Dress Codes

Did you receive an invitation which says dress code BLACK TIE? This is the official request to wear your dinner suit. However, it is not the tie that is meant but a black bowtie which is the appropriate accessory to go with the dinner suit. Dinner suits were first worn in the English smoking rooms at the end of the last century. By the way, in America the dinner suit is called tuxedo. The elegant dinner suit: The black, single-breasted dinner jacket with shawl collar is the right choice for social events after 6pm - also in double-breasted or fashionable variants and new colours. Young dinner suit versions are trending. These days many grooms choose a dinner suit as wedding suit, also before 6pm, the rules have relaxed a little bit.

What do the ladies wear with dress code BLACK TIE? A festive evening dress (shorter or long but not mini), shoes with heels if possible. open shoes without stockings are allowed.

By WHITE TIE  - or "cravate blanche"  in French - you don't mean a tie but a white piqué bowtie which is the appropriate accessory to go with evening tails. How to dress for invitations saying "White Tie": Civilians wear an evening tailcoat, soldiers may appear in their dress uniform. National dresses as well as received awards are also allowed at events with this very formal dress code. Nowadays, there are not too many events left where evening tails have to be worn but still there are a few occasions where the king of formal wear is the appropriate attire like opera balls, nobel prize awards, state banquets as well as important royal wedding balls. As a rule of thumb you wear an evening tailcoat after 3pm or even better after dark. Before 3 pm and before dark you wear a morning coat which is sort of tailcoat during the daytime.

WHITE TIE dress code for ladies: very formal long gown, shoes with heels if possible, open shoes without stockings are allowed.

Did you receive an invitation that says dress code: CUTAWAY / MORNING COAT? This is the official request to wear a morning coat. The morning coat is, so to say, the  evening tailsuit and most formal attire during the daytime. In Britain the "cutaway" is called morning coat. This name perfectly defines the time of the day when to wear this formal garment. The German term "Cut"  derives from its curved edge. which looks like being cut away. Furthermore the morning coat is a classic wedding outfit, especially at royal weddings. It is also worn at state funerals, state receptions in the daytime or award ceremonies. It is the equivalent of the tailsuit during the daytime, so to speak. The rule of thumb is to wear it in the daytime until 3 pm or until dusk - afterwards at the evening event the evening tailsuit should be worn.

What should the ladies wear to comply with the dress code  morning coat? A short dress with coordinated jacket or coat or an appropriate ladies suit. Shoes: elegant, at funeral services nylon stockings are indispensable.

Have you got an invitation that says dress code TUXEDO jacket or is this an invitation to a very formal garden party? Then this is the official request to wear a classic cream-coloured tuxedo jacket. What precisely is the tuxedo jacket? The white tuxedo is a classic of formal wear for all social formal functions during daytime, special garden parties or cruises. It is sort of dinner suit / BLACK TIE attire for daytime or summer functions. The white tuxedo is worn with a white wing-collar dress shirt and black classic dinner trousers. This attire is not appropriate for weddings. After your fancy: black, white or coloured bowtie matching the pocket square and cummerbund. Our tip for you: in bordeaux red.

What do the ladies wear with dress code WHITE TUXEDO? A festive summer dress, suitable for daytime events (shorter or long but not mini), shoes with heels if possible, open shoes without stockings are allowed.