Recently an event that will remain nameless was announced and the dress code was simply elegant. A lot of persons asked me what that meant making the assumption that I already knew (hurrah the front is working) but I have to admit I bluffed my way through it. A lot of the time I bluff my way through it actually. And being the Young Fabulous Bajan that I am I shouldn’t be faking it ever! This may also explain why I am single but I digress. You shouldn’t be guessing when it comes to dressing, so that’s why I went out into the field to do some research.
I hardly thought I would find this information in the Holy Bible so I went to the next best source of information – Google. The YFB is here to make sure that each of you will be prepared for the upcoming Spring Break festivities, Summer parties etc and avoid the awkward “ OMG -I’m the only one in jeans” moment. Let me add, in the event that you were thinking “only Paula”, there is www.dresscodeguide.com where you select the dress, climate, time of day of the event and your location and you pull up a full description of what to wear. In other words, there is clearly a whole bunch of lost people in the world so we need not be ashamed.
My research did not show a vast difference between males and females in terms of adherence to the code. The reoccurring themes were street wear, casual, business casual, smart casual, business/informal and black tie/formal. Street wear is when a guy can rock his “wife-beater” and shorts and the ladies can follow a similar format. It’s a world where flip-flops are welcome and all is well in the tropics. Casual wear gets a little less grungy and the sleeves get a little longer but t-shirts are still welcome and jeans are still acceptable.
Business casual confuses the best of us, but a polo shirt and slacks is safe for both sexes. Do note however, that not every workplace will frown on jeans so simply err on the side of caution until the first sight of Mr. Strauss in your office then work it out. Smart casual takes it up a notch and I like to think of it for guys as the moment right before the tie and jacket come out. Business/informal would be the point when said jacket and tie comes out. The professional woman is now in her heels and stockings, fitted skirt or slacks and tailored jacket or perhaps a Jackie-O dress with a belted waist as Lady Obama is known to rock it.
Black tie/formal would be the moment when (and this is a full Bajan reference ah-comin) the Harmony dress comes out. Of course there are a number of local designers to choose from and local department stores from which to select your showstoppers but when someone says to me “the Harmony dresses were out” I know it was no place for a kitten heel or Old Navy flip-flop. Men wear tuxedos and women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy separates to black tie affairs. Some events will be Black Tie Optional or Black Tie Invited and this gives you more freedom but still an indication of the type of event it is and it is even said that wearing black is the safest bet. Though I haven’t heard it in Barbados yet there is also Creative Black Tie where you can add the funk to your formal but for the Young & Fabulous this goes without mentioning.
Hope you learned something! I know what I learned…There is no simply elegant!
