informal Archives - Event Decor Supply

Dressing well at ‘informal’ events a sign of respect

Q My wife and I are attending a weekend wedding in Chicago this fall. There will be a series of events besides the ceremony itself. As a groomsman, I will be dressed up for the wedding, but we were told the rest of the weekend will be informal. I’m trying to decide what to wear and my wife insists that casual duds won’t do. What does informal mean in the “big city.”

A Your wife is right to have you consider dressing somewhat less casually, especially if she intends to do so herself. Just as “you don’t need to bring anything” still means a gift would be nice, “informal” still means looking well-put-together … or it should. Time was, not too long ago, when it was considered insulting to one’s hosts not to “dress up” for a social occasion. Underdressing was thought of as a sign of disrespect and not something you did if you hoped to be invited again. These days, it seems as if very few people think that way.

I saw this reality when I was invited to a similar event early this summer. It was a very special outdoor/indoor party in honor of a milestone birthday. Everything about the perfectly planned event was unique and memorable: from the location at a former Brooklyn warehouse looking out at the Statue of Liberty, to the floating candles and fresh flowers, to the artistically arranged antipasto table on the terrace, the gourmet dinner served indoors, a DJ’s music, and dancing. These all set the evening apart from, and above, many New York Fashion Week events that I have attended.

On the other hand, what surprised (and disappointed) me were the clothes. The invitation had said that the dress would be “casual.” Even so, it was a grand party and “casual” can also be smart. I chose what to wear with care and presumed others would do the same. Not that they were dressed in a sloppy manner, but my disappointment was that I saw very little that was special, in keeping with the tone of the party, and the effort the hosts had put into it. Those who were dressed nicely were some (not all) of the women. A few wore festive-looking outfits; the rest dressed in nondescript summer attire. But, of the 30 or so men in attendance, I only recall seeing one wearing a tie and a few in sports jackets. The others wore every variation of casual Saturday-errand attire, except, thankfully, no shorts. Most dressed in standard sport shirts or open-at-the-neck dress shirts. Some shirts were good looking and well-chosen, but most were “nothing to write home about.”

To me, ignoring this opportunity to dress smartly seemed to be taking away a major element of the fun of a social evening. I don’t see why anyone would deliberately make such a choice. While it’s always confusing to figure out what to wear for special occasions, I told myself that the heavy emphasis on dressed-down, relaxed clothing was partly because it was summer, when clothes tend to be more casual than during the fall and winter.

So, as you may have gathered, I think you should dress up a bit, rather than down for these events. This is especially true as a member of the bridal party (even beyond the ceremony and party); you are something of an extension of the hosts, which calls for paying a little extra attention. And, in the fall, dressing down begins to fade with the temperature.

You would be well served to include in your packing such items as a well-cut navy blazer in wool or perhaps an ivory-colored blazer in silk, trim-fitting dark dress trousers, a pair of khakis, one white and one light blue dress shirt with a tie for each, and a handsome sport shirt in a colorful small-print or plaid. For an unexpected great look, consider a pastel-colored wool blazer. As an adult, take along a pair of quality leather dress shoes rather than deciding to compromise with today’s popular rubber-soled “dress shoes.” If some of these are not natural elements of your wardrobe and you cannot/do not want to add them, at least include what you consider your best “night out” look. This is a highlight occasion; there is no reason to wear lowlight clothing.

Please send your men’s dress and grooming questions to MALE CALL:

Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net

S.Korean leader's informal media events are a break with tradition | SaltWire

By Soo-hyang Choi

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol has departed from years of tradition by holding informal daily media events to field questions on topics ranging from inflation and ties with neighbouring North Korea to the first lady and even boyband BTS.

Such wide-ranging access to the president was previously unheard of. It stems from Yoon’s decision to move his office out of the official Blue House, whose previous occupants largely steered clear of such interactions over more than seven decades.

“It’s apparently helping Yoon dispel worries about his lack of political experience and giving him a sense of where public opinion is at,” said Eom Kyeong-young, a political commentator based in the capital, Seoul.

Yoon, a former prosecutor-general, entered politics just a year ago, before winning the presidency in March by a margin of just 0.7%, the narrowest in South Korea’s history.

Upon his inauguration in May, Yoon moved the presidential office to the compound of South Korea’s defence ministry, describing the official residence as the symbol of an “imperial presidency”, and vowing not to “hide behind” his aides.

His liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, had rarely held news conferences, and almost always filtered his communication with the media, and the public, through layers of secretaries.

Analysts see Yoon’s daily freewheeling sessions as part of a broader communications strategy that lets him drive policy initiatives and present himself as a confident, approachable leader.

The campaign has also allayed public suspicions about the newcomer to politics, they say.

Polls show the new strategy helping to win support and much-needed political capital for Yoon in his effort to hasten recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, in a parliament dominated by the opposition Democratic Party.

Although Yoon’s approval rating dipped to 47.6% in a recent survey, slightly lower than the disapproval figure of 47.9%, another June poll showed communication was the reason most frequently cited by those who favoured him.

“The sweeping victory of Yoon’s conservative party in June local elections shows the public is not so much against the new administration,” said Eom.

Incumbents from Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) defeated challengers for the posts of mayor in the two biggest cities of Seoul and the port city of Busan in that contest, while its candidates won five of seven parliamentary seats.

Eom attributed Yoon’s low approval rating from the beginning of his term to inflation risks that threaten to undermine an economic recovery and his lack of a support base as a new politician.

But some critics say Yoon’s sessions raise the chances that he could make mistakes.

“He could make one mistake a day,” Yun Kun-young of the opposition party wrote on Facebook last week, saying the new practice could be “the biggest risk factor” for the government.

The presidential office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Yoon has already faced criticism for controversial remarks made during the morning briefings, such as one in defence of his nominee for education minister, who has a record of driving under the influence of alcohol years ago.

But the daily meetings and public reaction would ultimately help the government to shape policy better, said Shin Yul, a professor of political science at Myongji University in Seoul.

“It might be burdensome for his aides for now, but will be an advantage in the long term,” Shin said. “A slip of the tongue cannot be a bigger problem than a policy failure.”

(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)