Formal weddings, military balls, formal dinners, opening gala event at the opera, formal weddings, high school proms, debutante cotillions, special diplomatic or consular banquet, formal dances, diplomatic events, formal garden parties, most Hollywood red carpet events are special occasions where a long formal dress will be the appropriate choice of attire.

The most formal occasions are either black tie or white tie events with the latter being more formal of the two. To attend a white tie event a stunning ball gown or full-length evening gown is a must. According to the rules governing formal attire, ball gowns and evening gowns were once differentiated by the fullness of the skirt of the dress and the modesty on the top. Evening gowns tended to be more revealing, featuring a strapless top. Ball gowns with slightly more modest bodice designs had full skirts. Today, many ball gown designs are strapless with extravagant skirt treatments. The most common "formal dress code" invitations fall into the Black Tie category. As the definition of black-tie formal dress has evolved, the dress etiquette standards for some black tie events may be a little more lenient than those for white tie events, allowing for more variety in the style of the formal dress.

You will find during your search for a formal dress that here are many wonderful formal dress styles that are appropriate for all different formal occasions. Formal dress silhouettes range from glamorous A-line, fitted, or sheath, to the full out fairy tale ball gown. A formal dress may have an empire, natural, "Basque," princess cut or dropped waist waistline treatment. Formal dress neckline treatments include off the shoulder, halter-strap, portrait , spaghetti straps, scoop, strapless, v-neck, sweet-heart, and jewel.

The formal dress style that you ultimately choose not only should be appropriate for the occasion, but also be appropriate for the your body type. You want a formal dress to emphasis your positive features. For example a woman with wider hips will look good with a draped, slightly fuller skirted gown. Puffy ball gowns will make a full figured woman appear heavy, but would be perfect for a woman who is slimmer. Draped, A-line silhouettes flatter the fuller figured woman.

In addition to a beautiful collection of wedding dresses, and bridesmaid dresses, AllureBridals features a wide variety of lovely formal dresses. No matter what the occasion , AllureBridals.com makes it easier for you to choose a style that would be most appropriate and flattering for your formal dress code event. You will find modest dresses, extravagant gowns with beautiful embellishments appropriate for the most formal of occasions, as well as cocktail dresses and dressy separates. As you peruse our extensive collections, you will notice AllureBridals' extraordinary formal dresses feature different cuts, shapes, and colors and are available in many sizes, suiting women of all figures.

Since AllureBridals does not sell directly to the public, use our convenient store location tool to find an Allure authorized retailer near you. Make AllureBridals.com your first stop in your search for the perfect formal dress.