What Should I Wear to a Black Tie Optional Wedding
Tuxedo if you own one, dark suit and tie if not, a long dress or a dressy shorter one.
All 53 things to wear
If you own a tuxedo
If you do not
Long dresses
Shorter dresses
Shoes and finishing touches
Leave at home
If you own a tuxedo 10
Black bow tie In silk, satin or twill, an etiquette institute says. Traditionally one you tie yourself, says Wikipedia. Black dinner jacket with matching trousers The core of black tie, on an etiquette institute’s list. Cummerbund or vest One or the other and never both at once, Wikipedia’s article on black tie says. Midnight blue tuxedo Wikipedia counts midnight blue beside black as a color of the dinner suit. Patent leather shoes with black socks How an etiquette institute finishes a tuxedo. Rented tuxedo, only if you want one Couples add optional so nobody feels pressed to buy or rent one, a bridal magazine says. Tuxedo you already own The first choice: an American etiquette institute says men are requested to wear one. Velvet tuxedo jacket, in fall or winter Wool and velvet suit a cold-season evening, a stylist tells a bridal magazine. White dinner jacket, in summer With black tuxedo trousers, for summer, the tropics or a cruise, an etiquette institute says. White dress shirt with a pleated or piqué front The formal shirt on an etiquette institute’s black tie list.
If you do not 10
Black or navy suit A fashion magazine’s answer for a man without a tuxedo, worn with a tie. Charcoal suit A wedding planning company’s guide names charcoal with black and navy as colors to lean toward. Dark suit in place of a tuxedo The accepted alternative: an etiquette institute allows a dark suit where a tuxedo is requested. Leather dress shoes with dark socks What an etiquette institute lists to go with the suit. Pantsuit in a dressy fabric A bridal magazine names it with gowns and cocktail dresses as an option for women. Structured suit jacket A wedding planning company’s swap for the tuxedo jacket. Three-piece suit The vest takes a suit up a notch in formality, a wedding planning company’s guide says. Tie in a quiet color or pattern Conservative, an etiquette institute says. Understated, says a wedding planning company. White dress shirt with the dark suit What an etiquette institute pairs with the suit. White pocket square With a black necktie, a foolproof finish for a suit, a wedding planning company’s guide says.
Long dresses 10
Airy chiffon dress, at a summer wedding A fashion magazine says this code lets a dress be less structured in the heat. Ankle-length dress More accepted at black tie optional than at strict black tie, a bridal magazine says. Blue, pink, orange or yellow, in summer A bridal magazine’s colors for a summer wedding. It still rules out pastels and neon. Dress in emerald or burgundy Deep jewel tones are a wedding planning company’s suggestion. Dress in silk, chiffon or taffeta A bridal stylist’s fabrics for this dress code, in a fashion magazine. Dressy separates On an etiquette institute’s list, beside the gown and the cocktail dress. Evening gown that reaches the floor First on an etiquette institute’s list for women. Three other guides call long the preferred length. Gown in black, navy or a jewel tone, in winter A bridal magazine’s colors for a winter wedding. Jumpsuit, if the style is dressy A gray area, a wedding planning company says: it depends on the style of the jumpsuit. Solid color or a muted print In a rich-looking fabric that you can dress up or down, a bridal magazine says.
Shorter dresses 6
Dressy cocktail dress Allowed by an etiquette institute, which lists it second, after the evening gown. Knee-length cocktail dress, for a teenager A fashion magazine accepts midi or knee length, especially for guests in their teens or younger. Little black dress On an etiquette institute’s list for black tie optional. Midi-length dress Acceptable, a wedding planning company’s guide says, though a full-length gown is preferred. Shorter dress with dressy shoes and jewelry If you cannot go long, a bridal stylist says, lift the look with the right accessories. Tea-length gown Traditional black tie dress for women, Wikipedia says: below mid-calf, or a gown to the ankle.
Shoes and finishing touches 6
Black oxford shoes with a plain toe The popular black tie shoe, Wikipedia says, in patent leather or calfskin, never brogued. Cufflinks, with a tuxedo A wedding registry company’s guide adds them to the bow tie and the cummerbund. Dress shoes and sparkle, with a pantsuit How a wedding registry company’s guide dresses a pantsuit up for black tie. Embellished flats Dressy shoes need not be heels, a bridal stylist tells a fashion magazine. Jewelry that draws the eye A stylist tells a bridal magazine to leave the smart watch at home and wear jewelry that gets noticed. Sharp lace-up oxfords, with a jumpsuit or pants A bridal stylist’s other dressy choice for a guest in a jumpsuit or pants.
Leave at home 11
No cotton or linen sundress It will look out of place, a bridal stylist tells a fashion magazine. No day sandals or raffia wedges A bridal stylist rules out casual footwear, in a fashion magazine. No daytime outfit These weddings are mostly held in the evening, after 6 p.m., a bridal magazine notes. No dramatic ball gown Too attention-grabbing for this code, one bridal magazine says, as is a heavily sequined look. No dress in the bridesmaids’ color If you know what the bridesmaids will wear, a bridal magazine says to avoid it. No khaki slacks A fashion magazine’s example of what men should not wear. No linen or denim Casual fabrics that a wedding planning company’s guide rules out. No mini dress or hem above the knee Too casual for this code, a bridal magazine and a wedding planning company’s guide both say. No neon or flashy color Bold, flashy colors work against this level of formality, a bridal magazine says. No suit without a tie Going without a tie belongs to semi-formal weddings, a bridal magazine says. No white or cream, on a suit or a dress White is kept for the couple, a bridal magazine says, unless they ask everyone to wear it.
How this list was compiled
The 53 things to wear or to leave at home, and the line under each, were written for this page on 2026-10-13; no list was copied. Each row follows a published guide read on 2026-10-13. The Emily Post Institute, an American etiquette institute, Attire guide: dress codes from casual to white tie (https://emilypost.com/advice/attire-guide-dress-codes-from-casual-to-white-tie ) and Black tie dress code (https://emilypost.com/advice/black-tie-dress-code ). Brides, a bridal magazine, A guide to black-tie optional wedding attire for guests, which quotes a personal stylist (https://www.brides.com/black-tie-optional-wedding-attire-4800698 ). The Knot, a wedding planning company, its guide to the black-tie-optional dress code, which quotes the president of a formalwear rental company (https://www.theknot.com/content/what-to-wear-formal-black-tie-optional-black-tie-invited ). Vogue, a fashion magazine, What is black tie optional, which quotes a bridal stylist and a contributing editor (https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/dear-alex-black-tie-optional-wedding-dress-code ). Zola, a wedding registry company, What to wear and not wear to a black tie wedding (https://www.zola.com/expert-advice/what-to-wear-and-not-wear-to-a-black-tie-wedding ). Wikipedia, Black tie and Semi-formal wear, read on 2026-10-13 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_tie and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-formal_wear ), text under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence, retold in our words. These are guides, not rules, and they disagree about shorter dresses, as the lines say: the couple’s invitation and wedding website decide. No product from the guides’ shopping lists is named. Left out on purpose: brands, shops, prices and anything about body shape. Licence: own work
How it works What should I wear to a black tie optional wedding? A tuxedo is requested, a dark suit with a tie is accepted, and a long gown is preferred to a cocktail dress. These 53 things follow six published sources.
Read the full guide
What the words on the invitation ask for
An American etiquette institute puts the code in two sentences. A tuxedo is what men are asked for, and a dark suit is allowed in its place; women may wear an evening gown to the floor, a shorter cocktail dress, or separates that are dressy. A wedding planning company adds that the couple and the wedding party are generally in full black tie themselves, and that “black tie preferred”, “invited” and “encouraged” typically mean the same.
Why six o’clock matters
Black tie is evening dress: Wikipedia records that it was traditionally worn only at events after 6 p.m. A daytime reception leaves a little more room for color and print, a wedding planning company’s guide says.
A stylist’s habit worth copying: look at the venue first and match your outfit to the room.
Questions and answers
Do I have to wear a tuxedo to a black tie optional wedding?
No. A dark suit with a white shirt and a conservative tie is the accepted alternative, an etiquette institute says. A formalwear company’s president advises committing to whichever level you choose and doing it well.
Can I wear a short dress to a black tie optional wedding?
The guides split. An etiquette institute lists a dressy cocktail dress, and a fashion magazine accepts midi or knee length. A bridal magazine rules out short and mini dresses, and a wedding planning company’s guide calls anything above the knee too casual.
What is the difference between black tie and black tie optional?
Choice, says a formalwear company’s president quoted by a wedding planning company. Black tie makes the tuxedo, bow tie and patent shoes non-negotiable; optional opens the door to a dark suit. For women, a bridal magazine adds, dresses that show the ankle become more acceptable.
Is black tie optional the same as semi-formal?
Not in wedding guides. A bridal magazine places semi-formal a step below, where men may skip the tie and dresses sit above the knee. Wikipedia, confusingly, files black tie itself under semi-formal wear, as less formal than white tie.