Pinnacle Formal Affairs
1
CHANCES ARE YOU’RE FACING at least one semi-formal or formal event this season, whether it’s a corporate event, a gala fundraiser, a wedding or even the Presidential Inaugural Ball. Balancing contemporary trends with classic style has never been more exciting, or more confusing. “Overdressing makes one feel awkward, underdressing can come off as rudeness, and not knowing where one stands is just miserable,” says James Bassil in The Style Bible ( 2008, COLLINS PUBLISHING ). One bottomless source of classic inspiration is Hollywood, old and new. CARY GRANT and FRED ASTAIRE always looked effortless in a tux and, while today’s celebrities are equally likely to arrive on the red carpet in a T-shirt and jeans, some icons, like GEORGE CLOONEY,WILL SMITH, and BRAD PITT manage panache with, well, panache. There are two important angles here: First, understanding the definition of common formal and semi-formal dress styles. Second,understanding the variety of options,from shirt collar styles to lapel treatments. We can help you with both. DECODING EVENINGWEAR SHOULDN’T BE AN EVENT IN ITSELF BY ROBERT HAYNES - PETERSON LIKE YOUR SUITS, TUXEDOS should be replaced every five years or so. That powder-blue highwater, with wide notch lapels, simply isn’t trendy anymore! Neither is that mil- lennial era knee-length coat. MAKE CERTAIN YOUR TUX, whether rented or owned, FITS. A boxy jacket, tight waist, too-long break in the pant leg, or too-long sleeves, and you look like the farmer’s kid at the prom. YOU NEED AT LEAST ONE formal and one semi-formal outfit. Bowties and narrow neckties, and multiple shirt styles, cufflinks and vest will change up the same dinner jacket for different events. DON’ T HESITATE TO ASK your hosts how traditional, casual or alternative they expect guests to dress, and always plan to dress up at least one notch from what they say “is fine.” BE SURE AND COORDINATE with your guest. While you don't need matching outfits (unless it's the prom), it is nice to know that your quirky tartan vest won't clash with her elegant Lacroix gown. CARY GRANT CARY GRANT / PHOTO BY JOHN KOBAL FOUNDATION / GETTY IMAGES GEORGE CLOONEY / PHOTO BY JEAN BAPTISTE LACROIX / WIREIMAGE BRAD PITT / PHOTO BY TONY BARSON / WIREIMAGE WILL SMITH / PHOTO BY FRANK MICELOTTA / GETTY IMAGES JOHNNY DEPP / PHOTO BY STEPHEN SHUGERMAN / GETTY IMAGES DANIEL CRAIG / PHOTO COURTESY OMEGA WATCHES JOHNNY DEPP WILL SMITH GEORGE CLOONEY BRAD PITT DANIEL CRAIG FORMAL Is formal. Cummerbunds, vests, tailcoats, white tie or ascot, morning dress, or strollers. This is not the place for a tuxedo jacket! Truly formal events are rare these days, but it pays to be prepared. black tie Here’s where you pull out the tuxedo (also sometimes still called a dinner jacket). They’ve told you up front they expect a dark suit and tie, but these days, there’s some room for flexibility: mandarin collars, narrow black neckties, a colorful vest. Still, expect the crowd to skew traditional. alternative FORMAL Now it can get trickier. Often encouraged at fashion-or art-related events, a traditional tux may confuse you with the waitstaff. Here is where trendy statements like notch lapels, creative collar treatments, and patterned or alternative color fabrics fit right in. SEMI-FORMAL BLACK TIE OPTIONAL / COCKTAIL ATTIRE Dark suits (sometimes with a sheen, some- times without a tie) rather than tuxes tend to dominate these events, like fundraisers and award galas, but a tux and cool tie works well too. “We use ‘COCKTAIL ATTIRE’ for our galas so the dress is more accommodating,” says Susan Yara, development director for Boys Town New York. “Sometimes people get turned off by the term ‘BLACK TIE’—it can seem such an effort, and so many business leaders are squeezing in events after work.” FORMAL AFFAIRS
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Transcript of Pinnacle Formal Affairs
CHANCES ARE YOU’RE FACING at least one semi-formal or formal event this season, whether it’s a corporate
event, a gala fundraiser, a wedding or even the Presidential Inaugural Ball. Balancing contemporary trends with classic
style has never beenmore exciting, or more confusing. “Overdressingmakes one feel awkward,underdressing can come off
as rudeness, and not knowing where one stands is just miserable,” says James Bassil in The Style Bible (2008,
COLLINS PUBLISHING). One bottomless source of classic inspiration is Hollywood, old and new.CARY GRANT and FRED ASTAIRE
always looked effortless in a tux and, while today’s celebrities are equally likely to arrive on the red carpet in a
T-shirt and jeans, some icons, like GEORGE CLOONEY,WILL SMITH, and BRAD PITT manage panache with, well, panache.
There are two important angles here: First, understanding the definition of commonformal and semi-formal dress styles.
Second,understanding the variety of options, from shirt collar styles to lapel treatments.We can help you with both.
DECODING EVENINGWEARS H O U L D N ’ T B E A N E V E N T I N I T S E L F
B Y R O B E R T H A Y N E S - P E T E R S O N
LIKE YOUR SUITS, TUXEDOS
should be replaced every fiveyears or so. That powder-bluehighwater, with wide notchlapels, simply isn’t trendyanymore! Neither is that mil-lennial era knee-length coat.
MAKE CERTAIN YOUR TUX,whether rented or owned,FITS. A boxy jacket, tightwaist, too-long break in thepant leg, or too-long sleeves,and you look like thefarmer’s kid at the prom.
YOU NEED AT LEAST ONE
formal and one semi-formaloutfit. Bowties and narrowneckties, and multiple shirtstyles, cufflinks and vest willchange up the same dinnerjacket for different events.
DON’T HESITATE TO ASK
your hosts how traditional,casual or alternative theyexpect guests to dress,and always plan to dressup at least one notch fromwhat they say “is fine.”
BE SURE AND COORDINATE
with your guest. While youdon't need matching outfits(unless it's the prom), it isnice to know that your quirkytartan vest won't clash withher elegant Lacroix gown.
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D A N I E L C R A I G
FORMALIs formal. Cummerbunds, vests, tailcoats,white tie or ascot, morning dress, or strollers.This is not the place for a tuxedo jacket!Truly formal events are rare these days,but it pays to be prepared.
bl ack t i eHere’s where you pull out the tuxedo(also sometimes still called a dinner jacket).They’ve told you up front they expect a darksuit and tie, but these days, there’s someroom for f lexibility: mandarin collars,narrow black neckties, a colorful vest.Still, expect the crowd to skew traditional.
alternative FORMALNow it can get trickier. Often encouraged atfashion-or art-related events, a traditionaltux may confuse you with the waitstaff. Hereis where trendy statements like notch lapels,creative collar treatments, and patternedor alternative color fabrics fit right in.
S EM I - FORMALBLACK TIE OPTIONAL /COCKTAIL ATTIREDark suits (sometimes with a sheen, some-times without a tie) rather than tuxes tendto dominate these events, like fundraisersand award galas, but a tux and cool tie workswell too. “We use ‘COCKTAIL ATTIRE’ for ourgalas so the dress is more accommodating,”says Susan Yara, development director forBoys Town New York. “Sometimes peopleget turned off by the term ‘BLACK TIE’—it canseem such an effort, and so many businessleaders are squeezing in events after work.”
FORMAL AFFA IRS
