There might be some modern trends that folks of yore could never have envisioned—people really wear sneakers with dresses, to dinner?!—but there are a few holdovers from the Golden Age that
are still kickin’. First and foremost: the classical system of labelling invites to events with certain dress codes. For us modern women, this ancient system of codes can be quite confusing—after all, we’re used to wearing our sneakers to dinner!
To help you navigate the landmine that is black tie, creative black tie, business formal, and beyond, we’ve deconstructed the 10 most oft-used dress codes for you. You’ll never wonder what to wear to any event ever again!
Scroll down for a detailed list of decoded dress codes, as well as pieces to shop for each one!