White tie, explained

White tie is the most formal dress code there is, reserved for evening events after six, and it means tails, a white bow tie and a starched shirt.

White tie is the top of the ladder. It is evening dress at its most formal, worn after six for galas, state dinners, awards ceremonies and the occasional very traditional wedding.

The standard is old and fixed, which is why it is easy to get right. Men wear a black tailcoat, trousers with a single braid, a white marcella shirt, a white bow tie and patent shoes. Women wear a floor-length evening gown.

Invitations rarely say more than white tie, or arrive in what you would wear to a state occasion. If you own none of it, hire it. Nobody expects you to own a tailcoat, and rental is normal at this level.

The lever · A hand-tied white bow tie, a touch askew, is the detail that separates the real thing from a costume.

Also for this code: For men · For women