black gothic corset dress Victorian - Velvet With Attached Sleeves - Lace Ruffle Skirt - Music of the Night This Gothic corset evening dress blends sculpted structure with soft atmospheric movement Gothic Lolita Dress Red And

Its not casual or semi-casual: Sundresses dont qualify Casual midi dresses in cotton or jersey miss the mark Anything youd wear to brunch or shopping feels too relaxed Its not the same as cocktail attire: Black tie optional is slightly more formal Fabrics and overall polish matter more The formality ceiling is higher (full gowns work) Its not a suggestion to underdress: The optional part means you can skip the floor-length gown It doesnt mean you can significantly dress down Maintain elegant, special-occasion styling Building Versatile Options Smart shopping for black tie optional events considers future wear

The hastags #whiteandgold, #dressgate, #blueandblack, #blackandblue are all in the top-10 trending topics on Twitter in Australia, while #TheDress is the top trending hastag worldwide.

Unless you have kids, of course

Here are some great options if you want the same look

(My 8-year-old son announced that this is embarrassing ) You can see a couple more posts featuring brother/sister outfits here