Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with Commonwealth Prime Ministers, in the 1950s. To her right, Sir Winston Churchill; to her left, Robert Menzies of Australia and Louis St. Laurent of Canada. They wear evening dress with decorations.

Full evening dress (also known as white tie) is the most formal dress code that exists for civilians today.¹ File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and... A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth that recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... Sir Robert Gordon Menzies (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia 1939-41 and 1949-66, serving a total of eighteen and a half years in office. ... The Right Honourable Louis Stephen St. ...

There exists a less formal counterpart known as black tie and a formal day time equivalent known as morning dress. See Formal wear for a complete listing and definition of formal dress codes. Black tie is a dress code for formal evening events that are not formal enough to require white tie. ... Morning dress is a particular category of mens formal dress. ... Formal wear is a general term used to describe clothing suitable for formal events, including weddings, church, etc. ...

A woman must wear a formal ball gown with her best accessories and jewellery when the dress is described as white tie. Where state decorations are specified, tiaras are usually worn by married women. Ball gown, traditionally a full-skirted gown reaching at least to the ankles, made of luxurious fabric, delicately and exotically trimmed. ... Fashion accessories and costume jewelry are items that are used to complement fashion. ... Jewellery (Jewelry in American spelling); consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... State decorations are orders, medals and other decorations granted by a sovereign state. ... Beauty pageant tiara A tiara (from Persian تاره tara borrowed by Latin as tiara) is a form of crown. ...

Elements

Bandleader Vincent Lopez in white tie, early 1920s

Formal evening dress is more strictly regulated than other forms of dress, and properly consists of: Bandleader Vincent Lopez speaking into radio microphone, early 1920s, from period sheet music This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Bandleader Vincent Lopez speaking into radio microphone, early 1920s, from period sheet music This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Vincent Lopez (30 December 1895 - 20 September 1975) was a United States bandleader and pianist. ...

• Black tailcoat with silk (ribbed or satin) facings, sharply cut-away at the front
• Black knee breeches
• White stiff-fronted shirt
• White stiff wing collar (attached to the shirt with collar studs)
• White bowtie
• White low-cut waistcoat
• Black silk stockings
• Black patent leather pumps with diamante buckles

Frequently trousers with two lines of braid replace the breeches, in which case the pumps are worn without buckles. Silk weaver Silk is a natural protein fiber that can be woven into textiles. ... Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water. ... Business shirt A shirt is a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body. ... William Shakespeare in a sheer linen collar of the early 17th century, a direct ancestor of the modern shirt collar. ... One option to tie a bowtie The bowtie is a fashion accessory, popularly worn with other formal attire, such as suits or dinner jackets. ... A traditional waistcoat, to be worn with a two-piece suit or separate jacket and trousers A waistcoat (called a vest in Canada and the US) is a type of garment. ... Patent leather is leather that has been given a high gloss finish. ...

Shirts, waistcoats and bow ties are now usually made of cotton marcella, although plain linen shirts and white or off-white silk ties and waistcoats are sometimes worn. Shirt studs and cufflinks should be silver or white. A white handkerchief and flower may be worn. At occasions of state, and in the presence of royalty, state decorations are worn by those who have been awarded them: miniature medals plus up to four breast stars, a narrow neck riband and a broad riband (sash). If a Knight of the Order of the Garter choses to wear breeches, he wears his garter under his left knee. Ladies of the Garter wear theirs above their left elbow. Picking cotton in Georgia Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ... A Medal can mean three things: a wearable medal awarded by a government for services to a country (such as Armed force service); strictly speaking this only refers to a medal of coin-like appearance, but informally the word also refers to an Order (decoration); a table medal awarded by...

Outdoors a black silk plush top hat is appropriate, with an opera cloak or overcoat, even during the summer. White gloves, scarf and cane are optional extras. Duke Ellington wearing a top hat. ... A cloak is a type of loose garment which is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat – it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit (e. ...

Variations

Scottish Highland dress is often worn at white tie events, especially if worn by a Scotsman.

The traditional white tie version of Highland dress consists of:

• Black coatee - Prince Charlie, Montrose and Sheriffmuir jackets are suitable
• Black waistcoat
• Kilt
• White pique shirt and vest with white studs and cufflinks
• White bow tie
• Black Ghillie brogues
• Tartan or red and white, red and black or blue and white diced kilt hose
• Flashes
• Sporran - formal type with a silver-mounted cantle-top and fur pouch or a full fur and animal mask type

Military mess dress may also be seen at a White Tie event. The kilt is seen as an item of traditional Scottish Highland dress, although the origin of that tradition is more recent than is commonly believed. ... Semi dress black leather sporran A Sporran is a pouch made of leather or fur that is worn on a chain around the waist on the front of a kilt. ... Three Canadian officers in shawl or rolled collar jacket and waistcoat style mess dress or mess kit. ...

Appropriate occasions

Like black tie, evening dress is generally only worn after 6 p.m. (see note 1 for an exception). Occasions that require white tie are increasingly rare, but in the United Kingdom these still include:

• State dinners (e.g. dinners with visiting heads of state)
• Commemoration balls and May balls at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge
• Hunt balls
• Some balls during the London Season

The situation is similar in the United States, where "white tie" must be specified on the invitation. Occasion that may still require white tie in the US include: The President of the United States visits the President of the Philippines. ... White tie in use at a Commemoration Ball A Commemoration ball or Commem. ... The bridge over the River Cam at Clare College during its 2005 May Ball. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ...

• State dinners
• balls and cotillions
• Weddings
• Artistic premiers or the opening of an art season in large cities, such as the Opera or Ballet.

In Austria and elsewhere in Continental Europe there are many balls where white tie is worn. In Finland, Sweden as well as The Netherlands many academic traditions still require white tie. In Sweden many weddings are white tie as is the Nobel Prize ceremony and dinner occasions with the royal family. A ball is a formal dance. ... A cotillion or debutante ball is a formal presentation of young ladies, debutantes, to polite society. ... The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Sir Edward Appletons medal Photographs of Nobel Prize Medals. ...

Conductors and members of an orchestra or symphony playing classical music often are dressed in white tie. See Conductor for other possible uses of the word. ... Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... SYMPHONY is an acronym standing for Single- or Multi-Process Optimization over Networks. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ...

DVD cover for the film Heaven Can Wait (Criterion #291) This is a DVD cover. ... DVD cover for the film Heaven Can Wait (Criterion #291) This is a DVD cover. ...

Related forms of dress

White ties were historically worn by clerics and in the professions that formerly were filled by priests and minor clerics. In various forms they are still worn as part of:

• Clerical dress (by persons in Holy Orders)
• Clerical dress (by clerks etc. in Parliament)
• Court dress (in courts of law)
• Court dress (in the Royal court)
• Academic dress (in the older universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews and Durham)

White ties are not worn with military mess dress, where black ties are worn even with the most formal variants. In the Royal Navy, mess dress (as opposed to mess undress) requires a white waistcoat but a black tie. Holy Orders in the modern Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, and Independent Catholic Churches, includes three degrees: bishop, priest, and deacon. ... An aerial view of Parliament of India at New Delhi. ... Court dress comprises two forms of dress: dress prescribed for Royal courts; and dress prescribed for courts of law. ... A court is an official, public forum which a sovereign establishes by lawful authority to adjudicate disputes, and to dispense civil, labour, administrative and criminal justice under the law. ... Court dress comprises two forms of dress: dress prescribed for Royal courts; and dress prescribed for courts of law. ... Academic dress or academical dress is traditional clothing worn specifically in academic settings. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... REDIRECT [1] ... The University of St Andrews was founded between 1410 and 1413 and is the oldest university in Scotland (and third oldest in the English speaking world). ... Durham University is a university in England. ... Three Canadian officers in shawl or rolled collar jacket and waistcoat style mess dress or mess kit. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ...

Note

¹ In the United Kingdom civilian day court dress (in the Royal court) is similar to white tie, but nowadays white tie is worn in its place to the most formal state occasions, e.g. by foreign ambassadors at the State Opening of Parliament. This is the case even though such occasions occur during the day. Court dress comprises two forms of dress: dress prescribed for Royal courts; and dress prescribed for courts of law. ... Sergeant-at-arms Gus Cloutier holding the ceremonial mace to open a sitting of the 38th Canadian parliament with Prime Minister Paul Martin in background (10/4/04) In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in October or November that marks the...

External links

• Definition of white tie
• Buy Evening dress formal dress prom dress