Can I wear a short dress to a black-tie dinner?
I think we’ve reached a place in time where the sight of a pair of legs won’t send your hosts scurrying for their monocle while they mutter about strumpets into their prawn cocktails.
Technically, a floor-length gown is indicated by a black-tie dress code, but a cocktail-length – that is, below-the-knee – or a mini dress is acceptable if you follow some simple rules. Basically, the shorter the hemline, the more elaborately detailed the dress should be. With a gown, you can get away with metres of taffeta, but a shorter dress requires lace (check out Zimmermann and Aje), embellishment (Rebecca Vallance and Rachel Gilbert) or the type of expert tailoring rarely found outside of Italy (or local ateliers Esse Studios, Sonia Cappellazzo and E Nolan).
Read more: What suit should I wear this winter?
Always elegant on the red carpet, British actor Daisy Edgar-Jones (pictured above) zeroes in on short dresses with elevated details to qualify for black-tie occasions and best-dressed lists alike. She knows how to let the dress take centre-stage, careful to leave statement jewellery at home. Like her, lean into your choice rather than gilding the lily with over-the-top necklaces, heavy earrings or tiaras: this isn’t a hens’ party.
Also, carry a clutch instead of a handbag so that your shorter dress looks intentional, rather than giving the impression that you’ve come straight from a garden party. Then again, it never hurts to be thought of as popular. Or so I’ve heard.
Got a style conundrum? Email: goodweekend@goodweekend.com.au
Get the best of Good Weekend delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Sign up for our newsletter.
Read more from the Style section:
From our partners
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
