If you are going to a formal party, then a formal dress is necessity
For a woman who needs to go to parties often, she has to prepare evening dresses well in advance. For different kinds of evening parties, she just need to wear different evening dresses to be suitable.
If the coming evening party is casual, just a common gathering, then you can choose the dress which you like. From my point of view, you can choose to wear a short cocktail dress which makes you feel free to walk around and just enjoy yourself at the evening party.
If you are going to a formal party, then a formal dress is necessity. You can choose to wear a stylish long evening dress, this dress can be of the purple color which makes you look gorgeous enough.
And if the party is a business theme, then what you are going to wear should be really formal, do not wear a bright color evening dress. You can match your floor length evening dress with a pair of high heel shoes to make you look slim enough.