Black tie at on land

[Cruise Arizona]

Last night when I was lamenting about formality seeming to go out the window on cruises, I was trying to think of an opportunity to dress either formal or "black tie" here at home or on a land based vacation.

 

The last formal occasion I went to was a Mardis Gras ball in Mobile about 14 years ago, it was white tie and long gowns.

 

Since then I have had only a few occasions to wear my dressiest clothes here on land, usually charity gala's where I have been part of the entertainment, and not an actual guest.

 

This is why I love formal nights so much, it is really the one special chance I have to get all dressed up with my family and enjoy a sophisticated evening.

 

I was just wondering if there are others that don't have the formal occasions at home and love getting dressed up.

 

If you do have the formal occasions at home, what types of events are they? Are they as fun as a cruise.

 

Has anybody ever done a land based vacation where they had occasion to dress up?

[JJPNYC]

I've had many weddings that were black-tie.

 

The various business related dinners where some muckety-muck is getting an award.

 

Myriad social balls.

 

I also had a friend once throw a party just as an excuse to get all dressed up in our formal wear.

 

A Halloween party as part of a vampire costume.

 

Also I've been to a couple of award shows (Tony Awards) where a tux was needed.

 

I bought my tux 6 years ago and it has paid for itself many times over already and it keeps going & going.

[DIST-THDR]

Suzzane, I agree, that it is a shame that some of the cruise lines are going the casual route. We love to get dressed up on cruises and do so every night. My wife has 21 dresses packed for this next cruise and I have 12-15 dress shirts to wear with either Tux(Italian),white dinner jacket, new suit(also Italian) or sports jackets(5 formal nights). We only rarely get to dress up around here except for Hospital formals or New Years Eve. Its not a big social city. When they start getting too casual in the dining room, it's time to quit cruising and just go to a really nice resort.

We do have a closeout party at our Marina and get to dress up a little for that.

Phil

[Repsol Rod]

Wife and I are ballroom dancers so we like to get all dudded up when we hit the floor and we're dancing somewhere every week so we get to dress up often. I wouldn't say this is as much fun as a cruise but it ranks right up there with it.:D

 

Repsol

[cb at sea]

Some dances and charity events we attend are "black tie"--although I really detest trying to dance in a long evening gown (we're not talking "ballroom" dancing!") because strappy shoes get caught in the hem!

I usually wear cocktail length if dancing is involved!

[iheartbda]

Wife and I are ballroom dancers so we like to get all dudded up when we hit the floor and we're dancing somewhere every week so we get to dress up often. I wouldn't say this is as much fun as a cruise but it ranks right up there with it.:D

 

Repsol

 

Repso Rod

We're learning more about you everyday, first kilts now ballroom dancing. What othere secrest are you keeping?:)

 

Smoothdancer is also a ballroom dancer and has been giving some "inside" views on Dancing with the Stars. Are you following the show?

[GORDONCHICK]

Wife and I are ballroom dancers so we like to get all dudded up when we hit the floor and we're dancing somewhere every week so we get to dress up often. I wouldn't say this is as much fun as a cruise but it ranks right up there with it.:D

 

Repsol

 

I want to see you ballroom dance in a kilt!

[Repsol Rod]

Repso Rod

We're learning more about you everyday, first kilts now ballroom dancing. What othere secrest are you keeping?:)

 

Smoothdancer is also a ballroom dancer and has been giving some "inside" views on Dancing with the Stars. Are you following the show?

 

Wife and I never miss an episode.

We've been dancing for 6 years and just started teaching a dance class at our church. I also teach at the Library of Congress where I'm the LC Ballroom Dance Club President. I've been with the dance club for 5 years and send out weekly comentaries on Dancing with the Stars for those that can't catch the shows.

 

I also race motorcycles. That's me in my avatar.:D

 

Smoothdancer, nice to make your acquaintance.

 

Cruise AZ, didn't mean to hijack the thread.

 

Repsol

[Repsol Rod]

I want to see you ballroom dance in a kilt!

 

I might attempt a Waltz or Tango - maybe even a spirited Rumba - but I don't think I'll be doing any swing. :p

 

Rep

[iheartbda]

I might attempt a Waltz or Tango - maybe even a spirited Rumba - but I don't think I'll be doing any swing. :p

 

Rep

 

Could give a whole new meaning to swing if you go regimental.;) I know that was naughty but I couldn't help it.:D

 

Looking forward to any commentary you care to give on Dancing with the Stars.:)

[Cruise Arizona]

Here at home we live about 35 miles outside of Tucson, where my husband works. They really don't have dressy events at his offices, and its such a drive to get there we don't do much social stuff there.

 

For me I spend most of my time hauling the kids to dance lessons and sports, coaching cheerleading or helping out at the dance studio.

 

Years ago I used to do community theatre where we might have an opening night party or a awards gala where we dressed up, but now it seems like my dressiest occasions here at home are dance recitals. (I have a really nice long flamenco dress!!) I currently take flamenco and Mexican Folklorico.

 

I know that some people have busy social calendars with galas and weddings but here in the boonies, events like that are never formal. Heck people don't even dress up for funerals any more. I wore a nice skirt, boots and dressy silk shirt to one two weeks ago, but most people had on jeans.

 

We did have a New Years even dance where we were told that we could dress up if we wanted or wear jeans. 90% of the guys were in jeans, and about 50% of the ladies. The rest of us had on cocktail dresses

 

One of the Gala's I sang at was a very nice benefit for the local children's choir. All the men had on suits and many had on tuxes. The ladies had on fancy dresses. It was very nice to see people all dressed up. As a performer I wore a long gown for my singing. It was a dinner, show and auction type thing, no dancing.

 

 

It seems we do have a lot of dancers here on the fashion forum. Its kind of fun don't you think?

[cookingchick]

Last night when I was lamenting about formality seeming to go out the window on cruises, I was trying to think of an opportunity to dress either formal or "black tie" here at home or on a land based vacation.

 

The last formal occasion I went to was a Mardis Gras ball in Mobile about 14 years ago, it was white tie and long gowns.

 

Since then I have had only a few occasions to wear my dressiest clothes here on land, usually charity gala's where I have been part of the entertainment, and not an actual guest.

 

This is why I love formal nights so much, it is really the one special chance I have to get all dressed up with my family and enjoy a sophisticated evening.

 

I was just wondering if there are others that don't have the formal occasions at home and love getting dressed up.

 

If you do have the formal occasions at home, what types of events are they? Are they as fun as a cruise.

 

Has anybody ever done a land based vacation where they had occasion to dress up?

 

We do Mardi Gras balls in Mobile every year. DH owns 2 tuxes...one with tails and white tie for Mardi Gras and then a regular one for cruises and other events. The cruises allow him to "dress down" a bit for formal night and wear his regular tux...LOL. Since I have to wear a ballgown to Mardi Gras (no ankles can show!) it's nice to be able to wear shorter cocktail dresses on cruises...much easier to dance in as well.

 

Funny...no one ever questions the dress code for Mardi Gras balls. :rolleyes:

[smoothdancer]

Respol, nice to meet you too…and yes I would stay away from the swing in a kilt!

 

But you make a good point. The ballroom community is generally a group that dresses formally for its socials and a nice option for those who would enjoy attending formal functions when on land. There are many who like yourself give back to the community in the form of dance lessons at a minimal cost. Really, just 4 or 5 lessons would be enough for a beginner to have a fun dance night, develop a whole new circle of friends.

 

This month my husband and I just begin our 15th year of amateur competitive dance. The USA Dance regulations prevent amateur competitors from teaching. Once a competitor begins to teach they are then classified as a professional and can no longer enter Amateur Competitions, thus I will forever be a student of dance! Still, my hat is off to you for becoming a teacher of dance.

[Cruise Arizona]

Well there's an Idea, I could go to Mardis Gras in Mobile every year if the cruise lines all go casual.

 

I went to college at Spring Hill and had the opportunity to attend two ball when I was a student. One as a date and the other was through my Great Uncle who's in Fifty Funny Fellows. What fun those dances were.

 

A 14 years back I went with my parents, husband and some of their friends to either that ball or another one that my uncle could get us tickets for. Anyway it was a lot of fun. We went to the parade in the street all dressed up in our formal wear. The Mobile balls are so much fun because they are not just about formality and ceremony like the balls in New Orleans. And yes everyone is dressed for the event, Because everyone knows by word of mouth that you have to have a long gown or white tie to get in.

[Repsol Rod]

Wow! 15 years competing. Fantastic! At present, I'm volunteering my dance time but this fall my wife and I will begin training for bronze certification in 17 dances. The program - founded by Diane Jarmolow - is 16 months long so hopefully we will be able to start scoring some legitimate gigs soon. Here's my email rodneylwells@aol.com I'd like to talk to you off line about competition and your experiences over these 15 years.

 

Repsol

[cookingchick]

Well there's an Idea, I could go to Mardis Gras in Mobile every year if the cruise lines all go casual.

 

I went to college at Spring Hill and had the opportunity to attend two ball when I was a student. One as a date and the other was through my Great Uncle who's in Fifty Funny Fellows. What fun those dances were.

 

A 14 years back I went with my parents, husband and some of their friends to either that ball or another one that my uncle could get us tickets for. Anyway it was a lot of fun. We went to the parade in the street all dressed up in our formal wear. The Mobile balls are so much fun because they are not just about formality and ceremony like the balls in New Orleans. And yes everyone is dressed for the event, Because everyone knows by word of mouth that you have to have a long gown or white tie to get in.

 

Small world...Fifty Funny Fellows is the one ball we never miss! I love it because it's a non-parading krewe so you don't have to fight the crowds downtown to get to the ball. I also love that they have a regular band that plays contemporary music and an orchestra that plays big band standards so we can practice our ballroom. Some of the younger krewes have some crazy balls and bands to match!

 

Springhill College, eh? Great school. Are you from Mobile or did you just attend school here? We moved to this area 8 years ago from L.A. and really love it here...we live on the Eastern Shore. Personally, I'll take the Gulf Coast over the Pacific Ocean any day...LOL.

[Cruise Arizona]

My Mom's family is from Mobile. We joke because she went grade school to High School to College and her fist job.... all on Old Shell Road. I guess I loved the beauty of Mobile and the campus as I ended up there too, but I've lived all over in Atlanta, Florida, Texas and now AZ. Her Mother died last summer at her assisted living home in Missisippi, but we all traveled back to Mobile for her funeral.

 

We too love Gulf Shores, I've been going to the beach there with my Mom's extended family for over 30 years, probably for a total of at least 25 times. We have reserved a house there for the summer of 2009 for a big family reunion My mom's family, and all my cousins and their kids. It should be an adventure with about 30 of us in the one house... it sleeps 40 so we should have plenty of room.

 

Funny you mention about the music at the ball, I remember as a 20 year old having the best time in the big room with with big band music. My date and I really had fun trying to jitterbug ect...

[PJNJcruise5]

My husband and I are Ballroom dancers and we are attending our first blacktie dance this Spring. I was excited to wear my long gown from previous cruises. However I found and purchased a cocktail length dress because I don't want to trip on the long dress!. We love ballroom dancing because it gives us a chance to wear our cruise clothes. I am a stay at home Mom so I feel like Cinderella at the Ball when we go dancing.

[spartygrad95]

1. Prom

2. Groom

3. Academy Awards (for which you are a nominee)

 

In all due respect... Those are the only reasons to ever wear a black tie. Those days, thankfully, ARE GONE. You can all flame away, but I go to MANY charity dinners, fundraiser, etc, and NO ONE wears black tie anymore.

[Nebr.cruiser]

In our area, almost zero reasons to do formal wear unless you are : a. going to a prom b. part of a wedding party c. hmm, can't really think of a c; maybe some people have New Year's Eve parties, but the dressiest they would be is cocktail wear (jeans dressed up with nice tops and heels is more likely).

 

So I like formal nights as my one chance to really dress up. I'm not happy to hear of the new much more casual suggestions on Carnival.

[Persephone]

We go to several balls per year. We are also social ballroom dancers (standard and Latin dances), and almost all the balls we attend are black-tie functions. However, we have also been to several events where full evening dress was/is required (tailcoat, white tie, gloves, etc.).

 

In the United States, there are not many truly formal (white tie) events, but the diplomatic community has some, and there is an opera ball in New York http://vienneseoperaball.us/_details.php that requires full evening dress.

There are some other formal/semi-formal balls though:

 

http://www.sfwaltzingsociety.org/past%20balls07.htm and http://www.vienneseball.org/Details.php?id=2008%2003%2030%2002%2046%2014

 

http://www.vienneseball.org/Details.php?id=2008%2006%2017%2017%2038%2036

 

Here is a calender I found: http://www.vienneseball.org/calendar.php

 

 

If you ever plan a vacation in Europe, you could try to get tickets to the Vienna Opera Ball, the Military Officers' Ball at the Hofburg Palace or the Rudolfina Redoute in Vienna, Austria. My husband and I have attended all three. The Vienna Opera Ball is a spectacle, whereas the Officers' Ball and the Redoute, a traditional ball where ladies are requested to wear masks, are very elegant affairs with everyone either in full evening dress or dinner suits. Guests that are not properly dressed are not admitted.

 

Likewise in the UK, we have the May balls at Oxford and Cambridge, some of which are still white tie, but they are not usually open to the public. I haven't been in more than a decade, so I don't know how much has changed.

[Persephone]

 

In all due respect... Those are the only reasons to ever wear a black tie. Those days, thankfully, ARE GONE. You can all flame away, but I go to MANY charity dinners, fundraiser, etc, and NO ONE wears black tie anymore.

 

I would never "flame away," but what about these events? BTW, they are all fairly recent events (2006 and 2007).

 

 

 

 

 

Are all these people nobody? Because that's quite an amazing number of no ones....

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Ah, Persephone...

 

All of your replies in the various threads to Sparty are falling on "deaf ears".

He was our resident Fashion Rebel without a Cause, but decided that he doesn't like cruising anymore.

Therefore doesn't post on the boards.

 

But, I love the pictures and wondering if any of them are you and your DH?

;)

 

 

Back on the OT...

In most states, if you do searches for cotillions you will find several events.

And some that need ladies and gentlemen to help with raising awareness and participation.

 

[Persephone]

Ah, Persephone...

 

All of your replies in the various threads to Sparty are falling on "deaf ears".

He was our resident Fashion Rebel without a Cause, but decided that he doesn't like cruising anymore.

Therefore doesn't post on the boards.

 

Bonjour, Monsieur Wild. It is a pleasure to meet you again. I see, Sparty (not named after Spartacus, I assume, since he was a rebel with a cause) has departed. I know I should not even have responded, but I got a bit upset at the statement "no one wears black tie anymore" in capital letters, the online equivalent of screaming.

 

But, I love the pictures and wondering if any of them are you and your DH?

;)

Thank you. As a matter of fact, you can see my husband in one of the photos (second from the top). He's the gentleman dancing with the lady in the pale blue chiffon gown (not me, since I took the picture). We were at a table with several people, and since there was one lady without a partner, all the gentlemen danced with her, as well as with the other ladies at the table.

 

This is me at a black tie embassy reception wearing a simple chocolate evening gown with ivory gloves (not visible), a matching wrap (also not visible) and pearls.

 

 

[RI-Sailor]

If you look for formal events you'll find them. I wore my long formal gowns on my cruise, at a dance, and at a fundraiser (volunteering) in May.

 

The dance was a modern English Country dance with a "Formal or Historical" dress code (but I'm still trying to figure out which historical period the one guy in a t-shirt was trying to recreate! :rolleyes: ).