A Dinner With Friends
This is a continuation of our visit to Dominika and Dawid - we returned in the evening, in time for dinner. We came here more as fellow guests than observers; treating it as just our usual meeting with friends. Still more Everyday than Classic situation, but since it is festive season, it was kind of a special occasion... so this time everyone got their memo: let's dress nicely!
And again, nice =/= formal, elegant =/= classic.
Here everyone dressed in their own way, not according to any specific dress code; the main theme is at most our very own dinner with friends, not business casual, smart casual or cocktail.
For such occasion, you can draw from the classics, without fitting into the framework of classic menswear. You can look elegant, not wearing a white shirt, tie or suit.
Dominika wore a jacket, but you won't find a shirt here; the jacket is thrown over a colorful crop top and serves as the key point of the outfit, not one of several layers. On the neck, for decoration, a pocket square tied like a scarf; at the bottom, black trousers inspired by the eveningwear.
Most of the things here are menswear, but the whole outfit is decidedly feminine - and elegant.
Dawid is a guy who believes that he is incompatible with tailoring - partly because of his figure, but more because of his interests and lifestyle - but he loves overshirts and chore jackets, so a corduroy overshirt over a shirt might be considered a festive set for him. Plus a scarf instead of a tie.
I can attest that this is definitely one of the most elegant faces of David I've seen.
I, Mateusz, wore our winter blazer - but gave up the idea of combining it with an OCBD shirt and a tie, I would look like a Wall Street banker compared to the group. I felt more appropriate in a cowboy shirt and a large neck scarf; it's further from the classics, but closer to what I wear every day.
By the way, I'll take this opportunity to add something about being overdressed **later.
And so: do we all understand what it means to dress nicely the same? Of course not. Is it a problem? In such circumstances, none! What matters is that everyone dressed better - meaning putting in more effort than they do on everyday basis - and more chic perhaps. Well, in the end it does mean more elegant, but on one’s own scale; not by formal standards.
Talking about that, I am also thinking about dressing well in the context of the upcoming holidays, which involve a lot of social gatherings, either with family or friends. My advice for you? Take that proverbial stick out of you-know-where. Look easy. Show that you're trying, but don't embarrass your host doing so. Dress in your own way, but remember that there will be others sitting next to you.
Do not try to make others look worse compared to you. Fit in to the vibe. Being overdressed at the party is not necessarily respectful, it may also be ignorant.
You don't have to outshine everyone else to look nice.
