Creative Formal Attire

Attire Info:

Creative Formal is exactly how it sounds, it is a creative twist on the formal dress code. Men are not required to wear a tuxedo or black suit, and women are not expected to wear long fancy ball gowns. Creative Formal outfits include the use of different patterns and prints to create your own fun and personalized look. It enables you to think outside the box. You can get bolder with colors and textures instead of sticking to the classic and predictable black.

For Him: Suit, Dress shirt, Tie, Dress shoes

Creative: Your shirt or suit has an interesting (but appropriate!) pattern. Fun socks! Bow tie! Pop color pocket square!

Extra credit: add pops of texture and color

For Her: This is the perfect time to break out that dress you've been dying to wear. A full length gown, a classy short evening dress or you may also opt for dressy separates.

Tip: no white please!

Creative: that necklace that you never have a reason to wear; those shoes that feel a little too much for other occasions? Some other fun accessory you never get to break out? Let me see it!

FYR: The wedding party will be in white, black, gray and red!

A slightly more elevated version of the dress code, “creative formal” requires wedding attendees to don their best looks — but with a twist (or several). With this dress code, you want to “mix it up to avoid predictability,” said Donnell Baldwin, a New York City-based stylist, image consultant and a founder of Mr. Baldwin Style, a boutique wardrobe styling business. This may include gowns with sequins and funky patterns, suits or tuxedos with czolorful vests, art-printed dinner jackets, and eye-catching accessories such as velvet purses or patterned pocket squares. The aesthetic “is for richly colored velvet jackets, burgundy suits and elaborate accessorizing,” added Brian Sacawa, the Washington, D.C.-based founder of the men's wear blog, He Spoke Style. As long as the length and type of the outfits are abiding by the rules of the more traditional “formal” dress code, you can play around with the details and have some fun.