Helpful Tips: Men's Attire Guide

Black tie, white tie, formal, semi-formal, Casual; Hitting the right note with attire can be confusing. Here are the details of how to dress appropriately for any occasion:

White Tie: The most formal

Formal attire does not mean suits and ties! It is a substantially higher dress code, requiring clothes that most men don’t own.

-Black dress coat (tailcoat) and matching tuxedo pants with a satin stripe

-White wing-collared shirt with pleats

-Shirt studs and cufflinks

-White vest & White Bowtie

-White gloves

-Black patent leather shoes

Black Tie: Semi-formal

Don’t let the diminutive phrasing fool you — semi-formal attire is still the strictest dress code most of us will wear in our lives.

-Tuxedo, most common is black but feel free to change it up with a grey, or navy

-White dress shirt, laydown or wing-tip collar

-Shirt studs and cufflinks

-Vest and tie. Can be a bowtie or long tie. Most common is a matching black set but subdued colors are acceptable. (Think conservative; navy, charcoal, dark purple)

-Black patent leather shoes.

Black Tie Optional:

-Follow all black tie rules unless you cannot get a tuxedo, then a black, 3 piece suit and conservative tie will be acceptable.

Business formal:

-Dark business suit

-Dress shirt

-Matching vest (optional)

-Long tie

-Leather dress shoes
*Always check and follow your companies dress code*

Business casual: Dressy Casual

-Sport coat or blazer with slacks or khakis

-Dress shirt, casual button-down shirt, open-collar or polo shirt

-Ties are optional

-Dress shoes or loafers

*Always check and follow your companies dress code*

Casual: Laid back

A “casual attire” invitation is mostly open ended, but there is still the expectation of dressing up for a social event.

-Khakis or good jeans (clean, no holes)

-Cargo or Bermuda shorts—depending on occasion and climate

-Plain T-shirt (no slogans), polo shirt

-Casual button-down shirt and/or sweater

-Loafers or sneakers