Examples of Ladies Formal/Informal Wardrobe?

Hello! My DH & I are hoping to do a Cunard cruise soon and don't want to offend any of our fellow passengers by failing to dress appropriately in the evenings.

It's easy to see what my DH should pack--a tux, a dark vested suit, and a blazer with assorted dress slacks, shirts & ties.

What a lady should wear seems more murky. My current formal wardrobe consists of one long purple gown with a flutter capelet.

Are black palazzo pants in an elegant fabric with a fancy top also considered formal on Cunard? I ask because I have several different tops I can use with these to create different outfits.

What is worn on informal nights? I rarely wear dresses, but have a couple I could bring. I'm assuming dress pants and a nice jacket would work. Any fabrics, besides denim, of course, that I should steer clear of?

Thanks in advance for your advice & suggestions!

I posted some of my missuses outfits from our recent QV Cruise - These may give you some ideas

See https://blog.rakkor.uk/2016/10/31/some-of-janes-outfits/

Jim

I am sure you will be fine with what you mention. The only evening that people really adhere to on formal (by way of theme) is the Black and White Ball. Dressy black pants, sparkly top, some white accessories will be fine; your purple dress can be used on another formal evening. On the informal nights ladies wear long or cocktail dresses, tailored trousers with lovely tops; don't worry about being overdressed, and under- dressed is only used in terms of denim or just looking sloppy and not bothering.

You do not say what your actual cruise is, but generally the overall dress code is much higher on the Atlantic crossings rather than a sunshine cruise.

Have a wonderful trip.

I plan to explore the rest of your blog as well! Lovely outfits all! I especially like that silver cocktail number. But I'm noticing that most of the outfits were dresses with only a couple of pants. Did she ever wear pants on a formal night?

Here are a couple of my formal options:

My floor length gown.

and this collection of separates: Palazzo pants, shell, & jacket

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joOSzgc8IEE/WHoy1fjGXhI/AAAAAAAABao/y6wTXFZa4vgFIwNdsuVuljmT9OMB7UW2gCLcB/s320/IMG_0100.JPG

Will these do for formal nights? How does it differ from the informal, which is still a couple steps up from casual, I'm guessing?

I posted some of my missuses outfits from our recent QV Cruise - These may give you some ideas

 

See https://blog.rakkor.uk/2016/10/31/some-of-janes-outfits/

 

Jim

Lovely photographs!

For Aquadesiac, I always take a four or five long dresses for a six or seven formal night's cruise, long dresses and not ball gowns.

I don't have any short dresses I would wear for an informal evening and I don't have any cocktail dresses but have many beautiful tops and cocktail jackets which I wear with black tailored cigarette style trousers or floaty palazzo's. I would say my informal wear is slightly more formal than the photo link above so it shows, many styles will be fine. Looking at your links, yours will certainly look great.

As for evening denim wear, I wear white denim trousers, again, with lovely floaty tops and haven't been denied entry to the restaurant yet, probably because it's still within the evening informal dress code.

I plan to explore the rest of your blog as well! Lovely outfits all! I especially like that silver cocktail number. But I'm noticing that most of the outfits were dresses with only a couple of pants. Did she ever wear pants on a formal night?

 

Here are a couple of my formal options:

My floor length gown.

 

and this collection of separates: Palazzo pants, shell, & jacket

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joOSzgc8IEE/WHoy1fjGXhI/AAAAAAAABao/y6wTXFZa4vgFIwNdsuVuljmT9OMB7UW2gCLcB/s320/IMG_0100.JPG

 

Will these do for formal nights? How does it differ from the informal, which is still a couple steps up from casual, I'm guessing?

I wear a pair of my evening trousers for a formal evening if I don't want to wear a long dress. Some ladies never wear long dresses but go for the trouser and lovely top or jacket look so don't feel you have to wear a dress for a formal evening.

Your post is a relief. I don't really own a ball gown. I'd call my purple one more a long dress that I try to glitz up a bit. I may see if I can find a long black skirt to alternate with my palazzos. That would give me a few more options.

Interesting to hear about the white denim. I have a pair that I wear with a blue/green tropical float top. Would this be ok for a Cunard informal evening or would it only be for lunchtime? If denim would offend, I do have some blue trousers that work with it as well.

Your post is a relief. I don't really own a ball gown. I'd call my purple one more a long dress that I try to glitz up a bit. I may see if I can find a long black skirt to alternate with my palazzos. That would give me a few more options.

 

Interesting to hear about the white denim. I have a pair that I wear with a blue/green tropical float top. Would this be ok for a Cunard informal evening or would it only be for lunchtime? If denim would offend, I do have some blue trousers that work with it as well.

Just mentioning the words white denim in the same breath as informal evening on this board will always offend some even though they haven't seen the offending garment. I call my white trousers denim jeans but in truth they are of very fine denim, are beautifully tailored and very expensive [not that expense matters one jot] and are as far away from classic jeans as you can get. They are a far better looking garment than many of the trousers seen on an informal evening. Only you will be able to tell if your white denims scream jeans [a no no], or are well cut trousers which happen to be made of denim and which, when paired with a great evening top look fantastic.

Hey hey!

I went on my first Cunard cruise recently and it was such a shock to me. I think the above comments have got it about right but just in case you fancy seeing what I wore have a look here: http://cruisingisntjustforoldpeople.co.uk/2016/11/08/cunard-dress-code-what-to-wear/

Don't forget that the dress code is ship wide after 6pm! I had no idea about that at all... really took me by surprise.

Also the informal nights were still more formal than I'd ever dress in my normal life. I did enjoy it though.

Have fun!!

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Just got off the phone with our travel agent. We are booked for the 21 day Grand Norwegian Explorer, sailing from NYC on June 10, 2018! This will be splendid for my DH because he has viking blood and will relish a return to the "homeland" he's never seen!

So now we need to pull together the appropriate wardrobe for each of us. 17 months ought to be enough time!

Thanks for the clarification on white denim, Victoria2. Think I may leave mine at home. :)

Enjoyed your photos. You and your brother looked terrific. I'll bet people watching is great fun on formal nights.

Enjoyed your photos. You and your brother looked terrific. I'll bet people watching is great fun on formal nights.

Thank you! Yes it was so much fun, a lot of very interesting people...

All good fun :)

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I don't have any ball gowns and only three long evening dresses. Just as in my daywear, I take quite a few evening separates that I can mix and match. I have palazzo pants (in black, white, and grey) and I do wear them for formal nights.

I just ordered a pair of grey/silver palazzos to augment my formal wear "capsule." Can't wait to wear them on the QM2!

I just ordered a pair of grey/silver palazzos to augment my formal wear "capsule." Can't wait to wear them on the QM2!

Great! If I didn't already have grey ones I would be ordering those!:D

Will these do for formal nights? How does it differ from the informal, which is still a couple steps up from casual, I'm guessing?

I find the boundary between the nights is very blurred. When I first started sailing on Cunard ships there was an inbetween category of semi-formal, and I then treated the informal as trousers with silk tops (not sparkles). Now that has been removed, informal now contains my semi-formal wear. As part of the dress code I can wear a cocktail dress in either category. I tend to keep those for informal. This means I now wear a lot of sequins on informal nights!

Aim to look stunning and don't worry if you then discover yourself to be a bit overdressed. On Cunard it's better to be overdressed than underdressed.

Diane

Jim...Kudos to your wife! She looks terrific!

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I'm so glad this thread was stated as I've been wondering what type of fancy clothes I should pack!

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I find the boundary between the nights is very blurred. When I first started sailing on Cunard ships there was an inbetween category of semi-formal, and I then treated the informal as trousers with silk tops (not sparkles). Now that has been removed, informal now contains my semi-formal wear. As part of the dress code I can wear a cocktail dress in either category. I tend to keep those for informal. This means I now wear a lot of sequins on informal nights!

 

Aim to look stunning and don't worry if you then discover yourself to be a bit overdressed. On Cunard it's better to be overdressed than underdressed.

 

Diane

This is my quandary. How dressy is dressy enough not to offend my fellow passengers on formal nights? By the time I board the QM2 in 2018, I'll be 62 years old. My prom days are long gone. A full-blown ball gown would be wasted on me, especially since I use supplemental oxygen and dancing with the DH is confined to the 7 ft. length of my cannula. We won't be sweeping around the dance floor, though we may try to occupy a small corner of it!

However, I'm good with sparklies! Whether I'm wearing a long dress (not a gown) or palazzos with shimmering tops, I'm thinking that the main qualification for formal wear for me will be the elegance of the fabric and the accessories.

After all, when is it ever not all about the shoes????

One of her indoors' outfits for a formal

That looks wonderful! Bet you feel lovely in that gorgeous gown!

That looks wonderful! Bet you feel lovely in that gorgeous gown!

I do, but it suits my wife better.

Hahaha!

A full-blown ball gown would be wasted on me

In truth, you see very few full-skirted ball gowns on Cunard. Plenty of beautiful gowns and sparkly separates but now many ball gowns.

I posted some of my missuses outfits from our recent QV Cruise - These may give you some ideas

 

 

 

See https://blog.rakkor.uk/2016/10/31/some-of-janes-outfits/

 

 

 

Jim

I love your wife's outfits she looks gorgeous in all of them, you must be very proud of your beautiful wife.

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