Cocktail Attire for Men: The Comprehensive What To Wear Guide
Life is packed with pleasant surprises, and invitations to cocktail parties rank quite high on a gentleman’s list of unexpected thrills. Unfortunately, the excitement can wear off a tiny bit when you get to that part about the dress code.
Let’s face it: No other occasion features such dreaded nebulousness when it comes to male attire. The ambiguity should not be misconstrued as flexibility, especially since the exclusive event calls for a particularly limited range of formal wear.
Each cocktail gathering imposes slightly different expectations, but all of the nuanced requirements are covered in this comprehensive style guide.
A Historical Overview
Before we delve deeper into the complexity of cocktail attire, it would be best to first discuss how we got to this point. The whole conundrum started back in the 1920s, which is when sociable pre-meal drinks became the norm.
Before this era, most dress codes fell into either white tie or black tie. This new routine occasion instantly mandated a different set of standards, and sophisticated men have been wrangling with the specifics ever since.
By the 1930s, this new wardrobe genre was permanently established in the cultural lexicon. Ultimately, the incipient class of wear was meant to segue classy citizens from casual day wear to extra proper night attire. While a little leeway may be provided to dress code offenders, blatant violations will probably be disavowed.
Finding the perfect balance takes work, but we’ve got you covered with the manly methods below!
Getting The Basics Straight
Regardless of what you choose, the best bets are almost always tailored to fit. Overall, the cleverest course is usually a bold blazer and trouser combo. In most situations, suits work just fine too. A little personalized flair is recommended, but it must be employed with delicate subtlety.
Small accents will add more magic to your ensemble than you can imagine, but displays that are over-the-top will cost your reputation some status points. If your host’s expectations are truly indecipherable, then a polite phone call may be in order to acquire clarification.
Because they likely want to have a smooth social event, the party planner will be more than glad to specify clothing rules in advance. Most cocktail party throwers appreciate the extra effort, so reaching out is a really smart move!
Selecting the Suit and/or Blazer
For cocktail socials, slim fits reign supreme. Warm tones deliver the most impact, especially if they are earthy. Dark designs ascribe a debonair demeanor, but black should be eschewed in favor of browns and blues.
Solid colors are usually advised, but a contemporary risk-taker can experiment with sly patterns. For extra unconventionality, snazzy dressers drop in wearing burgundy!
Of course, the meek can settle for grey textured cashmere, but their paradigms will be shattered by those who break out of the box. To implement originality, try standing out without exhibiting a non-conformist mentality.
It can be challenging to maintain an expressive identity while simultaneously meshing with a crowd, but a post-modern outer layer will bring the best of both worlds!
Choosing the Shirt
Simplicity is divine when it comes to putting on a shirt. Keep the color solid whenever possible. Patterns are only allowed if the suit is plain. In this realm, the design is less important than the presentation.
Crisp cleanliness is the key focus here, and the attire should be finely pressed. As a side note, you might want to give the cuff links a rest.
Unless the event is expected to extend into the night, these attachments are unnecessary. If you do choose to keep them, then make sure they showcase reserved elegance and functionality!
Picking the Pants
If you are going with a suit, than this part of the equation is already solved for you, so skip ahead. With shrewd calculations, it is quite possible to mix up your trouser and jacket combinations.
Again, the key to a sexy facade is tight tailoring. This is especially true concerning the looseness of trousers.
Obviously, constriction can be an equally prevalent pants problem, but bagginess is a much more flagrant offender. One thing is for certain: You must deviate from denim at all costs. Sorry, but the material doesn’t look nice enough to compare with how it feels.
Wearing the Dress Shoes
A masculine get-up is succinctly finalized by a fine pair of immaculate Oxfords. Leather loafers may be applicable, but you will want to double check their formal qualities. Buckled monk strap shoes present an adventurous alternative, but most attendees stick with the standard browns and blacks.
A dark tint is preferred, and a fresh shoe shine will seal the deal.
The Art of Accessorizing
This is where guys get to have a tiny bit of fun with their flair. Some cocktail gatherings have done away with neckties for good, but other meetings may still need them. When they are appropriate, ties garner glorious shots at creative self-expression. If your shirt or blazer is highly detailed, then a streamlined tie will be wonderfully complementary.
Likewise, plain tops are enhanced by intricately irreverent ties. This shouldn’t even have to be mentioned, but absolutely never wear a bowtie. You would be surprised by how many amateurs make this mistake! Meanwhile, pocket squares are just dandy!
In terms of belt choices, it is wise to go fancy. If the buckle is regular sized, then there is no need to show reservation here. Reversible belts can double your daily fashion options, and the durable leather is sure to be intact as a long-time companion.
Specific Event Considerations
The viability of your wardrobe depends on your fellow company. Without a doubt, the most important individual to assess is the host. If you can gauge the party planner’s hopes, then there will never be a conflict of interest. Keep in mind that weddings incur more nuanced rules and faux pas.
When a bride and groom are involved, they should never be upstaged. This romantic moment should belong to the couple, but it can feel stolen by ostentatious audience members!
A List of Cocktail Attire Don’t’s
1. Don’t overlay patterns unless you want to make everyone dizzy! Clashing colors and intersecting lines are a recipe for disaster, especially as the drinks keep pouring.
2. Don’t wear any kind of tuxedo. Seriously, this may be the most common complaint at cocktail parties. There’s a difference between over-dressed and overkill, and this is just overkill!
3.Don’t wear sandals or tennis shoes! All of your hard work can be completely derailed by bad footwear. No one wants to see your feet before they eat, and the mismatch indicates a total obliviousness towards convention.
4. Don’t wear too much jewelry. If you have a wedding band, skip all other adornments. One glittery add-on is more than enough for masculine purposes. If you are single, then a shiny Rolex will do the trick, but it better not be too bulky.
Meanwhile, random rings are ridiculous, and of all decorations, necklaces are probably the most egregious. The solution to self-possessed grandeur is always sleek minimalism!
5. Don’t wear devices. Today’s electronic gadgets are being redesigned to emphasize armband functions, but they are too new for integration into cocktail attire. Until the experts say otherwise, you should leave the Apple Watch at home. This kind of bling is flashy enough to backfire like a tuxedo!
6. Don’t forget to wear a smile. With all the fuss being paid towards clothes, guys sometimes forget that their face is also on display. The utility of a slight grin is infinite. It shows off cool calm, quick confidence and clever collectedness.
7. Don’t be fashionably late. People have full evenings planned, so this is the one date to get right on the spot. Your extravagant look will be met with disapproval if the grooming clearly caused tardiness.
8. Don’t drink too much. Alcohol will quickly show itself in your mannerisms, and fine garments cannot compensate for the loss of reputable character that might ensue. The key to looking good may be feeling good, but excessive liquor ingestion is counter-intuitively counterproductive in this regard. Getting publicly inebriated is a great way to stop future invites from arriving at your door!
9. Don’t be anyone but yourself. Even if the guests seem alien to you, there is no reason to act like a stranger at these gatherings. A unique identity can be your best friend during these circumstances of hegemony, so summon some pompously wry wit!
Final Note
Just remember, cocktail attire is difficult for even the most stylish men among us. The devilish decrees contained in dress code clauses can be overcome with astute observation.
A keen knack for little details will help you avoid embarrassing taboos. By keeping this astute awareness in mind, there will be no reason to feel inferior for struggling with the universal cocktail clothing quandary.
To guarantee a pleasing appearance, simply adhere to the aforementioned suaveness strategies! With our assistance, anyone can go from cheap chump to charming chap in no time!
