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Underground > Art, Fashion & Design >

Ongoing fashion help and advice (or virtual 'does my bum look big in this-ness'?)

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09:33 / 07.12.05

I have been "invited" to my company's yearly back-slapping self-congratulatory night. The dress code says formal and I could do with some advice on what exactly this entails.
Will a normal suit do or should I go for black tie, or is there some other third option that I'm ignorant of?

OJ

10:46 / 07.12.05

You might want to check with colleagues Mr Phox.

"Formal" is traditionally taken to mean White Tie - think tails and the sort of getup you might see on the groom at a wedding. "Semi-formal" or "black-tie" is your tuxedo.

If you think it sounds highly unlikely that they mean White Tie, you really have no option but to check.

Gingerbop,

Your dress sounds very pretty. Could you wear it to a party, without the veil of course?

10:57 / 07.12.05

OJ: It's definitely not white tie, I have tried my colleagues but so far they have been less than helpful.

11:42 / 07.12.05

I'd probably just opt for a suit. Surely can't be black tie for a company Christmas do? Unless you work OHMSS.

ONLY NICE THINGS

11:12 / 08.12.05

My office do is black tie.

Yours, Phox, sounds like a case of people not understanding how formal codes work. These days, "formal" tends to mean "informal" what has previously been identified as the afternoon, lounge or sack suit - a two-piece suit with shirt and tie - that is, an informal suit.

I would very much imagine that what they mean by "formal" is "Evening Dress preferred", meaning that black tie would be appropriate but a dark suit with white shirt and tie accepted. If nobody at your office knows, that's probably it, but surely somebody has organised the thing?

14:17 / 08.12.05

M.

15:28 / 08.12.05

Thanks you all for the advice. I may well go black tie as I have the kit lying around somewhere, but I just have horrible visions of being the only one there in black tie and looking an absolute twit. This is probably due to my raging social paranoia rather than any justified fear however.

OJ

13:58 / 12.12.05

Mr Phox, re. that raging social paranoia and the outfit for the work event. It sounds like you need to make like a woman and canvass your colleagues on what they will be wearing.

You can't be wrong if you're dressed to the same code as half a dozen of your cohorts. In the land of the office-working female this intimate inquiry into intended outfits counts as acceptable coffee-making conversation. I imagine that it doesn't for you, so you could try a few subtler strategies to bring the subject up.

Pretend that your dinner jacket needs dry-cleaning or that you might need to hire one, mention this to colleagues, ask whether they think it's worth it or whether they just might wear x other outfit. Would this work?

08:23 / 26.04.06

Jeansy beans. I'm 5'3" with a athletic yet geeky build. Can anyone recommend a good set of fashionable/complimentary jeans?

Ex

07:43 / 07.11.06

Wise board - I could do with a women's trouser suit for an interview. Winterweight (I have a load of lightweight ones) and oozing respectability - tweed, cord, wool, pinstripe, that kind of thing. I'm in the UK.

However, jackets for women's suits everywhere seem to be n the short side at the moment. I'm on the tall side, and they're barely over my navel. I'd far rather have something that covers my hips (my ideal jackets come down to my knees).

Does anyone know any shops with longer jackets on their suits?

Or, tangentially, can anyone think which chains cater for older women - I suspect they may as a result provide more classic shapes and less arse-exposing boleros.

Ta in advance.

11:50 / 07.11.06

Marks and Spencer do lots of classic style suits and although some of their stuff like Autograph can be a bit pricey I think they might be alright on suits. Plus they do different length things for shorter and taller people.

12:07 / 07.11.06

Not straightforward, I think; I ended up designing a semi-formal dress to answer a similar demand.

Long Tall Sally is a specialist for tall women (their trousers go to 36" leg which is glad news for the long-legged.) Here's a link to their jackets, but their suiting is largely artificial fibres as far as I can tell.

I found a few women's jackets at Bishopston trading which have the added advantage of being fairtrade & made from organic cotton, but they are again not suits.

I found this women's bespoke suit site, but have no idea if they are good, just Googled 'em up.

Ex

14:48 / 07.11.06

Thanks for the stuff - Marks and Sparks aren't giving me long-jacket love at present, ut I know their stock varies between branches, so I just have to find a branch in a conserative area who don't want their suiting querky, playful or fashionable.

I will try LTS - I'm jsut on the cusp of their height provision, but it looks rather good.

And continue checking Oxfam every lunchtime.

20:13 / 02.01.07

I got a leather trenchcoat for Xmas this year, but I have no idea what to wear with it. It's a very nice coat and there will be hurt feelings if I don't wear it, but I feel a little too Matrix Warrior in it. What kind of ensemble can I put together that won't scream Neil Gaiman?

10:27 / 03.01.07

Have you considered a brown pinstripe suit? 'New Doctor Who' style I guess. According to my brief search of the internets, Gaiman hasn't worn anything like that and it's un-Matrixy too. (But my opinion may be influenced by a generalised fondness for lovely suits.)

18:09 / 03.01.07

I've been leaning in that general direction, yes, or perhaps some kind of over-the-top prep outfit.

23:47 / 04.01.07

No, OJ, unfortunately my dress is most certainly a wedding dress, even in the absence of a veil. I don't mind too much though- the entire outfit was £61. Which I'd say is pretty damn good for a wedding day, should it ever happen.

Whether I'll get married before middle age spreads past a size 8 is quite a different matter.

All Acting Regiment

18:22 / 08.01.07

Any nice and usual jumpers for men?

19:09 / 08.01.07

Yes.

ONLY NICE THINGS

09:23 / 09.01.07

If that's deliberately "usual", then I - and I think Ganesh also - swear by John Smedley, who makes jumpers in Merino wool and sea island cotton, both of which are massively comfortable and very soft. He tends to work either in flat colours or stripes. Bit pricey in the greater scheme of things, but then I am a cheapskate.

08:38 / 12.01.07

I too am a fan of John Smedley jumpers and can vouch for their durability. I have a navy polo in the fine cotton, sea island you say? it's 4 or 5 years old now and still looks good. It is usual with a few unusual features, very long cuffs and a deep waistband.

I also recommend looking for them in TK Maxx as they often get batches in at greatly reduced prices.

All Acting Regiment

13:04 / 29.04.07

Imagine a triangular face (point down) with woody allen's glasses. Seeing as it's spring and everything's new, what the hell do you say I should do with my hair? Was vaguely thinking of one of those fringe over the eye things, but will it work with glasses? Also quite curly which is frequently a shitter.

13:18 / 29.04.07

Invest in a set of slimline hair straighteners.

All Acting Regiment

13:24 / 29.04.07

Yeah, I was thinking of that. What's a good brand? Anything worthwhile on amazon?

20:10 / 29.04.07

Allecto

Stop it with the hair straighteners. That way lies ruination because you will get all used to them and happy with your hair and do it everyday and love your straight hair, but then what happens when it rains? What happens if you stay at someone's house? It could end up being a self-image disaster. Not to mention the state your hair will be in.

Be glad of your curly hair. Many people would really like it. I'm sure yours is lovely, you just need to work with it. How long is it? Can you grow it a bit messy/longish? This is very hard to discuss without a picture, you say imagine a triangular face and glasses, but I just have the little 7-up dude in my head and I'm sure you don't look like that. (I don't even know if he did have glasses, but he certainly had a pointy face and curly hair. See how these things can go wrong without a photo?)

Was vaguely thinking of one of those fringe over the eye things

EMO wrongness. Strongly advise against.

23:27 / 29.04.07

An assymetrical fringe coupled with curly hair and a bit of management can be a wonderful thing, though.....

But no to the hair straighteners.

All Acting Regiment

09:32 / 30.04.07

Well, the issue is it tends to be curly enough to be messy and bendy but without actually being super-curly. It doesn't naturally create locks.

21:09 / 30.04.07

Messy and bendy is good.

I repeat the desire for photographic evidence.

23:50 / 08.05.07

Stop it with the hair straighteners. That way lies ruination because you will get all used to them and happy with your hair and do it everyday and love your straight hair, but then what happens when it rains? What happens if you stay at someone's house? It could end up being a self-image disaster. Not to mention the state your hair will be in.

Develop a stronger, more flexible self-image? Become the reed. I'm in the same place, barnet-wise, as you, Legs. I have curly-curly-curly hair. To deal with the whole 'when it rains it pours bad hair' I've had to develop two positive self-images. One for nights out/dating/etc and one for day-to-day stuff when it rains or I can't be arsed.

That way lies ruination because you will get all used to them and happy with your hair

This makes me laugh in particular. Oh no!!

But, yes, photos, and straighteners (I'd invest in a pair of GHDs, if you've got the cash). If you go for cheapo ones you're not going to get the best results and will probably go off straightening far quicker.

Don't go for the whole over-the-eye deal, though, that looks silly on almost anyone who's not Peter Wentz and, if you wear glasses as I do, is a pain in the fucking ring to get right. Just above the eye(brow) is a safe bet.

23:51 / 08.05.07

Also, what you will find when you grow it out is that semi-curly hair usually produces a nice bedhead look after sleeping, which looks good after a bit of combing/teasing.

18:26 / 11.05.07

o god o god, hair straighteners.....

A friend of mine got me hooked on them a few years ago (it was all about the peer pressure, I tell you), and now I would *not* be able to function without them and my hair is completely ruined beyond belief and they're such an expensive habit because there's always a better set out there and all the products that you can get to stop the hair ruination (that don't work) are also very expensive and neverending in their potential and THIS IS WHAT MY MOTHER ALWAYS WARNED ME ABOUT!!

Just say no.

Unless, of course, your hair is utterly impossible and unpresentable like mine, in which case you should just succumb and get on that gravy train to elusive hair satisfaction. And get GHDs.

All Acting Regiment

11:19 / 14.05.07

At the mo, a pal has very kindly offered to lend me some (I care little for hygeine). I can kind of see both sides of the argument.

All Acting Regiment

11:34 / 14.05.07

Also, Triplenin, was the effect in yourl atest photos thread photo acheived with straighteners?

18:03 / 17.05.07

Da!

I also used a fingertip's worth of product (smooth into the palms and fingers, then work throughly into your barnet after straightening for a spikey bedhead look). The stuff is American Crew fiber (pliable moulding creme).

Make sure you wipe down the plates of the straighteners with a damp cloth before use. To prevent teh skank, if nothing else...

All Acting Regiment

17:33 / 18.05.07

About Lekvar's trenchcoat - way forward is to wear something totally opposite to it with it - a tracksuit or a tenant doctor who suit or something.

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