A situation I'm totaly not prepared for...clothing help!

[PhoenixAzul]

So we had a current afairs exam in my class today...the prize for the top 10 scores out of all three sections is a ticket to a VERY formal, VERY well attended and VERY cool Press Ball. Not thinking I'd do so well (it covered a lot of stuff from the UK/RO I I had no clue on but made educated guesses!)...I ended up with the highest mark in the class by a fair margin....almost ensuring my spot.

Problem? Like I said, it's very very formal. A student doesn't usually prepare for study abroad by packing a black-tie worthy dress. I'm not sure how to dress for this thing AT ALL. Do I wear a full length gown? Cocktail? Bright colors? dark colors? Do I have to wear heels? What about a coat? I don't want to look like a 15 year old going to homecoming!

Man, I am so not prepared for this. Throw a mile swim or a bike or a run at me, I'd tackle it and give it a good wrestlin'....but dressy events with important people in my field? Deer in headlights.

Soooo...anyone got any bright ideas on how I should dress for this? It's in April and at night, in Belfast. Picture suggestions would be helpful too!!

Help me, O GC Fashionistas!