Formal wear
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
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 is 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, i.e. 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:
- Full evening dress or white tie
- Semi-formal evening dress or black tie
- Formal day dress or morning dress
- Semi-formal day dress or stroller suit
- Informal dress or lounge suit
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, i.e. 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.
Contents |
[edit] Styles of formal dress
The degrees of formality of evening clothes, and the component garments, are described in the individual fashion articles:
[edit] Men's styles
- Red Sea rig
- Black tie
- White tie
- Court dress
- Prince tails
[edit] Women's styles
- Cocktail dress
- Evening gown
- Ball gown
- Wedding dress
- Princess gown
[edit] 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
[edit] 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
[edit] 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.
- Tangzhuang, 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 tangzhuang, the male generally wears white mandarin-collar long-sleeve shirt and a pair of dark colored long pants. Like the qipao, this tangzhuang 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.
[edit] External links
Formal wear Examples of clothes, information.
