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Semi-formal wear orhalf dress is a grouping ofdress codes indicating the sort of clothes worn to events with a level of formality betweeninformal wear andformal wear. The traditional interpretation for men isblack tie for evening wear andblack lounge suit for day wear, corresponded by either a pant suit or an evening gown for women.[1]
Whether one would choose to wear morning or evening semi-formal has traditionally been defined by whether the event will commence before or after 6:00 p.m.
In addition, equivalent versions may be permitted such as ceremonial dresses (includingcourt dress,diplomatic uniforms andacademic dress),religious clothing,national costumes, and militarymess dress.
In more colloquial, modern formulations, semi-formal has been defined closer to what is traditionally considered "informal wear".[2][3]
For evening wear (after 6 p.m.), the code isblack tie.[4] In formal evening dress, orwhite tie dress, this practice of substituting colors in ties is much less common since men's fashion tends to follow tradition more deeply as it becomes more formal.
The origins of evening semi-formal attire date back to the later 19th century when Edward,Prince of Wales (subsequentlyEdward VII), wanted a more comfortable dinner attire than theswallowtail coat.[5]
In spring 1886, the Prince invited James Potter, a rich New Yorker, and his wifeCora toSandringham House, the Prince's hunting estate inNorfolk. When Potter asked for the Prince's dinner dress code, the Prince sent him to his tailor,Henry Poole & Co., in London, where he was given a suit made to the Prince's specifications with the dinner jacket.[6]
On returning toTuxedo Park, New York, in 1886, Potter's dinner suit proved popular at theTuxedo Park Club. Not long afterward, when a group of men from the club chose to wear such suits to a dinner atDelmonico's Restaurant inNew York City, other diners were surprised. They were told that such clothing was popular at Tuxedo Park, so the particular cut then became known as the "tuxedo".[6]
From its creation into the 1920s, thisdinner jacket was considered appropriate dress for dining in one's home or club, while the tailcoat remained in place as appropriate for public appearance.[5]
After-five clothing is a subcategory of semiformal eveningwear. Often called the "cocktail dress", this type of dress if often made of shiny fabric and can be short, from being shorter than knee up to mid-calf, but seldom reaches to the ankle as does stricter semiformal evening wear.
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