Need Fashion Advice for Attending a VERY Formal Ceremony...

Wow. What an honor! What I think would work best for you is called 'Social Seperates'. If you wear a skirt/dress, I would do mid-calf. I would suggest a pair of dress pants and a glittery jacket. My favorite thing to wear to an event like this are dress pants that have a sheer layering on them that make them look like a skirt. Here is a link for what I am thinking. Pair it with a nice necklace, braclet, earrings, and a nice dress shoe.

http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/X5.aspx?DeptID=50434&cat...

M.

http://www.has.vcu.edu/mac/our_story/hall_of_fame/hall_of...

Hi R. - I googled VCU Hall of fame and came up with a page that has a link to a slideshow of a past event. To me it looked like the women were wearing party dresses but no full-length red carpet stuff. If you choose something along the lines of black tie Christmas party, you will probably be in good shape.

It did appear to me that they were dressed pretty conservatively. Not a lot of boobs or even bare arms for that matter so you might consider covering those tats for the evening. Formal events often have just as much to do with the tone of the event as with the dress code. There is always body makeup to cover for a night.

Since you dont dress up a lot buy something you can wear again and either dress up or down. Maybe consider finding your perfect little black dress - above the knee but no more than 4" above. If it has no sleeves or short sleeves consider wearing with a little jacket with some sparkle to dress it up. A shrug would probably look too formal for a short dress in my opinion.

A beautiful sparkling necklace can also add pizzazz to a simple dress as would a scarf and a pin.

Just some thoughts . . .

Do you have a Nordstroms or other fancy department store around you? It would be worth the trip, even if it's a little bit of a distance. I have found that the people that work there are really helpful in finding things that not only are appropriate, but look good on. They will be able to help you pull stuff off the racks that shows the tattoos, covers the tattoos, something in between. Just so you know, I personally don't think that all tattoos have to be covered up - if you can make them work with your outfit, they could look "extra fancy."

alright alright rocker mama :)
black dress, knee-length with tight boots. now, if the dress is sleeveless or has short sleeves, wear a cardigan on top (leave buttons open). don't go black n black, meaning let the cardigan be of a different color. need a coat? go to macys pick laundry by design (shelli segal), they should be 79.99 right now. the style of this designer are super cool (but not too cool), know what i mean? soft, yet edge.
these events tend to be more conservative (on the artistic side), meaning cool jewelry, but the dress is kept simple. you cannot go wrong with a black dress.
(i look down and see my sweatpants. wish i were going somewhere so i can dress up too)

Definitely google the event as there are lots of pictures on-line to look. For an artistic crowd the women dress rather conservatively. So it's always safe to wear black and white. There seemed to be a lot of jackets/coats in the reception pics which came off to show sleeveless tops/dresses. Something shear and long sleeve would camouflage your tattoos.

I would check out Macy's sale racks right now. Also the right kind of high heeled boot with the right length dress is very fashionable. You sound young and 'colorful' at heart, so wear what you feel good in, not what makes you feel stuffy or awkward. Otherwise you'll not relax and enjoy being there. Just keep the color scheme classic. All white, all black, B&W.

Have fun!

Don't wear boots they are too under dressed. You can do a long dress or short but your best bet would be to do a shorted black dress. Like maybe to the knee. IT's classy and with some pretty jewelery and heels you will look perfect. I have gone to a few military balls and to be honest at those type of things you see everything from simple black dresses to full on ball room gowns. But I think it's better to stay on the classy side so you don't show up feeling way over done. If you have tattoos on your legs I would just wear black pantie hose. it won't cover them up but if might help to make them less noticeable.

ok real quick, when in doubt, go with the waiter look...
black on the bottom and white on the top.
talbots or coldwater creek are two very good choices for
off the rack, high end clothes. they are both in chesterfield
mall at huguenot and midlothian. no knee high boots with short dresses
unless you are tina turner and no short dress with sleeves either.
you dont want to look like a nun but you dont want to spend half the
night being hit on by some guy in his eighties and yes you want to cover those tats with either dark hose or make up. to the older generation, only
sailors and fast women have tattoos so you want to cover them up when you go to this event. a black tie event means a long dress or skirt paired
with a nice blouse and sweater or shrug over it and yes you can wear the high boots with the long skirt or dress.
K. h.

I'd go for simple and elegant. The classic black dress would do. I'd go shorter (at knee or below) vs. long (floor length might be too elegant). You can "dress it up" with a pretty wrap with some color or sparkle. I'd skip the boots - although I LOVE them, they probably don't fit into black tie event. Regarding your tatoos - good for you. I have one too (just one) but love it - and it's classy...! Enjoy the event souds like FUN!

black dress would be the way to go..something just above the knee with a sparkly shaw..just some black pumps would be great..not boots..love them but soo not dressy..throw on some dangle earrings and carry a clutch and ur ready to go!!

We got my daughter her Ball gown at a resale shop. It was deep purple velvet with sleeves and a cowl neck, very conservative, very classy. I paired it with pearls and black pumps.
Congratulations to your boyfriend's father.

You can not go wrong with a long black dress. Wear a coat that you can check and then have a pashmina shawl on hand if it's chilly. Personally, I would wear dress shoes, not boots. If it's a formal event, they are unacceptable. The dress and stockings (sheer black) will cover your tattoo. AND, keep in mind, it's VCU - we're used to tattoos!