A fancy, over decorated envelope finds you in the mail. You open it and instantly you’re struck with two words: ‘YOU’RE INVITED’.
A couple of thoughts enter your mind, what will I buy for a present? How do I get out of this?
After moments of thought, you realise the present will be bought last minute and there’s no getting out.
You're now left with one vital problem - "What am I going to wear?"
Scroll down a little further - you'll find Casual, Semi-Formal and Formal options & tips for your 'what to wear' problem!
CASUAL EVENT
@johanneshuebl 1m followers.
Guide to dressing Casual:
Most of us will jump at the opportunity to wear track pants when we can, however, the invite dress code stating 'casual' isn't a license for you to wear your old comfortable faithfuls. 'Casual' can be viewed differently, there's causal for a wedding or casual for a BBQ. These are different levels of 'casual'!
Best practice is to dress on the higher scale of casual. The worst thing that can happen is that you’re the best dressed guy at the event! You cannot go wrong with chinos dressed with a button down shirt.
Tip: Tuck in that shirt and have a tasteful belt on show. If the event is more casual than expected simply un-tuck your shirt!
Chinos not your vibe? Jeans with a tailored cut and button-down shirt, or a tee layered with a jacket will also fit the bill. Depending on the event you may be able to wear dressy sneakers (not your gym shoes) but.... if you are at an event being held at a venue, then throw on a pair of boat shoes or loafers - you can't go wrong!
SEMI-FORMAL EVENT
@paul_juchina 37.9k followers.
Guide to dressing Semi-Formal:
Semi-Formal events are where you can break out that sports coat you've been patiently waiting to show off, complimented with chinos or a dressier pant. This style is so versatile, it can suit cocktail events to most birthday and dinner parties.
If you’re new to the sports coat game then keep it simple with colours like navy, charcoal or bone… but without a doubt brighter colours, checks and textures are a head turner. Ties aren't always required but keep your shirt TUCKED IN!
Tip: Your belt should complement your shoes, brown shoes = brown belt.
Your pants should not look like SKINS! Tapered does not mean skin-tight, if you’re really worried about compression recovery then wear your Skins under your nicely tapered navy, bone, green, tan and even white chinos.
With shoes, stick with a low-cut shoe, try suede or a loafer and some cases even a cool dressy sneaker if you really want to funk it up… but be mindful.
FORMAL EVENT
@fabioattanasio 265k followers.
Guide to dressing Formal:
From Cocktail to Black Tie, with a formal event - stick to classic & elegant suits and plain shirts. If you're attending a Cocktail event guys are still encouraged to wear a lounge suit but add a bit of flair and detail like shoes, pockets squares or even cuff links. In some cases, it’s acceptable to not wear a tie (especially if its stinking hot) but again stick to the dressier side of things and you can always take it off.
Tip: Give your outfit a little extra detail like a black buttoned dinner shirt, cool cufflinks and use a tie clip with a necktie.
Black Tie calls for you to break out your best ‘Bond’ look. Stick to a tux (dinner suit) white shirt and black bow tie combo. Dark suits are usually an acceptable alternative if you don’t own a tux. If you aren’t a fan of bow ties, opt for a simple black necktie and try to skip crazy colours and patterns... but you'll definitely have to keep your tie on for this one. A nice black dress shoe will always fly right… but if you want more spring in the step bring out the patent leather, guaranteed extra jazz!