I've been invited to join a (somewhat) vip group at a premier at the Züricher Oper in two weeks. I've been advised to wear a long dress. I know some people do this regularly (I never have, well not recently anyway) so I'm a bit nervous. I checked out some ball-type gowns and figure I'll go with basic black, skip the sparkles. But I have a deep fear of being over- or under- dressed. Does anyone have advice for me? And where I could buy something appropriate -- price-wise as well. Thanks!

Better be over-dressed than under-dressed at the opera - I'd keep it simple yet elegant.

hi Nanners, even if you are advised to wear a long dress, keep in mind you'll be sitting for most of the evening, so I'd keep it simple as well. There is a Karen Millen in Storchengasse which has really nice things. Probably obvious, but avoid any crinkly, jangle-y accessories, they will only drive you and the people around you nuts.

Not sure what you mean with price-wise, but some of the second-hand shops in Zurich have quite nice designer evening stuff.

Having said that, I usually wear a simple, knee-length LBD from H&M to the opera, but I'm always in the cheap seats. Is this for the premiere of Idemeneo, by the way?

Hmm... I haven't been to a premiere in a while, so perhaps you should take my advice with a grain of salt. However, I personally would find a long dress *too much* for the event. It's not a ball, it's an evening at the opera, after all. Go for dressy but simple and elegant, shortish or mid-length, something you feel comfortable in. Be aware that audiences tend to dress fairly conservatively in Zürich, so too much peacock-brilliant colour, sparkles etc. might tend to make you feel rather flamboyant - unless of course that is the look you are going for. ;-)

just in general: no jeans, no t-shirts, no sneakers.
always good: a blazer, dark trousers.
no need to "over do" - you still have to feel comfy.

Yes, it is Idemeneo...does that make a difference? In any event, I am a very basic-type person so black and simple is perfectly fine. But I am tall and doing the long dress thing is sometimes a challenge!

No, it doesn't make any difference at all... just that both Bartholomew and I are really nosy and wanted to know what you would be seeing.
Have a great time!

I've yet to go to the opera here in Zurich but attended some concerts at the Tonehalle. The men were mostly in suits - one of them even came in a tux and the women, very smartly dressed. Dresses were common but some of them were in trousers with extremely smart tops, topped off with pearls etc etc.

I suspect the opera will be more formal but you wont go wrong in a black dress regardless of length. Enjoy!

This is something I really like about Switzerland, you can wear whatever you like (provided you stand by whatever statement you may be trying to make).
Wear that which always makes you feel good/elegant, no need to seek out a new and/or, expensive outfit.
Lucky you being tall, you have all the options.
You could also go for an ankle length skirt, with dressy top and in this weather, a blazer,shawl or smart coat that you think is fitting, will work very well.
Going classic is always a good bet if you don't want to stand out in the crowd.
Being comfortable is of the utmost importance though.

Agree on going classic but I will need to buy something because there is zero in my closet that will work right now. But I guess I'll find something...

How about something like this evening dress at Jelmoli:




It is maybe a tad pricey but for an evening dress, it's not such a bad price I think.

Karen Millen has some great black dresses this season which can be reworn for other occasions - why dont you check with them if they carry these? They sometimes dont carry the whole range as the UK shops.

http://www.karenmillen.com/Tailored-...t/903000053689

http://www.karenmillen.com/Lace-appl...t/903000053496

Thanks -- if I could pull that off like her, I would ;-) But seriously, I will go and check out Jelmoli -- thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks to you and Barthalomew for the Karen Millen suggestion as well. Will check out the shop.

Yes, I too am struggling with the necessity of a long dress. Do I really need to wear a long dress? Or can I get away with a classy, regular knee-length or mid-length dress? I am over 6 feet tall...to be honest, even the long ones may be on the border of being too short, but I really don't think I would ever wear it again!

I am pretty confident that you can

My pleasure!

They actually appear to have a pretty decent selection of evening wear (online at least), in a variety of price points.

Also, I peeked (out of curiosity for myself), they do have some Grosse Grössen evening stuffs.


They also have a very nice Chiffon Shawl which would probably go well with just about anything you'd wear (I noticed a lot of that evening wear is sleeveless ) as well as an immitation(?) fur stole or two.

No, you don't really need to wear a long dress. I can assure you, if you do, you will be part of a small minority. And if you don't, no one will turn you away at the door, hiss and point at you, or find it unfitting for the occasion.

Particularly as finding something in your size/length will be difficult, and also given that you say you will probably never wear it again - go for a classy knee- or mid-length dress, whatever is most flattering to you and you feel comfortable in.

How about some great evening trousers and a simple top. Sometimes separates are easier to find than a one piece. Plus you could probably wear them more often later.

So, problem solved.

I just did a whirlwind tour of Zurich, hitting about 8 shops in a two hour period. I quickly realized that it would be hard to find something fancy as most stores have cleared out their winter things and were loading the spring merchandise onto the floor as I ran around. I had resigned myself to finding a knee-length dress (tried a few long ones on which were too short) when I stumbled upon a long, very cool and elegant black number at Feldpausch. It was the last one and still more than I wanted to pay, but already 50% off of the original price and in my size (had to do a minor alteration, but the saleslady said I was the first person to buy it without shortening it ). Got a little sheer long-sleeved sweater thing (I guess it's this year's wrap) to cover up the shoulders so I'm good to go. Thanks everyone, for your help and advice!