What exactly is Semi-Formal?

[jellojatdisney]

I have the whole formal dress down. I assume that a black cocktail dress would be ok. Could you help me to understand Semi-Formal for a woman? How different is it from Formal?

 

[birkner]

I have the whole formal dress down. I assume that a black cocktail dress would be ok. Could you help me to understand Semi-Formal for a woman? How different is it from Formal?

Formal evening - This is the height of dressing (and the invitation says "white tie" or "black tie" or "formal" ). The women wear either long dresses or short "party-type" dresses. If the women are wearing long dresses, the men wear tuxedos.

Black tie means either "cocktail"-type street length dresses or long dresses for women. If the woman is wearing a long dress, a male escort is best attired in a tuxedo, otherwise a dark business suit is appropriate.

Semi-formal evening - This is a hybrid between formal and informal. Men typically wear dark suits and woman wear cocktail dresses or other party-type wear.

Informal evening - Men still wear dark suits although in some places, blazers may be worn. Women wear either "afternoon" dresses (perhaps tea length) or short party-type dresses.

 

[NejTheLion]

Well, technically, I think formal dress for a woman is an ankle-length gown, but you see shorter cocktail dresses a lot. And I wear a woman's tux, so I'm really one to be talking.

Almost anything you would wear for a formal evening would not look out of place on semi-formal night. The differences are much more apparent with men's dress. Semi-formal for a woman would be slightly more than business casual, something you would wear on a date or for an evening business event. It doesn't need to look quite as spiffy as formal night. My mother wears things on casual night (that she insists are casual) that would fit right in on formal night, so it's all kinda up in the air.

Semi-formal night is really just another opportunity to get some more pictures of your family all dressed up.

Does that help any? I know it's pretty vague without going into specifics.

 

[lbgraves]

My family dresses the same way for both formal nights. Last year we even switched our outfits because we wanted a picture on the white background in our formal dresses but they don't do that on formal night.

 

[Footnotegirl]

Generally I wear a very fancy dress to Formal night... floor length, beading, etc. For Semi-formal I wear something... wedding nice? Cute skirt and ruffly top, or a cocktail dress.

 

[dek269]

For semi formal I'll wear a classic black dress-- think audrey hepburn in breakfast at tiffany's (actually I wore it to my engagement party & had my hair up in a french twist & people said I looked just like her... ok sorry off topic!!) For formal night I'll probably wear a tea length dress- same one I wore to a Saturday night wedding at Tavern on the Green in NYC... plus if I wear a floor legnth & the ship is a rockin' I probably will end up on my behind!! My fiance will wear a dark suit with a tie on formal night, and either a dark suit with no tie, or a lighter colored suit on semi formal night! I just love that we get to get that dressed up & not have to stuff an envelope full of money for a wedding gift or fork over a couple hundred dollars for dinner... ok well we will be stuffing envelopes with tips and we paid an arm & a leg for the cruise.... but it doesn't seem that way does it?!?!