My favorite topic! - Formal Night!

[Missbollinger]

True story, I do all the packing 😁

[Missbollinger]

Also, I packed 3 checked bags on the way there and had 5 checked bags on the way back... 🤪

[c-boy]

On 6/22/2019 at 5:25 PM, Splashduo said:

My favorite part of cruising is that I can get dolled up on formal night!  I'm so sad that many lines are doing away with it.  I'm looking at HAL for a Panama Canal cruise in November, and hoping there will be at least two "Gala" nights.  I've lost some weight too, and I join you in hoping to find something colorful and sparkly!! 

my d w and I will be proponents of formal evenings as long as we can. 

[shipgeeks]

2 hours ago, c-boy said:

my d w and I will be proponents of formal evenings as long as we can. 

Ditto.

[Ombud]

I can't see but I can 'modify.' Bought the pic #1 capelet to wear over a navy dress (they'll do dbl duty during the day). Added 2 hook & eyes plus Swarovski pin to enable me to also wear if as in pic #2 (minus shiny trim). Handles both formal night & extremely comfortable 

[wildthing714]

I love, love formal night!  Even when I cruise solo I wear a formal gown!!  It makes me feel like a princess, well. . .almost!  I also love to shop for bargains.  It always feels like such a conquest when I find a really good buy - like a stunning formal gown that was probably only worn once for $25!  Needless to say, I have a few.  This year alone I have purchased five "new" gowns!  Every time my instinct tells me to go in search of one I go and there will be one better than the last one in just my size!!  With only 90 days till my next cruise I think I'll stop buying now and start packing!!  This is my favorite gown from my last cruise.

[c-boy]

wow !😃

[clo]

On 7/6/2019 at 8:04 PM, wildthing714 said:

Even when I cruise solo I wear a formal gown!!

I'm curious what difference that makes.

[c-boy]

the woman who speaks well does well,    the woman who dresses well does even better.   

[suers515]

Cruise is in 20 days.  I have 1 formal dress and want another.  I am having a problem.  I am 51 and 5 feet tall (and not skinny).  I am not finding things that are my age.  Things I see my mil wearing or my daughter. (so to old or to young).  I also don't want to spend lots of money.  Not sure where else to look.  In Southern California.  Any suggestions on where to look?

[clo]

2 hours ago, suers515 said:

Cruise is in 20 days.  I have 1 formal dress and want another.  I am having a problem.  I am 51 and 5 feet tall (and not skinny).  I am not finding things that are my age.  Things I see my mil wearing or my daughter. (so to old or to young).  I also don't want to spend lots of money.  Not sure where else to look.  In Southern California.  Any suggestions on where to look?

I've had a long, black skirt and matching tunic top that I wore for formal nights.  With vintage rhinestone jewelry or scarves I was as dressed up as anyone. These are now 20 years or more old and still going strong.  Have you checked Nordstrom online.  Free shipping in both directions.

[pacruise804]

17 hours ago, suers515 said:

Cruise is in 20 days.  I have 1 formal dress and want another.  I am having a problem.  I am 51 and 5 feet tall (and not skinny).  I am not finding things that are my age.  Things I see my mil wearing or my daughter. (so to old or to young).  I also don't want to spend lots of money.  Not sure where else to look.  In Southern California.  Any suggestions on where to look?

 

It depends a little on how formal "formal" is for you.  Vintage/consignment/thrift stores might have something, but time might be an issue there.  My daughter has older tastes and found a very nice dress at David's Bridal for her senior formal that wasn't too expensive.  She's a similar height (and not skinny), so the dress needed hemmed but it could be an option.  Dress Barn is going out of business where I live, but they have some very nice semi-formal dresses.

[slidergirl]

Besides vintage/consigment stores, check out your local Goodwill or Thrift stores.  I've hit those up when I need something for a specific occasion but don't want to pay much.  You're in Chatsworth - there's a Goodwill in the area.  Also the National Council of Jewish Women in Los Angeles operate some thrift stores (one is in Canoga Park) with lots of good gently used clothes.  I used to hit up a Ladies' Auxiliary shop down in Newport Beach when I needed something.  Let your fingers do the walking through the Internet (Ask.com or Google is your friend) to find locations of thrift stores.

 

Of course, the tried and true black skirt with a top is a good one to have around for a spur-of-the-moment formal.   If you want to look like a MOB, try the cut-rate bridal shops...

[awhfy]

I’ve had pretty good luck with Dressbarn lately. I didn’t want super formal (Hawaii cruise) so opted for this eggplant colored top with black silk slacks for our 50th anniversary cruise last month. 

Edited October 25, 2019 by awhfy

[TwinMamainMN]

5 hours ago, awhfy said:

I’ve had pretty good luck with Dressbarn lately. I didn’t want super formal (Hawaii cruise) so opted for this eggplant colored top with black silk slacks for our 50th anniversary cruise last month. 

 

 

Thanks for posting this. We are sailing TP from Hawaii to Vancouver in May (RCCL Radiance OTS) and I was wondering how dressy people get. Of course, I can do whatever I want, but it helps to see some others on a similar cruise and what they wore. I would guess most people on port days will be casual and "island-y" but that's a total guess, and since it's a 10 night cruise, we should have probably 2 "formal nights."

[c-boy]

8 hours ago, awhfy said:

I’ve had pretty good luck with Dressbarn lately. I didn’t want super formal (Hawaii cruise) so opted for this eggplant colored top with black silk slacks for our 50th anniversary cruise last month. 

say you two look like the headliner for the Princess Live stage 😉 

[awhfy]

17 hours ago, TwinMamainMN said:

 

Thanks for posting this. We are sailing TP from Hawaii to Vancouver in May (RCCL Radiance OTS) and I was wondering how dressy people get. Of course, I can do whatever I want, but it helps to see some others on a similar cruise and what they wore. I would guess most people on port days will be casual and "island-y" but that's a total guess, and since it's a 10 night cruise, we should have probably 2 "formal nights."

Here was our second “elegant chic night, Celebrity has renamed formal night). There weren’t as many formally dressed folks on this cruise as I’d expected (& witnessed 3 years ago on same cruise). 

[clo]

11 hours ago, awhfy said:

Here was our second “elegant chic night,

IMneverHO, how y'all are dressed is perfect.  Definitely 'dressy' but not 'ballgowns.'   And you look great also )

[pacruise804]

You look great in both pictures to me 😍The first evening outfits have a more formal feel to me, but I agree with clo that the second is still dressy.

 

I have seen others dressed similarly (summer maxi dress with sweater or jacket) and it looks much more casual - which I perceive as unacceptable from the pro-formal crowd.  What is the difference?  Is it the type/drape of the fabric? Confidence/posture of the wearer?  It is such a subtle difference between your husband's outfits but it still has a strong feel (to me) of the first being formal while the second is "dressy."

 

I think this is some of the frustration with dress codes is there really is such a wide range.  I don't remember if it was mentioned in this thread, but I know clo has discussed other times the picture of a woman in more formal dress while her partner was in a button up plaid shirt and either jeans or dress pants.  Both fit most lines formal evenings (especially if dress pants), but the man's outfit was viewed as unacceptable.  There probably isn't an easy answer - hence why we have so many of these discussions 😉 - but it also isn't always as simple as "just throw on a pair of pants and collared shirt."

 

Again, awhfy and husband look amazing and nailed both formal and elegant 🙂 

[awhfy]

Pacruise804. I think it’s the shrug that tones down the formality of the dress (I was cold!). We were in a specialty restaurant for dinner & it was like an icebox. I was glad I’d grabbed the shrug before leaving the cabin 

[pacruise804]

I always have a light cardigan or pashmina wrap since I get cold easily.  There have even been evening when DH wore his sports coat that I would take it for the theatre after dinner 🙂 

[EDiamond22]

On 5/31/2019 at 11:46 AM, c-boy said:

I'm glad to see someone get excited about dressing up on formal night. There's a handful of relentless posters of the princess thread that would like to see other.

its one of me and the girlfriends favorite parts of the cruise as well, were from upstate NY where formal wear is rarely to never required, you would be the out of place one with a jacket/ gown at a nice dinner. its unfortunate, but at least we got cruising too justify the formal wear shopping lol 🙂

[ger_77]

10 hours ago, EDiamond22 said:

its one of me and the girlfriends favorite parts of the cruise as well, were from upstate NY where formal wear is rarely to never required, you would be the out of place one with a jacket/ gown at a nice dinner. its unfortunate, but at least we got cruising too justify the formal wear shopping lol

I agree with you; we also live in a city where formal wear rarely makes an appearance.  We attended a "Gala" fundraiser at a very nice hotel about a year ago, hubby in his tux, me in my long gown and sparklies . . . the MC for the evening wore jeans, an untucked shirt and a sport coat.  We were completely overdressed, and certainly stood out among the crowd.  Even though we weren't dressed as the rest for that evening,  my motto has always been and still remains: "better overdressed than underdressed."

 

We will continue to bring our formal wear on cruises and dress to the nines on Gala nights, no matter what others wear.

 

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Edited December 3, 2019 by ger_77

[EDiamond22]

5 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

I agree with you; we also live in a city where formal wear rarely makes an appearance.  We attended a "Gala" fundraiser at a very nice hotel about a year ago, hubby in his tux, me in my long gown and sparklies . . . the MC for the evening wore jeans, an untucked shirt and a sport coat.  We were completely overdressed, and certainly stood out among the crowd.  Even though we weren't dressed as the rest for that evening,  my motto has always been and still remains: "better overdressed than underdressed."

 

We will continue to bring our formal wear on cruises and dress to the nines on Gala nights, no matter what others wear.

 

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

agreed and thats my moto 🙂 
great pic, happy sailing and dressing 😄 

[Missbollinger]

Time to start planning again?  Might be a bit premature but my girls are super excited this year!