You receive an invitation for a special event requiring full evening dress attire. What should you wear? Full evening dress, cravate blanche, and ultra-formal are more commonly known as “white tie.” Men should wear black, single-breasted tails, a white piqué bowtie and vest, a white wing collar shirt and black patent shoes. The matching black trousers should have two outside silk stripes. Ladies are required to wear a long evening gown.
Evening dress, cravate noire, tuxedo, smoking (Germany), and dinner jacket (England) are interchangeable for the term “black tie”. The tuxedo jacket and pants must be black or midnight blue. A white or écru tuxedo jacket is acceptable for open-air evening parties. Do not attempt to wear trousers from your tails suit because tuxedo pants only have one outside silk stripe or braid. The white dress shirt should have French cuffs. Ladies should wear a cocktail or long dress, or evening separates. Now, you are set to make the scene.