What to Wear to a Dinner Party

Choosing what to wear to a dinner party shouldn’t be daunting or confusing. If you’re worried about it, don’t be. It’s not as hard as you might think. Here’s our what-to-wear guide for men.

First of all, you need to find out what is the dress code? Smart Casual, Casual, Suit or Black tie. If you still aren’t sure it can be helpful to find out exactly where the occasion is held at. This can help you to decide how smart you should be. If it’s in a restaurant/hotel or at your friend’s house it will be two completely different outfits.

Here are 4 outfits we suggest you could consider for attending a dinner party.

Casual – Jeans & T-Shirt Outfit

The most casual of all outfits, ideal for if you’re attending a dinner party at a friend’s house. This is a perfect way to give the party a relaxed vibe, meaning you can be comfortable and enjoy yourself.

The outfit should start with a good pair of jeans this is essential for any occasion. Teamed with a smart plain t shirt for example this triple pack of Hugo Boss T Shirts. For the cooler days that we currently have, pair it with a casual jumper or an undone shirt creating a layered look.

Smart Casual – Chinos & Shirt

Chinos have taken the fashion industry by storm, giving you a great alternative to jeans when choosing what to wear to a dinner party. Chinos are a smarter alternative, the smartness of chinos can vary on their colour and style.

Your choice of colour for chinos should be based heavily on the season we are in. Spring summer sees nude stone-coloured chinos proving popular and as we currently are Autumn Winter, it’s dark navy and green.

Because of the style and colours of the chinos a benefit is you can wear pretty much any shirt. Darker chinos look great with a light colour shirt, light blue or white. This smart casual outfit is a great option to consider for dinner party wear.

Smart – Suit Jacket & Jeans

Mixing both the casual and formal look creates a perfect middle ground. If you aren’t too confident in your outfit this will give you a feeling of a comfort zone. If you are unsure of the dress code, this one can be a lifesaver so take note.

Team your pair of casual jeans with either a suit jacket or blazer, whichever you feel more comfortable in. As you are wearing jeans we suggest you wear a light-coloured shirt, either light blue or white and a pair of smart shoes. Don’t let your shoes let the outfit down, keep it smart with a pair of shoes or brogues.

Suit

If you’re wanting to play it safe, a suit is a great option. How formal you want your outfit to look can depend a lot on the footwear. If you’re going for a smart-casual style with a suit, wear smart-casual shoes such as loafers. Instantly create a more laid-back outfit.

A suit jacket is a definite must-have. It’s the ability to be casual and formal at the same time. The choice to wear a tie or not also alters the smartness of the outfit. So if you are wanting smart casual leave the tie at home, if not, wear a tie.

Black Tie

The most important part of any black-tie outfit must be the dinner jacket. Different to a suit jacket a dinner jacket is a black suit blazer that has lapels that are a different shade or texture from the rest of the jacket. For this, you will need a pair of matching black suit trousers.

Beneath the dinner jacket, you should wear a white dress shirt – it’s compulsory. If you’re going to be wearing a black-tie outfit often it’s worth investing in a wing-tipped collar, this will show off more of the bow tie. However, if you’re not wearing the outfit regularly then a normal shirt collar works fine.

To complete the look, a pair of black shiny leather shoes, cufflinks and a black bow tie. The shiny leather will add a formal style. If you want to add even more accessories, then go for a waistcoat underneath the dinner jacket. However, make sure your dinner jacket doesn’t look too tight over the top.