What each line at the bottom of an invitation actually asks of you, for men and for women, with a chart you can keep.
A dress code is a courtesy to the host: it tells you how formal the evening will be so nobody has to guess. The black tie dress code is the one people search for most, but the confusion usually sits lower down the ladder, in cocktail, semi-formal and smart casual.
This guide covers all of them, from white tie to casual, using the two standard references: Debrett’s in Britain and the Emily Post Institute in the United States. Where they disagree, we say so.
One rule covers most doubts, and Debrett’s puts it plainly.
“…preferable to look over-, rather than under-dressed. An immaculate turn out is far more courteous to your host.”[2]
Debrett’s
Pick the dress code on the invitation. The answer comes straight from the chart below.
Black tie, women, evening
Floor-length gown (the US default) or a dressy cocktail dress in an evening fabric. Palazzo-cut evening trousers are accepted in Britain.
Thirteen codes, from most to least formal. Whether smart casual or business casual is the more formal is disputed (see below). Rules vary by host and venue: the invitation wins.
| Code | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| White tie | Tailcoat, white waistcoat, white bow tie | Full-length evening gown |
| Morning dress | Morning coat, grey or striped trousers | Smart daywear, usually a hat |
| Black tie | Dinner jacket, black hand-tied bow tie | Gown or dressy cocktail dress |
| Black tie optional | Tuxedo, or dark suit and tie | Gown, cocktail dress or dressy separates |
| Creative black tie | Tuxedo with one or two personal touches | Black tie, more unusual accessories |
| Cocktail | Dark suit, white shirt, dark tie | Knee-to-midi dress or dressy jumpsuit |
| Semi-formal | Dark business suit and tie | Short cocktail dress or dressy separates |
| Business formal | Dark suit, conservative tie | Suit, or dress with a jacket |
| Smart casual | Blazer, chinos, collared shirt | Day dress with a jacket |
| Business casual | Slacks or khakis, dress or polo shirt | Skirt or trousers with a knit top |
| Country club casual | Collared shirt tucked in, tailored trousers | Dress, or blouse with skirt or slacks |
| Dressy casual | Sport coat or blazer with slacks | Dress, or skirt and dressy top |
| Casual | Khakis or jeans, plain T-shirt or polo | Sundress, khakis or jeans, plain top |
Full evening dress; "tails"
Formal day dress (mainly British)
Dinner jacket, DJ, "dress for dinner"; tuxedo in the US
Also "black tie preferred" or "invited". Not a Debrett’s (British) category.
"Relaxed" or "bohemian" black tie in Britain
"Smart frocks" or "party dress" in Britain
No British equivalent. In older usage black tie itself was called semi-formal.
"Lounge suits" on British invitations
The most common British dress code (Debrett’s)
A workplace code
Club casual; resort casual
Listed by the Emily Post Institute
Informal, but clean
Black tie is the most frequently encountered formal evening dress code: dinners, balls, galas and evening weddings. In Britain it may be written as “dinner jackets”, “DJs” or “dress for dinner”; in America, “tuxedos”.[1] Emily Post places it slightly below white tie and above business attire.[3] The phrase is not literal: it means the whole evening outfit, not a suit worn with a black necktie.
A velvet smoking jacket is the host’s privilege at home; Debrett’s says it is not right for a guest when black tie is printed on the invitation. A long black necktie with a dinner jacket, sometimes called “Hollywood black tie”, would look unsuitable at most formal private events in Britain.[1]
There is more latitude here, and the authorities do not agree on length (see where the authorities disagree).
The dress does not have to be black, and black alone does not make an outfit formal enough.[1] Rewearing a dress is not a faux pas.[5]
“Black tie optional” gives guests a choice: men are asked to wear a tuxedo but may wear a dark suit with a white shirt and conservative tie; women may wear a gown, a dressy cocktail dress or dressy separates.[3]
The Black Tie Guide reads it as a signal that the hosts will be in black tie and invite you to join them. It recommends a black, charcoal or deep navy suit, and warns against pairing a suit with a tuxedo shirt, or a black suit with a black bow tie.
It is also the most criticised code. GQ calls it “the worst possible dress code” and advises erring formal; Vogue calls it “a relatively new phenomenon”. “Black tie preferred” and “black tie invited” are read differently by different sources; treat them as a stronger request than “optional”.
Emily Post describes creative black tie as “a black-tie foundation with room for some creativity and flair”: a tuxedo with a coloured or patterned bow tie and cummerbund, or a black shirt.[3] Debrett’s groups it with “relaxed” or “bohemian” black tie, where a velvet smoking jacket or a glamorous waistcoat is fair game.[2] What it does not mean is a business suit dressed up to pass as a tuxedo.
Emily Post allows a white dinner jacket with black trousers “in summer, in the tropics, or on a cruise”.[3] The Black Tie Guide limits it to the tropics year-round and to American summers, typically at open-air country club and yacht club parties, and prefers ivory or off-white to bright white. Debrett’s notes that white dinner jackets are “not usually [worn] in Britain, even in the summer.”[1]
In 1865 the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, asked his tailor Henry Poole to cut a short coat for informal dinners at Sandringham.[7] How it crossed the Atlantic is disputed.
The Tuxedo Club credits member James Brown Potter, who visited Sandringham in 1886; the Village of Tuxedo Park credits Griswold Lorillard, who wore a tailless coat to the Tuxedo Club’s autumn ball that October; Henry Poole thinks the club’s founders had copied the Prince twenty years earlier.[7]
The word “tuxedo” was in print by 1888. Midnight blue arrived in the 1920s, championed by the Prince of Wales who became the Duke of Windsor. Under artificial light it reads richer than black, which can take on a greenish cast.
White tie, also called full evening dress or “tails”, is the most formal code and is rare today: certain royal and state occasions, livery dinners, some balls and formal evening weddings. It will always be stated on the invitation.[1] In the US it appears at inaugural balls, state dinners and Le Bal des Débutantes; the 2022 Met Gala used it.
A black tailcoat with silk-faced lapels, worn open; matching trousers with braid; a white marcella shirt with a stiff detachable wing collar, studs and double cuffs; a low-cut white waistcoat; a thin white hand-tied bow tie; black patent or highly polished shoes.[1] Emily Post adds braces and white or grey gloves.[4]
A full-length evening gown; “shorter dresses or trousers, no matter how smart, are not acceptable.” This is the occasion for the finest jewellery, including tiaras, which are traditionally worn first by brides and never by young girls.[1]
Long gloves are traditional but no longer compulsory at many events. They are worn arriving, in the receiving line and dancing, and taken off to eat, even a canapé, then rested on the lap under the napkin.[1]
Morning dress is the formal day code: weddings, formal memorial services and the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. Debrett’s says it should never be specified for an event starting after 6 pm. Men wear a black or grey morning coat, grey or striped trousers, a waistcoat and a tie; women wear smart daywear, usually with a hat.[1]
At Royal Ascot’s Royal Enclosure the rules are written down: morning dress in black, grey or navy with a top hat for men; for women, hems just above the knee or longer, straps at least an inch wide, and a hat.[8] In North America, formal day clothes have largely disappeared since the Second World War.
GQ places cocktail between the comfort of business casual and the formality of black tie. At its formal end it means a dark suit, white shirt and dark solid tie. For women it means a knee-length, tea-length or midi dress, or a tailored jumpsuit, rather than a gown.
Debrett’s calls the British versions “smart frocks” or “party dress”.[2] The original cocktail hour ran from six to eight in the evening. Our full guide to cocktail attire covers day versus evening, weddings, and how it differs from semi-formal.
In current American usage, semi-formal sits between office wear and formal wear. Men wear a dark business suit and tie; women a short afternoon or cocktail dress, a little black dress, a long dressy skirt and top, or dressy separates. After 6 pm, err on the formal side.[4]
Be careful with older or European invitations: in the traditional classification black tie itself was called semi-formal, with white tie the only “formal” code.
Emily Post’s business formal is a suit, “the darker the suit, the more formal”, with a dress shirt and conservative tie for men, and a suit, business dress or dress with jacket for women.[4]
British invitations call this “lounge suits”, a phrase Debrett’s says is only seen on invitations. The shirt should have a turn-down collar, not a button-down, with the top button done up under the tie. In the evening, women wear a smart or cocktail dress with sleeves or a jacket.[1]
Debrett’s calls smart casual “by far the most common of all dress codes” and also “the hardest dress code to interpret”.[1][2] At its formal end, men wear a jacket or blazer, chinos or flannels (not jeans), a collared shirt and smart shoes; women a smart day dress with a jacket. At its informal end, clean, dark jeans can pass.[1]
Our guide to smart casual goes item by item: jeans, polos, sneakers, shorts.
Business casual is an office code and, in Emily Post’s words, “pretty ambiguous”: slacks or khakis with a dress shirt, blouse or polo; a sport coat optional; a dress for women. Always check your company’s policy first.[4] Sandals, workout clothes and anything torn or worn thin stay out. Jeans are still discouraged or considered casual in many business settings.
Dressy casual, for after-work events, fundraisers or a good restaurant, means a sport coat or blazer with slacks for men, and a dress, skirt and dressy top, or nice jeans with a dressy top for women.[4] Casual still means “clean and professional”: good jeans or khakis, plain T-shirts without slogans, polos, and nothing baggy from around the house.[4]
There is no single country club code: each club publishes its own, and the rules change by room and by hour. Collared shirts tucked in, tailored trousers or Bermuda-length shorts, and no athletic wear in the clubhouse are common threads. Dining rooms often tighten after 5 or 6 pm, with jackets encouraged or required. We compared the published rules of sixteen clubs in our country club dress code guide.
Debrett’s puts the dress code in the bottom right-hand corner, for example “Black tie” or “Smart casual”, with the nature of the event (“Dinner and dancing”) above it. “Decorations” beneath the dress code on a private invitation implies a member of the Royal Family is expected.
Emily Post’s advice for weddings is to leave attire off the wedding invitation itself and, if necessary, write “Black tie” in the lower right of the reception invitation. Modern wedding guides instead put the dress code on a details card and the wedding website.
“A printed invitation suggests a smarter event than a text or email.” City events tend to be more formal than country ones, and older or more traditional hosts more formal than younger ones.[1] Vogue reads thick card stock, a wax seal and calligraphy as a formal evening; a text message as a relaxed one.[5]
For weddings, Emily Post says the invitation and the time of day are your best guide, along with the religious setting and local custom.[6] Fanciful codes such as “razzle dazzle” or “denim and diamonds” can be acknowledged with accessories alone; “dress to impress” simply means under-dressing is not an option.[2]
And “‘Come as you are’ rarely means what it says.”[1] When in doubt, ask the host; Vogue suggests asking what they plan to wear.[5] If you would rather not go at all, see how to decline an invitation.
Evening wear traditionally starts at 6 pm. One school of thought says 6 pm or dark, whichever comes first. That is why morning dress is the formal daytime code and white tie and black tie are evening codes.[1]
For weddings, Emily Post’s formal daytime guidance is a dark suit for men and a cocktail or dressy afternoon dress for women; formal evening means a tuxedo (required if the invitation says black tie) and a long or dressy cocktail dress.[6] For cocktail and semi-formal events, lighter colours and fabrics suit daytime, and darker, richer ones suit the evening.
| Topic | Britain (Debrett’s) | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the jacket | Dinner jacket or DJ, “not a dinner suit”[1] | Tuxedo[1] |
| Black tie shirt collar | Turn-down, not wing[1] | Attached wing collars popular since the 1980s, though many style authorities object |
| White dinner jacket | Not usually worn, even in summer[1] | Summer, tropics or a cruise[3] |
| Women at black tie | Knee-length cocktail dress the most popular choice[2] | Floor-length the default for weddings and galas[5] |
| White tie trousers | Two lines of braid[1] | One stripe[4] |
| Formal daywear | Morning dress, still worn at weddings and Ascot[1] | Largely disappeared since the Second World War |
| The business-suit code | “Lounge suits”[1] | Business formal[4] |
| Semi-formal | Not a Debrett’s category[1] | Dark suit and tie[4] |
| Black tie optional | Not a Debrett’s category[1] | Common, especially at weddings[3] |
Etiquette guides tend to present their rules as settled. They are not. These are the points where the sources we used contradict each other, and how we read them.
Our readingFloor-length is the safe default at an American wedding or gala. An evening-fabric dress at or just below the knee is accepted by both Debrett’s and Emily Post.
Our readingOn a modern American invitation, semi-formal means a dark suit. On an older or European one, ask.
Our readingA turn-down collar is never wrong. A wing collar is safest kept for white tie.
Our readingStronger than “optional”. Wear a tuxedo if you own one or can rent one.
Our readingA regional difference rather than a mistake. Follow the country you are in.
Our readingUnresolved. The 1865 Sandringham jacket is the one documented fact.
Our readingBoth are correct. Single-breasted is the default.
Our readingFollow the invitation. If it says black tie for a 5 pm ceremony, wear black tie.
Some popular cheat sheets get the formal end wrong, listing a button-down shirt and cummerbund for white tie or a standard necktie for black tie. Both Debrett’s and Emily Post specify a wing-collared stiff-front shirt with a white waistcoat for white tie, and a bow tie for black tie.[1][4]
None of this requires an expensive wardrobe. A dinner suit that fits, one good dark suit and a few well-kept pieces cover most of the chart. Our guide to old money style on a budget covers how to build them.
Black tie is formal evening wear. For men it means a dinner jacket (a tuxedo, in American English) with a black bow tie, white dress shirt and black patent or polished shoes. For women it means an evening gown or a dressy cocktail dress in an evening fabric. It does not mean "wear a black tie with a suit."[1][3]
Yes. Debrett’s notes that black tie is described "in America, as ‘tuxedos’"; in Britain the jacket is a dinner jacket.[1]
Not if the invitation simply says "black tie": that asks for a tuxedo. A dark suit with a white shirt and conservative tie is acceptable when the invitation says "black tie optional."[3]
For a US wedding or gala, floor-length is the safe default. Emily Post also accepts a dressy cocktail dress, and Debrett’s says knee-length cocktail dresses are the most popular choice at British black tie events.[2][3][5]
No. The name refers to the men’s bow tie, not the colour of the dress. Debrett’s adds that wearing black does not by itself make an outfit formal enough.[1]
White tie is the more formal code: a tailcoat worn open, a wing-collared stiff-front shirt, a white waistcoat and white bow tie, and full-length gowns only. Black tie uses a dinner jacket and black bow tie, and women may wear a gown or a dressy cocktail dress.[1][4]
The hosts will be in black tie and welcome guests who join them, but a dark suit with a white shirt and conservative tie is acceptable. Women may wear a gown, a dressy cocktail dress, or dressy separates.[3]
Traditionally no: evening wear is for after 6 pm, and the formal daytime code is morning dress. Daytime black tie weddings are increasingly common in the US, and if the invitation asks for black tie, follow the invitation.[1]
Yes. Debrett’s accepts evening trousers for black tie, preferably a palazzo cut rather than tight-fitting. At white tie, it says trousers are not acceptable.[1]
Yes. The Emily Post Institute traces the rule to early-1900s summer resort wardrobes and now advises wearing "what’s appropriate—for the weather, the season, or the occasion."
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