Gala Dinner Galore! What I wore

July 04, 2013




Is it just me or is finding the right dress for formal do's  like weddings, black tie events and gala dinners a pain? I imagine that occasions like these are the closest thing we get to knowing what celebrities go through during award season, but clearly without the same budget or array of top stylist advice. 
Budget plays a huge part for me when choosing an outfit for a specific occasion as I just can't justify paying hundreds of pounds on something I will only wear a handful of times.

I was invited as a plus one to a pretty spectacular gala dinner at the Old Billingsgate last week and though I had a few weeks to shop around, I had a bit of a nightmare finding exactly what I wanted. 

I suppose I could have gone for one of my trusted pencil body con dresses but I really wanted something a bit more special and gown like. The ideal budget in my mind was around £75 but no more than £100 as I wanted something that was good quality and elegant but reasonable.

As per usual, on the eleventh hour Zara saved the day, and as I rummaged through the crowds and the sales on Oxford St, I found  my dress! The style has a Grecian summer feel to it, with its  long, white cross over neckline and embroidery detail at the waist. Being a bit of a short arse at 5"4,  I did need my 7 inch heels to pull it off (as I didn't even have time to have it taken up) along with a plaited gold belt to nip me in at the waist a bit more ( thanks to my work mate Hannah for letting me borrow it).
Seeing the dress online  doesn't really do it justice as it probably looks a bit more casual than what you would wear for a formal event. This just goes to show that it's all about how to  put things together to make it work for you. The best thing about this purchase is that I got it on sale for £20.00 reduced from £40.00! BARGAIN!
In terms of accessories, I wore  my Topshop peep toe heels, my trusted Chanel Caviar clutch  (an investment piece from many years back) along with some gold jewellery. It's safe to say that the dress was a huge success as I got lots of comments and compliments, with even a few people asking me where I  bought it from. You really don't need to spend lots of money on an outfit for a special occasion as long as you give yourself enough time to look,  patience to rummage and an eye for a good bargain!  :-) 










[IMAGES COURTESY OF ZARA.CO.UK ]







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