BY MAXINE SABANDAL

At some point in your life, you are going to be in a predicament where you’re invited to a party and the socialite within you can’t help but nod her head, RSVP and jump for joy. Next thing you know, you receive the formal invite and (gasp) there’s a dress code indicated. Let’s face it dress codes can be a little tricky sometimes. So the big day starts to loom ahead and you manage to pull together a decent outfit for the event. You arrive at the party and realize that your ‘awesome’ outfit isn’t as awesome as it was thirty minutes ago in front of your wardrobe mirror. You look around and realize that you are either under dressed or over dressed and you can’t help but feel bad for your sorry excuse of an outfit.

There’s no need to get in a dress code faux pas rut though because we’ve pulled together a crash course on all the dress codes you ever need to know. From casual house parties to semi-formal events, we’ve got you all covered.

Casual

Whether it’s wine night at the homestead or a party by the beach, it is acceptable and expected even to tone down your outfit. It’s perfectly okay to look relaxed yet presentable — which means sweatpants and teeny tiny shorts are out of the question. A cute flowy summer dress would be perfect for just about any occasion. If you aren’t really a dress type of gal, then feel free to don slouchy shorts with sneakers or sandals to match and you’re good to go!

Corporate

If you’re off to a business meeting with the whole team or to the biggest job interview of your career, it’s important to look like you mean business. A corporate dress code can be a little tricky at times only because it has so many different variations. There’s corporate, smart casual, and business casual — it all seems fairly confusing to say the least. You only have to remember key items to get the hang of corporate dress codes. If it’s corporate attire, it’s a full-on suit. Smart casual is a combination of business, formal, and casual. This means that you don’t have to wear both your suit and tie — you just have to choose one. If you decide to wear a blazer, you can wear a button-down or a decent shirt underneath. If you decide to sport a tie, you can wear it with a button-down shirt minus the blazer. Lastly, although business casual is the most casual of them all, denim and casual shoes are a no-no. Typical business casual outfits usually mean slacks, a sweater, cardigan or a collared shirt .

Semi-formal

Next to corporate, semi-formal could probably be the trickiest dress code out there. If you’re not careful enough, it’s so easy to end up being under dressed or over dressed in a semi-formal event. You have to remember that a semi-formal event is a tad more formal than events that require business casual attire; this dress code usually includes dressy blouses, shift and A-line dresses, blazers and even cufflinks. It’s important to note that semi-formal attire should be relatively conservative and so it would be best not to push the limit with high hemlines and plunging necklines.

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