Looking for guidance on how to match you suit to a dress code?
MANDURAH FORMALWEAR is here to help
Diving into DRESS CODE world
A wedding invite contains four vital pieces of information: the couple, the date, the location, and finally the dress code to match. Three out of four are easy to follow. You know the couple, you place the date in your calendar, and you set google maps to the location. But what about navigating a dress code you’re unsure about, especially menswear? Join Western Australia Wedding & Bride’s Alice O’Brien as she speaks with Lisa Hayes from Mandurah Formalwear to learn all about the world of dress codes.
Written by Alice O’Brien
WHAT EVEN IS A DRESS CODE?
There’s normality around receiving an invitation for an event and it being paired with a designated dress code. A twenty first party invitation can be seen alongside the dress code of cocktail. A house party invitation has ‘dress as the letter of your first name’ written under it. The dress code of formal comes with the corporate end of year dinner invite. All these codes come with endless outfit questions on whether to wear pants or dresses, heels or flats, colours or neutral? It’s called an invitation dress code for a reason. It’s a code to solve.
However, society has grappled with the tangling and deciphering of clothing buzz words for centuries. First emerging among the wealthy and nobilities, often through handwritten parchment letters, were formalised invitations with dress codes. As social gatherings became more elaborate, dress codes became more specific, seeing white tie, court dress or military uniform codes begin to appear. During the eighteenth and nineteenth century invitational dress codes were mainly done for prestige but now dress codes have been adopted into the corporate and social world. And here’s where they’ve entered the wedding world.
“Many … weddings and even engagement parties … come with specified dress codes,” Hayes says.
There are countless reasons why couples choose to include a dress code on their wedding invite, from wanting a seamless look to it being simply weather dependent. Societal clothing rules are confusing, especially for menswear, with limited styling in suits. But at the end of the day, no matter the dress code, being invited to a wedding is an honour of love, and with that honour comes the responsibility to follow the outlined dress code. So, Hayes is here to help decipher and successfully follow a wedding dress code.
LET’S CHAT EXAMPLES
The best way to learn is through example, and that’s exactly what Hayes has done.
Beginning with the most common dress code, the universal black tie, Hayes says it’s “often taken very loosely in current times and interpreted as meaning wear a suit … but traditionally black tie is wearing a tuxedo, white shirt and black bow tie.” It’s a timeless classic look, and one of the easiest to follow as a guest wanting to wear a suit. But what if the dress code is not as easily interpreted as a black tie? What if it’s vaguely just the word formal?
“Formal is more so wearing a dark-coloured suit, paired with a plain shirt and often a coloured or patterned tie,” Hayes explains.
So, when an invite to a wedding writes please come along in formal attire, there is an expectation your suit will not be bright pink, but rather a more neutral colour for sophistication. But not every wedding is a formal event, some are strictly party only. And a dress code to reflect this normally follows the lines of cocktail.
“Cocktail is more a play on wearing something smart casually and usually requires a jacket, possibly paired with an open shirt and bursts of colour,” Hayes says.
These are three tiers of dress codes, and notably, each suit attire respectively becomes less ridged and formalised. But, unfortunately for the sake of simplicity, dress codes are not restricted to just black tie, formal and cocktail wear. It can range from dressy casual to wearing a specific colour. But the team at Mandurah Formalwear knows exactly how to help anyone coming in needing to buy or rent a suit to match a code
FROM CREATING TO READING THE WEDDING INVITE
When creating their wedding invitation, many couples want to and will include a dress code, and this is the moment where Mandurah Formalwear steps up and showcases how they truly cater to their client’s needs.
“Often included with the invitation is our business card and the couple have advised us of their requirements for their guests which makes it easy to keep guests on the same page and wearing attire that is suitable for the event standard,” Hayes proudly exclaims.
The team at Mandurah Formalwear will take the time to understand every aspect that goes into the special day, from taking care of the couple and the groom’s suit, as seen at the altar, right down to every last suit that each guest will wear. Therefore, the seamless styled wedding look many couples are after is more than just possible but inevitable. Even if you come into Mandurah Formalwear without a business card attached invitation, the team will still care for you in the exact same way.
“We always advise our customers of our thoughts on dress codes, and we discuss the venue and time of the event to ensure they are guided towards appropriate attire,” Hayes says.
For the team, it’s not just about the visual look, but rather understanding the social pressure guests can feel when unsure about how to approach a dress code. The team also comes from a place which offers the perspective of the couple.
“Guests should be aware of the significant investment being made into the day and the level of elegance the happy couple would like to achieve,” Hayes explains.
However, as a rule of thumb for any wedding guest Hayes offers the advice to “always add a jacket and take it to the next level, as it’s better to have an extra garment that can be taken off than be under dressed.”
NEED INSPIRATION FOR YOUR MENSWEAR?
Menswear does have the stereotype of being plain, simple and overall, not very creative. But, as you will soon find out, this stereotype is more of a misconception.
“Often times, men will just ignore the dress code for comfort,” Hayes says sadly.
“But a well-fitting outfit should not feel uncomfortable on, and we aim to have our customers feeling confident and relaxed in good fitting attire.”
This is where the importance of going to a formal wear suit shop plays its part. Your suit should reflect you, your body, and your needs. But more than that, there should be a team of tailors supporting your suit selection journey. The team at Mandurah Formalwear comes from that place of support and most importantly, have an understanding about the tricky web in following universal wedding dress codes.
Images courtesy of Mandurah Formalwear