The Journal — Dress Codes

"Creative black tie" is the dress code instruction that appears on an invitation when the host wants the formality of black tie with the visual interest of something less uniform. It is an invitation to express yourself within the framework of formal evening dress — not an excuse to abandon the framework entirely.

White tie and black tie are the two highest rungs of the Western dress code ladder, and they are frequently confused — which matters, because arriving at a white tie event in a tuxedo is as serious a violation as arriving at a black tie event in a business suit. The difference between them is specific, the occasions for each are different, and the correct response to each invitation is not interchangeable.

The summer suit is the most misunderstood garment in men's fashion. Most men either abandon tailoring entirely when temperatures rise — reverting to chinos and a sports coat — or suffer through the heat in a wool suit built for October. Neither is necessary. The correct summer suit, in the correct fabric, makes heat a non-issue.

Black tie gives women enormous latitude — and that latitude is where most of the confusion lives. Unlike men, who are working with a clearly defined uniform, women face a category that includes floor-length gowns, tailored pantsuits, jumpsuits, and a dozen interpretations between. The question isn't what's technically allowed. It's what the occasion demands, what the venue suggests, and what will look right in photographs that exist for the rest of your life.