Informal attire

Informal attire, also called international business attire, Western business attire, or Tenue de ville is a dress code, typified by a suit and necktie. On the scale of formality, informal attire is more formal than casual but less formal than semi-formal. It is more presentational than semi-casual, but offers more room for personal expression than semi-formal dress. Informal should not be confused with casual, not even smart casual — in loose common usage, many people refer to informal dress as semi-formal or formal and formal dress (in the technical sense — that is, white tie, black tie, and similar) as very formal. The technical definition of informal is used in this article.

Definition

Informal attire for men consists of a lounge suit, made up of a jacket with matching trousers. The suit is typically dark-coloured (with or without a pattern): gray, dark blue, brown, or black. The suit is worn with a long-sleeved shirt, dress shoes and a necktie.

Informal attire for women in its strictest interpretation is patterned after the male standard – a suit consisting of a jacket with matching skirt or trousers, plus a blouse. Unlike for men, however, women's informal attire is not limited to the suit and equally acceptable alternatives can exist, depending on local customs.