The Official 2014 Black & White Ball Dress Code and Attire Questions Thread

[Nina Star 9]

Helo! I have a question.

I am planning on wearing a cosplay that is not to dress code as-is because the highest part of the skirt is well above my knees. I was thinking of wearing a pair of knee-length lolta-style bloomers underneath. Would this be aceptable, and if not, what can I do to make this cosplay fit dress code while still keeping its aesthetic? (I can wear a longer skirt under it, but it wouldn't fit the look as well)

thanks

[princesskitty18]

Helo! I have a question.

I am planning on wearing a cosplay that is not to dress code as-is because the highest part of the skirt is well above my knees. I was thinking of wearing a pair of knee-length lolta-style bloomers underneath. Would this be aceptable, and if not, what can I do to make this cosplay fit dress code while still keeping its aesthetic? (I can wear a longer skirt under it, but it wouldn't fit the look as well)

thanks

i would say that anything underneath that'll cover down to your kenes would be acceptable. either like a slip or something.
i cant say anything about the bloomers...cuz i actually have no idea what that is XD

but if you feel comfortable wearing it, it looks good with your cosplay, AND it'll cover u to below the knee, then i don't see why it should be a problem

[tanpopoyamazaki]

http://www.amazon.com/HE03410BK18-Pretty-Double-V-neck-Bridesmaid/dp/B00CZ65IVS/ref=sr_1_67?ie=UTF8&qid=1396937649&sr=8-67&keywords=plus+size+evening+dresses is a dress like this ok?

[princesskitty18]

http://www.amazon.com/HE03410BK18-Pretty-Double-V-neck-Bridesmaid/dp/B00CZ65IVS/ref=sr_1_67?ie=UTF8&qid=1396937649&sr=8-67&keywords=plus+size+evening+dresses is a dress like this ok?

mmm...from pictures i can see that it falls juuuuust right about the knee but we need to make absolutely sure that it'll be below the knees.
if ur able to add some sort of fabric or maybe a shift underneath it that'll cover below the knees then that'd be okay

another way of testing is to do the kneeling test.
while wearing the dress and having your back straight and all, kneel on a hard surface
if the dress doesn't touch the floor then its still considered too short

hope that helps

[Wabbit98]

http://www.amazon.com/HE03410BK18-Pretty-Double-V-neck-Bridesmaid/dp/B00CZ65IVS/ref=sr_1_67?ie=UTF8&qid=1396937649&sr=8-67&keywords=plus+size+evening+dresses is a dress like this ok?

On you does the part underneath the sheer part go to your knees is basically something you have to find out.

Now the chair test is a good idea to test out before hand.

[Ruzuki]

Hi,
I was just wondering, are there any restrictions on the types of soles for the shoes? I know some formal ballrooms dont like you to have certain kinds of soles, and the shoes I want to wear Im not sure meet those requirements.... Its very hard to find shoes that meet ballroom requirements, really.

Also, My dress meets all the requirements, but Im uncomfortable showing my shoulders and arms as much as that dress shows, so when I wear it to other events I usually wear a shawl over it. There isnt any mention if shawls are allowed or not. Is wearing a shawl with a pin to keep it on ok?

[Alyxiane]

Hi! Just a question on the shoes. What's the stance on wedges? The pair I'm considering purchasing is a little smaller than the nickel at the tip but since the pressure is most spread out than a regular heel of the same height I was wondering if that's within the policy. (Plus it's comfortable! :D)

[princesskitty18]

Hi,
I was just wondering, are there any restrictions on the types of soles for the shoes? I know some formal ballrooms dont like you to have certain kinds of soles, and the shoes I want to wear Im not sure meet those requirements.... Its very hard to find shoes that meet ballroom requirements, really.

Also, My dress meets all the requirements, but Im uncomfortable showing my shoulders and arms as much as that dress shows, so when I wear it to other events I usually wear a shawl over it. There isnt any mention if shawls are allowed or not. Is wearing a shawl with a pin to keep it on ok?

for the soles, i know that we generally gravitate toward soles that WON'T mark the floor. official answer i will leave that for rebecca

for the shawl, absolutely you can wear it. there's no rule that says you cant. just yea, pin it to your dress or something to keep it on

Hi! Just a question on the shoes. What's the stance on wedges? The pair I'm considering purchasing is a little smaller than the nickel at the tip but since the pressure is most spread out than a regular heel of the same height I was wondering if that's within the policy. (Plus it's comfortable! :D)

the answer for wedges i'm unfortunately also gonna have to leave for rebecca. wedges as a whole are okay, i wore some last year. but my base was an actual full base and didn't end in a tip-type-thing. i'd say look for something else in the meantime, and wait for an official word from either becca or maybe even kevin :)

[le_momo]

Hi,
I was just wondering, are there any restrictions on the types of soles for the shoes? I know some formal ballrooms dont like you to have certain kinds of soles, and the shoes I want to wear Im not sure meet those requirements.... Its very hard to find shoes that meet ballroom requirements, really.

Also, My dress meets all the requirements, but Im uncomfortable showing my shoulders and arms as much as that dress shows, so when I wear it to other events I usually wear a shawl over it. There isnt any mention if shawls are allowed or not. Is wearing a shawl with a pin to keep it on ok?

for the soles, i know that we generally gravitate toward soles that WON'T mark the floor. official answer i will leave that for rebecca

for the shawl, absolutely you can wear it. there's no rule that says you cant. just yea, pin it to your dress or something to keep it on

For soles of shoes, the easiest thing to look for is anything that is hard-soled. Leather, suede, and hard rubber generally do not leave marks. Softer rubber (like what is on sneakers) leave marks, so we tend to turn those away. If you're having difficulties in finding specific styles, I know that some heels that have a thin layer of suede-fuzz-like material that rubs away have hard rubber underneath it... those tend to be good ones to look out for from my experience.

Shawls are perfectly fine! As long as it's not torn up or casual-looking, you'll be good. :)

- Rebecca

Hi! Just a question on the shoes. What's the stance on wedges? The pair I'm considering purchasing is a little smaller than the nickel at the tip but since the pressure is most spread out than a regular heel of the same height I was wondering if that's within the policy. (Plus it's comfortable! :D)

the answer for wedges i'm unfortunately also gonna have to leave for rebecca. wedges as a whole are okay, i wore some last year. but my base was an actual full base and didn't end in a tip-type-thing. i'd say look for something else in the meantime, and wait for an official word from either becca or maybe even kevin :)

Wedges being approved will depend on just how thin they end up in the heel area. It's hard to tell how narrow they end up from the picture you linked, but if they are close to a nickel in width, they should be fine since they are (definitely) greater than a nickel in width in the other direction. If, from one side to the other, they are the width of a dime or thinner, I can tell you right off the bat that they wouldn't be allowed. The height looks good on them, so there are no issues there. I would double check the width just to make sure, but it looks like you should be good overall. :)

- Rebecca

[BonjourHoney]

Hi ~ I see that most guys' bottoms have to be long pants, but are breeches okay in this case? http://www.manchestergalleries.org/our-other-venues/platt-hall-gallery-of-costume/the-collection/collection-themes/mcgweb/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=5825

Since it's still a fancy suit, just a couple centuries later ;D

[Elster-luv]

I was wondering if I could wear a formal Kimono? I have Zori Sandals with tabi socks (japanese sandals with the toe socks) and I was wondering if I could wear those with the Kimono is the Kimono is acceptable?

[le_momo]

Hi ~ I see that most guys' bottoms have to be long pants, but are breeches okay in this case? http://www.manchestergalleries.org/our-other-venues/platt-hall-gallery-of-costume/the-collection/collection-themes/mcgweb/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=5825

Since it's still a fancy suit, just a couple centuries later ;D

Breeches should be perfectly fine! :)

- Rebecca

I was wondering if I could wear a formal Kimono? I have Zori Sandals with tabi socks (japanese sandals with the toe socks) and I was wondering if I could wear those with the Kimono is the Kimono is acceptable?

Yes, a formal kimono is allowed. Sandals, however, are not. A good alternative is to have a pair of shoes that may work with your kimono and use those to dance in.

- Rebecca

[Hikari Renge]

This will be my first time attending Fanime and I was curious- will there be a place in the general facility to change or are we arriving in our attire?

And I've never been one overmuch for heels- they kill me within an hour! But as a general opinion, what does everyone think about ballgowns and subtle flats? Obviously not sneakers because of the floor, but are there other types of dance shoes that might work with gowns?

Thanks for the time!

[le_momo]

This will be my first time attending Fanime and I was curious- will there be a place in the general facility to change or are we arriving in our attire?

And I've never been one overmuch for heels- they kill me within an hour! But as a general opinion, what does everyone think about ballgowns and subtle flats? Obviously not sneakers because of the floor, but are there other types of dance shoes that might work with gowns?

Thanks for the time!

Thanks for asking! You will need to arrive in your attire. Most people choose to wait until the hour or so before the doors open to change and get in line, though we have had people arrive to the last lesson dressed to sit outside, wait in line, and relax afterwards until the event starts.

Flats with ballgowns are totally acceptable! I'm not much of a heel person myself - the main dance heels I wear right now have a 1.5" heel so I can cheat a little bit and take care of my knees. I have seen many attendees come to the Ball over the years in nice flats or mary-janes for their own comfort - it's definitely a smart decision if you don't want to be stuck with sore feet for the evening. :)

- Rebecca

[Hikari Renge]

This will be my first time attending Fanime and I was curious- will there be a place in the general facility to change or are we arriving in our attire?

And I've never been one overmuch for heels- they kill me within an hour! But as a general opinion, what does everyone think about ballgowns and subtle flats? Obviously not sneakers because of the floor, but are there other types of dance shoes that might work with gowns?

Thanks for the time!

Thanks for asking! You will need to arrive in your attire. Most people choose to wait until the hour or so before the doors open to change and get in line, though we have had people arrive to the last lesson dressed to sit outside, wait in line, and relax afterwards until the event starts.

Flats with ballgowns are totally acceptable! I'm not much of a heel person myself - the main dance heels I wear right now have a 1.5" heel so I can cheat a little bit and take care of my knees. I have seen many attendees come to the Ball over the years in nice flats or mary-janes for their own comfort - it's definitely a smart decision if you don't want to be stuck with sore feet for the evening. :)

- Rebecca

Got it! Thank you so much for responding! ^^ I can't wait!

-Hikari

[L0Lpants]

I know about B&W's general dress code regarding cosplay on the B&W's grounds, but if a cosplay of a character was generally one color, would wearing jeans be acceptable? I want to bring this in but if not, then i'll just bring in different make of pants, no problem.

[le_momo]

I know about B&W's general dress code regarding cosplay on the B&W's grounds, but if a cosplay of a character was generally one color, would wearing jeans be acceptable? I want to bring this in but if not, then i'll just bring in different make of pants, no problem.

[*img]http://myanimeshelf.com/upload/dynamic/2011-02/14/jotaro42.jpg[/img]

Unfortunately, jeans/denim of any kind are not allowed this year. We had issues last year about the gray area between "dress jeans," denim, and the like, so we made the decision to not allow any of them this year. Gray or white slacks might be a good alternative for jeans, though!

- Rebecca

[luluuxduplica1223]

Hi! I just bought these boots, but I'm not sure if they are Ball appropriate. xD They're fake leather, the heel is definitely less than 4 inches, but the point of the heel is a tiny bit smaller than a nickel(The heel is on a nickel in the picture for reference) D:. Would it still work? Is there anything I can do that you know of that could make them workable (Maybe finding heel caps of some sort? or heel protectors? Like This but wider?)? if not, it's totally cool.xD I'm just curious!

The boots!

Thank you in advance! :D

[le_momo]

Hi! I just bought these boots, but I'm not sure if they are Ball appropriate. xD They're fake leather, the heel is definitely less than 4 inches, but the point of the heel is a tiny bit smaller than a nickel(The heel is on a nickel in the picture for reference) D:. Would it still work? Is there anything I can do that you know of that could make them workable (Maybe finding heel caps of some sort? or heel protectors? Like This but wider?)? if not, it's totally cool.xD I'm just curious!

The boots!

Thank you in advance! :D

Sorry for the delayed response!

The boot itself is appropriate, but the heel on it is not. Heel caps will definitely work, though! That is a terrific alternative for heels that are just a little bit too narrow, like yours are. If you look on amazon, you can definitely find heel caps that are under $10, so that might be a good place to look if you haven't found some already. :)

- Rebecca

[jumbocrayon]

Hi :)

I've been working very hard on an Elsa cosplay dress and would love to wear it to the ball, but I'm not sure about the slit height requirement, as it falls *slightly* above the top of my kneecap (but doesn't show much thigh!).  Would I be turned away for that?

Also, as far as the cape goes, should I detach it for the ball, try and bustle it, or just let it go?  I didn't see anything in the rules about long capes.

Thanks so much!!