Cocktail attire: what to wear, for women and men

Where cocktail sits on the ladder

Dress codes run in one line, from jeans to tailcoats. Cocktail is the middle rung, and most mistakes come from reading the rung above or below it. Here is the ladder as the Emily Post Institute writes it.

For men: a dark suit, done properly

Navy or charcoal, pressed, with a white or pale blue shirt and a tie. The suit should fit at the shoulder and show a little shirt cuff, which the suit fit guide covers. Black leather lace ups or plain loafers, and dark socks. A sport coat with odd trousers is business casual, one rung down, and it reads that way in a room of suits.

For women: the dress, or the separates

A cocktail dress lands around the knee or a little longer. A floor length gown is black tie territory and looks overdressed here. Dressy separates count just as much: a silk blouse with a long skirt, or tailored trousers with heels.

The test is fabric and finish. Satin, crepe, silk and good wool say evening. Cotton jersey says afternoon.

Checks before you dress

• Read the start time. After 6 in the evening, dress toward the formal end.
• Read the word next to it. Festive means cocktail with colour or sparkle; black tie optional means a tuxedo is welcome.
• At a wedding, leave white to the couple.
• Match the shoes to the code: leather dress shoes for men, heels or dressy flats for women. Clean sneakers belong to casual.
• When in doubt, the darker suit and the simpler dress are the safer read.

The codes either side

For the rung above, read what black tie asks for. For the office party in December, the note on what to wear to a work holiday party walks each code in turn.

Where to find it on within

Dresses, suits and the shoes that go with them, on the boutiques' own shelves today, each with the boutique's price.

• Women's dresses
• Heels
• Clutches
• Men's suits and blazers
• Ties
• Men's lace ups
• Coperni
• Pleats Please Issey Miyake
• Tiger of Sweden
• WDLT117, Toronto