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Oxford Formalwear

I was going through the 2006 Freshers Thread (http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=258243&page=13) and found sixthirtythree's post

sixthirtythree

I think the events mentioned are:
Matriculation dinner: I went in a cocktail dress, sadly only one other person did. My advice: don't. Do smart skirt and smart top. Or smart trousers/smart top. Or smartish jersey dress.
Formal hall: Roughly the same as above. On special occasions, you do see clothing closer to black tie for things like birthdays.

I'll be running a thread on this in the Merton Freshers' forum (you'll get a password about this soon).

So, different levels of formalness in Oxford:

Formal/ jacket and tie: smart top/smart skirt, or a dress from Miss Selfridge or Topshop type of thing, for example: this dress or a smart going out top

College black tie, so subject dinners etc/cocktail : Cocktail dress usually, so silk dress of knee/calf length or above, for example: this or this or this

Black tie proper (outside balls, College Balls): Knee length and below, for example: this black dress or this amazing dress

This dress would be okay for either a black tie or a cocktail event. This is the best sort of dress to buy. Same with this dress

White tie ball: Wham Bham ball gown, which I think we can all imagine.

I think I went to three black tie events in my first term (two college, one ball) and this term, I'll be going to four or five. So bring appropriate dresses :smile:

I would suggest bringing two dresses that can pass for either black tie or cocktail, or just one of each. If in doubt, go for the less formal dress as it's harder to pull off a full length dress.

Remember that posh silk tops and long skirt combos are also good! Especially corsets + long silk skirts.

especially nice, because it is explicit.

Could someone provide an equivalent for males?

(I have used the search and am still going through threads, but I have yet to find a male analogue that is just as clear.)

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Reply 1

F1 fanatic

sonar

I was going through the 2006 Freshers Thread (http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=258243&page=13) and found sixthirtythree's post especially nice, because it is explicit.

Could someone provide an equivalent for males?

(I have used the search and am still going through threads, but I have yet to find a male analogue that is just as clear.)

Males is easier really:

Matriculation/Exams:

Dark suit
White shirt with normal collar
White bow tie
gown
Dark shoes/socks

Black Tie:
Well... black tie. Either full dinner jacket or suit with black tie depending on how fancy it is and whether you want to.

White tie doesn't occur very often, there's a couple of white tie balls and that's it. The rest of the time you can get by on the above. No need to keep buying dresses etc.

Formal halls/college events
Shirt, smart trousers and a tie will do the job. You don't need the full black tie except for proper black tie dinners.

Reply 2

cpchem

The reason it's not there is because the clues are in the titles.
Jacket and tie... clear enough.
Black tie - ie dinner jacket, trousers, dress shirt, black bow tie.
White tie - you'll only need this very rarely, if at all. Hire it if you do.

Reply 3

LatinMachine

You might want white tie more if you join the Conservative Association - the only people I know who wear white tie usually do so for some of their events.

Reply 4

sonar

Thanks for the clarification.

Reply 5

thomasjtl

ben tansey said he spent £700 on his white tie outfit, which he needed as union secretary. Seriously kids, for all you'd wear it you'd be better off renting, unless you get elected to a top union office. Even then, only buy it after you get elected- such things are never guarenteed.

Reply 6

Miaowy

What would be really terrific is if anyone has any more pictures of the appropiate type dresses, as the ones above are ebay and thus the listings have ended. Any help would be appreciated!

Reply 7

LatinMachine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tie :biggrin:

You can white tie for a bit less than £700, if you buy a pre-made one that's about the right size then get it altered. I went with my ex to Ede and Ravenscroft to get his, which was a tailoring experience I'll never forget. I sat there looking rather downmarket and attempting to be ladylike :P I've still never been to a proper white tie event **sigh** I bought a full skirted floor length halter dress for Blenheim this year, which would do for white tie, but all my friends went in black tie and all the men were only wearing black tie so I felt a bit overdressed. Might be useful one day, when I get invited to a banquet.... ?

For black tie - think James Bond.

Reply 8

Athena

Hmm, I'll have a look online for some piccies that are suitable :smile:

Reply 9

Quistis

Sixthirtythree's advice is fantastic and very explicit, but just wanted to make one note: lots of girls do wear silk dresses for black tie events (posh college dinners and the less expensive balls), but I don't own a silk dress - they do look lovely and beautiful, but if you own a couple of dresses that are smart-looking and calf-length already, please don't feel you need to go out and spend more money on a silk one. Other materials are more than okay for dinners, and "prom" type dresses are fine for the cheaper balls. If you have money spare and want to be the belle of every event, by all means do invest in yet more dresses, but if you don't have the money, don't think you'll look out of place.

Also, GIRLS, SHOP ON EBAY. I got a beautiful unworn Laura Ashley "wham bam"-type dress for £10. (Haven't worn it yet as it's bottle green so looks too dark for summer balls, but am hoping to go to a ball this Michaelmas and am going to wear it :biggrin:

)

Athena - lovely, helpful Athena - when you post piccies, can you please include some that you think would be suitable for a white tie ball? I am hoping my boyfriend will get tickets to next year's Commem Ball (Worcester) and I've only been to a couple of balls in my first two years at Ox, all "cheap" (less than £50 a ticket), so I just wore a prom dress type of thing. My mum has said she'll buy me a proper full-length amazing ballgown, and it'd be great to have some indication of what other girls would think suitable - I have no sense of style or occasion whatsoever, and actually went to my first ever Oxford ball in a tea dress because I thought, "oh, tickets only cost £20, nobody'll dress up". How wrong I was...

Reply 10

Athena

Hehe, I'll do my best! But if you look at the New College ball pics of any friends you may know who attended (£160 a ticket dining), you'll see some of the dresses weren't that different to those worn to cheaper balls (say Wadham's :smile:

) but I'll do some stalking on facebook/ebay!

Reply 11

Miaowy

Thanks Athena for keeping an eye out! I really want to get a couple now. Atm I can't afford more than 3 dresses probably, and absolutely def not that much more than a hundred each.

Reply 12

Athena

Miaowy

Thanks Athena for keeping an eye out! I really want to get a couple now. Atm I can't afford more than 3 dresses probably, and absolutely def not that much more than a hundred each.

My ball dresses were all between £54 and £75 each (Monsoon sale); my subject dinner dress was £25 from Next in the sales; you can get good stuff from ebay/second hand/vintage/from factory shops.

Reply 13

Elles

Quistis

Athena - lovely, helpful Athena - when you post piccies, can you please include some that you think would be suitable for a white tie ball? I am hoping my boyfriend will get tickets to next year's Commem Ball (Worcester) and I've only been to a couple of balls in my first two years at Ox, all "cheap" (less than £50 a ticket), so I just wore a prom dress type of thing. My mum has said she'll buy me a proper full-length amazing ballgown, and it'd be great to have some indication of what other girls would think suitable - I have no sense of style or occasion whatsoever, and actually went to my first ever Oxford ball in a tea dress because I thought, "oh, tickets only cost £20, nobody'll dress up". How wrong I was...

Some have no idea, we contemplated fashion police at a Ball my friend chairperson-ed... :p:

For white tie I think full length - doesn't necessarily need to be poofy though. By the power that is multimedia I'll send you some on facebook from Trinity 2005 & Magdalen 2006. :wink:

Totally agree with you about ebay. I don't think it's worth spending vast sums of money on a Ball dress if you would feel upset with wine/chocolate/ketchup/oil/grass stains on it (all quite likely...) & just popping into Monsoon/Debs to get something a few weeks before means quite an accessorizing challenge if you don't want too many clones!

Reply 14

Miaowy

Athena

My ball dresses were all between £54 and £75 each (Monsoon sale); my subject dinner dress was £25 from Next in the sales; you can get good stuff from ebay/second hand/vintage/from factory shops.

Thanks muchly for the pics Athena, they were a great help! And for the price reassurance as well. (Loved the dress by the way!)

This might sound a bit cheeky, but if anyone happens to be trawling and spots a decent dress on whatever site that they can't use themselves, please drop me a line, cause I'm having real trouble finding *anything* at the moment! Size 10/12, any colour. Thanks ^_^

Reply 15

FathomThis

This is all very confusing to me :confused:

I didn't even know about black tie/white tie etc. We didn't have a dress code for our school prom, although of course everyone wore suits/tuxes/dresses/smart stuff. So.. how many dresses do you think I'll need for my first term? I do own a couple so I should be ok (although they're all black - I'm not very adventurous!). How many balls/what types does the average person attend per term/year?

Reply 16

Quistis

It depends on the person. I attended one ball (the Hilda's Arts Fest Ball) in my first year, and two (Arts Fest again, and a Union ball at Blenheim) in my second year. Hoping to go to two again next year (subject society ball and boyfriend's college's Commemoration Ball). However, I have friends who go to two or three balls or other black-tie events a term. It depends on how much money you're happy to spend socialising (ball tickets can cost from around £25 for Arts Fest, to around £50 for Union and subject society balls, to £70ish for black-tie college balls, to around £150 for Commemoration Balls), and whether your friends go to balls or not.

As for how many dresses you'll need in your first term - most balls are in the summer, but there are some in every term, so there will be balls in Michaelmas - the Union ball, a couple of college balls, and some subject society balls. But by no means should you feel you need to go to them - you'll have three years at Oxford at least, so there's no need to rush your Oxford experiences. :p:

I see you'll be at Hilda's - I'm at Hilda's so I can be of some help with college-related events. :smile:

There will be a matriculation dinner in first week in which you dine with your fellow Freshers and your tutor - I wore black pants and a smart top, though lots of the other girls wore dresses and I'd recommend one of your less formal black dresses. There will be a Guest Night Dinner in 5th or 6th week, and pretty much all the girls wear dresses to that - but by no means does the dress have to be formal; I've worn above-the-knee dresses to GND before! So again, one of your black dresses should be fine. Also, plenty of people dress up for our weekly Formal Hall, although black trousers and a pretty top is fine, and you'd look overdressed in a black tie-type dress. So I'd say just bring the dresses you have, and any smart tops and trousers/skirts that you have - don't buy anything else! If you have a couple of dresses and don't mind being seen in them more than once, that should be more than enough :smile:

Taking the long view... maybe talk to Mum and Dad about hitting the post-Christmas or Easter sales in somewhere like Monsoon/Warehouse/Oasis (or if you're richer than me, somewhere posher :p:

)? Sales really are wondrous things and make formalwear fairly affordable. I got a calf-length black-tie dress I wore to both the balls I attended in second year for in the Monsoon Easter sale - it had been £120, but was reduced to £40! Then Mum took me shopping in July, and I got: a prom dress for subject dinners/my 21st from Warehouse - which had been on sale for £120 but which we got for, again, £40; an above-the-knee black dress from Oasis - was £20, reduced from £60; and a black-and-cream geisha-front flippy-skirt dress of beauty and randomness, from some random concession in Lewis's, which was £10 reduced from £40. Okay, I'm going to stop bragging about bargains now, but eeeeee, so much pretty stuff!

Reply 17

Athena

;yes; The sales are your friend - I drove to the Bullring in Birmingham, with glandular fever (sore throat, bad back, puffy face...) to get two dresses for balls /subject dinners/parties this year :smile:

I know have three very nice ball-type dresses (one over from Y13 prom) that will probably get me through all of second year and (hopefully) third year, although I may succumb and buy another :p:

I actually think I spend more an accessories (shoes, handbags) that I do on the dresses themselves most of the time! I think my next sale-shopping trip will be to get shoes, bags and jewelry cheaply :biggrin:

Reply 18

Miaowy

Thanks for your help Athena! If I put some pics up of dresses I might buy would you tell me if they are suitable? Thanks again