Etiquette of Proper Attire 着装礼仪

黛比·梅恩　孟瑶

Have you ever shown up at an event and realized you arent dressed properly？ It could be a job interview， a party， or anything else where what you wear might possibly be evaluated. If youre dressed inappropriately， it can be embarrassing and awkward for you and others youre with.

Suitable for the occasion

For most events， what you should wear will be obvious. If you plan to go to your childs Little League game and out for pizza afterward， jeans， a T-shirt， and athletic shoes or boots are perfect. Job interviews call for business formal or business casual.

What to wear for the occasion

Sometimes when you ask about the dress code， youll get a phrase， such as “casual Friday” or “formal business，” but still be unsure how youre expected to dress. Here are some explanations and helpful tips for each style of dress：

Casual attire： Casual wear can mean anything from shorts and a T-shirt to khakis1 and a button front blouse. Youll need to find out a number of things before deciding， such as whether youll be indoors or outdoors and what others are wearing.

Casual Friday： What you would wear to the office on casual Friday2 is different from what youd wear to a Friday night football game at the local high school. Remember that when you go to work， you may run into supervisors who determine your future with the company.

Resort casual： Resort wear is typically a comfortable pair of shorts， slacks3， or skirt， a nice top or shirt that goes with the bottoms4， and sandals. As you put together your resort casual outfit， think about how you want to look in pictures that youll show your family and friends later.

Business casual： Business casual should always look neat and well pulled together. Avoid appearing as though you are on your way to a cocktail party. Never wear clothes that are too tight or oversized. A good fit is always in style.

Formal business： Formal business attire is worn by the ultra-professional who wants to be taken seriously and to get ahead. It should never be too flashy or appear cheap. A business suit doesnt have to cost a fortune to look expensive. If you arent sure what shoes are appropriate， women can be pretty safe with a pair of solid5， neutral pumps6. Men may wear dark dress shoes.

Semi-formal： Whether you are attending a cocktail party， dance， or other events that calls for semi-formal， youll be just fine in a dress made from satin or sparkling fabric. Men should wear a suit to a semi-formal event. Women who frequently attend semi-formal events should consider having a little black dress thats versatile and can be worn year-round， with or without a jacket or wrap7.

Formal wear： Formal wear can be tricky. Most of the time， long gowns are acceptable for women and a tuxedo or dark suit are fine for men. However， some designers have made short and mid-calf8 dresses that are classified as formal. Men need to find out if the event is black tie9， white tie10， or dark suit appropriate.

Weddings

Attire for wedding guests can run the full dress code spectrum11， from resort to formal. If the invitation doesnt state how to dress， let the time and location of the wedding be your guide. If youre still in doubt， call the bride or someone from the bridal party12 and ask.

Most of the time， it is perfectly fine to dress in resort semi-formal for a daytime beach wedding. For women， a sundress with a wrap to cover the shoulders and sandals are fine. Men may wear nice slacks， a polo shirt13 or button front shirt， and a lightweight jacket， with or without a tie.

A courtyard wedding calls for a little bit dressier look than resort semi-formal. For women， that means a nice dress， skirt， or pantsuit14. Men should wear slacks， a button-front shirt， a jacket， and a tie that can be removed later.

For a daytime church wedding， a knee-length or tea-length dress is appropriate for women. Men should wear a suit or nice pants， shirt， tie， and coordinating jacket.

An evening wedding is generally more formal， and the invitation should state how to dress. If not， ask someone from the bridal party if you are expected to dress in formal or semi-formal attire.

你是否有過这样的经历：去参加一项活动，到了现场却发现自己穿着不得体？这可能是求职面试、派对聚会或着装受人评点的其他场合。如果穿着不得体，可能会使自己和身边人感到尴尬。

着装得体

在大多数情况下，该穿什么显而易见。如果打算去看孩子的“少年联盟”棒球赛，再出去吃个披萨，那么牛仔裤、T恤、运动鞋或靴子是极佳选择;参加求职面试则要求着商务正装或商务休闲。

各种场合穿什么？

询问着装要求时，得到的回复可能是一个短语，如“休闲星期五”或“商务正装”，而此时你仍然无法确定应如何着装。以下是对各种服装风格的解读和小贴士：

休闲装：休闲装包罗万象，可以T恤配短裤，也可以衬衣搭卡其布休闲裤。在决定穿什么之前，最好了解一下情况，比如活动在室内还是户外，以及其他人如何着装。

周五休闲：即便在休闲星期五穿去办公室的衣服，也绝对不同于去当地高中参加周五晚足球赛的着装。千万记得，上班时你可是会遇到决定你在公司前途的上司。

度假休闲：度假休闲一般是舒服的短裤、休闲裤或裙装，与下装搭配的上衣或衬衫，以及凉鞋。搭配度假休闲装时，要考虑到你在分享给亲朋好友的美照中想要什么样的效果。

商务休闲：商务休闲着装讲究干净利落，不能看着像去参加鸡尾酒会，也要避免过于紧身或过于肥大的服装，合身最重要。

商务正装：商务正装备受超级专业人士青睐，他们想要被人重视，想要出人头地。商务正装既不可太过花哨，也不能显得廉价。其实西装未必要花大价钱，也可以看起来高档。如果不确定哪种鞋子合适，女士穿一双中规中矩的跟鞋准没错;男士可以穿深色正装鞋。

半正式礼服：参加鸡尾酒会、舞会或其他需要穿半正式礼服的活动，可以选择缎面或亮面礼服。男士出席半正式场合应穿西服套装。经常参加半正式活动的女士可以考虑入手一件黑色小礼服，百搭且四季可穿，视情况添件外套或披肩即可。

礼服：礼服的选择有时比较棘手。大部分情况下，女士可以身着长礼服，男士可以选择无尾礼服或深色西装。设计师还针对女性设计了短款和中款连衣裙，这些也属于礼服;而男士们则需事先了解这场活动宜着无尾礼服配黑色领结、燕尾服配白色领结，还是深色西服套装。

参加婚礼

婚礼宾客着装可以不拘一格，从度假休闲装到正装都是允许的。若请柬上未说明如何着装，可以参考婚礼举办的时间和地点。若仍有疑问，可以打电话问新娘或新人的亲友。

一般来说，度假风半正式服装非常适合参加白天举行的海边沙滩婚礼。女士可以穿吊带太阳裙，围披肩，配凉鞋;男士可以穿好看的休闲裤、网球衫或衬衣，披轻便夹克，有无领带均可。

庭院婚礼比度假半正式婚礼的着装考究一些。对女士而言，意味着漂亮的礼服、裙子或套装;男士则应穿休闲裤、衬衫、短外套，戴领带，婚礼后领带可以摘下。

出席白天举行的教堂婚礼，女士宜穿及膝或脚踝的中长礼服，男士则应穿西服套装，或穿帅气的裤子、衬衫，配上领带和相搭的夹克。

晚上举行的婚礼通常更为正式，请柬上应写明着装要求。若未写明，可询问新人亲友团，宾客应该穿正装还是半正式着装。

（译者单位：北京林业大学）

1 khakis卡其布裤子。  2 20世纪晚期西方国家兴起的一种着装规范。允许雇员在星期五穿便装，保持心情放松，舒缓工作压力。  3 slack肥松的便裤;〈美国〉运动裤。  4 bottom套装的裙（或裤）。

5 solid相当不错（但谈不上出色或独特）的。  6 pumps女高跟鞋（heels）的一种，指脚趾、后跟都包起来的跟鞋，通常不带扣带。  7 wrap披肩。  8 mid-calf及小腿肚的。  9 black tie打领结的正式晚礼服，通常为无尾礼服搭配黑色背心與领结。也称小礼服。  10 white tie男士最高规格的晚宴礼服，通常由黑色燕尾服、白色领结、白色马甲、翼领白色礼服衬衫、黑色礼服西裤、黑色漆皮皮鞋以及白色口袋巾、礼服帽等一系列配饰组成。white tie的着装规制要比black tie更高。也称夜礼服、大礼服。  11 spectrum范围。

12 bridal party指帮助新人操办和完成婚礼仪式的一群人，包括新人双方父母、伴郎伴娘、花童、司仪等。  13 19世纪末20世纪初，打网球需要穿着长袖衬衣并打领带。1926年，法国著名网球冠军勒内·拉科斯特（Rene Lacoste）设计了一款硬领短袖运动衫，采用轻薄透气的小凹纹网眼面料，并创制了鳄鱼（Lacoste）品牌标识。鳄鱼衫因穿着舒适，牢固耐磨，在网球界迅速普及。1952年，时任美国总统艾森豪威尔穿了一件鳄鱼牌网球衫参加高尔夫比赛，网球衫很快成了打高尔夫和乡村俱乐部聚会的着装规范。后来由拉尔夫·劳伦（Ralph Lauren）推出的流行款式将此衣型引介到马球界乃至休闲穿着领域。polo shirt也因此称为鳄鱼衫、马球衫、高尔夫球衫。  14 pantsuit（女子的）衣裤套装。