Business & Etiquette

Dress Code – getting it right [medium]

Vocabulary Key: Synonyms, Antonyms and definitions

Peter Müller is a sales manager from Germany who is currently in the United States on business. He is staying in Newport, Rhode Island, and friends in the affluent area of Middletown have invited him to a party at their mansion. The party invitation states as a dress code: informal evening attire. Now Peter does not know what to do and he roams his wardrobe for an appropriate dress. Should he wear a suit? If so, should he wear it with or without a tie? Or, maybe, informal means that he could get away with just wearing a nice pair of pants with a shirt, and leave the tie aside altogether? In that case, would he need a jacket?

This kind of problem can be encountered when doing business abroad, especially when the business involves socializing after hours. But not to worry, LBT comes to the rescue with a short and comprehensive guide to dress code etiquette, to make sure you get it right each time.

White tie: this means ultra formal. Men need to wear full formal dress, which is a black tailcoat with black pants, and then a white tie, shirt and vest. Women must wear long, formal evening gowns.

Black tie: Men wear tuxedo, while women wear a formal dress of suitable length but are not required to wear full-length gown.

Black tie optional/preferred/invited: Men may wear a dark suit while women wear an elegant dress.

Cocktail: Men wear a darkish suit and tie and women may wear an elegant dress of their preferred color but should not arrive wearing a formal gown.

Evening attire: this is usually preceded by the specification casual (smart shirt and slacks), informal (jacket and tie) or formal (dark suit or tuxedo).

Semi-formal: women wear either a nice dress or an elegant suit, while men wear an elegant suit the color of which should vary with the time of the day. Rule of thumb: the later it is, the darker the suit color should be.

Smart-casual: This indicates that an elegant, casual look is called for. This type of look includes elegant slacks with a dressy shirt for men, and long, dressy trousers with shirts and jackets for females.

Casual: anything goes, within reason. No tank tops. Smart shorts but only in summer during the day when it is hot. Slacks and elegant T-shirts.

Business: This is standard business attire, suit and tie for men, double or single breasted suit or business dress for women

Business casual: Suit without tie for men, or trousers with shirt and no tie, trousers and shirt for women are acceptable

Casual sports attire: similar to casual dress. Elegant sneakers are acceptable.

Beach attire: shorts and slacks are acceptable, tongs and tank tops should be avoided.

Vocabulary Index

currently – Synonym: right now/presently Antonym: in the past/used to be
affluent – Synonym: wealthy Antonym: poor
mansion – Synonym: large, lavish villa Antonym: (humble) small house
appropriate – Synonym: fitting, suited to Antonym: unsuitable
to encounter – Synonym: to meet Antonym: to miss (someone or something)
abroad – Synonym: in a foreign land Antonym: at home

to involve – Synonym: to include Antonym: to exclude
to socialize – Synonym: to spend free time with other people Antonym: to be solitary
rescue - Synonym: help, aid Antonym: destruction, demise
comprehensive – Synonym: all-encompassing, complete Antonym: incomplete
to get it right: to do the right thing
ultra formal: extremely formal

suitable: something that fits (in this case: fits the occasion)
to be required: if you must wear a long dress, you are required to wear one
darkish: quite dark, but not necessarily completely dark. A suit of such colors as: medium grey or darker, dark or medium brown etc.
preferred: if you like apples better than bananas, then apples are your preferred food
preceded: what comes before something else
either … or: you can have either an apple or an orange, but not both

to vary with: to change with
rule of thumb: basic rule that is considered the normal thing
to indicate: to point to/towards
dressy: smart and elegant
within reason: not overdone
attire: the manner of dress is one’s attire. A woman who prefers wearing jeans likes casual attire.

casual: the opposite of formal
similar: if two people look a lot like each other, then they look similar
to avoid: to keep away from. When driving, people usually like to avoid driving in lots of traffic



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