Creative black tie means you can get bolder with colors and textures instead of sticking to black. Per MasterClass, these colors should still be darker. Some good examples are jewel tones like burgundy, plum, gray, and navy blue — nothing too crazy.
Before you start to go all out with the glitziest dress you can find, it's important to review the facts you do have. As stated by Vogue, basic black tie usually means a dress, preferably long, in materials that are deemed more formal — think velvet and silk instead of cotton. However, if it's a wedding where you know the bride and groom love color, then a red velvet dress would go down better at that event than it would at a fancy birthday party with a more conservative host.
For most events, creative black tie still means a long formal gown, but you can jazz it up with sequins and patterns. Alternatively, a shorter cocktail gown is okay with some creative black tie dress codes, as is a more contemporary pantsuit look if you don't like wearing dresses.
