Unless specified otherwise, either short or long is fine. Not a ball gown. Cocktail dresses are okay but should ideally be at the smarter end of the scale. Evening accessories. Trousers aren't completely out of the question but they have to be very, very smart and accessorised with something supremely glittery. There's more leeway than there used to be.
If she's still not sure, put her in touch with me directly.
Then the options are: conventional long 'ball gown', or smart short cocktail dress. There will be plenty of women wearing both. It would be pretty hard, but not completely impossible, to wear trousers - if she is very anti-skirts then it can be done, but will require work.
If the invitation said 'white tie', then she would pretty much have to go long unless it was a college commem.
If a ball then long skirt would definitely be the default setting - cocktail dress if very, very smart, or trousers if ditto, but something you have to be able to, well, dance in.
It's very difficult to say; I know what I think it means, but I generally find all the other women have gone for something less formal. So I have tried to tone it down recently. I've worn everything from blue velvet off-the-shoulder posh frock to green and gold salwar kameez to (last time) very plain/cheap black dress with embroidered jacket.
The safest bet in the US is a floor-length gown in a dark color, or red if one is feeling daring. I don't know for the UK, but I would suspect that one can't go wrong with the above.
I'd say long or calf-length, but not a taffeta "meringue" style over-the-top ball gown. For a ball it would depend on the age (and possibly the quality of the legs) of the majority of the guests.
I'd say you can't go wrong with simple and long, though most smart stuff in "evening fabrics" - silk, charmeuse, satin etc or with one item beaded or embroidered - would usually count as good enough. (I'm assuming this is for the lemur or other female friend, not you, and that therefore the fabric terminology would make sense to her.)
These days I don't think black tie means long anymore, unless it is an annual event and you have a very good steer from someone roughly your age that long is de rigueur.
Sure, some people will always wear long, but I think there's a real risk of being overdressed in long and it's safest to go glamorous and short.
What is definitely NOT in right now is anything mid way between short and long. Laura Ashley ballerina length went out with the pie frill collar and velvet Alice band, and has never come back.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 05:33 pm (UTC)If she's still not sure, put her in touch with me directly.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 05:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 06:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 06:47 pm (UTC)If the invitation said 'white tie', then she would pretty much have to go long unless it was a college commem.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 07:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 10:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 05:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 06:48 pm (UTC)Oh, yeah. Word.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 10:45 pm (UTC)I'd say you can't go wrong with simple and long, though most smart stuff in "evening fabrics" - silk, charmeuse, satin etc or with one item beaded or embroidered - would usually count as good enough. (I'm assuming this is for the lemur or other female friend, not you, and that therefore the fabric terminology would make sense to her.)
no subject
Date: 2007-06-05 10:57 pm (UTC)Sure, some people will always wear long, but I think there's a real risk of being overdressed in long and it's safest to go glamorous and short.
What is definitely NOT in right now is anything mid way between short and long. Laura Ashley ballerina length went out with the pie frill collar and velvet Alice band, and has never come back.