Formal

Formal and Informal, and Formality and Informality, may refer to

Dress code and events

Logic and mathematics

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.