Cocktail Dress

[Deleted User]

"Cocktail dress" in etiquette terms means 'cocktail length' - shorter than a ballgown but not above the knee - and of semi-formal appearance ie, a smart party dress and not strapless but straps/sleeves of some kind

Spendless wrote: »

Ahhh damn. Just had another look at the invite. It's a 2 night away affair and the first night is 'Jacket and tie'. There's no dress code given for women on that. What sort of outfit would you wear to that?

I guess that's 'Lounge suits' dress code - a less dressy cocktail dress, smart knee-length sleeved dress, evening skirt suit or evening trouser suit (or dressy sparkly top and swishy trousers)

VfM4meplse

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

A strapless dress to a wedding? Classy!

None of the occasions you mentioned were black-tie does. Wearing a strapless dress to a black-tie do is likely to mark you out as the one person in the room who's never been to one, and is unlikely to be asked to another. Trust me.

Lol, its a matter of judgement and skirt length but I think this is harsh - bear in mind that I'm told by MSErs that I'm judgemental!

thorsoak wrote: »

Something like one of these :- http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/women's+designer+dresses/301,default,sc.html

Wow, I love this but t is too much for a cocktail party. But perfect for a film premiere

Unfortunately the normal sizes have gone, I'd have to eat quite a lot of ice cream to qualify

fluffnutter

Spendless wrote: »

If an invite reads 'Black tie and Cocktail Dress'. What do you take cocktail dress to mean?

Not full-length. Possibly sleeveless but not essential.

This is a classic cocktail dress:



Black tie alone would usually indicate something more formal, i.e. full-length/ballgown.

fluffnutter

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

None of the occasions you mentioned were black-tie does. Wearing a strapless dress to a black-tie do is likely to mark you out as the one person in the room who's never been to one, and is unlikely to be asked to another. Trust me.

Not at all. After dark is fine for off-the-shoulder, and I've been to plenty of dos at the wardroom and the Armed Forces like their tradition.

Are you really trying to say that the below wouldn't be acceptable at a black tie do? Of course it would.

Lara44

Bitterandtwisted I don't get your aversion to strapless. It can look perfectly classy. I wore a strapless dress to a wedding... and I was the bride!

aileth

The blue dress Fluffnutter posted is what I think of a cocktail dress.

However, unless you are going to a party which is full of people whose noses are constantly pointing to the sky, I really, really don't think there'd be any nitpicking over the tiny detail and then you get frogmarched out because your dress has straps and they don't think a cocktail dress has straps etc.

shegirl

fluffnutter wrote: »

Not at all. After dark is fine for off-the-shoulder, and I've been to plenty of dos at the wardroom and the Armed Forces like their tradition.

Are you really trying to say that the below wouldn't be acceptable at a black tie do? Of course it would.

It's a wedding dress!

shegirl

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Lol, its a matter of judgement and skirt length but I think this is harsh - bear in mind that I'm told by MSErs that I'm judgemental!

Wow, I love this but t is too much for a cocktail party. But perfect for a film premiere

Unfortunately the normal sizes have gone, I'd have to eat quite a lot of ice cream to qualify

'Normal sizes'?? Wow,I better go tell all the size 16's and 18' (there are tonnes of them) that they aren't normal,as soon as they step half a centimetre over a 14 they're in freak territory...

What the hell has happened to you?

aliasojo

fluffnutter wrote: »

Are you really trying to say that the below wouldn't be acceptable at a black tie do? Of course it would.

I really like that dress. But I do think it's OTT for a cocktail dress.

Nicki

shegirl wrote: »

It's a wedding dress!

I'd wear something like that to a formal black tie do though if I had the figure and the colouring and was 20 years younger

The thing with strapless dresses is they are unflattering on most people and not very comfortable. If you have big boobs you look like Nell Gwynne and heavier than you are. If you have small boobs they slip down and to avoid that you need to wear them tight at the bodice leading to armpit muffin top. Aside from standing very still in a formal pose for a photo, they don't do most women any favours aesthetically over an evening. But that doesn't make them inappropriate to wear.