This year I was so excited to have been nominated for the Best Business Women Awards in 2021, and had been asked to attend the black tie event where the announcements would be made.
But, even as a personal stylist, I was a little unsure on what to wear for this formal event. It had been a year of staying in, wearing smart tops and, admittedly, comfortable yoga pants on the bottom so I didn’t quite have any prepared items for such a formal event!
While I was excited to celebrate, I had to plan what to wear and make sure it was something I would wear again, or find in a sustainable way – bring on the wardrobe hunting in my Mother in Law’s vintage closet.
Once I had found the perfect piece, and accessories, I was ready to take on the “red carpet”, connect with fellow women in business, and even won 2 silver awards – to say I was delighted was an understatement.
While these sorts of events aren’t regular occurrences for me, and perhaps for you too, when you are invited to one you want to feel confident, comfortable and special. So, I wanted to share with you a few tips to help you feel your best at a gala dinner.
Practice your make up
Make-up, for me, is almost as important as the outfit. It can bring an added level of confidence and personality to a look, as well as being a great place to add colour should you be wearing all black. Often, at gala dinners or black tie events, there will be a photographer there, so you will want to make sure you feel your best if there are photos being shared publicly – without feeling you have to reapply your lipstick every five minutes!
When you are practicing your make up, try out how it looks in a flash mode from your camera, as well as in natural light, and lights indoors to see if it holds up, as well as how long it stays in place. If you haven’t already got a primer, and a finishing spray, I highly recommend investing in some – as they will make sure your make up stays all night long.
Another tip for making sure your make up is photo-ready is bringing a setting powder with you to blotch any shine if you have a more oily complexion (or if you are heading to a stage with lots of hot lights!).
Find the right accessories
Accessories can upgrade a look in a flash, and when you find the right pieces to add to your look, you will find it completes the outfit and you feel more pulled together.
Whether it’s a vintage 70’s bag, like I was lucky to find in my Mother-in-law’s wardrobe, a beautiful necklace, or statement earrings, find a few simple yet elegant accessories to bring to your outfit so you can create a more formal look.
The great thing is, when it comes to jewellery, you will hopefully continue to wear these items over and over again, as they can transition from formal to casual depending on the outfit you put together – so make sure you invest in pieces you’ll want to wear again, or rent pieces should it be an extravagant piece you may only wear once.
For jewellery for this event, I looked through my current collection of jewellery and decided that a pair of earrings I already had would work beautifully, as the dress I was wearing had a frilly neckline that did all of the work a necklace would have done!
Invest in little luxuries
The little things really can make a difference to our confidence, so invest in something that makes you feel special – whether it’s a facial the week before, perhaps getting your nails done the day before, having your hair cut by your favourite stylist, or getting a massage – treat yourself to something that will make you feel special for the event.
For me, I got my nails done in the same colour as my lipstick for the event, and I felt so fabulous. It was so lovely to have well looked after nails that were in a bright pink that added a dash of fun and personality to my look.
Add layers
Formal events often happen in the evening, so whether you’re attending in the Winter, Autumn, or even in the Spring/Summer, you will want to make sure you have an additional layer to keep you warm when you arrive and when you leave.
A jacket, blazer, or even a shawl can be a great option as they can be simple, neutral and easy to remove while indoors. I chose to have a cropped nude jacket that matched the almost nude lace areas in my 100% recycled dress – so it worked together with the outfit.
If you want to stay warm, and it’s going to be an event that is outdoors, but you don’t want to grab a big chunky coat, perhaps wear a pair of long boots to keep your feet warm, or a pair of tights – if you are wearing a full length dress, no-one will know!
Try on your full outfit in advance
This may seem silly, but leaving an outfit to the last minute will only cause you stress for the evening. Making sure you feel confident, comfortable and appropriate for the event is really important for these types of events. I recommend trying the full outfit together at least a week in advance, so if you need to change it up, need to get it tailored, or want to add a different accessory, you have enough time to do so.
Go all out – try on the full outfit with your make-up, shoes, accessories, and layering so you know how you feel and take a look in the mirror to see how great you really look!
After all – a gala dinner, is something to celebrate and feel special at. The outfit you wear isn’t as important as the people you connect with, and the evening together, but it can go a bit of a way to make sure you feel your best while you are there.
If you do have a black tie event coming up and you’re unsure on where to start with creating an outfit you’ll love, please do get in touch – I provide an online or face to face personal shopping service that can help you find the outfit that will work for you.
