As I was looking through the sample book at my local stationary/printing shop, it struck me how many of the invitations had a dress code listed: "Business attire", "Festive", "Black and White", "Cocktail dress", etc, etc. In my personal life, I had noticed a proliferation of these dress codes myself, even from e-vite invitations! But since these samples were actually from paid jobs within the last year, I have to conclude that this trend was becoming wide spread.
But when I received the second phone call in as many days from a friend asking me what to wear to a party we had been invited to ("what the heck does 'festive casual' mean?"), I knew the time had come for a translation guide.
The first thing to do is to disregard the dress code section and focus on the rest of the information on the invitation.
1. What is the occasion? There is a difference between dressing for a class reunion, and dressing for the office picnic, but both can ask you to wear something "festive".
2. When is the event taking place? Daytime is more casual than night. Colors and types of fabrics also come into consideration. You wouldn't wear your bright yellow shoes in the winter, nor would you wear gray wool in the summer.
3. Where is the event taking place? A wedding at the beach is different from a wedding at City Hall and both are different from a wedding that takes place in a church or synagogue.
4. Who is going to be there, and what kind of impression do you want to make? A networking party full of business contacts calls for a more conservative approach than a speed dating event. In the first one, you'll want to communicate your competency and professionalism, and in the second, your attractiveness and approachability. Yet both can be held in a restaurant, and both can suggest "business casual" attire.
Now that you have a general foundation of how to dress for the event, it's time to interpret the dress codes:
But when I received the second phone call in as many days from a friend asking me what to wear to a party we had been invited to ("what the heck does 'festive casual' mean?"), I knew the time had come for a translation guide.
The first thing to do is to disregard the dress code section and focus on the rest of the information on the invitation.
1. What is the occasion? There is a difference between dressing for a class reunion, and dressing for the office picnic, but both can ask you to wear something "festive".
2. When is the event taking place? Daytime is more casual than night. Colors and types of fabrics also come into consideration. You wouldn't wear your bright yellow shoes in the winter, nor would you wear gray wool in the summer.
3. Where is the event taking place? A wedding at the beach is different from a wedding at City Hall and both are different from a wedding that takes place in a church or synagogue.
4. Who is going to be there, and what kind of impression do you want to make? A networking party full of business contacts calls for a more conservative approach than a speed dating event. In the first one, you'll want to communicate your competency and professionalism, and in the second, your attractiveness and approachability. Yet both can be held in a restaurant, and both can suggest "business casual" attire.
Now that you have a general foundation of how to dress for the event, it's time to interpret the dress codes:
- Knowing what to wear when a dress code is included in the invitation.
- Location, occasion, time and place are the most important things to remember.
- Relax! There is no one perfect outfit that everyone else will be wearing.
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