Quote Originally Posted by timber View Post
I have the company Christmas party coming up December 16th. The dress code is being called "semi-formal" with an explanation that men are expected to wear a suit or sportcoat.
Strictly speaking semi informal is Black Tie with gentlemen's attire as follows: Black dinner jacket or white in summer (tuxedo), black trousers with one satin seam on the outside leg, black vest or cummerbund, black bow tie, white silk scarf, black or gold cufflinks and studs. Formal would be a white tie event. If suits are required that is what is know as evening informal. Gentlemen's attire is normally a business suit, necktie, lace-up shoes, and for evening occasions a non-button-down collar dress shirt. A sports coat would be considered casual. A lot of party coordinators really miss the mark this time of year when sending out invites and place an ambiguous dress code on it, saying one thing but meaning something else entirely.
The main thing is to find out what the coordinator means and dress at least to that level. But hey..if you want to dress it up more good on ya. I think of the company party as a launching pad for the evening.