Formal wear is often a sore subject with people of all ages. It is intimidating. It calls to mind expensive outfits and stiff conversation. It makes most people feel nervous and uncomfortable. This fact is just due to a lack of knowledge on the subject. Still, everyone should have knowledge of formal wear. When done right, formal outfits can make one feel successful, confident and attractive. Learning to style and wear formal wear may be confusing at first. There seem to be unspoken rules to follow and mistakes to make at every turn. Once one learns about formal clothing and what flatters them, formal style can be simple and even fun. Here are some of the best tips for dressing formally and stylishly, at the same time.
Women definitely have more of a choice when it comes to formal wear. They have the duality of wearing either dress slacks with a matching jacket or a professional dress or skirt. To decide which of these options is right for you, consider what makes you comfortable. Are you confident in your bare legs, or would you rather rock a skirt? Most people are uncomfortable in dress clothes because clothes aren't what they would typically choose to wear. Women can combat this by leaning into their strengths.
If one has an hourglass figure, a form fitting dress may make them feel confident and attractive. On the other hand, if a woman is uncomfortable with her stomach, a jacket with a cinched waist and shoulder pads might be a good alternative. Formal wear is about feeling confident. Any item of clothing should cater to strengths in order to inspire confidence in the wearer.
Whatever one decides to wear, the outfit should be full of neutral colors. That impresses a serious mood upon the outfit. In addition, it is important that the outfit matches. Normally, a woman would pair the skirt or slacks to the jacket. If a woman is wearing a dress, it should be worn with high heels or other dress shoes. Again, neutral colors are a must.
Jewelry and other accessories are possible and even encouraged. Accessories can make the outfit feel more comfortable or like it fits the wearer more. Make sure jewelry is clean and consistent. Match the hardware across all of the accessories in the outfit. If the shoes have gold anywhere across them, any jewelry should be gold, too.
For men, formal wear usually consists of a suit and tie. Surprisingly, there are still adjustments men can make to feel confident in men's formal wear, although it is more limited than women's.
For formal wear, a man would want to get a well-fitting suit in a neutral tone. Colors can include blacks and greys, but they can also include tans, dark reds and blues if the wearer is more comfortable in one of those colors. Men can have subtle patterns on their suits, but they should be relatively monochromatic. Ties should match although they can be patterned, it should be in neutral, matching colors without being too loud. If the tie is patterned, the suit shouldn't be, and vice versa.
Shoes should be dark, matching the belt used. Slacks should match the jacket. Depending on the event, a man could wear cufflinks or other accouterments. However, this depends on how comfortable a man is with accessories. They can tie an outfit together, but they don't work well if a man doesn't feel confident in them. All hardware should match. For the most basic formal outfits, accessories are not required.
Often, when a man doesn't feel comfortable in formal attire, it is because the suit doesn't fit his form properly. Tailoring is expensive, but the expense pays off in confidence. Like feminine formal attire, the look is all about confidence. If you know you look good in an outfit, your confidence increases, and it signals to those around you that you look good.
