Meerabelle Jesuthasan

Good news: you’re invited!  Bad news: you have no idea what the flying fox ‘creative summer black tie’ means.  Good news again: this guide will help you figure out how to look your best no matter the occasion.  We’re giving you a brief description to understand the style of each event, followed by our this-or-that for some dress code guidelines.

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Before going through the nitty-gritty of dress-code jargon, let’s first start with the questions you should be thinking about.  Who else is going to this event?  What is your aim—are you going just to have fun, or to make some new connections?  Do you mind standing out as overdressed, or would you rather fit in with the crowd as much as possible?  With this in mind, let’s go through common dress code lingo and figure out what it all means.

Smart Casual

This is usually for those events where you know most of the people attending, but aren’t close with them, or an intimidating superior figure is trying to make you feel comfortable by including the word ‘casual.’  Chances are you’ll want to look clean and put together, but not like you’re heading to a ball, so focus on making your appearance neat and go for wearing something clean and comfortable.

Maxi, midi, or mini?  Midi.
Blazer or cardigan?  Blazer.  If it’s more casual than smart, then wear a cardigan.
Jeans or trousers?  Trousers or dark-wash jeans, depending on the event.
Heels or flats?  Flats.
Standout accessory?  Classic stud earrings.
Colors?  Neutrals with a few muted colors.
 

Dressy Casual

This one can be as confusing as hell.  Am I dressing up or down?  Don’t worry, this phrase essentially translates to ‘relatively intimate gathering where everyone knows but still wants to impress each other.’  The formula?  Something that has one element that stands out but is relatively uncomplicated otherwise.  Think of a simple dress with a bold red lip or any statement accessory.

Maxi, midi, or mini?  Any length can work!  Just make sure the material is nice.
Blazer or cardigan?  Cardigan.
Jeans or trousers?  Trousers.
Heels or flats?  Heels or dressy flats.
Standout accessory?  A bold lip or handbag.
Colors?  Neutrals in either dark or light with one or two colors to make the chosen part of your outfit stand out.
 

Cocktail Attire

This is the ‘fun’ one.  Like, the one where it’s an event formal enough to warrant a dress code, but fun enough that you can wear heels and not worry if you stumble in them while you’re tipsy, because as long as you have a cocktail in your hand and bright gloss on your lips you’ll look classy as hell doing it.

Maxi, midi, or mini?  Mini.
Blazer or cardigan?  Cardigan.
Jeans or trousers?  Trousers or nice jeans.
Heels or flats?  Heels.
Standout accessory?  Hoop earrings.
Colors?  Something bright and fun, or black.
 

White Tie

This is the most formal of the dress codes, and has for the most part been replaced by the all-encompassing ‘black tie.’  Chances are the event or the hosts are particularly traditional.  That means that this dress code calls for being as quintessentially glamorously feminine as possible, i.e only dresses. 

Maxi, midi, or mini?  Maxi.
Blazer or cardigan?  Cardigan.
Jeans or trousers?  Don’t even think about it.
Heels or flats?  Heels.
Standout accessory?  Gloves, if you’re feeling Princess Diaries.  Otherwise, don’t forget a heavy statement necklace.
Colors?  Opt for lighter shades.
 

Black Tie

This attire is used liberally, but is often simply code for formal, whatever the occasion calls for.  Will the president be there?  Better go all out.  Is it a fancy meal with a group?  Then you can probably skip the hairdresser’s appointment.  Note: this will sometimes be indicated by the code being written as ‘black tie optional,’ which means it’s acceptable to wear a short cocktail dress. 

Maxi, midi, or mini?  Maxi, usually, although the dress itself matters more.
Blazer or cardigan?  Cardigan.
Jeans or trousers?  Jumpsuit only.
Heels or flats?  Heels.
Standout accessory?  Necklace with matching earrings.
Colors?  Opt for a lighter shade.
 

Help—I still can’t figure this out / My planned outfit got ruined / I have to leave in 5 minutes and I don’t have time to read this article!!

It’s hard to go wrong with a dress.  They’re a lot more versatile than people think and take very little effort to wear.  This is why so many fashionistas swear by the eternal little black dress—when in doubt, it’s the perfect thing to throw on with appropriate outerwear and shoes that can bring your look up or down.  Does it have the word ‘smart’ or ‘business’ in it?  Go for a blazer and a pair of chunky heels.  Is it a ‘-tie’ event?  Go as fancy as possible and don’t worry about being overdressed—someone there will have gone more all out than you.  

 

Meerabelle Jesuthasan is an eyeliner and stage lighting enthusiast with constant daydreams about the time she got to see Beyoncé live. She loves being busy and being critical.  Her blog, Pop Manifest, is a product of this examining the cross sections between social issues and media.

 

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