Misplaced Pages

Informal wear

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Informal (attire)) Western dress code suited for office use Not to be confused with formal wear, semi-formal wear, or casual wear.
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
This article is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Misplaced Pages editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Informal wear" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (August 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
Shinzo Abe and Ivanka Trump, both wearing Western business suits (2017)
Part of a series on
Western dress codes
and corresponding attires
Formal (full dress)
Semi-formal (half dress)
Informal (undress, "dress clothes")
Casual (anything not above)
Supplementary alternatives
Legend:

= Day (before 6 p.m.)
= Evening (after 6 p.m.)
    = Bow tie colour
= Ladies
= Gentlemen


Fashion portal

Informal wear or undress, also called business wear, corporate/office wear, tenue de ville or dress clothes, is a Western dress code for clothing defined by a business suit for men, and cocktail dress or pant suit for women. On the scale of formality, it is considered less formal than semi-formal wear but more formal than casual wear. Informal or undress should not be confused with casual wear such as business casual or smart casual; most situations calling for “informal wear” will usually tolerate casual dress to varying extents.

The suit originated as leisure wear in the late 19th century but eventually replaced the frock coat as everyday wear in the city. After World War I, the suit was established as informal daily wear. Hats, such as fedora or bowler hats, are sometimes worn with informal wear.

Informal wear is commonly applied for office use in professions like politics, academia, law and finance, business, as well as certain events such as job interviews in other sectors. It is a traditional dress code that aims to indicate respect to the situation and not draw attention.

History

The suit originated in Britain in the 19th-century as a leisurewear. Seeking a casual alternative to the knee-length, heavy frock coats then considered appropriate business dress, men began to wear lighter coats cut just below the seat when not engaged in business.

Standard suit-making fabric is fine combed wool, with the inclusion of cashmere in more expensive fabrics. Middle-price suits are often made of wool-polyester blends, whilst the cheapest are made entirely of polyester fabric.

This business suit (also known as the "sack suit" in North America, commonly by Brooks Brothers) became the standard business daywear for all men who were not engaged in physical labor. The waistcoat (British) or vest (American) was worn regularly with the suit up to World War II, but is rarely seen today, due to central heating in offices and the expense of construction. Until at least the early 1960s it was common to wear a hat.

In general, business suits are characterized by three styles and a fourth fusion style. English suits are noted for having a "touch fit" to the wearer's body shape and carefully made padded shoulders. Italian suits are often slimmer, with higher armholes and highly shaped to complement a slim physique. Traditional American suits have lightly padded shoulders and loose natural fit with minimal shaping. Since the 1960s, designer brands (especially Polo Ralph Lauren) have created fusion style that brings a more shaped European look to the natural American cut.

Suits in Britain were often made in tweed, often with three pieces, and were worn outside the City of London. Tweed is made from uncombed wool, and, like all fabrics from the time, was thick and durable (18-ounce was considered medium-weight in the Edwardian era). A full tweed suit is less common today, with just tweed sports jackets more often worn, but is still used generally as everyday wear by some, and for outdoor sports such as shooting and angling. It is worn with appropriate accompanying clothes, much as any other suit; brown full brogues and wool ties are common items not worn with other types of suit.

Etiquette

Informal attire is today considered a form of dress customarily appropriate for all formal settings, which do not explicitly require white tie or black tie. For instance, it is commonly worn to religious services and funerals, in government offices and schools. Some professions, like law or finance, may require it. Because of its strong association with the business world, informal attire is also known as international standard business dress, business professional or business formal.

Boys and men

  • Dress socks, differentiated from normal socks by a tighter fit and traditionally dark colors.
  • Underpants, seen as required by casual and above.
  • Dress pants, generally monochrome, and in a dark color or khaki colored pants. This does not normally include jeans.
  • Dress shoes, brown or black leather shoes. This can also include boat shoes.
  • Dress shirt, traditionally white, cream, or light blue, but pastel pink and lavender may be viewed as equally appropriate; checkered and striped shirts are seen as acceptable in most circumstances
  • Polo shirt, replacing the dress shirt, this has seen a surge in fashion starting in the mid to late 2010s.

Girls and women

Condoleezza Rice, United States Secretary of State, and Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey, in informal wear (2010)

See also

References

  1. "Business Professional Attire for Men: The Complete Guide". Success Attire. Sep 10, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-23. Retrieved Sep 23, 2016.
  2. Dress for Success at Forbes.com

External links

Parties and festivals
Sorted by occasions, purposes or attributes
Types
Wedding-related
Banquets
House parties
Public parties
Festivals
Fairs
Clothing
Western dress codes
Equipment
Fashion articles
Index of fashion articles
General
History
Events
Industry
Traditional
clothing
Western dress codes
Religious
Casual
Smart casual
Street fashion
Alternative
By country
Fashion activism
Related
Clothing
Headwear
Neckwear
Tops
Bottoms
Trousers
Skirts
Suits and
uniforms
Dresses
and gowns
Formal, semi-
formal, informal
Casual
Coats
and
outerwear
Overcoats
Suit coats
Other
Underwear
and lingerie
Top
Bottom
Full
Nightwear
Swimwear
Legwear
Footwear
Accessories
Adornments
Non-worn items
Dress codes
Western
Related
icon Clothing portal
Categories: