Formal HELP

[latrn220]

Help! We will be cruising with Holland America in March. My mother is 68 years old and this is her first and last cruise (so she says) and she is panicking over formal wear. Can anyone give us examples, pictures, etc. of what people around her age wear on formal nights. This would decrease her anxiety so much! ;)

[ger_77]

Tell your mother to bring her fanciest dress, along with her fanciest jewellery and she will be happy. Formal night is a time when people have the opportunity to dress to the max (if they wish), and strut their stuff. If your mom is like mine was, (a polyester princess, I used to call her), then she can put on her finest Sunday-go-to-church dress and her prettiest earrings, a little clutch purse, and feel like she's the belle of the ball. Unfortunately my Mom didn't live long enough to take her first cruise, but I'm sure she'd have been enjoying formal night!(I'm enjoying each formal evening for her! :) ) Tell your Mom she can dress as fancy as she wants and not worry about the folks back home thinking anything about it!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[dayna84]

latrn22

 

this was my parents 4th cruise and my mom (70) has decided this is the way to go...she bought a simple black dress and has purchased several different fancy jacket type tops to go over it. She wears the same dress just changes the jackets. She only needs to bring 1 pair of shoes this way and its fairly simple for her yet nice. I have attached a picture (eyes closed and all).

[anniecat]

that photo (minus the dude) could be my MOM(I took her on an 80th birthday cruise). She wore a long black skirt, sensible black pumps, and had several tops with a dressy overjacket. Changed her necklaces for each formal night. She looked great and totally fit in on FORMAL night. Several 'older ladies' were dressed in long designer gowns, some in what I'd call 'church' clothes. There is such a wide variety of dressing up that as long as she feels good, she'll look great. (ps dining rooms etc tend to be cool and walking on dangerously high heels can be well...dangerous)

hope you have as much fun as we did.

[sallyb]

For my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, my mother (70) and grandmother (90) both wore black pants and blouse with a sparkly, long over blouse. You can get them on sale right now at Kohl's for next to nothing. They dressed it up with jewelry and both looked wonderful, yet were very comfortable.

[latrn220]

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions, it has given us lots of ideas :)

[Happy ks]

Never panic over your clothes for a cruise.

 

The people on cruise ships are average people, no one is keeping score. If she dresses up and feels good about herself, she will be fine.

 

Cruises are and should be about having fun, going to new places, being served and pampered. It is not a fashion show, most people will not even notice your clothing, unless it is something extreme. Nothing wrong with extreme, by the way, if your personality can pull it off.

 

I'll bet it won't be her last cruise. My aunt, 69 years old, went on her first cruise with us last year. She said, before the cruise, it would probably be her only one, now she talks about going again!

[Ehpride]

Latrn, my grandma (78 when we go) got a beautiful purple pantsuit with a sparkly top to wear for formal night. She wanted the black but we talked her into the purple!

[NYDee]

I am almost your mother's age. I take either a long black skirt or black dressy pants. Then dressy 3 tops, beaded, sequined, etc. Or a take a long black sleevless dress with 3 jackets, sequined, beaded, satin, etc. And a pair of black dressy shoes. I have several long gowns but with the hassle at the airport I try not to overpack. Sometimes I may wear the same pants with less dressy tops and jackets to semi-formal (or whatever they call it now) night. I think I am too young to wear a "church dress." These are usually for older women in my opinion.