Wedding invite - black tie preferred? - YouLookFab Forum

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Wedding invite - black tie preferred?

BlondeAmbition

A friend is getting married next month and I was planning to attend the wedding with a beautiful cocktail dress I bought once I found out. But now I have received the invitation and it says "black tie preferred." I've heard of black tie optional, but I've never seen it worded like this before. Does this mean I must wear a gown? And what to do about hubby - rent a tuxedo? Suddenly the cost of attending this wedding seems to have multiplied.

Can I get away with my beloved cocktail dress and hubby in a nice suit or must we glitz it up?

General

15 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Ele

(website)

Hi, BlondeAmbition. I think the modern interpretation of black tie allows for women to wear both cocktail dresses and floor-length gowns. I'm pretty sure Angie agrees, in this post about holiday parties (not the same as a summer wedding, obviously!) she says that long and short dresses are both appropriate:

http://youlookfab.com/2007/11/.....day-party/

So, I think your dress would be absolutely fine. As for your husband, I wouldn't bother with the tux. Since it says "preferred" on the invite, I'm sure a nice suit would be fine. Does he have a black one?

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I agree with Ele- especially since you've already gone to the trouble of buying something. A nice cocktail dress and a suit for your hubs sounds fine to me.

Inge

(website)

I don't know much about dress code for weddings, but I'm quite sure that if Angie says short dresses are okay too, you're good to go.

Now, how about posting a link to that beautiful cocktail dress Blonde Ambition, I'm curious;-)

BlondeAmbition

Ok, here it is, I'm quite in love with this dress as it hides all my wobbly bits. Still need to get a proper undergarment for it though and a purse as well.

http://i682.photobucket.com/al.....009085.jpg

http://i682.photobucket.com/al.....009083.jpg

Sorry about the mess in my closet.

Ariadne

Veteran

That's a very pretty dress. Just one question--is it made of jersey? If so, it might not be quite dressy enough.

Chris

The dress fits you nicely.
For hubby - if he has a dark suit I would put him in a white shirt (not colored) to look more dressed up and keep the tie sedate and the shoes dark. At least in my years selling menswear we were taught that the white shirt is the most dressy (and he will blend with the tux wearers better.)

BlondeAmbition

What is jersey? It's made of polyester. What materials are good for a cocktail dress for this type of event?

Thanks for the advice about the suit. He has a dark gray suit, so he will probably be needing a new one and the expense of that will prevent me from getting a new dress.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

The dark gray suit with a white shirts should be fine. I agree about the dress- the fabric looks like a stretchy knit fabric and it looks more casual than cocktail to me, too. Can you exchange it for something in a woven fabric?

Inge

(website)

Thanks for the pictures. It is a beautiful dress! Have you tried pinning it a little higher, i.e. so that it hits you just under the knee (or maybe that's already the case, it's a bit hard to tell from the perspective of this photo).

Angie will be back on Monday, I'm sure she'll be able to give more advice on the material.

Chris

A dark grey (like charcoal?) suit should be fine - I would still go with a white shirt, a dressy dark shoe and a nice tie.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Blonde Ambition, "black tie preferred" means that hubby will get away with a formal grey suit as long as he pulls out all the stops with a fab shirt, tie, belt and shoes.

Your dress is sweet but to Brianna’s point, not formal enough for this dress code. It’s made of polyester jersey which is a pretty casual fabric. Ideally, you’ll need something more dressy. I hope that makes sense.

BlondeAmbition

Thanks Angie, you all are right about the formality of this dress. But what kind of occassion would this dress be appropriate for? I love the way I feel in it and hope to get use out of it.

After considering our options we have decided not to attend the wedding. The cost of travel, accommodations, and the gift were already a bit of a stretch, but the addition of new digs for the both of us has made us realize we'd rather send a nice gift instead and put that money into our upcoming Icelandic vacation.

Dashrashi

Veteran

I think this dress would be great for a semi-formal wedding--maybe one in the afternoon. I know that there's a lot of black in it and that some may disagree because of that, but it's not funereal by any means, and I think that's the most important thing. Alternatively, I'd wear it out to a nice dinner. It's really lovely, and very flattering.

BlondeAmbition

I don't think black is inappropriate for a wedding especially if it has ivory trim like mine, or paired with colorful shoes and accessories. Here in NY it's all the rage for even bridesmaids to be dressed in all black.

shiny

Veteran

I think this is a great dress and you can wear it for virtually any occasion.

As a sundress - paired with flat sandals and a straw bag

At the office - paired with a colorful cardigan to cover the bare shoulders, and a smart leather bag. Perhaps add a scarf at the neck too. You could try putting a sleeved shirt underneath. (Might work).

Going shopping - Ballet flats, jean jacket and a hobo purse will dress it down.

Afternoon wedding or dinner out - high heels, clutch purse and a pashmina wrap.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Shiny has you completely sorted with when to wear your adorable dress. Enjoy it and treat like an everyday item. You look fab in your pretty dress