What I Wore to Dîner en Blanc Washington DC

I heard that the Washington DC is September 21, 2024. I thought it may be helpful to first time attendees to see what I wore to Dîner en Blanc Washington DC when I went as a first time attendee.

What is Dîner en Blanc?

Have you heard of Dîner en Blanc? The Dîner en Blanc concept began in Paris in 1988 when Frenchman François Pasquier invited a group of friends to an elegant outdoor dinner at Bois de Boulogne, asking them to dress in white so they could find each other. Since then, Dîner en Blanc has become a worldwide event, spanning six continents. August 26, it took place in Washington DC. Below I share what I wore to Dîner en Blanc in Washington DC.

When I first heard of Dîner en Blanc I thought it sounded like a hassle, and a pretentious one at that. But last year I decided to join and the following year was able to get tickets. I say don't judge until you've walked a mile in someone's shoes, or walked a mile to attend an all-white dinner!  I had a wonderful time. Below I share what I wore to Dîner en Blanc Washington DC.

What I Wore to Dîner en Blanc Washington DC

White Plus Size Cocktail Maxi Dress from ELOQUII

ELOQUII was kind enough to dress me for the event. I chose the Studio Flounce Tiered Dress. I had a tailor shorten the straps, but that was all the alterations needed. While the dress was a midi length on the site I think it looked pretty as a cocktail maxi dress on my petite 5'3″ frame.

This dress is a chiffon overlay and traditional poly lining.  However, the way the ruffles are laid weighs down the chiffon so it swings and drapes instead of being a fluffy cloud.  This is a good thing; it's a very swingy dress that doesn't cling, wrinkle, or tangle around your legs.

For underpinnings, I wore this strapless bra with these high-waist shapwear shorts, both in colors close to my skintone.

Comfortable Flat Occasion Shoes: Gold leather gladiator sandals

For shoes, I wore my gold flat gladiator sandals. We didn't have to walk too far from our meeting spot to the secret destination but it was too far to wear any sort of heel. They went well with the garden party theme I was going for without leaving my feet in pain at the end of the evening. 

Sunglasses are a must!

I was glad to have sunglasses; we met at 5pm and walked from 5:30-6:00 and sometimes it was right into the sun.  Also as we walked down the street tour buses were full of people gaping at us and it was nice to have on sunglasses so I could gape back!

Manage humidity hair with a flower hair clip

I bought a fake flower hair clip on Etsy and felt it would not only be a great accent piece, but a great way to style my hair so it wouldn't be too much trouble and wouldn't be destroyed if I got sweaty, it was humid or raining. I'll admit I got this flower before I even had tickets for Dîner en Blanc, maybe it's my lucky charm for getting me on the list this year (I read there were over 30,000 on the waitlist!). 

Dressy Wristlet Purse

I kept the jewelry simple to let the dress and flower shine. The dress doesn't have pockets and while I could tuck lipgloss and such in our wagon, I wanted to be able to carry my phone and card case on my person. I have a gold leather wristlet from Myers Collective that was perfect for the situation.

Preparing for Rain or Shine

Dîner en Blanc is rain or shine. I planned my outfit before I knew the exact forecast, but we ended up with perfect weather – it was around 70 degrees, sunny, with the occasional light breeze.

• Last minute, I ordered this fan from Amazon and am glad I did. DC has heat and mosquitoes and it kept me cool, comfortable, and it looked fun with my dress!
• I also got this white umbrella which fit with the dress code and also was great for blocking the sun as we walked to the destination.