Everything about Formal Wear totally explained
Formal dress (U.K.) and
formal wear (U.S.) are the general
fashion terms for
clothing suitable for formal social events (
wedding,
débutante cotillion, dance). The Western style of formal evening dress, black and white garments, has pervaded the like styles of many countries; it's almost always the standard formal social dress in countries without a formal
national costume. In Western formal state ceremonies and social functions, diplomats, foreign dignitaries, and guests of honour wear Western evening dress if not wearing their equivalent national dress, for example the
sari, the
dashiki, et cetera.
Unlike in most of fashion, formal evening dress styles are named for the clothes of men rather than the clothes of women. The traditional sartorial rules that govern men's formal dress are strictly observed; from them derive the evening dress variants worn to high school prom dances, formal dances, and
entertainment industry award programs.
Socially acceptable civilian formal evening dress is codified; since the early twentieth century, the British, Continental, and North American forms are:
The continual relaxation of formal dress standards since the end of the Second World War redefined what clothes constitute formal and semi-formal dress. The original term
full dress was used in the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, followed by
half dress and
undress. Today, traditional etiquette and dress consultants use the original, formal dress code terms — especially for weddings, while contemporary consultants use looser, “modern” definitions, for example white tie: “very formal”, “ultra formal”; black tie: “formal”; and the traditionally informal lounge suit as “pseudo-formal”. Moreover, modern advisors recommend black tie for formal events, and tie-less-black-tie "alternatives" for semi-formal events. Subsequently,
white tie and
black tie are the categorical terms used to differentiate between the garments comprised by the ambiguous “formal” and “semi-formal” labels.
In the U.K.,
white tie and
black tie are evening dress categories;
morning dress is the day time clothing, because the American-termed “day wear” is considered informal dress. In the U.S. morning dress is rare, having been replaced with the stroller suit and the lounge suit, however, morning dress remains
de rigueur in the societies of the United Kingdom, Europe, Australasia, and Japan.
Styles of formal dress
The degrees of formality of evening clothes, and the component garments, are described in the individual fashion articles:
Men's styles
Evening styles:
Court dress (at Royal Court)
White tie (tailcoat)
Black tie (U.K.: dinner jacket; U.S.: tuxedo)
Red Sea rig (Tropical. Similar to Black tie, but without a jacket. )
Day styles:
Frock coat
Morning dress
Stroller
Lounge suit
Grey necktie (combining tail coat and black tie styles worn by servants and waiters)
Women's styles
ballgown
evening gown
cocktail dress
White tie
Black tie
Unisex formal dress
Court dress - law court dress
Academic regalia - academic and graduate dress
Dress uniform - formal military uniform
Mess dress - formal military evening dress
Components of formal dress
Man's white tie:
Tailcoat
Formal trousers, uncuffed, with satin stripes on leg seams
White piqué bow tie
White piqué vest
White piqué front shirt with a wing collar
Cuff links and shirt studs
Black patent leather shoes or dress shoes
Suspenders
Man's black tie:
Tuxedo coat or dinner jacket
Formal trousers, uncuffed, with satin stripes on leg seams
Formal shirt (stiff wing or soft folded collar) with either a placketed, pleated, piqué, or ruffled front
A black bow tie
A black vest or a cummerbund
Black, patent leather shoes or dress shoes
Cuff links and shirt studs
Suspenders
Formal wear around the world
Each culture of the world has formal evening and day dress, some examples:
Sari - worn by women in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
Shalwar Qameez - worn by women in Pakistan and India
Dashiki - worn by men in West African countries
Barong Tagalog - worn by men and women in the Philippines
QiPao - A modern female variation of the Qing Dynasty silk dress, characterized by a high mandarin collar, and side open slits of varying lengths. Can be sleeveless, short, elbow or long sleeve. Adopted by most Chinese women as a traditional Chinese formal or informal wear, depending on materials and occasions.
Tang-Zhuang, a long male version of the QiPao, originated during the Ming-Qing Dynasty. It can be of cotton for ordinary wear, or of silk for those within aristocratic families. Beneath the Tang-Zhuang, the male generally wears white mandarin-collar long-sleeve shirt and a pair of dark colored long pants. Like the QiPao, this Tang Zhuang male gown has slits on both sides (at least knee level) as well. Worn nowadays either by Chinese men in the martial arts world, or as a formal attire for weddings to match the QiPao the bride wears.Further Information
Get more info on 'Formal Wear'.
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