“Black Tie”: formal suit, generally tuxedo, for formal occasions such as state banquets, balls and formal dinners and evening drama
Traditional formal wear: such as tunic
Daytime formal wear: suit, for occasions such as weddings, funerals, interviews, and official visits.
Evening wear: commonly worn during evening parties; usually black jacket with black satin on the left and right lapel.
Business: suit with a tie, worn during meetings and at work.
Smart Casual/Casual: shirt without tie, generally worn with the light jacket, for casual and social occasions.
Dressing ritual
Black suit for formal occasions such as ceremonies or banquets .
3 tabloids for wearing a suit jacket:
Do not fasten the lowest button of the jacket
Do not fasten the lowest button of a suit vest
Unfasten all the buttons of a suit jacket while sitting down, and fasten them immediately when getting up
The standard length of trousers is one inch from the ground at the back, and half-inch shorter at the front. Folded trousers should be a quarter-inch from the ground both at the front and back.
Shoes and belts should be of the same color. Shoes with shoelace are more formal; shoes and belt buckle should be polished.
Socks should always be darker colour than the suit; white socks should only be used for going to gym or a sports occasion.
Ties should be matched with the colour of the suit and may be worn with tie pin. Ties should be at waist length without being too long or too short.
Pockets of suit jackets and pants should not be too full and bulging.
How to wear a suit:
Comb the hair → put on shirt → put on trousers → put on shoes → tie → wear the jacket
“Black Tie” or “Formal”: formal dress for formal occasions and banquets, usually in evening. Should be a one-piece dress complemented by elegant makeup and high heels without exposing toes; more dignified with hair rolled up.
Daytime formal dress: for occasions such as buffet style weddings
Smart evening dress: for evening occasions such as dinners, concerts, birthday parties, cocktail parties, dance and wedding banquets.
Business: suits for meetings and official visits.
Traditional costume: such as cheongsam: knee-length for day time, and ankle-length on important occasions.
Dressing for different occasions
The dress has to match the occasion: wear a formal suit or dress for attending concerts, and a cheongsam or western evening dress for a formal banquet.
Study the invitation card carefully before attending an occasion to understand the type of occasion and the attending guests (if there is a dress code), and your role at the occasion.
Evening dress should be of ankle-length; the slits on both sides of cheongsam should not be too high. For strapless, low cut and low back dresses, use a shawl or cloak to cover the exposed parts outside the venue and take it off only after entering the venue.
Wear plain and elegant make-up for banquets or social occasions, and do not apply strong perfume.
Wear a hat for daytime events, but if it is a hat with a brim make sure to take it off indoors. A decoration piece (“fascinator”) may be worn indoors or outdoors and also at night, but hats with a brim cannot.
Dark or light brown and black colour are easy to mix and match.
Before entering the banquet hall, take off coat and give it to the waiter for the cloakroom.
Take off gloves when going indoor. Also take off gloves when about to shake someone’s hand.
Do not wear sunglasses when it is cloudy or indoor .
When wearing suits, fasten all buttons for dignity and elegance.
Avoid shiny clothes during the day and dresses with metal sequins and beads.
Wear leather shoes instead of sports shoes with a suit dress. The colour of the shoes should match the suit. The best match for a brown suit is brown or brown black colour shoes. When wearing a colourful dress, the best choice is for the shoes to match the main colour of the dress. This will give an elegant outlook.
Ladies wearing dresses should put on socks which are higher than the lower side of the dress to avoid exposing the legs.
It is impolite to tidy up your clothes, change your clothes or take off your socks in public.
Our forum is a platform for you to share different interests and life experience with others of similar age or background. To become a member, please fill in the following form for registration and click the "Register New Membership" button. The information you send to us will be protected by law. Upon successful registration, you will be directed to a new page showing "Registration Succeed", and you can logon immediately.
