Wasn't sure if the Etiquette board was where I should post this but I was wondering what the different levels, from Casual to Black Tie, what fell in between?
I'm seeing quite a few discussions with the words "Black Tie" and "Black Tie Optional" and I was just wondering if there was something that feel below but not quite Casual?
Sorry if I'm rambling!
Re: Levels of Formality
"Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."
Live fast, die young. Bad Girls do it well. Suki Zuki.
Live fast, die young. Bad Girls do it well. Suki Zuki.
QFT.
Black Tie is a Thing, both in terms of style and function.
White Tie is a Thing, both in terms of style and function.
Both of these are types of formal wear.
Everything else is, well, everything else. More often than not just unwritten rules regarding dress codes and attire that have been adopted but aren't really a Thing with protocal like BT and WT.
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I don't know about weddings, but White Tie I think is still frequently used for state dinners and maybe certain gala events or débutante balls.
Technically speaking, Black Tie is semiformal compared to White Tie which is why descriptions like "formal" and "informal" and "semiformal" are fluid and don't really mean much.
Black Tie has a very specific definition. All of the things below Black Tie do not. Things like "semi-formal" and "business casual" are vague descriptions that cause more confusion than they clear.
People will determine the formality of your event by the invite (cream, engraved invites on heavy paper addressed with fancy calligraphy indicate something much more formal than an mutli-colored invite on lighter paper addressed with your regular handwriting) and the venue. Most venues have websites, so if people aren't sure of how fancy it is and want to know, they will google, look at pictures, and figure it out.
Formal- cocktail dresses for ladies, suits for men, bridal party may wear tuxedos and gowns after 6:00 PM.
Semi-formal - suits for all men. Church clothes for ladies. Bridesmaids usually wear short dresses. Most daytime weddings are this style in the USA.
Informal - khakis acceptable. Sundresses fine for ladies. Men in wedding party wear sports jackets with ties. This would also describe courthouse ceremony attire.
There is really no such category as casual. I would imagine this would mean jeans, shorts, whatever.
Sources: Emily Post, Miss Manners.
I think it's more important for the attire to match the formality of the venue, regardless of the time of day. This was my church. . . I don't think tuxes looked inappropriate just because my ceremony was in the late afternoon.
"Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."
"Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."
Beautiful church. I just got a Christmas party invitation with Festive Attire indicated. WTF?
You should dress super obnoxious. Like, Ugly Sweater taken to DEFCON 1 or something.
I'm guessing:
Sadly, if you Google Festive Attire, the internet thinks it's a thing ><
"Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."
It's pretty easy to just swap out your shoes and jewelry and perhaps add a shawl or something! Good luck!
“It is always better to be slightly underdressed.”
― Coco Chanel
**boxes** Yes, well, she also said "A woman can be over dressed but never over elegant" and "Dress shabbily and they remember the dress. Dress impeccably and they remember the woman."