How casual is this dinner? Also take season into consideration. Khakis are good for when the weather is warmer.

When you wear a charcoal jacket with black trousers, is there enough contrast?

 

That's a lot of dark. Careful you're not mistaken for staff.

 

How casual is this dinner? Also take season into consideration. Khakis are good for when the weather is warmer.

When you wear a charcoal jacket with black trousers, is there enough contrast?

Yes, the season is an important factor.

How casual? Many of my dinners are with family & friends in high-quality "casual" restaurants, not trendy/snobby/overrated/overpriced establishments, where "high fashion" is mandatory.

My favorite jacket is charcoal/medium gray herringbone, so it does have a good contrast with black.

 

That's a lot of dark. Careful you're not mistaken for staff.

When wearing a suit & tie, I have been mistaken for staff in department stores.

 

Generally, I only wear dark pants, dark shoes & dark jacket when going out for dinner, usually black pants, black shoes & charcoal jacket.

However, for a "casual" dinner, it would seem that dress khakis would be acceptable, and a jacket would be optional.

Opinions?

Dark pants, okay. Black pants no. I don't own any charcoal jackets so I don't know what I would pair a charcoal jacket with, but I am thinking something that dark should just be worn as a suit. Get yourself a good navy blazer. They go with anything that is not navy. If you are going sans jacket I assume that means no tie either make sure you are wearing a button down collar. Open spread collars are not attractive to me.

 

There's nothing fundamentally wrong with black trousers.

If you want to know what's "appropriate," look at what other patrons are wearing and dress like they do. I've never quite understood this kind of question.

 

Generally, I only wear dark pants, dark shoes & dark jacket when going out for dinner, usually black pants, black shoes & charcoal jacket.

However, for a "casual" dinner, it would seem that dress khakis would be acceptable, and a jacket would be optional.

Opinions?

Opinions?

Where to start! :icon_smile_big:

First, casual dinner dress is an oxymoron. Dinner dress was originally tails, relaxed to a dinner suit, usually called a tuxedo. Below that, there are no rules. So you are faced with self-selecting from a continuum of formality that ranges from tailored slacks and a nice shirt to a formally cut dark suit with a white shirt and discreet dark tie. What you select is a product of your preference, companions and the venue.

I dislike dressing like a crow. I like color. I also like navy blazers. Recently I discovered that an old wool tie of grey stripes on a maroon ground shot with black pairs particularly well with a dark blue gingham check BD I have and my navy blazer. I intend to pair them and add my circa 1966 PS which is a medallion print in navy, wine, olive and buff of Italian silk. I will wear this over dark grey wool slacks with dark brown suede monk straps from Weston with wine wool socks.

That's what I might wear as smart casual wear for dinner. I have no idea what you might wear. :icon_smile_wink:

 

If you want to know what's "appropriate," look at what other patrons are wearing and dress like they do. I've never quite understood this kind of question.

Exactly. Or ask the host what is appropriate.

 

Some of these guys are going to dinner.

https://www.paulstuart.com/catalog_...71fd69e9c6cd39029b04d08d0ecc779&utm_source=blast&utm_term=Paul Stuart Fall 2013

You could do worse than allow them to serve as inspiration, though I would need to tone down the color cacophony, and make the color harmonizing of shirt and tie a little more subtle.

 

Yes, the season is an important factor.

How casual? Many of my dinners are with family & friends in high-quality "casual" restaurants, not trendy/snobby/overrated/overpriced establishments, where "high fashion" is mandatory.

My favorite jacket is charcoal/medium gray herringbone, so it does have a good contrast with black.

I only wish I could find a restaurant where "high fashion" (or preferably just decent apparel) were mandatory. At most restaurants the customers dress so badly it impairs my appetite!

 

And what are they serving that would make the dress casual?

 

My go-to for dinner, most of the time anyway, is an OCBD and khakis with loafers.

 

Generally, I don't bother trying to make "casual" attire evening appropriate. I put casual in quotes because I'm talking about countryish traditional clothing, rather than, say, jeans or rumpled khakis and a sweater or casual shirt (which I'll wear to dinner only if I'm rolling into a casual establishment after a casual day).

If I'm wearing a suit, say, or getting dressed in a navy blazer and gray trousers, I'll wear black shoes, a white shirt, and a "sharper" silk tie than I might if I were getting dressed in the same formality for something at 11:30 AM. I might wear very dark brown shoes. If those rigs would be too formal, then I'd be quite content to wear something like a relatively dark sportcoat, light blue shirt, gray slacks, and dark brown shoes, with a tie that strikes my fancy. Slightly darker than my normal attire, and at the dressy end of things for me.

 

If you want to know what's "appropriate," look at what other patrons are wearing and dress like they do. I've never quite understood this kind of question.

How do you do that? You're already there, too late to go home and change.

 

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Good point!

 

How do you do that? You're already there, too late to go home and change.

I'm assuming that this is not "Encino Man," and that he's been to this type of restaurant before.

 

My definition of "casual dress" may be different than some others.

To me, casual dress means no jacket / tie required. It doesn't mean dressing like a farmer.

 

Stay away from all dark like what was said above. I'd go grey, khacki or navy pants with a light color shirt.