With all the sartorial confusion that can follow after an invitation to a black tie event, we asked three socialites this month to give us their opinion on the right way to dress to impress.

Olivia Buckingham

Fashion Stylist

Strict dress codes rules have lowered and hem lines have risen! I am not advocating a thigh skimming lingerie inspired dress, but those in the know hopefully wouldn't dress like that to a black tie affair. As long as you are dressed appropriately in an elegant and chic manner, then by all means a cocktail dress definitely gets my seal of approval. Even the ultimate little black dress can be given an updated look by way of accessories which, in my mind, are key when dressing "black tie". Whether it be a killer heel, an array of diamonds or a bright red lip, add ons can transform any outfit.

I would also say it's okay to play with styles. "Black tie" doesn't have to mean wearing black. Some people might have said I was pushing the boundaries when I rocked up to The Film Aid Gala wearing a Roksanda Illincic cut out tangerine crepe jumpsuit, but it received a well rounded applause. In the words of the great and late Yves Saint Laurent: "I saw the spirit of the people who bought ready-to-wear is more adapted to the life of today, more receptive to change."

 

Sharie Ross Tse

Editor of Glamaross.com and member of the British Fashion Council

Just because your Zuhair Murad cocktail dress cost HK$888,888 doesn’t make it acceptable black-tie attire, nor does the HK$120,000 price tag for your limited-edition jeans allow you to get away with, “Yes, I know they’re denim, but they cost…” All too often guests forget what is appropriate for a black-tie event and concentrate on the price of a garment or the wow factor—“How will I look?”

I'm not sure exactly when “black tie/formal” became “cocktail/no tie”, but when attending grand events where society, culture and performance are at play, full-length gowns and black tie are de rigueur; it’s an important tradition to show respect to the host as well as yourself. Seasoned society guests think about the purpose of the event, the environment and the dress code and outfit themselves appropriately. Furthermore, it’s from these glamorous black-tie affairs that fashion takes its cues.

We must reignite glamour and formality in society when the host calls for it. We must respect the wishes of the host of an event or wedding. If they wanted cocktail dresses rather than formal gowns, they would have specified that on the invitation. I look forward to seeing everyone dressed to the nines at the next black-tie extravaganza.

 

Tania Mohan

Founder of clothing and accesories label Tabia

Long gone are the days when to be fashionable meant you had to follow the herd. The term black tie was coined in a conservative era when expression through dress was strongly dictated by rigid rules and expectations. That’s so 19th century. Today, with the evolution of society, dress has become a strong form of self-expression for women.

Yes, black tie certainly denotes an occasion is formal and that a high degree of respect is due to the event and its host. But true glamour, which after all is what black tie is all about, is no longer the sole domain of long gowns. It’s about having confidence in your dress sense while paying due respect to the formality of the occasion. A chic short lace cocktail dress worn with stunning diamonds, great legs and a 100-Watt smile pays your host respect without compromising your dress sense.

Long or short, cocktail or sari, if you dress with class and confidence you will be true to yourself and your host, and that’s what modern-day fashion is all about. The perfect black tie event can easily and respectfully be rocked in the ultimate cocktail dress.