What is proper formal wear and etiquette for a civilian attending a military ball?

Answer 1

I am the wife of a 32 year Army Officer and I have been to more formal balls than I can count. As the date of a military man, your attire is very important to him, the military is very strict on dress codes and you don't want to wear the wrong type of dress, it could reflect poorly on him. You'll need a ball gown that is floor length. Floor length is the key, here. A Prom dress is not appropriate, nor is a cocktail dress. When shopping, make sure to ask the sales person for a "ball gown" or "formal evening gown". Also, choose a color that is sophisticated, not "shocking"......red, royal blue, black, yellow are fine - neon green is not.

I've posted 2 links here, this first one shows examples of what NOT to wear.
http://www.faviana.com/main_detail.php?val=1&PHPSESSID=66f71262a1031608c6088a6abcfece8b

This link shows examples of what would be appropriate:
http://www.gownsbysimpleelegance.com/gowns/BG.html

Have a great time and I hope I've helped you.

Answer 2

1) Not to be a party pooper, but you should Definitely wear pantyhose under your dress, no matter how long it is. It is just a part of formal wear and you'll be glad you did. Your feet won't sweat or stick to the bottoms of the insides of your shoes, and hose always give you a much classier, more finished look. I would recommend Not wearing tights, and Not wearing any texture like lace. The prettiest hose are the Sheer kind that have a little shimmer to them. 2) You can definitely wear open toe shoes with hose, but you might want to try those non-slip pads you stick to the inside of your shoe so your foot doesn't slide all the way to the front because of the hose. Or you can do a peep-toe shoe, the kind that shows only a toe. They're very cute and trendy right now. Also, be sure to get hose that are Sheer To The Toe, and have no seam or line or extra No-Tear support that you will be able to see through your shoes. 3) Since it is a ball, wear a floor length gown. I'd say any color is fine whether it is black or bright and springy, and any sleeve type is fine. I would just make sure it is a solid color. 4)Definitely do not ask your husband to go alone. Would you want him to do that to you? He probably doesn't want to go at all, but has to, and would definitely not want to go without YOU! You'll have a great time! Friendly suggestion: go to the salon and get a pretty up-do a few hours before. You'll have fun and it'll relax you.

Answer 3

After 5 dress usually Black works well
below knee is usually better than a mini
hair done like for a prom
less cleavage
more discreet

Answer 4

Since you are female I am assuming this is for you. You should wear a dress much like one you would wear to a school dance/prom. For a guy a nice dark suit n tie or a tux. Have fun!!

Answer 5

male? suit and tie unless it's ultra formal, then, a tux.
female? if this is an actual ball, a longer gown is appropriate.

Answer 6

Yes I agree with what's been said so far

Answer 7

I wore long gowns w/matching gloves; Jewelry: Keep it simple w/white pearls (necklace, earrings). I loved attending the Galas & Officer Balls w/my dad when he was alive. As a ret officer & Marine, he felt obligated to attend & I loved spending the evening w/him as his +1; Dad had that fatherly/Marine intimidation glare down to a science & art form tho' to me, he was actually quite regal looking in his dress uniform. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a sense of pride as younger, lower-ranking officers snapped to attention & saluted him as we passed by but it was nothing compared to the young officers who possessed the proverbial stones to approach Dad to ask permission to ask me for a dance; although, I always saved plenty of dances for Dad & played a bit of matchmaking for him too. lol! (he wasn't my birth father but rather a stepfather who was in every sense of the word my dad; he raised me from the time I was a few weeks old to about 8yrs old but there's a gap, aka repressed memory, btw my birth mother's leaving him & reconciling w/the SOB who was my birth father/sperm donor... The woman I knew as Mom wasn't my birth mother; she was the oldest sister of my birth mother & the only Mom I ever knew. I found Dad after having moved within 10mi of where he lived & since I had memories of him even tho I was told he died, which is why I thought for yrs I was adopted by the abusive alkie b-tard who beat on us, esp when drunk & my sib & me were nothing more than geographically convenient & collateral damage until I was able to get us out not long after turning 16) Dad & I found each other quite by accident.I was living in a 4-story walk-up loft w/a fireplace, balcony, & roof access along w/permission to use an old greenhouse w/part being a pottery studio & the other is where I grew my herbs for cooking & others I used in homeopathic medicine as taught by a few of my family's elders. I was smart enough to work hard, save well, & care for my younger sibling while working 2, 3, & even 4 jobs & had the skills to service my truck (2wd/4wd capable of making switch from the cab) & sat high off the ground req'g a step for me to reach the seat, even in 5-6in stiletto ankle boots or pumps. In addition, I did my own service work on my motorcycle as well. Dad wasn't pleased w/my bike but he was ok with the truck bc it handled well in winter w/the snowfall we had. He knew I wanted to make it on my own but he thought I was too thin from overwork, which wasn't far from the truth bc I did end up in the hospital for dehydration & exhaustion. He would pay 3 to 6mos of my sibling's private school fees; I don't know how he managed to get Mother Superior to agree to not telling me he was covering the private school tuition & fees; all she told me was that a benefactor donated a grant that my sibling was best suited to receive; hwr, in hindsight, she did allow me to enroll my sibling even tho we were not Catholic or even Christian for that matter. We followed more our Native American beliefs than anything. Some yrs later, I began to follow the teachings of Buddhism. Either way, I was thankful she accepted the enrollment regardless of our beliefs & ethnicity. Plus, I had a great deal of respect for her & it seemed reciprocated.

Dad still cont'd his 10-mile run every morning before work & since I had been in a routine of taking 5-mile down & back runs on the beach followed by a 5-mile down & back swim, & last was the 5-mile down & back workout on a Kodiak paddle board w/a single double-sided oar. I never accomplished the ability to go kayaking but I did well on white-water rafting trips & rock-climbing. Even Dad felt the connection as strongly as I did considering how much we had in common despite Mother's claim he wasn't my birth father. We had our coffee & muffins at a cafe not far from my loft each morning as we watched the sculler teams working out then after the stretching exercises, we took our 10-mile runs every morning together. He was still walking 5-miles a day in his mid- to late-80s! Mom (also a ret'd Marine) passed away 11yrs ago this year & I lost Dad about a year & a half ago so I feel more like an orphaned adult & miss them so much...

Serving their 20 - 25 yrs then retiring from the Marines worked in both Mom & Dad's favors. They came away with skills that allowed them to work in fields where they were capable of living a comfortable life & their military pension was just icing on top. They retired twice and both cont'd to work in service-assoc'd fields. Mom became a foster mom & Dad served as a police officer who worked his way up to a State Trooper then later a police detective & in his late 70s/early 80s he was a volunteer firefighter until a fellow firefighter found him collapsed on the side of the road on his way back while on his 5-mile walk w/his dogs. He req'd 4 stents in his heart & wasn't able to return to firefighting. Plus, they found he had glaucoma too. It broke my heart b/c like Mom, he needed to do something to stay busy & he did best when serving the public but his heart wouldn't allow it, plus his age was catching up with him too. As for Mom, the autoimmune diseases were attacking her vital organs so she had to slow down considerably too for that reason & the pain had become unbearable to allow her to properly care for more girls so after the last one graduated high school and headed into college, she resigned from the Foster-care program but it didn't stop her foster daughters from coming back to see her, we attended their college graduations, weddings, new babies, etc... even Dad came along with us. They weren't married or even attracted to one another but they had a healthy dose of respect for each other along w/their love of me, my sib-turn-child, then DH, and finally 2 more grandchildren! Both said that their time in the Marines prepared them for life outside the military as much as it did within the military. So I can't argue against making the career choice of being a lifer in the Marines, tho I do recommend getting as much education as you can take on b/c it will help you move up in rank as well as bring more offers your way while in the Marines & especially after you put in your 20yrs before retiring.