Gown or cocktail dress?

[smoothecruz]

Hello all, so glad I found this thread on fashion.

 

I have a question, for Carnival cruises do alot of women wear gowns for the elegant/formal night or do you see more cocktail dresses?

I'm cruising in July and trying to figure out what type of dress to bring.

 

TIA:)

[4cruizers]

You see a lot of both and would be fine with either one. For my cruise in July I am taking one gown and one tea-length dress. I still like to dress up in formal wear.

[smoothecruz]

You see a lot of both and would be fine with either one. For my cruise in July I am taking one gown and one tea-length dress. I still like to dress up in formal wear.

Thanks for the reply. I would love to wear a gown and get all dressed up, I also love cocktail dresses too and think I may bring both.

Coctail dresses are much easier for me since I'm 5'2" and need a petite length for a gown, makes it very challenging, but I do want to wear one.

[cruiser2101]

On my last cruise I saw way more cocktail dresses than I did long dresses. So it's just a matter of choice and what you're comfortable with. Any length seems to be acceptable as long as it's dressy.

[smoothdancer]

Have you tried the petite section at Macys. They have some wonderful full length gowns.

[Cruzfan34]

Both are acceptable. :)

I wear formal gowns on formal nights...cocktail dresses on casual nights. I love to dress up and I take advantage of the opportunity!! :D

[MaryPoppinz]

In the past, I have always taken gowns for formal evenings and cocktail dresses or the equivalent in separates (knee-length satin skirt and an occasion blouse) for the other nights . The last two cruises, I have taken just one gown. But, from now on, I will be taking only cocktail length clothing.

 

I am 5'4" and I think the shorter length is more flattering on me. I think a lot of women think very elegant in long and/or beaded and/or lacy gowns, but they don't work as well on me as simpler styles like this:

http://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/product/itempage.aspx?item=E202887&PFID=1548&BID=S2008150205507E2E6244B6E824C23A5B9DF&h=P&sk=P

http://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/product/itempage.aspx?item=D147886&PFID=1548&BID=S2008150205507E2E6244B6E824C23A5B9DF&h=P&sk=P

 

I think luggage weight is going to affect these decisions for a lot of people. Beaded gowns are just not as practical to travel with anymore.

[Beachgirl6479]

I usually wear either cocktail dresses, or tea-length dresses because I too am seriously vertically challanged, 5' even. I do love occasionally really glamming up and buying a gown, but it's easier to buy something I don't have to get altered, and it's easier to pack cocktail dresses. My problem is that all of the gowns in petite seem to old for me. I'm still in my 20s and while I love to look sophisticated, I still want to be age appropriate. Although I did find this dress on Newport-News' website that I have been considering. I love the color...just never ordered a dress online before.

 

http://www.newport-news.com/shop/product_single.aspx?style_id=31458138&index=8&gp_coll_id=9&gp_cat_id=1649&nav_cat_id=8522&category_id=9370&gp_fashcoll_id=10

[smoothecruz]

I usually wear either cocktail dresses, or tea-length dresses because I too am seriously vertically challanged, 5' even. I do love occasionally really glamming up and buying a gown, but it's easier to buy something I don't have to get altered, and it's easier to pack cocktail dresses. My problem is that all of the gowns in petite seem to old for me. I'm still in my 20s and while I love to look sophisticated, I still want to be age appropriate. Although I did find this dress on Newport-News' website that I have been considering. I love the color...just never ordered a dress online before.

 

http://www.newport-news.com/shop/product_single.aspx?style_id=31458138&index=8&gp_coll_id=9&gp_cat_id=1649&nav_cat_id=8522&category_id=9370&gp_fashcoll_id=10

I can relate to how you feel, I'm 5'2" and last night I went to the mall and tried on some gowns, I felt lost in them, I too look better in a shorter style dress, tea length looks like a gown on petite sized women, at least on me they do.

Anyway, the woman in the store kind of talked me into a gown and I paid for it and now I've changed my mind on it. I want to get a refund but I doubt they will do it. The gown is still at the store because it needs to be altered, live and learn.:(

[Beachgirl6479]

I can relate to how you feel, I'm 5'2" and last night I went to the mall and tried on some gowns, I felt lost in them, I too look better in a shorter style dress, tea length looks like a gown on petite sized women, at least on me they do.

Anyway, the woman in the store kind of talked me into a gown and I paid for it and now I've changed my mind on it. I want to get a refund but I doubt they will do it. The gown is still at the store because it needs to be altered, live and learn.:(

 

If they haven't already altered the dress, I don't see a reason why they wouldn't give you a refund. That said, I bet the dress looks fabulous, so if you love it, no regrets:) As for me and my tea-length dresses...I'm pretty sure they are cocktail dresses, but on me, some of them wind up being tea-length. Ah the joys of being short...and don't even get me started on trying to find capris that are actually capris!

[smoothecruz]

If they haven't already altered the dress, I don't see a reason why they wouldn't give you a refund. That said, I bet the dress looks fabulous, so if you love it, no regrets:) As for me and my tea-length dresses...I'm pretty sure they are cocktail dresses, but on me, some of them wind up being tea-length. Ah the joys of being short...and don't even get me started on trying to find capris that are actually capris!

I just called the store 5 minutes ago and the women who helped me last night said she sent the dress out for alterations already, I don't believe her. The store policy is no refunds. I bet if I drove over there, that dress would still be in the store. :mad:

[Ehpride]

I'm wearing full length dresses. I wore two full length gowns last time and while I haven't narrowed the dresses down yet, I plan on wearing at least one full length gown next time. Even if I don't have too, I just like to dress up for fun.

[Cruzfan34]

I just called the store 5 minutes ago and the women who helped me last night said she sent the dress out for alterations already, I don't believe her. The store policy is no refunds. I bet if I drove over there, that dress would still be in the store. :mad:

 

Which store did you buy it from? Most major dept. stores will accept returns. I had to return a dress to Dillard's that I ordered because it was too big. They kind of ticked me off, though. The girl started "inspecting" the dress to see if it had been worn. I gave her a stern "I didn't wear it..." and she told me they have to check all returns.....BULL!! Do you know how many formal gowns I've tried on at Dillard's that were obviously worn, then returned? They even had that little yellow tag on them. I was more than a little irritated that my untouched dress was being scrutinized. :mad:

[wanasail]

Which store did you buy it from? Most major dept. stores will accept returns. I had to return a dress to Dillard's that I ordered because it was too big. They kind of ticked me off, though. The girl started "inspecting" the dress to see if it had been worn. I gave her a stern "I didn't wear it..." and she told me they have to check all returns.....BULL!! Do you know how many formal gowns I've tried on at Dillard's that were obviously worn, then returned? They even had that little yellow tag on them. I was more than a little irritated that my untouched dress was being scrutinized. :mad:

 

I had to chuckle at this. My parents used to own a dry cleaning business when I was a kid. You would not believe the number of women who would ask mom to please clean the gown & make sure to leave the tags intact. She would find the tags with strings attached pinned to the underarm seam or back of the neck where no one could see it. You just new the expensive gown would show up at the store it came from for a return the next day. That was in the day when the better stores took back items with no questions asked as long as they looked like they hadn't been worn. These days it's a big song & dance to return anything even if it really hasn't been worn.

[smoothecruz]

Which store did you buy it from? Most major dept. stores will accept returns. I had to return a dress to Dillard's that I ordered because it was too big. They kind of ticked me off, though. The girl started "inspecting" the dress to see if it had been worn. I gave her a stern "I didn't wear it..." and she told me they have to check all returns.....BULL!! Do you know how many formal gowns I've tried on at Dillard's that were obviously worn, then returned? They even had that little yellow tag on them. I was more than a little irritated that my untouched dress was being scrutinized. :mad:

I got it from a small private store in the mall, not a major dept store.

I went back to the store today after the woman said she'd give me store credit, they didn't have any cocktail dresses for me. After all that hassle I've come to terms with the gown, it is very pretty and I'll wear it on the 1st formal night. I realized something when I went looking for dresses recently, Prom time is here and there are hardly any dresses or gowns left in my size.

I had the same experience you had with returning your dress, only with me it was some curtains I bought. I returned them and the woman went over those curtains with a fine tooth comb looking for and defects, spots etc. It was very annoying.