Dress Codes-Decoded!
About a week or two ago, an acquaintance asked for some advice about proper party attire. She was attending a black & white party and didn't know what exactly it was or what to wear. This situation (no, not the Guido from Jersey Shore) got me thinking.
Proper attire to any event is a grey area. Unless an invitation specially states what to wear, it leaves the invitee with a question when it comes to clothing. Some things are easy to dress for: costume parties, sports events, religious functions, etc. Others are less specific. So let's crack this dress code vagueness and get some real answers! 1 st, we'll list the different types of dress codes, and then break them down individually!
Ok, now break it down:
White Tie-this is the most formal type of event. Think dinner with the Queen, night at the opera or Vanity Fair's Oscar Party. Think formal and expensive as you can afford to buy, borrow or rent. (Think Presidential Inauguration Ball) Women should wear long gowns, with gloves being optional. Men should wear a tailcoat and a white tie, vest and shirt.
Black Tie- Black Tie is quite formal and what most people are accustomed to on formal party invitations.
Formal-for a formal or black tie event, men should wear tuxedos and women should wear cocktail dresses, long dresses or dressy evening separates in formal attire. It is always a safe bet to go with an elegant black dress.
Black Tie Optional/Black Tie Invited-still formal, but with a little more flexibility in what to wear. Men can wear a tux, but they could also choose a dark suit and tie. Women should wear cocktail dresses, long dresses, or dressy evening separates.
Creative Black Tie/Black Tie Festive-leaves room for trendy interpretations of formal wear. He can go more modern with a tux - maybe a black shirt, no tie. She wears long or short dresses or evening separates. Women can go with tuxedo pants and silky halter with gorgeous heels; satin ball gown-skirt with formal sweater set; cocktail dress, elegant evening separates (think red-carpet hip and trendy designer wear!) Men can go with a more modern tux or a dark suit and tie, a colored bow tie and cummerbund, or trendier go with a black shirt and no tie or black shirt and black tie.
Informal/Semi-Formal. This is not the same as casual. Informal and Semi-formal mean the same thing.
After Five-means that tuxes are not required, nor are long dresses. An evening wedding (after 6 PM) would still dictate dark suits for him, and a cocktail dress for her. Daytime semi-formal events mean a suit for him and an appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her.
Business Formal-this means nice office attire. . For men, they should follow the same rules as for semi-formal events. , women should opt for more tailored dressy suits or conservative dresses. Stay away from anything that is too slinky or sexy
Cocktail Attire-means dark suits for him and short, elegant dresses for her. Tailored pants and a fancy blouse would also work well.
Festive Attire-this term is typically used around the holidays. You have to keep the type and mood of the party in mind. Is it informal or semi-formal? For men it means adding a little holiday color to his shirt. For her, it means to adding a bit of sparkle or holiday color. A good example would be a beaded sweater with black pants or a red silk blouse with a simple black skirt.
Casual-
Dressy/Business Casual-this type of attire calls for dressed-up versions of casual clothes. For men it means pants or khakis and a collared shirt or jacket. For women it means a skirt or dressy pants. If jeans are worn, choose a dark wash with no holes or fading. Make sure they look neat and clean. Choose jackets, blouses and shirts that are dressier.
Casual-this is as laid back as it gets. Casual dress typically means that anything goes.
So there's the breakdown of almost every classification for clothing you can imagine. Remember if you are invited to an event and totally clueless what to wear, call the host/hostess. Do not be afraid to ask!! As a host, I would much rather someone call and ask than show up in the wrong thing and be embarrassed!
Good luck dressing for your next event!
Michelle @ Fierce Glamour Blog
www.thefierceglamourblog.com
FYI-a black and white party dress code is wear only black or white or a mixture of both. Think cocktail/festive attire.
