Cocktail, explained

Cocktail means polished evening dress a step below black tie: a dark suit, or a dress that reads after six.

Cocktail is the code for drinks, parties and evening weddings. It starts around six and expects shine: dark tailoring, richer fabric, a little polish.

Men wear a dark suit, usually with a tie, in a cloth that looks at home in the evening. Women wear a cocktail dress, from knee to midi, with heels and jewellery that catches the light.

The easy way to tell cocktail from semi-formal: cocktail leans evening and a little glamorous, semi-formal leans safe and daytime-smart. If the event starts after dark and there is a bar, take cocktail.

The lever · Swap a matte fabric for one with a sheen; that is the single change that turns a good outfit into evening dress.

Also for this code: For men · For women