Cracking The Dress Code - Formal  

INVITATION TERMINOLOGY When the invitation reads Black Tie, Black Tie Preferred, Le Smoking, or Smoking for an evening semi-formal event or White Tie or Full Dress for an evening formal event, then your host is providing an elegant affair and expects you to dress according to fit the decor and ambiance of the evening. When your invitation reads Black Tie Optional, or Black Tie Invited, the host is leaving the final decision up to you. Most men will be wearing tuxedos, however if you dont have one you shouldnt feel uncomfortable in a dark suit. The big confusion with Casual on an invitation, comes from the fact that there are varying degrees of casual and just one word doesnt cover it! Often the inviter has something in mind that isnt properly communicated. Informal may mean casual to the inviter, but it is not!

PROPER FORMAL WEAR BY OCCASION: What gentlemen wear depends upon the time of day and the occasion. A recent innovation of some wedding consultants to have the bridegroom wear one style of formal wear while the groomsmen and/or ushers wear another is a social blunder. (This is in reference to long jackets called Strollers or Walking coats). You can vary the look through different neckwear or boutonnieres.

DAY FORMAL: (Very formal diplomatic receptions) Black or Gray tailcoat, with matching trousers, gray double breasted vest, long gray tie, gray gloves, white boutonniere, gray homburg hat, pearl cufflinks and studs.

DAY SEMI-FORMAL: (weddings) Gray morning coat (cutaway), black or gray striped trousers, gray double breasted vest, gray long tie or pinned ascot, gray gloves, white boutonniere, gray top hat, spats, pearl cufflinks and studs.

EVENING FORMAL: (The Opera, charity ball) White tie and tails (black tailcoat), black trousers with two satin seams on the outside leg, white pique vest, white bow tie, white kid gloves, white boutonniere, black top hat, white silk scarf, black or gold cufflinks and studs.

EVENING SEMI-FORMAL: (weddings, theatre opening nights) Black dinner jacket or white in summer (tuxedo), black trousers with one satin seam on the outside leg, black vest or cummerbund, black bow tie, white silk scarf, black or gold cufflinks and studs.

DAY or EVENING INFORMAL (Dont think casual!) also COCKTAIL, or BUSINESS ATTIRE: This requires a business suit, necktie, lace-up shoes, and for evening occasions a non-button-down collar dress shirt. Make certain that the person sending out the invitations really means informal and not casual since this is a common misconception!



Credit for the above article goes to -

Andy Gilchrist
Author of The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes>

 
Also see Newsletter October 2002.
WHAT is NEW at mycustomtailor.com? ANNOUNCING…We would like to take this opportunity to announce the launch of our latest fabric collections… the HERITAGE GOLD for business and formal Suits and Shirts for Men and Women. These fabrics are being sourced from suppliers of top tier labels such as Dormieul, Holland and Sherry, Barberis, Canonnico, Reda among others in Europe and represent the best of the best in textiles a...

Perhaps you would like more about Traveling - Your Wardrobe : Packing-care And The Secrets Of Wrinkle-free Travel Part 2.
Packing the Garment Bag Experiences travelers who favor garment bags use their compartmentalized arrangement to their advantage. They lay out each outfit beforehand with a dress shirt placed under each jacket and several ties hung on top of the slacks. Tissue is placed in the jacket sleeve and between the jacket and trouser. Each ensemble is encased by a plastic dry cleaning bag before it is hung in the garment bag. Folde...

Or even Products And Services Update - August 2002.
Greetings from www.mycustomtailor.com Firstly, we would like to thank all our clients for their very valuable patronage and we would like to thank our resellers for the constant support and encouragement we receive from them. This encourages us to do even better and to surpass the already high standards of work we maintain. Our clients and our resellers are the life blood of our business without whom, we would be nothing...

Please check out Traveling -your Wardrobe : Packing-care And The Secrets Of Wrinkle-free Travel Part 1.
The basic objective of packing a suitcase is to get as much in as small a space as possible, while managing to arrive at your destination relatively wrinkle-free. An under packed suitcase leaves too much room for clothes to shift and crunch. Conversely, an over packed one produces hard-to-remove creases. When carefully folded and arranged, the contents of a suitcase should snugly fill its interior with its weight distributed e...

Or the highly acclaimed article on Custom Shirting.
Besides the individualization of its styling, the advantages of the custom-made dress shirt over one that is ready-to-wear can be found in its precise fit as well as the superior quality and taste of its fabrics. The most visible and important component of the dress shirt is its collar, and the bespoke process allows for one that is designed to best present the wearer’s face. The fit of the dress shirt’s cuff to the wearer’s h...