The Practical Guide to White Tie for Women

Most general guides to white tie spend three paragraphs on men's tailcoats and one paragraph on women, usually amounting to "wear a long gown." The instruction is not wrong, but it leaves out almost everything a guest actually needs to know. White tie for women has its own specific conventions—about length, gloves, jewelry, and the small details that signal whether a guest understands the form. None of the rules are difficult once you know them.

The dress

White tie for women requires a full-length gown reaching to the floor. "Full-length" means actually to the floor; a gown that stops at the ankle, or that floats two inches above the shoe, is not white tie. The hemline should brush the floor with the heels you intend to wear. This is the single specification with the least flexibility.

The cut, color, and fabric of the gown are open. There is no requirement for any particular silhouette—a slim column, a structured ball gown, a draped bias cut, all are correct. There is no required color: jewel tones, blacks, navies, blush pinks, ivories all appear at New York's white tie events. Patterns are unusual but not forbidden, particularly in subtle weaves or self-toned brocades. What matters is that the dress is unmistakably an evening gown rather than a long cocktail dress with aspirations. The fabric should have weight and drape; the construction should hold its shape; the overall impression should be one of formality matched to the occasion.

A note on bare shoulders and necklines: while these are entirely acceptable at white tie, the most traditional gowns have some structure on the shoulder—a cap sleeve, a bertha collar, a draped strap—because the form descends from a tradition in which evening dress had visible architecture. Strapless gowns are correct but read as more contemporary; a long-sleeved gown, especially in a heavier fabric, reads as more traditional. Both are right.

Gloves

Long evening gloves are the most distinctive feature of women's white tie, and the question of when to wear them produces more confusion than any other element. The traditional rule: gloves at white tie are correct but not required. They are most expected with sleeveless or strapless gowns, where they balance the visual exposure of the arm; less expected with long-sleeved gowns, where they would compete with the sleeve.

Glove length follows sleeve length in inverse: the shorter the sleeve, the longer the glove should be. With strapless, the longest gloves—above the elbow, often well up the upper arm—are correct. With cap sleeves, gloves to the elbow or just above are appropriate. With three-quarter sleeves, shorter "opera" length is sufficient.

Gloves are removed for dinner. The traditional method is to slip the hand out from the wrist opening (sometimes called a "mousquetaire" opening, designed for exactly this purpose) and tuck the empty fingers under the wrist, leaving the glove in place but the hand free. In practice, most modern wearers simply remove the glove entirely and place it in their lap or beside their plate. Both are acceptable. Gloves go back on for dancing.

Color: white kid leather is the most traditional, but ivory, champagne, and even black are correct. The glove should harmonize with the gown rather than match it exactly.

Jewelry

White tie is one of the few remaining occasions in American social life when serious jewelry is expected. Diamond necklaces, important earrings, brooches, and bracelets all have their place. The form encourages display—it is the formal opposite of the contemporary "less is more" sensibility.

That said, a few principles apply. Jewelry should be real. Costume jewelry of obvious quality has its place at black tie events but feels out of place at white tie. If you do not own important jewelry, wear less rather than wearing convincing imitations. Pearls of good quality, a single elegant brooch, or a family piece with sentimental value all work better than aspirational paste.

Tiaras are a more complicated subject. In British tradition, tiaras are worn at white tie events by married women (single women historically wore flowers in their hair instead). American practice is looser, and tiaras at New York balls are uncommon enough that wearing one will be noticed. If you have a real tiara and feel comfortable wearing it, white tie is the only American occasion where it would be correct; if you do not, a serious comb, decorative pins, or simply a beautiful arrangement of your own hair is entirely appropriate.

Decorations

Some white tie invitations specify "decorations," indicating that guests with formal honors should display them. Women holding decorations—papal honors, foreign chivalric orders, military awards, hereditary society insignia—wear them according to each award's specific protocols. Most commonly, women's decorations are pinned to a ribbon worn diagonally across the bodice, in a smaller scale than men's full sashes. For a fuller treatment of when and why this instruction appears, see our guide to decorations on a white tie invitation.

For women without decorations, the instruction does not apply. You wear your gown, gloves, and jewelry as you would at any white tie event. There is no requirement to ornament yourself further. The decorations specification is addressed only to those who are entitled to wear them.

Practical concerns

Shoes should be closed-toe, of a heel height you can wear comfortably for an evening that includes standing during cocktails, sitting through a multi-course dinner, and dancing afterward. Patent leather, satin, or fine kid in a color matched to the gown is correct. The shoe will be visible only intermittently—heel showing as you walk, toe peeking from beneath the hem—but it should be of a quality consistent with the rest of the outfit.

Bring a small evening bag rather than a daytime purse. There will typically be a coat check; you can leave anything you do not need at the table. Cell phones should remain silent and out of sight throughout the evening; checking your phone at dinner or during dancing reads as ungracious to the people in front of you.

Plan for the temperature. Ballrooms can run cool during cocktails and warm once dancing begins. A wrap, stole, or fine evening coat that complements the gown solves both problems and adds an additional element of formality on arrival.

The single most important thing

More than any specific rule, white tie rewards confidence and ease. A guest who arrives in a well-fitted gown, walks with composure, greets her hosts warmly, and engages thoughtfully with her dinner companions will be perfectly correct, even if some smaller detail of dress is unconventional. A guest who is technically perfect but visibly anxious, or who fusses at her gloves, or who hovers at the edge of conversation, will read as out of place regardless of her wardrobe. Wear what fits well, what makes you feel at ease, and what is appropriate to the formality. If this is your first ball, the room will adjust to you; the only requirement is that you arrive ready to enjoy the evening.