TIPS ON DRESSING FOR YOUR MASKED BALL

The masquerade season is almost upon us, and with this in mind, we’ve put together this handy blog post to help you decide what to wear with one of our beautiful masks.

The very first thing to do is check your invite, or take a look at the website for the event organisers. It’s certainly not uncommon for there to be some sort of dress code in place, and this will help you out a lot. Some balls will suggest that you go for full baroque attire, whereas others will simply state that there’s a formal code. It’s increasingly common for us to see modern party attire paired with masquerade masks such as cocktail dresses and similar, however, so don’t assume everyone will be ready for a high-class event. If there are no clear guidelines available then don’t be afraid to ask the organisers – it’s not a silly question!

Boys, for the most part, you’ll want to wear a suit. A black tie is the most common stipulation for one very good reason – it looks the best. Modern blue and grey suits can be quite difficult to pair with a mask, so we would recommend a classic black suit. This way the mask can speak for itself. Again, check the invite, as many masked balls have dress codes that mean only a proper tux will do. If you’re going to be wearing a tie, then make absolutely sure that it matches your mask – to make things easy we’d simply recommend a nice black tie or bow.

Girls, there’s no easy way to pick a dress, but there are a few things that you can bear in mind. The first is obviously to dress to your mask as best you can. Go for complimentary or contrasting colours, but don’t outshine the mask, unless you’re just wearing a basic black or white eye cover.

You do of course have the option of going for the full Venetian effect if the dress code allows for it. This means picking period dresses and corsets, and anything else you might expect to see at the traditional Venetian carnival. Capes and even hats can be worn too if you want to go all out.

SHOES

It’s not called a ball for no reason – there’s every chance that dancing will be involved! As a result, we strongly suggest that both men and women wear shoes that they’re comfortable with. Super high heels might look good on any other night, but they’re probably not going to do you too many favours at a masked ball, especially given that your mask will be the statement piece – not your shoes.

MAKEUP

Choosing makeup is entirely up to you, but we do have a couple of tips. The first is that you really don’t want to go overboard. Bright colours and fake additions are for your mask, not your face. You might go for some complimentary lipstick if your mask is of the plain variety, but otherwise make the mask the focus. We have updated this with a more comprehensive guide on the best way to do your makeup when wearing a mask We also have three trending ideas for the best-masked ball pout

ACCESSORIES

Similar to the makeup and shoe tips – the mask is your focal point, so there’s no need to do anything that might detract from it. Keep any bold accessories to a minimum – particularly things like necklaces that might clash with the mask. The only real exception to this rule is if you’re going in full Venetian garb, in which case you might want to go overboard for effect.

Checkout our Free Infographic where you will find a quick guide for men and women going to a ball

If you’ve got any further questions about which masks go well with which outfits, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us