This post is all about dress codes.
I want to start the year off by talking about style and helping you find your “pearlfect style.” You may be asking yourself “what is pearlfect style?” Well let me tell you. Pearlfect style is your unique style in its perfect state. That means, your style when you are:
- The most comfortable.
- The most confident.
- You look great.
- What you’re wearing makes you feel great!
- Others notice your style and confidence and recognize it as yours.
In essence, it’s perfect! If you struggle with any of the things I just listed – this series is for you. Over the next few weeks – probably the next couple of months I will be unraveling style and sharing a lot of information with you that will help you get to where you want to be – style wise.
Let’s get started!
In today’s post we are talking about dress codes. These are the different codes that exist to tell you how to dress appropriately for an event and/or occasion. I have combined my own spin on guidance from Emily Post.
WHAT ARE DRESS CODES?
What are dress codes? Dress codes are a set of rules specifying the required manner of dress at a particular office, club, event, etc. Have you ever been invited to an event or activity, and you didn’t know what to wear? Have you ever received an invitation to an event and the dress code specified was black tie, but you didn’t know if your little black dress was “appropriate to wear?” If you answered yes to any of these questions, this blog post is for you!
In today’s post I am breaking down dress codes so you’ll never feel like you don’t know what to wear to a particular event or activity. If you’re anything like me, you scour the internet (google) to find answers to all your questions. Finding the answer to this question was no different for me. Although I have a clear grasp on what the different dress codes are, I wanted to do my due diligence for this blog post. Because I don’t like to miss anything and I want you to know everything you need to know about a certain topic, I want to provide you with the facts, not just my spin on the topic of dress codes. So, I went to google and the first link I clicked on was from www.emilypost.com – because that is the go-to website for all things etiquette, right?
CASUAL DRESS
Casual Dress – When the invitation calls for a casual dress code, it means that you are expected to be dressed informal and comfortable, but clean and professional as well. This is when I would probably wear a white button down and some jeans – my go to uniform or a really cute dress (depending on the season).
- Jeans
- Dress
- Skirts
- Button down shirt
- T-shirt
- Khakis
DRESSY CASUAL
Dressy Casual – When the invitation calls for a dressy casual dress code, there is a versatile balance between formal and casual. This is the ideal choice for networking (or socializing) after work, fundraisers, or dinner at a nice restaurant. This is my favorite dress code. I LOVE a blazer and jeans and it is easy for me to dress this look up to fit the occasion.
- Dress
- Skirt and nice top (not a t-shirt)
- Casual pant suit
- Jeans and a nice top (not a t-shirt)
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- Blazer and Jeans
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- White One Shoulder Top and Jeans
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- Pink Pant Suit
SEMI-FORMAL
Semi-Formal – When the invitation calls for a semi-formal dress code, it means that you are expected to be more formal than what you would wear to an office, but slightly less formal than what you would wear to a formal event. Do keep in mind that if the event is later than six o’clock in the evening, you’ll want to err on the side of formality. This screams cocktail to me. This is when I would wear my favorite cocktail dress – it will probably be black with a killer stiletto!
- Little black dress
- Dressy separates
- Cocktail dress
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- Floral Cocktail Dress
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- Blue Cocktail Dress
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- Green Dress
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- Black Jumpsuit
BUSINESS FORMAL
Business Formal – When the invitation calls for a business formal dress code it means that you are expected to wear a suit jacket with matching pants or a skirt. The darker the suit, the more formal. When wearing the suit and/or dress, make sure that you wear hosiery. This is your Sunday’s best or that power suit that you wear to job interviews. I would opt for black, because that’s my style, but as stated above, the darker the suit, the more formal.
- Business-style dress
- Suit
BUSINESS CASUAL
Business Casual – When the invitation calls for a business casual dress code it means that you are expected to wear slacks, khakis, or a skirt with a dress shirt, blouse or polo. Dresses fall into this dress code as well. This is my work dress code, so I am really familiar with this one. I love wearing dresses all year round, so I would opt for a dress. If I decide to wear pants, I would wear them with a blouse.
- Skirt
- Khakis
- Pants
- Dress
- Button down shirt
- Blouse
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- Dress and Boots
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- Dress with Heels
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- Pink Pant Suit
BLACK TIE
Black Tie – When the invitation calls for a black tie dress code it means you are expected to dress slightly less formal than white tie, but it is more formal than business attire. It is the most common formal dress code for events such as weddings, proms, formal dinners, and theater. A keyword in this description is “formal.” Formal attire calls for floor length gowns for women. Cocktail attire and formal attire are not the same. This is when I will take my beautiful gown off the hanger, my fancy jewelry and a nice clutch.
- Formal evening gown (floor length)
- Dressy cocktail dress
- Dressiest little black dress
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- Lavender Gown with Heels
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- Blue Lace Gown
CREATIVE BLACK TIE
Creative Black Tie – When the invitation calls for a creative black tie dress code it means you are expected to dress with a black-tie foundation with room for some creativity and flair. It maintains black tie formality but allows for the use of textures, colors, and accessories to personalize your look.
- Formal evening gown (floor length)
- Dressy Cocktail dress
- Dressiest little black dress
- Fun or unique accessories
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- Turquoise African Gown
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- Blue African Gown
BLACK TIE OPTIONAL
Black Tie Optional – When the invitation calls for a black-tie optional dress code you are given a couple of formal options to choose from. Women can choose either a formal evening gown, a shorter cocktail dress, or dressy separates.
- Formal evening gown
- Dressy cocktail dress
- Little black dress
- Dressy separates
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- Cream and Black Dressy Separates
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- Gray Dressy Separates
FESTIVE ATTIRE
Festive Attire – When the invitation calls for a festive dress code it means you are expected to dress in cocktail party attire with a festive holiday touch.
- Cocktail dress
- Dressy Separates
- Dressy pants outfits or separates
- Little black dress
- Feature/ holiday colors
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- Gold Sequins Pant Suit
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- Green Velvet Pant Suit
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- Black Sequins Pant Suit
WHITE TIE
White Tie (also known as “full evening dress”) – Is the most formal of all dress codes. The white tie dress code indicates that guests are high-caliber, royal, or have high social standing.
- Formal evening gown (floor length)
- Long gloves (optional)
I hope you enjoyed this post all about dress codes. What is your favorite dress code? I’d love for you to share in the comments!
If you are interested in seeing the corresponding YouTube video for this post, click here.
’til next time!
xo, Robyn