Fashion for older cruises

[travelbug1]

As a just over 50 gal, will be on a Celebrity Med cruise in October - didn't want to buy a "gown" or gowns as there are 3 formals, that wouldn't be worn again BUT do have a long black skirt with a number of fancy tops/jackets to wear with nice jewellry - will this suffice? (my husband will rent the tux)...I plan on skirts/tops and/or dressy pants for the regular dinner wear. Like others, wish we had a Dillard's near us!!!

[Fran Harp]

I will be almost 52 when we take our Alaskan cruise next June and I was wondering what others who are in my age bracket buy for formal wear. I really do not want to spend a lot of money on a gown and besides I would feel foolish wearing it, I am just not a gown wearing lady. Would really dressy black pants and a beaded top be okay for formal night? I would invest in a pair of black dress sandels to wear with this outfit. I just don't want to get into the dining room and feel very underdressed. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

 

On our recent cruise I wore a two-piece street length dress with tailored jacket - navy blue with quite subtle beadwork and sequins around the sleeves and hem of the jacket, and around the neck and sleeves of the dress. It was quite formal enough. I'd bought it for a wedding. I also have a long black velour stretch dress which I've worn with a Chinese black shawl. I just turned 60. :eek: DH wore grey pants, black jacket, white shirt and tie with pearl tie pin.

 

Black dress pants and a sequined top would be just great. Go for it.:D

 

Fran in Toronto

[bobby'sgirl]

vfb2girls: When I bought my formal for cruise last year, DD went with me. She was 16 at time, she had plenty of comments!!! We had an interesting time, but I found a wonderful dress. I hope you have fun with your girls,,,,I didn't go to prom so this was the 1st formal I had bought since my bridemaid days lol.:rolleyes:

[Mugga]

A big part of cruising is getting to play dress up. The more you participate the more you enjoy it.

Maybe you will only wear the dress once but it is all part of the experience.

My bet is once you cruise you will be addicted and will wear that dress many times.

It will be worth every penny spending such a fun time with you girls.

Enjoy!!!!!

[momofmeg]

I think you'll find something you love to be age appropriate and you'll be glad you wore a gown instead of pants and a top.

 

No matter how you slice it, pants and a dressy top aren't formal. Cocktail at best but not formal.

 

Your point? "Formal night" is pretty much a misnomer-as many wear "cocktail dress at best" on formal night-so she would hardly look underdressed. Even on HAL and Celebrity many many women were dressed this way on "formal night".

 

Actually though I found a nice floor-length black poly crepe formal skirt skirt at Dilliards just this weekend. With nice sparkly formal tops I feel I will look VERY formal.

 

So if you want to "formal it up" a notch over the black dress slacks-just buy yourself a formal floor length skirt.

[BlueHerons]

Your point? "Formal night" is pretty much a misnomer-as many wear "cocktail dress at best" on formal night-so she would hardly look underdressed. Even on HAL and Celebrity many many women were dressed this way on "formal night".

 

.

 

My point is that pants aren't formal. No matter how much you dress them up, they will never be formal.

 

I never said she would be underdressed.

 

"Formal night" may very well be a misnomer but 'formal' isn't.

[Happy ks]

Thanks for all the suggestions, as it turns out my husband informed me last night if he is renting and wearing a tux then I have to go all out and buy a formal gown. I mentioned to him that I probably wouldn't wear it again but he seemed to not care. My two daughter are very excited to get to go shopping for a formal for me, they compare it to prom shopping when they were younger! Anyway I am going to just enjoy myself.

 

I agree with your husband. I think that people should dress in the same degree of "formalness" (is that a real word :confused: ). If he were wearing a suit or dark sports coat, a pair of evening slacks and beaded top would be fine. If he wears a tux, an evening gown will look so much better.

 

There are so many different price levels to choose from when shopping for formal clothing. I'm a sale shopper to the bone when it comes to formal dresses, my last 3 cost less than $25 with tax. I'd compare it to many of the choices I see here. I shop when I don't need to and never pass up a bargain rack. I've been fortunate enough to find dresses that needed (very) minor repair, but were not saleable at full price. One was a loose button, another a side seam that needed stitching, another a piece of soutache that had come loose at one point, all repaired by in less than 5 minutes at home at the cost of $0.00.

 

Anyway, enough blabbering, enjoy your shopping with your dear daughters, dress up and look like a million (get those photos taken) and have a romantic evening with your wonderful husband. I have a feeling you might just find another reason to wear your new dress:)

[Jan_In_Maine]

At 53 (almost 54) I am not getting older, I am just becoming more interesting as time goes on.

 

DH will again wear a tux - last time I wore long gowns - one royal purple and one was fire engine red ... DH was impressed and that is what matters.

 

This time I have one outfit that is what I call my dancing outfit - it is flowing and is turquoise and the other is pink - both work well with my coloring and (my now) silver hair. Both are formal enough for a tux to work well - I've found two beautiful shawls and both work with strappy silver sandals.

 

Now to only wait for the cruise (we leave in 53 days - the count down started at 484 days)

 

What ever you decide, have a very special time - enjoy! Jan

[cindiedee]

Well I, for one, would LOVE to wear fly-away or palazzo pants - but I can't find them long enough anywhere! I am only 5' 6" tall but I am so out of proportion - my legs are 40 inches long and NOTHING is long enough for me! I have tried "talls" but then the crotch is almost to my knees so that doesn't work............if I could find the pants or a long black skirt (that was long enough), I would be wearing them on formal night for sure. I am not much into the beaded jacket thing - like many said, it seems they are for the much older than us (I am 54) and they are too heavy to carry - but there are other formal type tops out there that would work if only I could find the bottoms long enough! Anyone know where I can find something that would work? We are going NE/Canada cruise in Oct. and for whatever reason, DH thought there wouldn't be "formal" nights - don't know why he thought that - but most of my formal night stuff is just too "light" and bare for the weather up there - so I have GOT to get out this week and see if I can find something............anything..........as long as it is long enough!

[KLLund]

Have you given any thought to a good seamstress to make you something .. If you have that much trouble finding what you want custom made can sometimes be a very viable answer