Military Balls are always fun to get ready for. It’s like prom every year. There’s a fancy dinner, dancing, even formal pictures. Let’s face it, without a military ball, I would probably never see my husband get dressed up.
You have the dress, the makeup, and hair. Here are the other items you need to make your night magical.
The Must Have Accessories for a Military Ball
Purse/Clutch
There’s not a red carpet (usually), but a pretty purse always completes an outfit. It is also your lifeline to hold your stuff. I have something similar to this evening bag. There’s room to hold all of my stuff but still looks cute. Plus it’s not too formal so you can use it again for a date night out. Here’s a less expensive version. I’ve used this purse at multiple military balls and some date nights so you want definitely something long-lasting.
My key tip is to definitely get a purse in a neutral color like this black one, silver one, or gold one. That way it can coordinate with another dress in the future and you can save some money.
Shoes
I’m short and my husband’s tall so heels are inevitable for me. If I’m wearing a cocktail or knee-length dress then I wear nude or tan-colored shoes so my leg look longer.
If I wear a long dress then I want my shoes to be sparkly because that’s extra bling peeking out under the hem is just fabulous.
Control Underwear
I love a good support garment that smooths all of the bumps out. You don’t have to worry about your thong riding up or a potential of visible panty line. I have these spanx for nights I won’t be eating a lot (like at a plated dinner). For buffet dinners, I have this shapewear that actually has straps so it gives me full on tummy control and it doesn’t roll down.
Dress Tape
I don’t know how low you’re going with your neckline but if you can pull it off in a classy way, go for it. This dress tape will help keep things where they need to be.
Shoe support
As I mentioned before, heels are a must for me. With the right cushions and heel support, I can last a long time. I stick some on my heel and sometimes on the side on my foot depending on the shoe.
Shawl
Navy and Marine Balls are typically in the fall/winter so it can get a little cold. A nice shawl would be a great cover-up just in case. You can always leave it in the car if you don’t end up using it.
Small makeup bag
After cocktail hour, and then toasts, and then dinner, your makeup, especially your lip gloss, might need some touch-up. I carry lip gloss, eyeliner, and a small compact mirror in my makeup bag.
Bonus: This is for the germ freak in me. But you’ll be shaking a lot of hands especially if there is a receiving line. I carry this small thing of Purell.
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