Another Dress Question.

[AmberMarie]

I just bought this dress at Target:

 

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=/qid=/ref=br_1_1/601-9168784-1130557?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000REU9U0

 

It's knit, but looks very nice on as you can see. I am on Carnival, which I hear has a more relaxed environment than RCCL (which I was on last year). Last year (on RCCL), I wore a "gown" and I felt like I was in the "dressier than most" category. So, if I wore something like what I wore last year, I feel like I'd REALLY be dressier than most this year.

 

My question is, can I wear the dress that I bought at Target on a formal night? I know that I CAN, of course, no one can stop me.. but I mean, will I still look "dressed up" with the majority of the crowd, or will I look more casual than the majority of the crowd? And if I wore this, what should HE wear with me?

 

Thanks :)

[cowetamom]

That is such a cute dress. I think it will be fine. On Carnival, anything goes.

 

Sarah

[NomDePlume]

Wow!

You can wear this dress anywhere! Dress it up (sparkly earrings and strappy sandals and maybe a shawl for that stroll on deck) or dress it down with colorful bangles or a flower lei. And who cares what he would wear: all eyes will be on you... But anything will be fine on him ;)

[Ollie_WA]

Definetly!!! What a great dress...you will look marvelous darling!!

[luckycruzer]

add a little blinghere n there..also a shawl for the DRm..so u wont get cold shoulders. some of the black stones set in black (rather than gold or silver)..if you have some fab "stone-y" errarings to clip on the strap area, that would be evocative of the 20's / 30's era. bag n shoes to match..you'll look yummy !

[caviargal]

Wow!

You can wear this dress anywhere! Dress it up (sparkly earrings and strappy sandals and maybe a shawl for that stroll on deck) or dress it down with colorful bangles or a flower lei. And who cares what he would wear: all eyes will be on you... But anything will be fine on him ;)

 

I agree about dressing it up with great accessories and some bling. However, I disagree that it does not matter what your SO wears. If you are wearing a long dress then he should dress to compliment you and wear a suit. If he opts for less than that, than I would not wear a long dress.

 

The dress will be fine on Carnival.

[marthalt]

I adore your dress ,it will look great! Black vintage accecories would be beautiful with it, of course there are several options that would be really nice with it! I agree your "date" should dress to compliment you and your efforts! Have a wonderful time!

 

Martha;)

[Senoj84]

The dress is good for a formal. Maybe he can wear a suit or nice slacks, shirt and blazer?

[NomDePlume]

My comment about what he wears was, of course, totally tongue-in-cheek, as reflected in my smilie (;) ), and I agree wholeheartedly with all the other suggestions.

 

Lighten up folks!

[eandj]

The dress is fine for formal night. It would be fine on RCCL, Celebrity, Princess,Hal, etc. You would not feel "dressier than most" or more casual than most. With some cute dressy sandals, jewelry and fine shawl you'd fit in perfectly .

Don't want to "start anything", but if you've cruised consistently for the past 10 years, you would be noticing things are getting more relaxed on all the mainstream lines. I don't like the blue jeans in the dining rooms, but feel a pretty cocktail dress or a silk pants outfit is "appropriate" as formal on all these lines. You will see a smaller percentage of "gowns" (and tuxes). Some women truly enjoy that formal dress and will continue to dress in their fanciest. No problem. But you need not worry that your choice will be under or over the norm. It seems to be covering all ends of the spectrum lately.

 

As for your husband.... (NomDePlume>>>I got your comment...;)) If I was dressed like you plan, and it was "classified" as a formal night, I'd expect him to wear a dark suit with tie. (Not a sport coat for "formal" night. Not a tux either.)

 

Try not to worry so much. And have a great cruise!!!

[BlueHerons]

From the description the dress is mostly cotton and I'm guessing it is closer to a sundress than a cocktail dress so I'd say no.

[AmberMarie]

I was afraid he would outdress me if he was wearing a suit and tie.. maybe not? or maybe a suit with no tie w/ a blue dress shirt under the jacket?

 

Blue-- I'm not wanting to feel slightly overdressed as I did last year (even though my formal wear was what I was "supposed" to wear).. The table I was at had one girl in a cotton above-the-knee solid colored sun dress, and the other girl was wearing mid calf floral church dress. And there I was with a maroon shimmery floor length gown! I felt comfortable but I felt a little more dressed up than most... so I thought a looong (albeit knit) solid colored dress would fit more down the middle of what most people are wearing.

[winewanderer]

I think the dress would be great on formal night. Agree to dress it up with nice accessories. You'll look stunning.

[Chigirlcruzin]

I was afraid he would outdress me if he was wearing a suit and tie.. maybe not? or maybe a suit with no tie w/ a blue dress shirt under the jacket?

 

Blue-- I'm not wanting to feel slightly overdressed as I did last year (even though my formal wear was what I was "supposed" to wear).. The table I was at had one girl in a cotton above-the-knee solid colored sun dress, and the other girl was wearing mid calf floral church dress. And there I was with a maroon shimmery floor length gown! I felt comfortable but I felt a little more dressed up than most... so I thought a looong (albeit knit) solid colored dress would fit more down the middle of what most people are wearing.

 

I've found that many of the younger women (20s-early 30s) dress up more so than most on Carnival. I wore long gowns on my last 7 day in December, and a sexy cocktail dress on my 4 day in May, and I definitely did not feel overdressed. I was dressed right in line with what other women 25-35 were wearing. I'm bringing 2 gowns again for my October Valor cruise. So, as a whole, you might not feel underdressed, but when you look at other women in your age group, you could feel underdressed. Does that make sense?

 

If you do decide to wear this, I'd have your boyfriend (he's cute, btw, and so are you:) ) wear a sportcoat and tie. I don't think a suit would be necessary. Or just forget the jacket.

[Ehpride]

I think it's a little casual for formal night. A lot of people dressed up on my carnival cruise and there were many in long gowns or dressy cocktail dresses. I think it's a cute dress, but you may feel casual on formal night.

[ChefPeg]

It's a great dress and can be dressed up or dressed down.

 

I think the dress will be just fine for formal night. In all my cruises; I have never cared about what other people wear. I never want anyone to feel uncomfortable about what they are wearing.

If you like the dress, please wear it and enjoy your cruise. I'm sure you will look smashing!

[caviargal]

 

Blue-- I'm not wanting to feel slightly overdressed as I did last year (even though my formal wear was what I was "supposed" to wear).. The table I was at had one girl in a cotton above-the-knee solid colored sun dress, and the other girl was wearing mid calf floral church dress. And there I was with a maroon shimmery floor length gown! I felt comfortable but I felt a little more dressed up than most... so I thought a looong (albeit knit) solid colored dress would fit more down the middle of what most people are wearing.

 

That is your answer. I don't choose my clothes by what others wear but rather by what is requested/appropriate for the occasion; I would feel totally comfortable in formal wear on a night designated as such. I dressed in long gowns and cocktail dresses on my most recent Carnival cruise and was in the majority.

 

If others dress down, that is their choice and I would simply attribute that to a lack of caring about their appearance. ;)

[Payd]

I was afraid he would outdress me if he was wearing a suit and tie.. maybe not? or maybe a suit with no tie w/ a blue dress shirt under the jacket?

 

Blue-- I'm not wanting to feel slightly overdressed as I did last year (even though my formal wear was what I was "supposed" to wear).. The table I was at had one girl in a cotton above-the-knee solid colored sun dress, and the other girl was wearing mid calf floral church dress. And there I was with a maroon shimmery floor length gown! I felt comfortable but I felt a little more dressed up than most... so I thought a looong (albeit knit) solid colored dress would fit more down the middle of what most people are wearing.

 

It is a pretty dress, you'll have to accessorize to really dress it up if you are planning to wear it on a formal night. Your SO should be wearing a tie for formal night - you are worried that he will "outdress" you - then you should plan to bring your gown.

 

Every cruise might have different degrees of formal wear among passengers. We have seen LOTS of gowns and sparkly cocktail dresses.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Payd:)

[Hoyaheel]

I tend to disagree about wearing a lot of glitzy accessories with this dress. It is not a formal dress, so trying to add formal accessories will look very out of place. I wouldn't wear it for formal night (looks like something I'd wear on casual night, actually--I LOVE knit dresses!) but if you want to wear it, fine. I just wouldn't go overboard with accessories.....

[eandj]

Blue-- I'm not wanting to feel slightly overdressed as I did last year (even though my formal wear was what I was "supposed" to wear).. The table I was at had one girl in a cotton above-the-knee solid colored sun dress, and the other girl was wearing mid calf floral church dress. And there I was with a maroon shimmery floor length gown! I felt comfortable but I felt a little more dressed up than most... so I thought a looong (albeit knit) solid colored dress would fit more down the middle of what most people are wearing.

 

Yes, this just shows that everyone interprets formal attire differently. And you should wear what YOU feel comfortable in. You will NOT stand out as being over OR underdressed.

 

As for your husband.. formal night to me means a tie IS a necessity. If not with a suit, a dark sport coat and dress pants. But the tie IS a must. Will you see tieless men? Yes. But what does it take to throw on a tie? You will look great together.

 

I'd take your dress along and see how you feel once on board. If you've just spent a long day at the pool or touring, you may not want to put on sequins and lace and feel just as dressed up in your halter dress. Or you may WANT to dress up more. The halter is easy to pack. Make up your mind on the ship.

 

Again the range of attire will be astounding. Dress for YOU...not any of the thousands of people who won't remember you an hour after dinner.

[ElsieToo]

I think it will look very nice for a formal dress evening paired with a nice hairdo and shoes. With flip flops and a ponytail, not so much... ;)

[AmberMarie]

Here's my other option I was tossing around-- I was going to shorten it to mid calf and wear it on a non-formal night. Then I could probably wear espadrilles and make it more casual...

 

hmm... Maybe I'll just have to go dress shopping again, lol.

[eandj]

Amber-Maire,

 

Don't shorten it to please anyone else. The dress looks very nice in the picture with the dressy sandals. Besides, the dress may not hang as well if shortened. And... a dress that hits mid calf does nothing for your legs!!:D

[BlueHerons]

Here's my other option I was tossing around-- I was going to shorten it to mid calf and wear it on a non-formal night. Then I could probably wear espadrilles and make it more casual...

 

hmm... Maybe I'll just have to go dress shopping again, lol.

 

Actually, I really like the length! I'd leave it as is.

[Gingee]

I can't tell too well but it looks okay.