When looking to purchase an outfit, the question must begin: Why?
A wedding, formal, graduation, job interview, or just simply… because why not?
There are layers of formality for the suit and function, when an invitation arrives, it is important to know how to dress appropriately. Formality is a multi-rung ladder and to explain further, we shall start from the top.
White Tie
The top of the tree in regard to dressing formal. White tie is suitable when dining with Kings and Queens, Ambassadors, or at a White House dinner hosted by the President.
The structure of white-tie formal is such that there is no deviation from the convention, and should one find themselves attending a white-tie event, be prepared for an exacting standard and likely a requirement for a bespoke outfit. Timeframes for a white-tie garment will be requiring 10 weeks’ notice for the manufacture – while worth shopping around, many made-to-measure suiting companies cannot do the white tie standard.
Black Tie
With some distance from white-tie is the black-tie event. There are several rungs within the black-tie category. The first rung is the popular ‘tuxedo’, black jacket and trousers, both with satin finishing and piping, the lapel on the jacket being a sash lapel, white shirt (with studs and not buttons), black silk socks, dress shoes (also black), and finally a self tied bow tie.
As elements are removed so too does the formality of the event. The next step from the tuxedo is the dinner suit: black pants, socks, and shoes, the jacket being either black, white, or a dark blue. Satin finishes are optional, but a bow tie is not. Velvet may be the cloth used for the jacket. The jacket with the lapels being either sash or peak lapels.
The lowest rung of the black-tie category is the black suit with notch lapels, white shirt, black shoes, and a straight tie.
Cocktail
The cocktail suit is one of darker colours, blue, grey (mid to dark tones), and charcoal. Minimal patterns in the cloth and sometimes with tie (straight or bow) but also without. The cocktail suit is designed for the after work, evening event such as a restaurant, night club, or saloon bar. The darker suits may also lend themselves to move from the white shirt and toward the darker coloured shirts – deep blues, burgundies, and even black.
Formal
The formal suit is one where a suit (of any colour) can be worn, tie is often optional, and this outfit can be a personal reflection of the wearer in cut and cloth. Here the important details are the time and type of occasion, wearing light coloured clothing to a sombre event may seem out of place, and likewise an outfit that is too dark may not present well in daytime events.
For events held at night, the cocktail standard (see above) will be acceptable, however for a day event, a lighter coloured garment is more the in line with the nature of the event. The feature colours of the outfit being light blue or pale to mid grey, along with beige and the lighter earth tones can make for stand-out clothing options without breaking code.
Semi-formal and Casual-formal
Here we are in very nice clothes that fit, are clean, and probably tailored. Chinos with a nice shirt and/or a blazer, swapping the chinos for wool trousers, are examples of this category.
With that out of the way, dressing well doesn’t mean wearing a tux to the footy or that someone will suddenly be wearing red carpet attire in their daily life, it’s about wearing clothes that fit and are cut in a manner fitting the situation (no pun intended).
It’s safe to say, when queried about why people get suited up, the response is usually involving weddings or similar formal functions. With that said, someone who is dressed up feels better about themselves as well as how they appear to the eye of the beholder.
With cities moving out of the pandemic and people getting back into personal interactions professionally and socially, now is the time to make those small improvements to the wardrobe.
