What to Wear to Special Events
Don’t you just hate it when a special ‘event’ invades your diary and you just haven’t got a thing to wear, and then, to make it worse, you realise that it’s definitely one of those times when you’re probably going to have to wear something more upmarket, possibly even a dress.
The trouble is that most of us have shifted into trousers – some of us permanently – for virtually every occasion. We clean the house in them, weed the garden in them, do the shopping in them, go to work in them, slob around the house in them, and even go out to the pub / dinner / theatre in them.
So when it comes to choosing whether to wear a dress, a lot of us go blank and wonder where on earth we’re going to start looking.
Never fear! Help is here!
Now before you go screaming off to the nearest shopping mall and rampage your way along the aisles with nothing more than a determined, “I’ve got to find something to wear” through gritted teeth, let’s take a moment to fathom out just what sort of outfit you actually need.
What sort of event is it?
If you’ve had a proper invitation (oh, don’t you just yearn for those halcyon days when your hostess told you exactly how to dress and saved you the stress?) then one of the following might help you:
Black Tie or Formal means formal. Gentlemen wear tuxedos and ladies wear cocktail dresses, long dresses or dressy evening separates.
White Tie or Ultra-formal means ultra-formal. Gentlemen wear full dress suits, with white tie, waistcoat and shirt. Ladies wear long gowns.
Black Tie Optional Gentlemen have the option of wearing a tuxedo; this is a formal event so a dark suit and tie is the only alternative. Ladies wear cocktail dresses, long dresses or dressy evening separates.
Creative Black Tie leaves room for a touch of creativity in a gentleman’s interpretation of formal wear; he could update a tuxedo with a black shirt and no tie. Ladies wear long or short dresses or evening separates.
Semi-formal is the trickiest of all dress codes. Usually it means that tuxedos are not required, nor are long dresses. An evening wedding (after 6 pm) would still require a dark suit for him, and a cocktail dress for her. Daytime semi-formal events mean a suit for him and an appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her.
Cocktail Attire means short, elegant dresses for her and dark suits for him.
Dressy Casual usually means no jeans or shorts. Similar to business casual, but a touch dressier.
Casual generally means anything goes. Informal can mean the same as casual. However, when associated with a wedding or other special event, some form of decorum and good taste should prevail. A dress or dressy suit for her or a nice pair of non-suit trousers and shirt for him are informal, but still respectful of the event.
And if all else fails?
If the invitation doesn’t specify the formality of the event, a softly-coloured suit or soft print dress for daytime or a little black dress for evening (after 6 pm) will take you almost anywhere.
Style Suggestions for…
a softly-coloured suit for each of the seasons:
- Spring – ivory, camel, stone, taupe, soft peach, cornflower blue
- Summer – soft white, dove grey, lavender, pastel blue
- Autumn – cream, olive green, khaki, apricot, soft teal
- Winter – white, stone, ice pink, ice blue, ice violet
Style Suggestions for…
a soft print for each of the seasons:
- Spring – polka dots or stripes will match your vivacious personality
- Summer – small designs or florals are a classic, elegant choice
- Autumn – larger florals or swirls of colour show how open and approachable you are
- Winter – geometric shapes in a dark colour on a lighter background are the best print choice for a formal day event
Alternative suggestions for…
a ‘little black dress’ for each of the seasons:
- Spring – try chocolate brown, bright purple or clear navy
- Summer – try charcoal grey, mulberry, or plum
- Autumn – try deepest brown, aubergine or forest green
- Winter – black is good, or try violet or burgundy for a change
PS. Dress your chap in a dark suit and he will look smart and acceptable anywhere.
The next step
First of all, check your extensive wardrobe and see whether you haven’t already got something hiding at the back / under something else / on the floor! If you’ve already done your own wardrobe weed-out, then you’ll know exactly what you’ve got in there already. If not, this could be the perfect opportunity to take the whole thing apart and discover some forgotten treasure.
“I’ve got nothing to wear!”
So, it’s come to this, has it? Next time, we’ll look at how to select a dress or outfit for a special event.
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