# How I Picked My Black Tie Optional Outfit

Before my sister's black tie optional charity gala in December, I tried a floor-length emerald velvet gown and a black satin jumpsuit over one photo of myself with TryAnyOutfit's virtual try-on. The previews settled the look; a tape measure, a tailor and a borrowed coat settled the rest.

By TryAnyOutfit Team · Created 2026-11-03T09:11:50.031Z · Updated 2026-11-03T09:12:02.194Z

![How I Picked My Black Tie Optional Outfit cover with an emerald velvet gown and a black satin jumpsuit on a brass rail above a clutch, gold earrings and black heels](https://storage.googleapis.com/tryanyoutfit.firebasestorage.app/blog-images/medium/how-i-picked-my-black-tie-optional-outfit-cover-5f7db302.webp)

Short answer: I wore the floor-length emerald velvet gown and skipped the black satin jumpsuit. Before my sister's black tie optional charity gala in December, I tried both on one full-length photo of myself with my hair up using TryAnyOutfit's [virtual try-on](/tryon) and a typed note. The jumpsuit's short sleeves read as daytime next to the gown. Because the preview can't show real length, I measured myself in my heels against the listed length, had the gown hemmed two inches, and borrowed a long coat for the cold.

My sister has worked at a children's hospital foundation for six years, and every December they hold a winter gala in a hotel ballroom downtown. This year she bought me a ticket as an early birthday present. The invitation came by email with a dark green border, the date, the address and three words at the bottom: black tie optional.

I looked it up that night. As far as I could tell, it means the men can wear a tux or a dark suit, and the women can wear a floor-length gown or something dressy enough to stand next to one: a very good cocktail dress, elegant separates, a sharp jumpsuit. My closet had a black cocktail dress I wore to two weddings and a funeral. It stops at the knee and it has seen enough.

![An emerald green velvet gown with thin straps and a black satin jumpsuit with a wrap neckline and short sleeves on a brass rail against a cream wall, with a black clutch, gold drop earrings in a dish and black heels on an oak bench below](https://storage.googleapis.com/tryanyoutfit.firebasestorage.app/blog-images/medium/how-i-picked-my-black-tie-optional-outfit-cover-5f7db302.webp)
*My two options, more or less. The shop photos had models in them; this is closer to what my bedroom looked like after I'd decided to take it seriously.*

I narrowed it to two. The first was a floor-length emerald velvet gown with thin straps, from an online shop that charges for return shipping. The second was a black satin jumpsuit with a wrap neckline, short sleeves and wide legs. The jumpsuit was the one I'd wear again. The gown was the one I kept going back to.

## One photo with my hair up

A gown is mostly about length and how much of you it covers, so I wanted a full-length photo that looked like the night. I put my hair up the way I planned to wear it, put on the heels I already owned and a fitted black tank and leggings, and took one picture in the hallway with the phone on a shelf and a ten-second timer. Arms a little away from my sides, feet visible.

On my laptop I opened the [virtual try-on page](/tryon). A sample outfit is already in the **Outfit** box when it loads, so I pressed **Replace** and added the gown's product photo from the shop, cropped so the price and the buttons were gone. My hallway photo went into the **You** box.

Next to the boxes there are four option chips: Top only, Bottom only, Jacket worn open and Sleeves rolled up. None of them fit a gown, so I left them alone and typed my own note: "floor-length gown, keep my hair up and my own earrings".

![The TryAnyOutfit try-on setup on tryanyoutfit.com with three sample outfits, the ivory sample outfit in the Outfit box, an empty You box with Paste and Upload buttons, the four option chips and a typed note reading floor-length gown, keep my hair up and my own earrings](https://storage.googleapis.com/tryanyoutfit.firebasestorage.app/blog-images/medium/tryanyoutfit-tryon-black-tie-gown-setup-screenshot-2026-11-03-e52086d9.webp)
*The setup on tryanyoutfit.com with my note typed in, before I swapped in my own pictures. The ivory sample outfit is still in the Outfit box. This is the setup screen, not a generated result. Screenshot taken November 3, 2026.*

Setting it up is free, and the page says nothing uploads until you choose Create. **Generate in Studio** takes both pictures to the Studio, where you sign in and spend paid credits. I already had the TryAnyOutfit app on my phone, and the credits work on the web too. There's no free trial. It's cheap to start, and the plans are on the [pricing page](https://tryanyoutfit.com/#pricing).

## The gown, then the jumpsuit

The gown came back first. The green worked with my hair up and I liked how the straps looked with my shoulders, which I hadn't expected. The hem in the preview pooled on the floor around my heels. I didn't trust that part at all. The preview doesn't know how tall I am or how long the dress really is, and the page says AI can change seams and proportions. So I took the color and the overall look from the preview and wrote "check length" on a sticky note.

For the jumpsuit I pressed Replace, added its product photo and changed the note to "wide-leg jumpsuit, keep my hair up and my own earrings". It looked good. It also looked like I was going to a nice work dinner. The short sleeves were the problem. Next to the gown it read as daytime.

I sent both to my sister. She wrote back "the green one" in about four seconds, and then "you'll need a coat for the walk from the parking garage."

![An empty hotel ballroom set for a winter gala with round tables in white tablecloths, low white flower centerpieces with candles, string lights and a crystal chandelier](https://storage.googleapis.com/tryanyoutfit.firebasestorage.app/blog-images/medium/hotel-ballroom-set-for-winter-charity-gala-a96fae25.webp)
*Roughly the kind of room I was dressing for: candles, chandeliers, a lot of white tablecloths.*

## What the preview couldn't settle

A virtual try-on makes a new picture. It doesn't measure you, and it can't tell you how fabric stretches, hangs or feels. The page says that too. With a gown I'd pay to send back, I had four questions to answer some other way.

Length first. The shop listed a length from the shoulder strap to the hem. I put my heels on, stood against the bedroom door and had my roommate measure from the top of my shoulder to the floor. The gown came out about two inches longer. That's a hem job, not a return, so I asked a tailor near my office how long a hem takes in December. Ten days, she said, maybe more before the holidays.

Then the straps. Thin straps mean thinking about what goes underneath, and a picture can't answer that. I found a strapless bra I already owned and decided it would do.

Then the velvet. The listing said stretch velvet, which forgives a little on the size, and velvet marks if it gets crushed. I planned to hang it in the bathroom while I showered so the steam would ease the creases.

Then the cold. A gown with thin straps is not a December outfit for outside. I borrowed my sister's long black wool coat for the walk in.

On privacy: I'd just put a full-length photo of myself into a website, so I checked what happens to it. TryAnyOutfit auto-deletes uploaded photos after 72 hours unless you save them. I saved the two previews I'd sent my sister.

## Gala night

The gown came in four days. I laid it on the bed with the tape measure along it and checked it against the listing, then tried it on with the heels. Two inches too long, as expected. I pinned it with safety pins and took it to the tailor the next morning.

![An emerald green velvet gown with thin straps laid on a grey linen bedspread with a yellow tape measure across the waist, black strappy heels, gold drop earrings, safety pins, a black clutch and an open notebook](https://storage.googleapis.com/tryanyoutfit.firebasestorage.app/blog-images/medium/emerald-velvet-gown-flat-lay-with-tape-measure-44fdc228.webp)
*The day it arrived. The tape measure and the listing settled the length. The preview had already settled the color.*

It came back with three days to spare. At the gala, maybe half the women were in floor-length dresses and the rest were in cocktail dresses and a few in suits, so the jumpsuit would have been fine. I was glad I wore the green anyway. My sister's boss asked where I got it, and I had to admit I couldn't remember the shop's name.

One honest note: this story is illustrative. The narrator, her sister and the gala are made up. The steps are the real ones on tryanyoutfit.com today, and we make the tool, so weigh it accordingly. If you're working out what to wear to a black tie optional event, take one full-length photo with your hair and shoes the way you'll wear them, try each option on the [virtual try-on page](/tryon) or in the TryAnyOutfit app on iPhone or Android, and compare each preview with the shop's photos. The preview is good for color and the overall look on you. It can't show the real length, the size or how the fabric behaves, so measure yourself in your shoes, compare that with the listed length, leave time for a hem, and check the return terms before you order. Our guide to [trying on outfits for events](/blog/try-on-virtual-clothes-for-events) covers fixed dates, [trying on clothes from a store screenshot](/blog/try-on-clothes-from-store-screenshot) explains cropping a listing, and the [photo guide](/blog/virtual-clothes-try-on-photo-guide) covers what makes a good starting photo. For another dressy night, see [How I Picked a Wedding Guest Dress Without Ordering Three](/blog/how-i-picked-a-wedding-guest-dress).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I try on a gala gown before I buy it?

Yes, for the look. Take a full-length photo with your hair and shoes the way you'll wear them, add the gown's product photo or a cropped listing screenshot in the Outfit box on tryanyoutfit.com/tryon, add your photo in the You box, type a note such as floor-length gown, keep my hair up and my own earrings, then choose Generate in Studio.

### What does black tie optional mean for women?

It usually means a floor-length gown is welcome but not required. A very dressy cocktail dress, elegant separates or a polished jumpsuit generally work too. If you're unsure, ask the host, and trying two options on the same photo of yourself shows how each one reads next to the other.

### Will the preview show how long the gown is on me?

No. The preview doesn't know your height or the real garment length, so a hem can look longer or shorter than it will be. Measure from your shoulder to the floor in the shoes you'll wear, compare it with the listed length and leave time for a hem.

### Does generating cost anything?

Photo setup on the try-on page is free. Generating needs sign-in and paid credits, shared across the web Studio and the iPhone and Android apps. There's no free trial, but it's cheap to start; current plans are at tryanyoutfit.com/#pricing.

### Will the preview tell me my dress size?

No. Virtual try-on creates a new image; it doesn't measure your body or show how fabric stretches, feels or fits, and it can change seams and proportions. Check the size chart, garment measurements and return policy before ordering.

### What happens to my photos?

The try-on page keeps your chosen photos on your device until you choose Create, and TryAnyOutfit auto-deletes uploaded photos after 72 hours unless you save them.

## Related links

- [Virtual try-on](/tryon)
- [Try on outfits for events](/blog/try-on-virtual-clothes-for-events)
- [Try on clothes from a store screenshot](/blog/try-on-clothes-from-store-screenshot)
- [Virtual try-on photo guide](/blog/virtual-clothes-try-on-photo-guide)
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