Sue,

I have to attend a multitude of 'little black dress' events. I hate them. Discovered that my best solution was to 'invest' in one perfect-fitting black suit. Then, keep handy a variety of seasonal tops with bling. For jewelry, I stick with my DH's gift of 18" & 22" pearls & 18K gold hoop earings. The size of my hoops depends on the event...sometimes, I wear 2" but if it's really a jazzy event I keep them to 1" or under.

Shoes...I'm most comfortable in heels & the higher the better 'cause I've got the most ridiculously high arch of any person on the planet. It was a killer for me when heels sorta went out of style a bit in the 90s. Now, I'm happy as punch! Anyway, a strappy black heel will dress up the suit also.

So, black suit with silk shirt, pearls, gold earrings, & zippy shoes, & you are set.

Personally, I think you could sub a black pantsuit for the standard skirt/jacket & be just fine. Gosh, if Hillary can wear them to the White House...we can wear them anywhere!

So, my suggestion would be to go shopping for something that can do a multitude of duties. Buy quality & make sure it really fits (have it altered, if necessary). You'll be glad you to have that suit in your closet. Stick with classic...no 6" lapels! lol A classic black suit will take you from sexy to the boardroom to the Ritz-Carlton.

/tricia

Not even one dress in my closet, so it would be a dressy pant thing for me.

Nancy

A dressy (pants) silk suit would be lovely (I rarely wear skirts or dresses), especially if you have a sparkly or shimmering blouse underneath.

I have a couple of silk suits just for that purpose. I've gotten two very nice silk suits recently at the Dress Barn, so don't think you'll have to spend huge amounts of money to get something that looks good. I'll wear one to my daughter's rehearsal dinner (I'll probably wear a dress to the wedding). I wear no more than about 1" heels. Since I don't wear heels often, my feet don't adjust well to them, so the lower the better. No sense toppling over and calling attention to myself!! And a nice handbag - small and pretty. You'll be good for years to come.

Enjoy

I'm almost always in a pants outfit. I have a longish dress from DD's wedding and a couple of full ankle length skirts, but pants for an event like that are almost always appropriate. Full formal I've seen women in tuxedos or filmy chiffon or beaded tops over dressy pants. Don't stress it.

I go to these sorts of things all the time, related to work. Lord, I hate them. I'd like them better of I was there as a guest, I suppose.

Anyway, Tricia did a good job of explaining what will work. I find there is usually a wide interpretation of "semi-formal".

I wear pants suits all the time to these events and so do many female others. You will find that there are a lot of them that are very feminine so don't think you have to look like you stole something from your husband's closet.

Accessories and a pretty top can make a pants suit look quite nice. I love the look of a pretty pedicure and strappy high heel sandals.

Have fun.

I agree, pants are fine. I see women in soft, dressy, attractive slacks at all types of political and formal/semi-formal event.

Black is my favotite. It's dressy, goes with everything and people don't notice as much when I spill things, which I do regularly. I usually do the dress and heels routine, but I think I'm in the minority here.

Annie

I agree with everyone, wear a great black pants suit, a super fun top and add some bling. Strappy black sandals, a fab little black evening bag and you are all set.

Or you could do something like the one in the link.....

Here is a link that might be useful: suit at penneys available in black

Remember..."Cocktail reception" means you will be standing for 2 hours....so start with the shoes!
Keeping in mind your lack of "itsy-bitsy size 4" proportions, I would look for a pair of "floaty" wide legged pants, a takn top and a "floaty" jacket.
Long drippy earrings and comfortable shoes.
Or you couldw eat skinny pants and av ery long ( below hip length) jacket....sort of the Liza Minelli look.And...have fun!
Linda C

Macy's has some lovely tailored classic black suits if you have one nearby, and can afford to splurge on a really good suit. Add a pretty silk blouse underneath and you are set! You can try adding a touch of color with some pretty shoes. I hate trying to dress for events, it seems to get harder every year. We are going to a wedding on Thursday evening for one of my hubby's employees and I got a new black dress that I'm pairing with a pair of dark red patent leather peep-toe pumps.

Thanks everyone - I'm going to look for a tailored suit that's a little feminine looking so it can do double-duty for any events I need to attend for school. Will let you know what I find :)

Sue

Sue, go with wide-legged pants - they're great. Very flattering. I have several pair I dress down for work and dress up for evening. Coldwater Creek has some nice ones - soft poly crepe - machine washable and dry wrinkle-free, no fading or shrinking either. I wore them with a simple top that had some silver sequins and silver low-wedged thong sandals to a concert on Sunday. No jacket. To me, the jacket is too corporate. If that's what you want, wear one, but I'd ditch it.