Dress Up Dress Smart

Have dress codes often baffled you? Ever received an invitation to an event saying you should turn up in smart casual, semi-formal or just something you have never heard of before? One often wonders who made up these terms to confuse us, the poor men who have no dress sense, as the girlfriend likes to put it.
Well, today we will clear up this big mess and explain it all!

Semi Formal
The ‘Semi-Formal' dress code is often used to describe ‘Black Tie'. Fret not though; I believe this form of dress code is largely uncommon in Singapore. Briefly, men wear a dinner jacket (tuxedo coat); trousers, uncuffed, with one stripe on leg seams; shirt (stiff wing or soft folded collar) with either a placketed, pleated, piqué, or ruffled front; a black bow tie; a black evening waistcoat or a cummerbund; black, patent leather or calf Oxfords or court shoes; cuff links and shirt studs; accessories.

Informal or Lounge
Informal or Lounge wear requires the use of a necktie. Bow ties are acceptable but are unusual and should be avoided, why would you want to stand out that much? Dark colours for a matching suit and pants are highly recommended and these can be paired off with a nice pair of black lace-up shoes.

Where the dress code is listed on the invitation as 'Informal', it might be worth checking whether 'Informal' is intended to be 'Lounge Suit' or 'Cocktail Dress' as detailed here or 'Smart Casual' as this is often a matter of confusion.

Smart Casual
The first thing to bear in mind when the invite says 'smart-casual' is to aim for a look that is smart enough to get you in and casual enough to feel comfortable.
Smart casual usually consists of a blazer or a sports jacket, a collared shirt, and dress trousers. A necktie is increasingly optional. A nice fitting polo t-shirt will also be considered a pass in this situation. Although suits technically fall into the formal category, some are casual enough to be considered smart casual instead. Smart casual footwear includes shoes and loafers, but not sneakers or men's sandals. Colour-wise, avoid black as it may seem a little too formal; instead, opt for colours like navy, bottle green, red and yellow.

Business Casual
Business Casual is among the most fluid and varied of dress codes, with exact standards differing substantially from city to city, industry to industry, and even firm to firm. Generally speaking, ties are not worn with business casual. Most codes require that a collared shirt be worn, but often a polo shirt qualifies. Dress pants or cotton twills such as chinos (khakis) are acceptable, but jeans often are not. Sports jackets are optional but then again, who wants to wear that in Singapore? Again, while loafers and other casual shoes are acceptable, sneakers and men's sandals are not. Business casual is now acceptable in some business situations and industries, but not all.
That just about sums it up, good luck fair gentlemen of Singapore! May you impress your spouses, bosses and colleagues with your new found dress-sense!