I've got a conference coming up and it says there is a gala dinner. I have no idea what to wear. My friend said she was wearing..."oh the usual little black dress" - What!?

I wear joggers and hoody at home, I 'smarten up' when going outside i.e. jeans and a vest top, and when I have to be smart I wear black trousers and some kind of of top. So i'm not a skirt/dress person (would like to be but I think i'll work on that after the PhD).

grr hate conferences!

.......yes yes yes little black dress!!!!!!!!.........

or ok, black trousers as you said..and a pretty blouse (!!!)

if me I wil wear something in black since I don't have anything new anyway--and if its black people can't tell if its old :p
:-) :-) :-)
satchi

I do have a black dress, but am SOO not confident to wear it. PLUS I have NO shoes. i can't wear heels and only have officy type shoes to go with anything :-( I literally can't afford to buy anything at all. I'm thinking of black trousers, lacy top and shrug?

I don't want to go overdressed because I reckon I'll look like an idiot.

should do grand sneaks!! at my conferences, people wear anything from beach sandals to full suit and tie so don't worry too much about it. So long as you look tidy and professional (we don't get to carry off the eccentric professor bit yet, although I cant wait for that bit...) you're fine, most important is to be comfortable in what you are wearing so you are comfortable with the evening. Never know who you might meet!

hmm in that case, I might wear a sandwich board that says "GIVE ME A JOB" on one side and has my CV on the other?

Hi Sneaks, trousers and a top sounds fine to me. The most important thing is that you are comfortable, you're there, primarily to network, so you'll need to be able to concentrate on that - and your research, of course.

Academic events are rarely sartorial extravaganzas, in my experience, so I'm sure you will be up there with the best of them anyhow!

The lacey top and shrug sound good.

urgh I'm dreading the whole thing, I'm such an introvert and while I see the value of networking it bores me! I spend the whole time thinking 'get me out of here!', but my supervisor will be there this time, so will have to be seen 'working the room' haha!