Is it true that the IDF doesn’t even have dress uniforms, save for overseas military attaches?
I know about Israelis and their (lack of) dress for weddings. When I got married in Northern California about seven years ago, my Israeli cousins showed up in rather casual clothes, certainly compared to all the other wedding guests. They really stood out, though I didn’t say anything, of course.
Still threadshitting - since the majority of the attendees at those sorts of venues still have the expectation that people will take the time and make the effort to dress up - and part of the enjoyment of those sorts of events is to be beautiful and people watch the other beautiful people (even if the people themselves are only average looking). Wearing what you want in those cases is saying “I really don’t care about the majority, I’m going to be selfish.”
The standards for those events have slipped a lot in the past few decades - expect perhaps opening night opera in a big city, you can get by with very little effort at most of those venues - no need for a ballgown or a tux.
I worked at one company that was, like most today, business casual every day. Someone had the bright idea to establish a “dress up” day once a week. The idea was to wear more formal business attire weekly; dress shirt and tie or even a business suit. I thought it was a crazy idea myself but I can see the appeal of going to the opera or the ballet in a tuxedo. It’s a good excuse to own and use a formal set of clothes.
I agree that if the wedding invitation says semi-formal, this implies a tux and black tie.
I also agree that people fuck up using the wrong word describing how to dress for special events, so they probably didn’t mean semi-formal in this fashion.
Frankly, I’d just ask them what they meant by semi-formal.
Dressier than normal church clothes, not so dressy you look like a member of the wedding party.
If by dress you mean a jacket and tie, then yes.
These days semi-formal absolutely means cocktail attire. If they wanted “tux it if you got it” they’d say “black tie optional” which is what our wedding was - we got two guys in their own tuxes looking smashing, older men in suits, younger men in sportcoats… and assholes in other things. Like my piece of shit half brother in a ratty polo shirt - I guess I was fortunate that he didn’t wear jeans. (Yes, I know he owns suits, my father buys them for him.)
Formal means tuxedo. Semi-formal means t-shirt that looks like a tuxedo.
This is how I’ve always know the terms to be defined in the strictest sense, but I’ve been told I’m crazy or imagining things when I’ve mentioned it before. Thanks for confirming that I have at least some small connection with sanity.
Yes, but those definitions are really dated. Someone mentioned the scene in Downton Abbey in which the Earl of Grantham was forced to wear a tuxedo because of a problem with his tailcoat. And this was for a completely ordinary dinner at home with his family. Does anyone live like that anymore?
If you have a clean baseball cap just for going to church, weddings and funerals, you just might be semi-formal.
If you utter “Please and Thank You” as a single phrase while at the drive thru, then to my ear you have a proclivity to be semi-formal.
If the most important dance of the year is being held at the truck stop, then, my dear, you are at your semi-formal and be sure to treasure every moment because you have never looked so beautiful.
After a critical reading of the above responses and some Googling I will be packing a suit and tie and my wife will bring something equivalent. I have the gear but I didn’t want to be over or undressed.
But what about the jock strap and flip-flops? 
Yep. This is the answer.
Business casual is button up no tie or jacket no tie.
[quote=“Aquadementia, post:52, topic:664959”]
If you have a clean baseball cap just for going to church, weddings and funerals, you just might be semi-formal.
If you utter “Please and Thank You” as a single phrase while at the drive thru, then to my ear you have a proclivity to be semi-formal.
If the most important dance of the year is being held at the truck stop, then, my dear, you are at your semi-formal and be sure to treasure every moment because you have never looked so beautiful.
I just really love this on so many levels.
thelurkinghorror and zoid, best “socially acceptable attire” tips I’ve ever heard and won’t be forgotten; my up-and-coming son said “Genius!”
Since it’s in Florida, find out the place and time (as mentioned.) Might make the difference between spangles and scuba gear.
Would one difference be that, even in a dressy office, men will often remove their jackets, but at a semi-formal social event you’re usually expected to keep your jacket on all the time?