Posts with tag FormalWear

We appreciate the fact that Katie Holmes takes fashion risks -- being as tall and thin as she is, she can pull off a lot of craziness that we mere mortals couldn't dream of wearing. However, that doesn't mean she should wear whatever she wants, because there's just no excuse for wearing this on the opening night of your Broadway debut.

Formal events are often the events for which we want to look our very best. You might be seeing people you haven't seen for a while, or meeting new people you'd like to impress. Either way, you want to look absolutely amazing.

The thing is, formal gowns often show body parts we normally keep covered, like our backs, shoulders, and arms, and they sometimes cling to our stomachs and hips in ways that are unflattering -- not exactly what we're going for on a big night out, right?

Here are some tips for working with your figure when finding a dress for a formal event:

If you're like most of us, chances are you don't spend a lot of time in fine dining establishments. They're expensive, they're stuffy, and the food has funny names. Nevertheless, you're being a good boyfriend this Valentines Day, and taking your special lady to the fanciest place in town.

Now what are you supposed to wear?

Before you choose an outfit, make sure you understand the dress code. If you're going someplace really nice, then it might be black-tie only (read: tuxedo). However, more than likely you've chosen someplace with a dress code that isn't quite so well defined. Here's how to approach this potentially thorny situation:

• Call ahead. Hopefully you'll get a straight answer, like: "slacks and a shirt, no tie or jacket required."
  

• If you get a coded answer, like: "casual elegance," "proper attire," or "dressy casual," resist the temptation to ask "what the hell does that mean?" All of these cryptic responses translate into: no shorts, no t-shirts or tank tops, and no open-toed shoes. Everything else is fair game.

• If you're still worried, don't hesitate to swing by the restaurant beforehand. Wait around outside for 10 minutes, and you'll get an idea of what other guests are wearing.

• When in doubt, overdress. A tie and jacket is perfectly acceptable at any place that considers itself fine dining. And in fact, if you live on the East Coast, this might be expected. (In most other parts of the country it's rare that these will be required.)
  

Now that you know what to wear, check out the gallery so you know you'll look good wearing it.

Most men I know have at least a dozen ties, and about that many dress shirts, just for good measure. You know, in case they end up having to dress up for some random formal function, or for a job that they might get, later, when they grow up. But let's be honest guys -- chances are you wear a tie so infrequently that you have no idea how to match one to a shirt.

And it's even worse when you're shopping. Then you're forced to pick out a cool shirt, plus a cool tie, and make sure they match -- on the spot, with no help, and potentially without access to decent mirrors. Fie!

Fortunately there's a solution. Express Fashion has created a Shirt and Tie Guide, that offers 13 different shirts to pick from, and an assortment of ties that go with each. No more guessing, no more freaking out at the last minute, and no more showing up to dinner with the boss wearing a bold striped shirt and some wacky paisley tie you got from your dad back in grade school.

Plus, let's not forget that ties are coming back into fashion, so you might get more use out of the Shirt and Tie Guide than you think.

Trying to decide what tie to buy? Here's what's hot:

[via Damn I Like That]

It seems that for many women if there's one day in you life to be ridiculously lavish, and spare no expense, it's your wedding. That was certainly the case for one bride in South China, who, on her big day, wore a dress with a 90ft train.

The $13,000 dress took 10 tailors to make it, 45 days to sew it, and 20 people to carry it.

Let's put this in perspective. That's 77 feet longer than Queen Elizabeth's gown, 65 feet longer than Princess Diana's gown, and three first downs on an American football field. E.nor.mous.

The original article is in Chinese, so I have no idea what it says, but I'm guessing this woman is either disgustingly rich, or won the dress in some kind of contest. Seeing as the train bearers are all wearing jeans and sneakers, I'm guessing it's the latter.

Either way, the gown is certainly impressive.

And to see the complete opposite, check out the ugliest bridesmaid dresses of all time!

It's been quite a while since we last posted a plus-sized gem. Perhaps the reason for the delay was that we were waiting for something extra-special to come across our radar, like London Times Ruched Cascade dress at Nordstroms. As you can see from the photo, this dress, made of chocolate brown ruched meshing, combines simple sophistication with youthful flirtation. Fitted at the bust and flowing at the hips, the Cascade dress will absolutely play up your feminine figure for just $88.

Good things are worth waiting for, no?