How do you define cocktail attire? Like many of the puzzling dress codes that crop up on fancy invitations now and again, the barometers are not immediately clear – at least, that is, for men. This is one of the (very) few occasions in life when women have it easier. There’s even a book on the topic by fashion writer Laird Borrelli-Persson aptly called The Cocktail Dress, which discusses in detail the dress that inspired the code.

There is no such thing for men, however. Cocktail attire for men implies formality but just how smart should you go? The murky world of tailoring comes laden with its own rules and regulations – which should you comply to and which can you ignore completely?

What’s certain is that cocktail dress is occasion-wear; it’s reserved for special events and one-off evenings that require something a little different – it’s certainly not your 9-5 business suit. But it’s not black tie, either. What we’re really talking about is a good excuse to dress up, to push the boat out; so whichever way you chose to tackle it, take a cue from the fairer sex and have some fun with what you wear.

What Is Cocktail Attire?

Cocktail attire is a dress code that’s increasingly likely to appear at the bottom of an invitation – but, like ‘smart casual‘, has no set definition. For some, it’s still dress for a largely formal, officious event akin to a business launch. But, more typically, it’s an invitation to dress up, and decidedly not in the way one might for a court appearance. Rather, this is dress for the party, soiree, evening drinks as a prelude to an expensive dinner or perhaps an anniversary, Valentine’s Day or wedding bash. Typically it’s something of a big celebration. “That makes the clothing you wear on the cusp of eveningwear but more colourful, a freer style but a bit flashy,” as the tailor Mark Powell puts it. “It’s dressing for what should be a fun event.” “It’s all about being elegant and slightly louche with it,” argues designer Oliver Spencer, whose Favourbrook brand is focused on cocktail attire. Once cocktail attire might have meant respecting more rigid rules. “Now dressing up in this instance probably does still mean a smart jacket and trousers, but you can dispense with the tie, because you’re definitely not at work. Cocktail dress is an opportunity to dress in a way that’s relaxed but super-luxe. It’s about looking your finest, in some finery.”

The History Of Cocktail Attire

If you were wealthy and leisurely enough during the 1920s and 1930s, there was a chance you spent a ‘cocktail hour’ or three between lunch and evening enjoying plentiful alcohol. It was the lubricant for a new kind of social gathering – and since social events were then also defined by the appropriate clothing, ‘cocktail attire’ came into fashion. Then it was a notably formal look.