Home

• Introduction

• White Tie

• Black Tie

• Black Tie Preferred, Black Tie Optional or Black Tie Invited

• Formal

• Informal

• Casual

• Business Casual

• Country Club Casual

• Dressy Casual

• Traveling Attire for Business

• Traveling Attire for Personal Travel

• Ladies Who Lunch Attire

• Wedding Attire

• Shower Attire

• Christening Attire

• Dinner Attire During the Week

• Dinner Attire for Saturday Evening

• Attire for Baseball Games, Football Games, Rock Concerts, Etc.

Formal

Once we go down the scale of attire, we encounter a great deal of confusion in modern America.  The term formal is not universally understood these days.  Technically, it means different things at different times of the day.

Before 6:00 p.m., the term means that the gentleman should wear a dark suit, white shirt and a conservative tie while the lady who accompanies him should wear a business type of a suit, an afternoon dress or a nice sweater and skirt outfit, but not a fancy dinner suit.

This blue blouse and skirt by Issey Miyake that I purchased in Toronto, would be appropriate for a summer occasion designated as formal but which was held before 6:00 p.m.

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This cashmere sweater and skirt by Fendi, that I modeled and later purchased, would also be appropriate to wear to a formal event that was held before 6:00 p.m.

After 6:00 p.m., the term, formal, means black tie, which is defined above.