What would be appropriate attire for a banquet dinner?

March 11, 2010 by admin · 4 Comments
Filed under: Etiquette 
business suit
For Sparta! [Back in Black] asked:

I understand formal attire is required, but is it more in terms of a formal dress or a business suit?

I am going on a school trip, and all it says is formal attire.
I’m sorry, I’m a woman.
I should have specified.

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4 Responses to “What would be appropriate attire for a banquet dinner?”
  1. juliejuliejulie says:
    March 15, 2010 at 2:15 am

    If I were you, I would ask one of the organizers. Female formal attire for a banquet dinner properly means a floor-length dress with sleeves and covered shoulders, deep cleavage is OK but it’s improper to sit at the table looking like the “lady in the bathtub.”
    If it’s a school trip, they might mean a dress and blazer. They might just mean pants and closed shoes. ASK juliejuliejulie

  2. english rosethorn says:
    March 18, 2010 at 7:04 am

    This is difficult if you are male. Formal can mean a black suit bow tie and white shirt.

    It can also mean a shirt, no tie and pants. Depending on where you are. There is no option but to ask for exact details or turn up wearing the same as the waiter when every one else has a just a coloured shirt and slacks.

    If you have a short sleeved shirt and tux with bow tie then you could get away with wearing the lot and stripping off the jacket and tie if every one else turns up semi formal. english rosethorn

  3. Richard B says:
    March 19, 2010 at 2:24 pm

    You could work this well by wearing a nice long-sleeved silk or rayon blouse in your favorite color and a long black skirt and some low pumps. That would be appropriate and would save you the bother of dealing with an evening gown. Richard B

  4. RK says:
    March 20, 2010 at 5:37 pm

    Call and ask the person in charge of the trip. That will also give them a heads-up that “formal attire” is not a sufficient description.

    I would imagine an elegant knee-length dress or dressy evening separates. Probably not formal in the sense of a long dress. That would be awkward at a banquet. RK

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