Wedding invites always include a dress code, telling you what to wear to the event. While this dress code can be extremely helpful, it’s confusing if you’re unsure what it entails—so we’re giving you a breakdown of each dress code on the blog:
Casual
With casual weddings, you want to show up in something nice, but not overly so—if you’d wear it to a nice lunch, it’s likely perfect for this wedding. While it’s casual, there are a few rules: no jeans, tank tops, shorts, or anything too casual. Typically, a sundress for women is perfect, and khakis and a collared shirt is great for men.
Semi-Formal
Semi-formal or cocktail is a step up from casual, but not quite fully formal. Cocktail attire includes slacks and blazers for men, and women can wear short or midi length dresses. Full-length dresses are too formal for this dress code, so it’s safe to stick to hemlines above the ankle.
Black Tie Optional
This is one of the most confusing dress codes, as it falls between semi-formal and black tie. For men, you can wear a tuxedo, but if you don’t have one a dark suit is also acceptable (hence, black tie optional). For women, full-length dresses, midi dresses, and dressy cocktail attire are all acceptable forms of dress for this dress code.
Black Tie
Black tie is the most formal, and is typically reserved for evening weddings. At these events, men are expected to wear tuxedos, and women should wear full-length formal dresses.
