A Guide to Men’s Dress Codes for All Occasions

Although dress codes are designed to guide what to wear, they can often make choosing an outfit more complex. With all their rules and requirements, navigating through each form of attire can be incredibly challenging. Luckily, you no longer have to go in alone because we’re here to help. This article breaks down the most common dress codes, such as cocktail attire, smart casual, black tie, and more, to ensure your every outfit is on point. Here is our guide to men’s dress codes for all occasions.

Men’s Dress Codes

Casual

Casual is the most relaxed of all dress codes and is extremely common. As such, it is incredibly easy to dress for, making it hard to go wrong with your outfit. That said, there are ways to ensure your casual look is more stylish than most. To do so, try investing in classic items that never go out of fashion, such as jeans, sweaters, sneakers, T-shirts, and denim jackets. Also, stick to basic colors to make coordinating looks easier. Then, create outfits that blend comfort with contemporary style. You can also add fun accessories and statement pieces for a personal touch.

Smart Casual

Smart casual is a standard dress code and is important to get right. To correctly dress for this style of attire, aim for an appearance that’s more elevated than your usual casualwear yet still relaxed and comfortable. You can do so by combining everyday garments with more sophisticated items. Of course, precisely how you interpret this dress code is up to you. You may want to wear jeans with a T-shirt and blazer or chinos with a chambray shirt. The choice is yours. Just ensure you strike the right balance of smart and casual and that you’re dressed appropriately for the event you’re attending.

Business Casual

Although often confused, smart casual and business casual are different dress codes. In particular, the main difference between these two smart yet relaxed codes is that business casual must also project an air of professionalism. Often called upon for modern offices, business casual attire doesn’t require a suit. Instead, a less formal outfit, such as chinos with a sweater or dark jeans with a blazer, works perfectly. When it comes to selecting a shirt, choose a style that’s ideal for the office, such as a classic colored Oxford or checkered button-down. Complete your outfit with smart footwear like brogues, monk straps, loafers, or Derby shoes in suede or matte leather.

Business Formal

Business formal is a dress code reserved for conservative offices and corporate meetings/events. It denotes a smart style of dress that is stylish and simple. To dress business formal, you should select an office-appropriate, notch-lapel suit in a dark color, such as navy or charcoal. Then add a business shirt in a standard color, such as white or blue. Although you can likely get away with a subtle pattern, it’s best to save any bold designs for business casual days. To complete your look, add a tie and black leather shoes. In particular, standard Oxfords or Derby shoes make an excellent option.

Cocktail Attire

Cocktail attire is a dress code for evening events, such as parties. A suit is ideal for dressing for it. However, you shouldn’t just wear the same old style you wear to work. Instead, your cocktail suit should have a modern feel and be perfect for nighttime. As such, a slim-fit, tailored design makes a fantastic option. It should also be dark in color and may even have a sleek sheen to its fabric. To complete your outfit, pair your suit with a dress shirt, polished dress shoes, and a slim tie if you wish. You can add a little flair or personal style with the accessories you choose.

Semi Formal

Semi formal can be a tricky dress code to navigate. It sits a notch above cocktail attire and just below the black tie. As such, it demands a classically sophisticated yet somewhat contemporary look. Like cocktail attire, a suit is better than a tuxedo for a semi formal event. However, you should maintain a polished appearance for semi-formal functions. To do so, select a light suit, such as one in beige, for a daytime event or a dark suit, like one in navy, for the evening. Then add a dress shirt and a tie if you wish. Unlike cocktail attire, it’s best to stick to classic accessories with this dress code.

Black Tie Dress Code

Black tie is a formal style of dress that applies to sophisticated evening events. The dress code requires gents to wear a tuxedo, also called a dinner suit. Unlike a standard suit, a tuxedo features contrasting lapels, which can be peak or shawl style, and a side stripe down the outseam of the pants. Ideally, your tux should be black or midnight blue and partnered with a white formal shirt. Complete your look with a black bow tie, or one that matches the facing of your tuxedo, and smart dress shoes, such as black Oxfords. You may also want to wear a black waistcoat or cummerbund to add interest and further polish to your appearance.

Black Tie Optional

Black tie optional is a variant of the standard black tie dress code. As such, it’s more open and relaxed than traditional black tie while still being more formal than semi formal attire. You can wear black tie attire as an easy way to nail this look. However, if you don’t have all the garments required for black tie, you can wear something slightly more relaxed. A sleek black suit with a necktie can be appropriate, but ensure it’s well-fitted and high-quality, or you may appear underdressed.

Black Tie Creative

Black tie creative invites you to have fun with traditional black tie attire while maintaining a similar level of polish. Therefore, it’s the perfect dress code to showcase your flair for fashion. To do so, take the standard black tie tuxedo and add your own spin. You could choose a unique material, such as velvet, unusual color or pattern, or even some statement accessories. The choice is yours, but remember to ensure your overall appearance is still suitable for a formal setting.

White Tie

White tie is the most formal of all dress codes and is reserved for only the fanciest events, such as balls, galas, and weddings. To nail the code, you’ll need to dress to the nines. That means dialing things up further than your sleek, black tie tux. To do so, you’ll need to wear a black tuxedo with tails, a white tuxedo shirt, a pleated or bib-front design, a white waistcoat, a white bow tie, and black, patent leather dress shoes. If you don’t already own these items and are not one to attend white tie events regularly, you can consider hiring them. Additionally, wear white gloves and a black top hat if you want to add more flash to your outfit.

Taylah McKee

Writer

Taylah Brewer holds a bachelor's degree in fashion and business and is a skilled writer with several years of experience in the world of online content creation and copywriting. She is passionate about fashion, beauty, and all things lifestyle-related and has been writing for The Trend Spotter since 2016. She currently works as the Head of Digital & Ecommerce at White & Co.