Black-Tie Dress Code For Women: What To Wear To Fancy Events!

**Collaborative post**

You and your partner have been invited to a black-tie event. These events tend to be fancy and can be anything from a family member’s big birthday to a charity ball. In fashion terms, the black-tie dress code is one of the most formal out there. The only thing above it is a white-tie, but it’s a step above business dress – which you’re probably more accustomed to wearing.

For men, the black-tie dress code is very straightforward. They usually wear nice tuxedos with a black tie – simple! For women, things are a bit more complicated. You may think you have to wear a black dress, but that’s not the case. Today, we’ll run through all of the things you can and should wear to a black-tie event.

Table of Contents

Opt for long dresses

Usually, you can get away with fairly short cocktail dresses at many formal events. Works dinners or birthday parties are usually more relaxed with their dress codes, meaning you can wear nice dresses just above the knee.

At a black-tie event, this is a big no-no!

Dress etiquette states that you should wear long dresses that come below the knee. A midi dress can be fine here, as long as it’s sophisticated enough. In fact, a lot of women opt for stylish midi dresses in the summer when it’s hot outside. It makes the black-tie event a more comfortable experience in the heat.

Still, most women prefer a full-length dress because it’s the most sophisticated and traditional approach. It’s up to you, but make sure you get the length right before moving on. Check out Tobi for elegant full-length dress options.

Choose the right fabric for eveningwear

This is where things get more traditional. Black-tie events are typically hosted in the evening, which means you should wear dresses suited to this time. As it happens, certain fabrics are considered evening-appropriate. This includes:

Silk
Lace
Satin
Velvet
Chiffon

Pick a dress in any of these fabrics and you’ll avoid making a fashion faux-pas. The reason behind this choice is that these fabrics tend to look classier than others. The dresses you find will look better suited to a black-tie event than ones made from other fabrics.

Again, you have some wiggle room here with multiple options, so pick whichever one you like the look (and feel) of the most.

Pick a dress style that suits your figure

It’s easy to assume that the black-tie dress code is really strict. In reality, as long as you get the length and dress fabric right, you have many options in terms of styles.

The golden rule is to avoid dresses that are overly revealing. You don’t have to be extremely conservative and show no skin at all, but you can’t be as relaxed as you may opt for in other settings.

Instead, the best advice is to pick a dress style that suits your figure. It can be figure-hugging to show off curves or more loose-fitted in a gown style. The choice is yours, so grab a few dresses and try on different styles until you feel one that makes you go “wow!”.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with colours/patterns

As mentioned above, there is plenty of room to play with when choosing dresses. The style can be experimented with as can the colours/patterns. Contrary to what you think, a black-tie dress doesn’t need to be black. It can be if you like, but you can choose from a host of other colours or patterns too.

Reds, blues, greens – or even floral patterns – are all acceptable here.

The best advice is to consider two things:

What colours look good on you?
What is your partner wearing?

Think about what colours look good on you and then choose a dress that matches what your partner is wearing. If you both need new clothes for this event, then I suggest figuring out your best colours, finding a suitable dress and then getting your partner something to match. But, if they already have something to wear, you’ll need to find a dress that suits you and doesn’t clash with their tuxedo.

Add some classy accessories

Accessorising your black-tie outfit is a must, but you shouldn’t go overboard. In all honesty, the only accessories you need are as follows:

Some Jewellery
A bag

When it comes to jewellery, pick items that subtly add class to your outfit. Things like diamonds by the yard necklaces are very effective here as they sit around your neck and add some glitz and glamour to the entire outfit without being too dominating. A pair of earrings can compliment the necklace and you’ve got a great look on your hands already.

Tie everything together with a nice handbag and your look is complete…almost!

Wear smart shoes

You’re starting to see that dressing for black-tie events is not as stressful as it seems. Mostly, you need to find things that are a bit smarter than what you’d usually wear to formal events.

With your shoes, the only rule is that they should be smart and sophisticated. There isn’t a preference for heels – you can go for big ones, flatter heels or somewhere in between. I would say to dress for comfort here. Pick some shoes with a heel that you’re able to stand in for a long time. Black-tie events can go on for ages and some require dancing. The last thing you want is for your heels to snap or your feet to get horrible blisters within an hour of arriving.

So, choose smart evening shoes that are reasonably comfortable and go with the colour of your dress.

We’ll round everything off by reiterating that black-tie events are nothing to worry about. They’re probably the rarest of events you’ll attend, so it’s a good idea to have an outfit or two in your wardrobe. The chances of someone remembering what you wore to one black-tie event by the time you’re invited to another one are very slim. With a couple of outfit choices, you can easily mix and match so you don’t need to go out and buy everything new constantly!