with tights and black boots.

Am I right in thinking the look or the level of formality may be off on the gold dress? Or just not used to looking dressed up?

Update: thanks to you wise YLFers I wore the gold dress, attempting to de-bombshell it a bit with a black sweater and demure shoes with a 1.5 inch wedge heel. I wore a gold and black necklace and forgot to take off my watch. Things were so crazy with leaving and returning to the babysitter that the only photo I got was a not-great ladies room mirror shot, apologies! I was the shiniest and among the most dressed up people there but DH loved it and I dealt with it! Thank you all again for your encouragement!

This post has 1 photo. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

11 years ago

Anonymous

all 3 are very flattering for you. however, for a holiday party i think you can totally do the sparkly one!

Greyscale

Veteran

I always have trouble pinning the dressiness level of these sorts of events, and I get quite anxious about it. As I've gotten more comfortable with my style, I now embrace chances to dress up even if I'm more dressed up than others.

I think any of those dresses could work well for the sort of event you describe. But I vote for gold. You look truly incredible in the gold dress, and if you want to feel "safe" in it, you could add a big scarf/wrap to hide behind at first until you feel comfortable in it.

The black cowl dress is also very flattering on you! And the black/white dress is quite interesting and would be adorable with tights and boots - but maybe less dressy.

Are these dresses you already own, or something you'd buy new for this event? I suppose that might affect it too, if you want something versatile for future events.

Finally, your photoshopped groucho look is so hilarious!

I vote the gold dress! You look great in it. The black dress is nice too, but the gold one looks the best to me. Also, your husband likes that one the best!

Are these three choices in your closet? Or you have to buy one of them?

carter

For parties, I like to be on the dressier end of the dress code but not the most dressiest. Does that make sense? If some folks wear more office-looking outfits, I would wear the black dress.

Neelie

I love the gold dress and find it very flattering! Can you pop a short little bolero or a tuxedo jacket over it to start off the evening? That'll tone it down a bit until you can judge how dressy everyone else is...

Lenni A

Active Member

I actually bought all three but haven't cut any tags and could return. I have another event for which I also need a dress (and attendees overlap...my husband somehow has two holiday parties!)

Thistle

I just attended my company holiday party for the management team. I was very surprised at how casual most ladies were, even though the invitation said suit coat required for the men.

Most of ladies were in dresses similar to this, although some had different prints. http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ka.....lRelatedSe

I really overshot the mark with my lace skirt, cashmere sweater, and gold scarf. I would go with the black dress and add some arm bling.

Oh, also there is an upcoming wedding in the spring for which the gold dress might be appropriate.

catgirl

OMG, these all look so fab on you - I love the gold but any will do, if you add some jewelry. WOW, you are lucky to have three amazing options.

Jacky

Another vote for the gold dress, as long as you think you'll be comfortable in it. If wearing it would make you self-conscious, I think the other two would also be fine, although I'd lean toward the black one because I tend to try to be dressier for these sorts of things.

unfrumped

Are you able to go sleeve-less (even indoors) in comfort? Because I would have to wear a jacket and keep it on!

I think the gold dress is very pretty and flattering but it is also quite blingy. So you would certainly stand out if others are more casual. It's also the dress that for me would be the hardest to accessorize--even shoes-- without competing.
The graphic dress is interesting--to me it's short for nude leg, but would be great with tights and closed-toe booties or pumps.
So, the black dress is perhaps a bit safe but then it's...safe!
What kind of shoes and accessories do you have or plan? I'm asking because the LBD with perfect accessories can look better than a pretty gold dress with not so much, but, you might have the killer completer pieces for each of these options.

L'Abeille

This season there is so much metallic, glitter, sequins, and sparkle going on, it would seems a shame not to take advantage of that gorgeous gold dress, if you will have other uses for it later.

Now, I don't know your basic style. But if it were me, I would wear that gold dress, with a sweater overtop to make it more casual. (Look at some of Angie's posts on holiday separates, dressing down a lace skirt, etc for inspiration). If the party turns out to be way more formal, you can lose the sweater.

ATLynn

I love the gold dress. I also think it's really sweet that your husband wants to show you off in your sparkly glory. One of my co-workers wore a gold sparkly dress to a party where other people were in jeans, and she got a lot of compliments and only positive attention. No harm in going festive for the holidays.

But, you can't pull off the same sparkly dress at two parties with the same crowd. And I'm having hard time picturing that dress at a wedding. If you don't have an LBD that you love, now might be the time to get one.

Thank you all so much for your amazingly helpful feedback! You all made me feel awesome!

I'm glad that so many of you feel the gold shiny dress is okay. I will definitely be one of the more dressed up folks at the party but I think I may go ahead and take DH's suggestion to wear it anyway. I have a black bolero sweater I could wear over it as well as a black wrap. I think this is one of those things that I should just do for my husband and try to feel fabulous doing it. I don't want to look back on life and think, "My husband thought I was hot in a shiny gold dress but I was too shy to wear it." I'll try to get a picture of it with shoes, etc. I think I'll go light on accessories since this dress is already verging on over-the-top for me.

ATLynn - The wedding is a NY/NJ wedding taking place in a brewery...that's why I'm thinking cocktail attire will probably be typical for that event.

Here's that photo of the dress with the sweater, shoes, & necklace.

OK, take this with a grain of salt, because I'm not the fashion oracle here, but I think that dress "needs" different accessories in order to look good as a sparkly dress. That's why even though I have something of a magpie gene myself, and gravitate toward Lurex sweaters and things, I find this pale gold hard to wear because it needs something lighter. It's the opposite of a LBD--it doesn't adapt to what you put with it, is how I see it.

I know that boleros and cardi's were suggested, but I think black is too much contrast especially in opaque fabrication, both for the cardi and the shoes; it needs a lighter shoe, and probably a heel at that, though the perfect flat might be out there. I might have to google gold dress ensembles to get some ideas since I have this vague but persistent image of what I'd want with it.

If I loved the dress and thought I could wear it on another occasion I'd try to hunt down the right accompaniments for it when not under pressure.

Category