Spinoff.... imagine you're off to a fancy and unexpected party!

[theelfqueen]

What is hiding in your closet that would come out to play? 

[theelfqueen]

 I'd probably pull out this one - wore it for DSes Pilot training graduation a couple of years back-

 

[rebcoola]

I have a few options.  A purple gown i bought at a thrift store for a costume but is formal beaded on top and long.

I have black luluroe Deanne from the elegant collection.

A fit and flare cocktail dress black satin with silver flowers.

My problem would be shoes I really only wear hoka tennis shoes or hoka sandals.  I have orthopedic booties that would have to do since it's winter.  The sparkly vionic sandals would work 10 months out of the year here 

Edited December 27, 2021 by rebcoola

[Carol in Cal.]

I have a lovely Komarov dress that I bought for a dear nephew’s wedding which was in April.  So it’s more or less 3 season friendly.  And I have a long navy blue sheath dress that I can dress up or down that works for winter, although being sleeveless it would require a lot of supplementation with fancy shawls and such.

[Frances]

Nothing. I would decline the invitation, as I wouldn’t want to acquire anything either. It’s the one time I would rather be a man and wear men’s formal clothes. 

[Arcadia]

It depends on what kind of fancy. If it requires a ballroom/prom style of dress, I won’t have anything suitable and would probably have to shop at a bridal shop which can do fast alterations. If it’s more smart casual fancy, I have a formal mid calf knit dress, a few ankle length fitted wool coat to choose from, a few pairs of dress boots to pick from, jewelry and bags to match. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

• My funeral dress (aka not too little black dress). 

[Tap]

Xdh's company used to do a formal event yearly. As the spouse of one of the managers, I was expected to be in semi-formal attire. I have 5 dresses in my closet that I could wear, two of which are floor length. One has a Mandarin collar, so I probably wouldn't wear that one any more. I wouldn't want to be accused of cultural appropriation. (I am a tall blond Norwegian) 

[Laura Corin]

I have a black velvet Chinese-style jacket with gold satin trim that I throw on for fancy.

For really fancy, I have a black full-skirted cocktail dress that I wore to both children's school graduation balls.

[Kassia]

Well, I had a beautiful red and black dress that fit me beautifully and showed off my very toned arms and hid the ugly varicose veins in my legs and saggy knees, but I have gained a lot of weight in the past few months from depression/stress/inactivity due to an injury and then surgery that requires me to lie around doing nothing all day and night.  So now I have nothing to wear, which just adds to my anxiety/depression.  😞  

Edited December 27, 2021 by Kassia

[Eos]

This.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1019634020/tutu-maxi-dress-tulle-corset-prom?

Or else this.  I'd just have to get it back from the girl I loaned it to at the Met.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/12127

[MEmama]

I’ve never had a need to own anything fancy, so there’s nothing in my closet that would be appropriate. If there was no way I could get out of attending a dress up party, I’d buy either a pantsuit or a blazer to wear wear with black slacks. 

[Carrie12345]

7 hours ago, theelfqueen said:

What is hiding in your closet that would come out to play? 

My purse, for a trip to the outlets, lol.

I don’t keep anything fancier than a blouse or two with nice jeans, unless you count my (non traditional) wedding dress that’s packed up. I can’t bring myself to buy/keep/care for things I’m highly unlikely to need more than two or three times a decade. I’ve definitely only gotten super dressed up 4-5 times in the past 20 years, and I don’t expect that frequency to increase.

[Wheres Toto]

Super fancy?  I got nothing.  Other than weddings I was actually in or my prom, I've only been to anything very fancy once.  dh's old boss's son's wedding.  I wore a floor length black velvet gown.  That could be hiding in the back of dh's closet but certainly doesn't fit anymore.

I have a bunch of skirts that could work for not super fancy with the right blouse (which I don't currently own) and one dress that is more of a bohemian style.  Long skirt, fitted top with same color embroidery details.   Could be dressed up with the right jewelry/shawl/etc

Kind of like this:

[JustEm]

https://www.citychiconline.com/plus-size-dress-marbella-night-203165marbellanight

This is the dress I'm wearing to a wedding next week. So, if I had a party come up last minute soon I'd likely wear it. But I do have a few other options in my closet. Most of my daily clothing choices are simple and comfy but I do enjoy dressing up for a wedding, more formal party, or date night with dh depending on what we're doing.

Edited December 27, 2021 by hjffkj

[Amethyst]

9 hours ago, theelfqueen said:

 I'd probably pull out this one - wore it for DSes Pilot training graduation a couple of years back-

 

@theelfqueenThis is a beautiful dress! And you look great!

[TechWife]

The dressiest thing I have is a black business suit. If that skirt with either it’s jacket or a nice sweater & scarf isn’t sufficient, I’d turn the invite down. But, that said, I don’t do unexpected parties, much less fancy ones, so the chances of me being in this situation are pretty slim. I can’t wait to see each others’ ideas, though. I love looking at pretty dresses! 

[Dmmetler]

As long as I can wear black,I'm good. I have multiple Black dresses and skirts with Black and White blouses. Being a musician means you always have dress clothes,but they're always in black. (In college wind symphony, about half of us were wearing our prom gowns-which we'd bought in black very intentionally). 

[theelfqueen]

Oh there's a performance dress in my closet. Its suitable but I do NOT love it. But I tend to avoid black for other things. 

[Faith-manor]

18 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

As long as I can wear black,I'm good. I have multiple Black dresses and skirts with Black and White blouses. Being a musician means you always have dress clothes,but they're always in black. (In college wind symphony, about half of us were wearing our prom gowns-which we'd bought in black very intentionally). 

This. I have a black gown in my closet as well. It is my favorite performance dress so if the party was black tie formal, I would be prepared.

This in black, and hemmed to the tops of my shoes. I have black, velvet shoes with rhinestone toe buckles to go with. https://www.jjshouse.com/A-Line-V-Neck-Floor-Length-Chiffon-Bridesmaid-Dress-With-Ruffle-007105575-g105575#/

I also have this in dark burgundy. I used it for a lot of Christmas Eve performances and Biscotti with Bach events.

https://m.jcpenney.com/p/melrose-sleeveless-evening-gown/ppr5007186580?pTmplType=regular&catId=SearchResults&searchTerm=womens+burgundy+gown&productGridView=medium&urlState=gender%3Dwomen%7Cunisex%2Badult&badge=fewleft

Edited December 27, 2021 by Faith-manor

[SKL]

I have a decent dress I wore for my sister's wedding, but I'd have to lose weight to fit into it.

I have a two-piece outfit that is nice enough to wear to most parties, and it's gotten a lot of use.  It might not be nice enough depending on the fanciness of the party.

I might have to borrow something from someone who likes clothes more than I do.  😛  Or buy something.  Or more likely, make an excuse to skip the party.

[itsheresomewhere]

My wardrobe consists of tshirts, hoodies, jeans, sweaters and active wear, sneakers and sandals.  It would be something I really had to want to go to to buy something I would never wear again.  I don’t even own dress shoes as I see no need for them.  

[Faith-manor]

2 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

My wardrobe consists of tshirts, hoodies, jeans, sweaters and active wear, sneakers and sandals.  It would be something I really had to want to go to to buy something I would never wear again.  I don’t even own dress shoes as I see no need for them.  

I eventually see myself without any of my dressy clothes. Once dh retires in 4.5 years, we won't have any formal parties for work. Covid has gutted my just getting off the ground again music career, and I have decided not to try again since this virus is not going away any time soon, and most of my venues are going under, the fish arts center I worked for is going belly up. In retirement, we are going to do a lot of van camping and touring the country, hiking, swimming, etc., and putting pool in at the Alabama house. My guess is what I will need many multiples of will be hiking clothes and bathing suits, not all the business attire plus performance clothes I own now.

[MrsMommy]

I have a vintage-style dressing gown that I would 100% wear out of the house if I had somewhere fancy enough to go.

[elegantlion]

I have a fancy ballgown I bought at a thift store a few years ago. It doesn't quite fit now as my pear shape was moved into the apple category. 😞 I used it for a soiree we had as part of my undergraduate history group. 

[Corbster98]

Most likely this.....I do not have many formal options and this was worn a couple years back to my husband's redeployment ball after returning from Afghanistan

 

[Arcadia]

13 hours ago, Tap said:

One has a Mandarin collar, so I probably wouldn't wear that one any more. I wouldn't want to be accused of cultural appropriation. (I am a tall blond Norwegian) 

This style won’t be cultural appropriation. I have worn similar in dark green.

https://www.shanghaitang.com/en-us/products/panel-leather-&-wool-blend-mandarin-collar-dress-black-1F763N212AN

This style would but I won’t mind if someone wants to wear that. I have a similar one in burgundy.
https://www.dhgate.com/product/designer-cheongsam-2021-new-golden-velvet/737740744.html

I have worn both styles for wedding dinners though the second one was tailor made for me since nothing fits off the rack.

[Storygirl]

We've been on a few cruises in years past, and I have a couple of dressy blouses that I can pair with a black skirt. However, I have recently lost weight, and my black skirt is too big, so I would have to shop for a new one. I may need to retire a couple of the blouses, but I think I still have one or two that would fit.

I also have two dresses. One black, and one purple, that are nice enough to wear to a wedding or dressy work social event for DH, though not to a ball. I'm not too concerned, because I have zero chance of being invited to a black-tie event. (I would not wear a fancy ball dress on a cruise, even though sometimes people do.)

[prairiewindmomma]

I have a few choices: an emerald green cocktail dress, a little black dress, some dressy slacks + a top, a handful of business suits…. I no longer fit well into my ballgowns, and I got rid of all of the rest of my floor length stuff a couple of years ago. 

Dh has several suits and a tux, and the kids all have suitable attire for a last minute funeral or non-black tie wedding. The boys have suits and the girls have dresses. The only ? is whether the girls’ dress shoes still fit. I haven’t checked in the last six months.

[Jenny in Florida]

Precisely nothing.

Prior to the world shutting down, I had lost down to my "ideal" size and got rid of everything that didn't fit. I bought a few nice things with the intention of beginning to build up a wardrobe of good-quality, classic pieces.

Then covid hit, and I sank father into depression and gained back 20 pounds. Since I now work almost exclusively from home, my wardrobe consists of shorts, leggings, two pairs of very well-worn stretchy jeans and a bunch of t-shirts with logos from various 5Ks and walking challenges . . . plus two slightly nicer tops that mostly hide my belly.

When I had to attend a "dressy" holiday party for work last month, I made a late-night run to Target and bought the only pair of black pants I could squeeze into. They don't fit well and are not comfortable, not to mention the pockets are mostly ornamental and are too small to hold my cell phone. 

I also have no dressy shoes, because the neuropathy in my feet and lower legs makes wearing anything other than comfy flats or athletic shoes utterly intolerable. 

If I were invited to a genuinely fancy party where the wardrobe mattered, I would not go.

[Kassia]

@corbster98 you look so lovely!

@Jenny in Florida I am in the same situation (only with a bigger weight gain).  It's really hard.  😞  

[Corbster98]

@Kassia thank you! I don't attend formal functions often as I feel so out of my element. I have to admit though, I enjoyed gettting dolled up and felt like a princess. We had a lovely evening. 

[DreamerGirl]

This dress

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/lauren-ralph-lauren-velvet-puff-sleeve-dress?ID=12953494&CategoryID=5449

I have wanted a red/burgundy dress in velvet for a long time. I know it is more formal in British wear and considered classic. I don't know if it is considered old lady here though. The price was way out of budget and not something I am comfortable with, I could have made a bespoke as the fancy people call it with my childhood tailor in my country of origin. But with the chaos of this year I forgot when I did get to go back. So I bought it as a "Christmas dress".

I don't have any place to wear it so we are going to dress up and take pictures. 

I've worn it once. It feels lovely against my skin and it has slight puff sleeves. I might or might not have twirled. 😊. I love velvet and puff sleeves as most of my childhood formal frocks were made that way. It seems a bit pathetic that my taste runs to that still, but I love this dress. 

This dress is certainly one of my bright spots and it is absurd how much joy I get from wearing it. 

[Ditto]

Gosh I have nothing even remotely appropriate for a fancy night out.    I am also incredibly introverted and the thought of a fancy party fills me with dread so I would politely decline the invitation.   

I am having fun reading through what you all would wear!

[Ditto]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

This style won’t be cultural appropriation. I have worn similar in dark green.

https://www.shanghaitang.com/en-us/products/panel-leather-&-wool-blend-mandarin-collar-dress-black-1F763N212AN

This style would but I won’t mind if someone wants to wear that. I have a similar one in burgundy.
https://www.dhgate.com/product/designer-cheongsam-2021-new-golden-velvet/737740744.html

I have worn both styles for wedding dinners though the second one was tailor made for me since nothing fits off the rack.

Both of these are just beautiful!

[Corbster98]

8 minutes ago, Ditto said:

Gosh I have nothing even remotely appropriate for a fancy night out.    I am also incredibly introverted and the thought of a fancy party fills me with dread so I would politely decline the invitation.   

I am having fun reading through what you all would wear!

Me too Ditto. Super introverted and struggle with social anxiety. I usually decline and my husband attends alone. 

I knew this was likely his last formal ball before retirement (turned out accurate). It took a lot of courage to attend with him. 

I envy those who can enjoy these functions with no stress or anxiety  attached. 

Edited December 27, 2021 by allySW

[Garga]

The fanciest thing I have is a dress I bought for an event with friends where we dressed up like the cast of Grease. 

I’m the person whose back is turned to you. 

But otherwise, I don’t have anything fancy enough for going out, and I’m not so sure about that 50’s style dress. Depends on the event. And I’d wear black stockings with it. 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2021 by Garga
removed pic

[prairiewindmomma]

19 minutes ago, DreamerGirl said:

This dress

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/lauren-ralph-lauren-velvet-puff-sleeve-dress?ID=12953494&CategoryID=5449

I have wanted a red/burgundy dress in velvet for a long time. I know it is more formal in British wear and considered classic. I don't know if it is considered old lady here though. The price was way out of budget and not something I am comfortable with, I could have made a bespoke as the fancy people call it with my childhood tailor in my country of origin. But with the chaos of this year I forgot when I did get to go back. So I bought it as a "Christmas dress".

I don't have any place to wear it so we are going to dress up and take pictures. 

I've worn it once. It feels lovely against my skin and it has slight puff sleeves. I might or might not have twirled. 😊. I love velvet and puff sleeves as most of my childhood formal frocks were made that way. It seems a bit pathetic that my taste runs to that still, but I love this dress. 

This dress is certainly one of my bright spots and it is absurd how much joy I get from wearing it. 

I love this dress!

[Tap]

4 hours ago, Arcadia said:

This style won’t be cultural appropriation. I have worn similar in dark green.

https://www.shanghaitang.com/en-us/products/panel-leather-&-wool-blend-mandarin-collar-dress-black-1F763N212AN

This style would but I won’t mind if someone wants to wear that. I have a similar one in burgundy.
https://www.dhgate.com/product/designer-cheongsam-2021-new-golden-velvet/737740744.html

I have worn both styles for wedding dinners though the second one was tailor made for me since nothing fits off the rack.

The dress is the shape of the latter design, floor length, the fabric is a black beaded lace over black satin.  The fabric really changes the styling of the dress, because it seems more French than Chinese but it definitely has a cheongsam shape. It is kind of similar to this without the slit, and the whole dress has a lace overlay, over a fully shaped black satin slip.  It is a beautiful design and I love the dress. When I first bought it, I thought nothing of it, other than it was so pretty. I can't imagine anyone having an issue with me wearing it, but I live in a very PC area, so I will likely never wear it again. Better to ditch a pretty dress, than to cause any issues over nothing. 

Edited December 28, 2021 by Tap

[Pam in CT]

12 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

As long as I can wear black,I'm good. I have multiple Black dresses and skirts with Black and White blouses. Being a musician means you always have dress clothes,but they're always in black. (In college wind symphony, about half of us were wearing our prom gowns-which we'd bought in black very intentionally). 

Me too (and I'm not even a musician).  I have about six LBDs in different lengths and fabrics and fancy-factor, which I differentiate with a range of shawls and wraps and boots/sandals.  I really really loathe wearing stockings so if the event/weather can't accommodate either tights & boots or nekkid legs & sandals I just don't go, lol.

[easypeasy]

If I were going without my husband, I'd wear my black beaded pants with black satin jacket and white silk camisole. I love it soooooo much and have never gotten to wear it anywhere since the event I purchased the outfit for was Covid-canceled. 😩

If dh were going, I'd wear a gold two-piece skirt set - beaded skirt, silk cowl neck top. But, I'd have to find shoes for that one.

Both would have to be magically Covid-weight adjusted. I bet neither of them fit. 😕 Would have to invest in heavy duty Spanx for the evening, lol!

[Eos]

13 hours ago, Garga said:

The fanciest thing I have is a dress I bought for an event with friends where we dressed up like the cast of Grease. 

I’m the person whose back is turned to you. 

But otherwise, I don’t have anything fancy enough for going out, and I’m not so sure about that 50’s style dress. Depends on the event. And I’d wear black stockings with it. 

 

Gosh, I don't remember your picture from when people posted IRL photos, but girl, you are slaying!

[alisoncooks]

20 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

My wardrobe consists of tshirts, hoodies, jeans, sweaters and active wear, sneakers and sandals.  It would be something I really had to want to go to to buy something I would never wear again.  I don’t even own dress shoes as I see no need for them.  

Same. I don’t even own a single dress or skirt, let alone fancy ones. I’d probably buy something cheap off Amazon and call it good. 

Edited December 28, 2021 by alisoncooks

[MEmama]

7 hours ago, easypeasy said:

If I were going without my husband, I'd wear my black beaded pants with black satin jacket and white silk camisole. I love it soooooo much and have never gotten to wear it anywhere since the event I purchased the outfit for was Covid-canceled. 😩

If dh were going, I'd wear a gold two-piece skirt set - beaded skirt, silk cowl neck top. But, I'd have to find shoes for that one.

Both would have to be magically Covid-weight adjusted. I bet neither of them fit. 😕 Would have to invest in heavy duty Spanx for the evening, lol!

That sounds like a lovely outfit! 

[Paige]

I have several things in the closet but would have to pray they fit because I've been wearing pajamas for almost 2 years. One of them is black and short- so simple and easy. The other is a beaded dark blue ball gown that I love and has always been a tiny bit big but probably not big today. 

Dresses below- the one with me is old, but the dress is the same as I'd use today. That's not DH with me- just a tall friend.

Edited December 28, 2021 by Paige

[Murphy101]

Not one thing.  Every noun and adjective  in the original post makes me want to crawl back into bed.  Just.  Nope.🙂

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

I recently cleaned out my closet and gave away many of the nicer dresses I had because they didn't fit, were trendy at the time but the trend passed, but mostly because they didn't fit.  I hate shopping for clothes - my style is yoga pants from Costco with a long sweater or warm-up jacket or scrubs.  I kept a couple of "wishful thinking" outfits on the off-chance that I lose this weight.  (I am motivated - the creeping LDL and A1C have been a wake-up call that my "mostly healthy lifestyle" isn't "healthy" enough. But the stress fracture in my foot and my ovarian surgery have derailed me a bit.)    

The only thing I have that would be close to dressy is something like this. Mine is sleeveless and navy.  It doesn't look nearly this nice on me at my size, even with a pretty strong "tummy-sucker".  I bought it for my niece's wedding and have worn it a couple of times.  I've worn it with a fancy sweater and some sparkly jewelry and another time with a lovely print scarf.   But the bigger issue is shoes.  With my feet issues, I can't wear pretty shoes anymore. 😢 I have some nicer Clarks pumps, but the heel is too high for me now.  

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by dirty ethel rackham

[Teaching3bears]

I love beautiful dresses. I wish I could wear them every day or that I was born into a time when women wore dresses every day.  I have the most beautiful collection of gowns, dresses and accessories…

on Pinterest.

I have a long black formal dress and another that is more flowy from 25 years ago.  I have not gotten rid of them because they are so classic, but neither have I had occasion to wear them.  I have a few nice summer dresses that I wish I could wear more.  As a mom of special needs teens, I wear leggings and jeans almost all the time. Sigh.
 

 

 

[Starr]

How fun to be invited to a fancy party. I can dig out a fancy beaded top and a black dressy skirt or flowing pants or there's that 3 piece navy blue lace pants set that will work. I don't have to be the best dressed, just happy to attend.

[theelfqueen]

Oh and reality...