Fashion Blogs

For those of us who live to dress up, there’s nothing quite as titillating as the prospect of a getting dolled up in a gorgeous gown for an evening affair. As exciting as it is, however, even the most sartorially confident of us can feel at a loss when it comes to selecting the perfect attire for the occasion. After all, there are so many types of evening parties, and oh-so many dresses to from which to choose. What’s a girl to do?

Don’t stress out. Just read on! Here’s how to choose the right gown for an evening party.

1. Determine the Dress Code

Don’t start shopping before you determine the dress code! There’s no point in falling in love with a series of stunning, floor length gowns that you won’t be able to wear since they are way too dressy for the semi-formal cocktail party to which you’ve been invited. Here are the dress codes basics you should know about:

White tie: Super formal. You will need a long, floor length dress that’s made of more dressy materials, like silk, velvet, or lace. Casual cotton will not cut it. White tie also means the style of your dress should not be too risque. It can be sexy, but not trashy. Aim for elegance at all times.

Elbow length gloves are usually always required if your dress does not have long sleeves.

Black tie: Slightly less formal than white tie, black tie still necessitates elegance and class. One of the easiest ways to envision black tie is to think of the red carpet at the Oscars. You can have a little bit more fun in terms of length (though usually, it should still be at least knee length) but you should still keep it refined.

Cocktail: The LBD is the Queen of cocktail wear, but this is by no means your only option. Any colour will do, and as for the length, cocktail dresses tend to be shorter, falling at a midi length, at the knee, or just above the knee. As with all semi formal or formal wear, keep it classy ladies!

2. Know the Best Colour for Your Skin Tone

Arguably, you should be able to wear whatever colour you want  — as long as it brings you joy! This said, you will likely feel more joyful if you look more sensational, and like it or not, certain colours simply tend to look better on certain skin types.

Fair skin: If you have peachy undertones, opt for ivory, navy, grey and lighter reds (like frosty pink) and oranges.

Medium skin: Light peach, dusty pinks, soft yellow and cornflower blue look sensational on you!

Olive skin: If you have yellowish undertones in your skin, make your complexion look radiant with vibrant, rich jewel tones, like emeralds, sapphires and ruby reds.

Dark skin: You lucky lady! You can rock bright, bold and beautiful colours, like electric purples, blues and yellows.

3. Fashion for Your Figure

Listen, if you’re waiting to be told that you should wear a certain gown type because it looks best on your body type, you’ve come to the wrong place. The fact of the matter is you will always look best in what makes you feel best, so as long as you’re dressing for the occasions dress code, wear whatever dress style that makes you feel incredible.

This said, you will often feel best when you’re wearing something that flatters your figure, so if you’re really itching for a style guide for your figure, here’s the Coles Notes version.

Apple & Rectangle Shaped: Opt for dresses with ruching or wraps to sinch you in at the waist and create a more curvaceous silhouette.

Inverted Triangle: Balance out your upper body by selecting a dress with a V-neck and fuller skirt.

Pear Shape: Add some oomph to your upper body with gowns that show off your shoulders. Opt for skirts that skim your hips and thighs.

Hourglass: Wear a dress that hugs your hips and bust and cinches in at your waist to show off your balanced proportions.

Finally, we’re going to say it one more time: wear what makes you feel good! While you are dressing up, you’re not playing dress up. You’re not pretending to be someone else. So, if you’ve never worn a body hugging, backless, strapless dress before with towering heels, don’t feel like you have to unless you want to. When you dress up for a formal event, you should simply be presenting a more polished version of yourself: but you still need to be yourself!