Casual is More Than One Style

This dress can also work for smart casual.)

Casual Dress Code Definitions

This dress code requires quality clothing, such as slacks with a classy top (for either gender), a knee-length skirt with a sophisticated top or a dress appropriate for visiting a restaurant. A jacket is optional but is an excellent addition.

Business Casual

Business casual doesn’t imply sloppy or t-shirts and jeans. This dress code stresses quality slacks, sweater sets, polo shirts and sweaters, and dress shirts. A sports jacket is a nice addition and gives instant credibility.

Smart Casual

This dress code is commonly used in the UK, where the word "smart" isn't automatically associated with a person's intelligence. Smart casual refers to dressing "smartly". So, clean, neat, dressy, yet not too formal attire is best.

Confused? Well, there is a good reason for this, as there is no clear-cut definition for it. Basically, if this is the requested dress code, dress as you would for a first date to a very nice restaurant. Jeans are iffy. Jackets for either gender are great. Collared shirts for men are best. No logos or emblems on any piece of attire for either gender.

Note

Some will use the dress codes ‘festive,’ ‘sport,’ ‘beach,’ and ‘holiday’ casual also, but these are basically the same as the previously mentioned casual dress codes only tweaked to suit the location or time of year. These pieces of attire should correspond to the event, such as Khakis, good-quality shorts, or jeans for sport or beach casual. Just remember that casual doesn’t mean sloppy; this dress code requires high-quality pieces.

{This excerpt is from my book: Proper Attire for All Occasions.}

Please Read

Are Good Manners Dead?

Is Using a Coupon on a Date Appropriate? First Date?

What is the Etiquette for Today's Woman?

Comments

Etiquette 101: How-to Host an Adult Birthday Party That Will Please Your Guests

Birthday Party Etiquette Hosting an adult birthday party can be tricky since many don't realize it isn't a gift-giving event. If gifts are expected, the birthday baby could appear greedy. Imagine an adult birthday party resembling a child's party focusing on gifts--very silly, indeed. On the positive side, because gifts are not the focus, it opens up the possibility of hosting our own. This is a plus for those of us who view our friends as the best birthday present. Now we can have our cake and eat it too! To assist us with hosting a party that will be viewed as positive and polite, here's a bit of birthday party etiquette Q & A. Dear Polite One, I invited 30 people (15 couples) to a birthday party I'm hosting for a 45-year-old male. I designed the invitations to look like a ticket stub, which includes a door prize stub. My question is this: What are appropriate door prizes? What should be the minimum and maximum cost of a door prize? How man

Is Using a Coupon on a Date Appropriate? First Date?

Good Idea Or Not? With the state of the economy, coupon clipping is becoming a national sport. It seems a natural evolution due to our need to purchase items we want at the lowest price point possible. This need is evident by the rapid popularity of coupons-for-everything websites like Groupon . Since coupon usage seems commonplace, using a coupon to pay for dinner appears a smart move. However, it just may not be such a great idea when it applies to the date . Frankly, using a coupon while on a date is not an etiquette faux pas. Logically, a coupon or gift certificate is as good as cash. Nevertheless, as we all know, perception is everything. Moreover, on a first date, and even the first few dates, both parties are sizing each other up. Who is this person? What are his/her quirks? Do I even like his/her appearance? With all of this evaluating humming in the background, it is best to consider the perception of how everything we do. It may be best to get to

Etiquette 101: Top Three Gum Chewing No-No’s

Smacking, Popping, Nauseating Behavior …Oh My! Gum chewing has been around for decades and for the most part, it’s inoffensive. However, there are those times when gum chewing, especially smacking, is frowned upon. Sometimes – strangely enough – it can even affect our future and how others view us. Read on to learn how. Not at a wedding! The wedding march begins as the bride walks the procession. Ah, the lovely bride in her flowing gown smiling at her soon-to-be spouse. All in the crowd stand as she floats down the aisle. At once, her expression changes, she stops, as her guests’ heads turn toward alien sounds coming from the front row. Smack, pop…yep, it’s the sounds of the ill-mannered gum chewer. Unfortunately, this scene is playing out every day somewhere in our lovely US of A. Why is this of importance? The simple answer is that the gum chewer’s smacking and popping distract from the very reason guests are attending the event. It is disrespect

The Polite One's Insights

Search This Blog