Black Tie Optional Wedding Etiquette

When to wear formal attire to a wedding.

It happens when you get invited to attend a wedding. When you get to the bottom of the invitation, you notice that it says "Black-Tie Optional," which may leave you scratching your head and wondering what that means. Some take it to mean that they should wear a tuxedo and formal dress while others think it means they don't have to dress in such formal attire. Wedding etiquette has its own interpretation of what Black-Tie Optional means.

Significance

According to the Black Tie Guide, black-tie attire sprung from the Victorian era. Black tie was symbolic of leaving the dust, dirt and grime of the city behind when attending a social event. After horseback transportation evolved into automobiles, black-tie attire became the type of dress appropriate for special social occasions.

History

Black-tie attire has evolved over the years, according to the Black Tie Guide. Black tie is generally reserved for tuxedos and formal gowns in more modern times. In previous eras, however, black tie was slightly less formal, often involving a dark suit and tie. As dress styles and social influences became more lax in the 1980s, black tie was left to interpretation by the dresser. It was even likely to find different styles of black-tie dress from the East Coast to the West Coast. In more modern times, black-tie attire has returned to more formal attire to include tuxedos.

Time Frame

Generally, the time of the wedding sets the tone as to whether you should wear black-tie attire or not when the invitation says black tie is optional. Wedding etiquette states that black-tie attire should be worn for weddings scheduled from 6 p.m. or later. For weddings schedule before 6 p.m., black-tie attire can be optional. While the British tend to stick to these dress etiquette rules, Americans tend to wear black-tie attire no matter when the wedding is scheduled.

Size

Traditional wedding etiquette says that young boys under the age of 15 should not wear dinner jackets as a form of formal attire and that tuxedos should not be worn by boys under the age of 18. This is according to the "Encyclopedia of Etiquette." The encyclopedia was written in 1967, so interpretations of the etiquette rule have varied over the years. Some etiquette experts says that if a boy cannot tie his own bow tie then he should not wear a tuxedo, while others say younger boys should wear tuxedo short suits rather than formal long pant ones.

Identification

According to Emily Post, when black-tie attire is required, the wedding invitation says so. If black-tie attire is listed on optional on the invitation, then you should abide by the time of day rules to decide whether you should wear formal wear. When the invitation says that black-tie dress is optional, it is appropriate for women to wear a cocktail dress or a more formal gown. Black-tie optional for men allows for tuxedos or a dark suit and tie.

References

• Black Tie Guide: Dress Code Etiquette