Dress code
Black tie: what to wear
Formal evening dress: a dinner jacket (tuxedo) with a black bow tie, or a floor-length or very elegant dress.
When you'll see it: Evening weddings, galas, formal dinners and award ceremonies, usually after 6 pm.
Decoded
What to wear, and what not to
Wear
- ✓A floor-length gown, or an elegant cocktail-length dress in luxe fabric
- ✓Heels or dressy flats
- ✓Formal jewellery and a clutch
- ✓A wrap or tailored coat
Avoid
- ✕Casual fabrics like cotton or denim
- ✕Very short hemlines
- ✕Day bags and sneakers
Wear
- ✓Black or midnight-blue dinner jacket with satin or grosgrain lapels
- ✓Matching trousers with a side stripe
- ✓White dress shirt, black silk bow tie
- ✓Black patent or highly polished oxfords
Avoid
- ✕A regular business suit and necktie
- ✕Brown shoes
- ✕A long necktie instead of a bow tie
Black tie needs pieces our catalogue doesn't carry (a tailcoat or dinner jacket, a floor-length gown), so we don't show generated outfits here rather than show wrong ones.
Questions
Quick answers
Can I wear a dark suit to black tie?
Only if the invitation says 'black tie optional'. For strict black tie, a dinner jacket (tuxedo) is expected.
Does black tie mean a long dress?
Traditionally yes; an elegant knee-length or midi cocktail dress in a luxurious fabric is accepted at many black tie events today.
Is midnight blue OK for black tie?
Yes. Midnight blue is a traditional alternative to black and can look even darker under artificial light.
Keep going
Other dress codes
Verdicts and outfits come from published colour and dress-code rules, not paid placement; garment images are AI-generated illustrations of generic pieces. How we decide