Dressing to match for Various Occassions.

Whatever format the party takes, you would want your style to be right; you don’t want to either overdress or under-dress. If your aim is simply to blend with the crowd, then forget the fancy shoes and blazers. Go casual; try a fitted V-neck or a tidy graphic t-shirt, fitted jeans that are not too baggy and a pair of fresh trousers. Throw in a desert scarf for added effect. Other options are: T-shirt which you can pair with split jeans and worker boot; blue striped T-shirt, black wash skinny jeans which can go with navy loafers and premium loop scarf.

Here are the various kinds of parties you may attend and the style suited for each.

Black tie.

Dressing casual but letting the taste speak

A black tie invitation calls for formal attire. Men wear tuxedos, women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates. ‘Formal’ usually means the same as black tie, but in some trendier cities, it could mean a black shirt, no tie with a tux. Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates. A white tie or ultra-formal invitation requires men wear full dress, with white tie, vest, shirt. Women wear long gowns.

Black tie optional.

A black tie optional or black tie invite gives you the option of wearing a tuxedo or formal dress, but it should clue you into the formality of the event, meaning a dark suit and tie would be your other option. Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates.

Creative black tie.

Creative black tie leaves room for trendy interpretations of formal wear. He can go no more modern with a tuxedo, may ne a black shirt, no tie. She wears long or short dresses or evening separates. Sometimes, themed parties call for dress codes like variations of creative black tie. In that situation, you can have more fun with it, choosing a dressy look with a theme (for him, it could be a tuxedo with boots; for her, it could be a long dress paired with Southwestern style, silver belt and jewelry).

Semi-formal.

Semi formal or after five means that tuxes are not required nor are long dresses. An evening wedding (after 6pm) would still dictate dark suits for the man and a cocktail dress for the woman. Daytime semi-formal events mean a suit for him and appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her. Business formal is the same as semi-formal for him. For women, it suggests that women opt for more tailored dressy suits and dresses (nothing too slinky or sexy).

Cocktail attire.

Cocktail attire means short, elegant dress for her and dark suit for him.

Festive attire.

Festive attire is usually seen around the holidays, with the mood of the party being informal or semi-formal. For her, it means to choose looks with a bit of sparkle or holiday bent (i.e a beaded sweater with black trouser; a red silk blouse with a black skirt).

Dressy casual.

This calls for dress-up versions of casual looks. For him, it could be trousers and a sport coat. For her, a dressy trousers and a sport coat. For her, a dress trousers look is the perfect call. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and other casual looks are not appropriate for dress y casual.