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A GENTLEMAN GETS
DRESSED FOR A
COCKTAIL PARTY

As a gentleman goes through life, he learns the distinction between a “cocktail party” and a “cocktail reception.” “Reception” implies a rather grand, large-scale occasion, usually staged to welcome the arrival of a new executive at a business institution, a newly appointed official at an academic institution, the ordination or installation of a new clergy person, or the opening of a company’s new offices. A reception may also be staged upon the retirement of an executive, official, or clergy person. (Receptions seldom accompany the closing of a company’s office, no matter what the reason for the closing.)

If an invitation includes the word “reception,” it implies a minimal level of formality, requiring that the gentleman wear one of his best business suits or, at the very least, a dark sports coat and somber slacks.

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A “cocktail party,” on the other hand, is a considerably more casual affair. If a gentleman is invited for cocktails at the home of good friends, he may dress casually, wearing a sweater and none-too-ratty jeans in cold weather or a polo shirt and shorts in the heat of summer. If he receives a written or printed invitation for cocktails, however, he is wise to veer toward the dressy side of casual, adding a sports coat, or even a tie, to his casual slacks or jeans. If he wears a suit on such occasions, a gentleman may feel a tad overdressed, but he is not wrong.