Different dress codes allow both men and women to look your best in any event. Although dress codes serve as a guide on what to wear, they often make picking an outfit complicated. With their different requirements and rules, sorting through various forms of dress codes can be difficult.
Of course, being well-groomed and neat before attending a social gathering may require a haircut for men and a trip to the salon for women. It’s best to get that scheduled a couple of days before the party.
To make it easier for you, we’ve listed some of the most common dress codes, from casual attire to black tie, helping you look your best and ensure every outfit is on point.
Casual
Casual is the most common and versatile dress code compared to other categories, making it the perfect outfit inspiration for informal gatherings like family barbecues. Stock up your casual wear by investing in classic items that always stay trendy, like sweaters, plain t-shirts, and jeans. It’s best to stick with basic colors for more effortless mix and matching, helping you create outfits that blend style and comfort.
Smart Casual
Smart casual is a dress code that can come in handy for school outfits. If you want to go with this style of attire, ensure you aim for an appearance that’s more ‘smarter’ than your usual casual wear while still retaining the comfortable and relaxed vibes typical in casual wear. For instance, instead of wearing a sweater with your jeans, you can replace it with a t-shirt and blazer.
Business Casual
This style is perfect for modern offices that don’t require you to wear stuffy suits. It mixes the elements of comfort and professionalism, allowing you to finish that deadline comfortably. You can wear dark jeans with a blazer or chinos with a sweater for this style and complete the look with smart footwear like loafers. ;
Business Formal
This dress code is dedicated to conservative offices or important corporate events and meetings, denoting a smart style of dress that’s simple yet stylish. It’s best to choose an office-appropriate suit in darker colors and add a business shirt underneath in standard colors like white or baby blue if you want to rock this style.
Semi-Formal
The look combines the elements of modern style and sophistication; for this style, a suit is better than a tuxedo. It’s best to opt for lighter suits such as beige for daytime events and darker ones like navy blue for evening occasions.
Black Tie
This dress code follows a formal style that most people wear to luxurious or sophisticated evening events at high-end locations. It requires men to wear dinner suits or tuxedos, and unlike standard suits, these feature contrasting lapels that can be peak or shawl style. Pair a classic dark tuxedo with a formal white shirt beneath and complete the look with smart dress shoes.
White Tie
This dress code is the most formal of them all and is dedicated to grandeur events, including galas, balls, and weddings. To perfect a white tie outfit, you have to be dressed to the nines, meaning you need to level things up further than your sleek black tie tuxedo. Black tuxedo with tails, a white shirt, a white bow tie, and leather dress shoes are the best outfit combinations for this dress code. You can stand out even more by including white gloves or a black top hat to your white tie outfit.
We hope this guide helped you understand the different dress codes for men, allowing you to incorporate the right styles for any event, helping you look your best and stand out among the rest.
