Decoding Dress Codes

By Larissa Klerck

As many of you know, it can be truly stressful trying to find the right outfit. Whether it’s for a momentous occasion such as Melbourne Cup or simply dinner and drinks at a nearby restaurant. It can be surprisingly time-consuming trying to determine the appropriate attire for any given event. First, you ponder the humiliation of being underdressed or overdressed, then you message your friends – What are you wearing this weekend? and even then you still have no idea WTF to wear.

No doubt over the next couple of months you’ll be invited to a number of Christmas parties, New Year’s Eve events and Birthday celebrations and if you’re anything like me, you won’t wear the same outfit twice.

You’ll notice that these events will have a specific dress code outlined in the invitation such as cocktail, black tie or business formal. Now if you’re not sure what some of these really mean then keep on reading.

Cocktail
No gentlemen, you can’t wear a t-shirt and ‘dressy’ jeans. Basically, cocktail style for men is a semi-formal outfit that will take you from day to night. Opt for a tailored suit or blazer/trousers combo and remember dress shoes are a must. Ladies, short or midi dresses are the go for cocktail style events. Remember there’s generally a lot of standing (followed by dancing) at cocktail functions so keep this in mind when planning your outfit. If ever in doubt, little black dress it.

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Black Tie
Gents, it’s tuxedo time. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little as black tie events don’t come around too often on the average Joe Blow’s calendar. Now for women, the whole black tie concept can be a little more ambiguous. I would say your best bet is to wear a gown, but base this off the venue you’ll be attending. For example, if your work Christmas party is an island cruise and its black tie, you probably don’t want your thousand dollar gown dragging in the sand, so, in this case, a cocktail number with statement accessories would be more acceptable.

Business Formal
If you’re a business guy or gal, you’ll see this one pop up quite often. This dress code encourages men to wear a suit and tie (if that’s not self-explanatory then I don’t know what is). For the ladies, a tailored dress or pantsuit is ideal. You want something that is business appropriate, obviously, but something that is also quite dressy as you never know where those late work meetings will take you.

Now these aren’t the only dress codes out there but believe me when I say these three are the simplest. If you’re unlucky enough to see ‘Festive’ or ‘Lounge Wear’ written ever so simply on your event invitation, don’t panic. Jump on to Google, as you would in any emergency, and research! You’ll be surprised at how many like-minded people have nutted this out for you on the internet.

Happy holidays and happy dress decoding!