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{{Short description|Clothing code based on event or occasion}}
{{redirect|Dresscode}}
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{{Western dress codes}}
[[File:Vénus en fourrure Cannes 2013.jpg|thumb|[[Cannes Film Festival]] has a dress code that requires men to wear [[tuxedo]]s and women to wear [[gown]]s and [[high-heeled shoes]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thetylt.com/entertainment/kristen-stewart-cannes-film-festival |title=Is the Cannes Film Festival's dress code sexist? |website=thetylt.com |language=en |access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref>]]

A '''dress code''' is a set of rules, often written, with regard to what [[clothing]] groups of people must wear. Dress codes are created out of social perceptions and norms, and vary based on purpose, circumstances, and occasions. Different societies and cultures are likely to have different dress codes, [[Western dress codes]] being a prominent example.

Dress codes are symbolic indications of different social ideas, including [[social class]], [[cultural identity]], [[Attitude (psychology)|attitude]] towards comfort, tradition, and political or religious affiliations. Dress code also allows individuals to read others' behavior as good, or bad by the way they express themselves with their choice of apparel.<ref name=":7" />

==History==

===Europe===
{{See also|Western dress codes|Sumptuary laws|English medieval clothing}}
From the seventh through the ninth centuries, the European [[royal family|royalty]] and [[nobility]] used a dress code to differentiate themselves from other people. All classes generally wore the same clothing, although distinctions among the social hierarchy began to become more noticeable through ornamented garments. Common pieces of clothing worn by peasants and the working class included plain [[tunic]]s, cloaks, jackets, pants, and shoes. According to rank, embellishments adorned the collar of the tunic, waist or border. Examples of these decorations included, as [[James Planché]] states, "gold and silver chains and crosses, bracelets of gold, silver or ivory, golden and jeweled belts, strings of amber and other beads, rings, brooches, [and] buckles".<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=History of British Medieval Costume: From the Earliest Period to the Close of the Eighteenth Century. C. Cox.|last=Planché|first=J. R.|year=1847|pages=28, 32–35}}</ref> The nobility tended to wear longer tunics than the lower social classes.<ref name=":1" />

While dress codes of modern-day Europeans are less strict, there are some exceptions. It is possible to ban certain types of clothing in the workplace, as exemplified by the [[European Court of Justice]]’s verdict that "a ban on Islamic headscarves at work can be lawful."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=8b582c90-97f7-48cc-855c-af52f8edf4d7|title=Dress Codes and Religious Symbols at Work in the EU {{!}} Lexology|last1=Langdon|first1=Vedder Price PC-Esther|last2=Maude|first2=Jonathan|website=www.lexology.com|date=June 2017 |language=en|access-date=2019-03-17}}</ref>

===The Americas===
The [[indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast]] had a complex social hierarchy that consisted of slaves, commoners, and nobles, with dress codes indicating these social distinctions. [[John R. Jewitt]], an Englishman who wrote a memoir about his years as a captive of the [[Nuu-chah-nulth people]] in 1802-1805, describes how, after some time living there, [[Maquinna]] and the chiefs decided that he must now be "considered one of them, and conform to their customs". Jewitt resented the imposition of this dress code, finding the loose untailored garments very cold, and attributed to them a subsequent illness of which he almost died. He was not allowed to cut his hair and had to paint his face and body as a Nootka would.<ref>'' A Narrative of the Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jewitt, Only Survivor of the Crew of the Ship Boston, During a Captivity of Nearly Three Years Among the Savages of Nootka Sound: With an Account of the Manners, Mode of Living, and Religious Opinions of the Natives''. [https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.90038 digital full text here] p161 onwards</ref>

In the early 20th century, [[informal wear]] was the norm across many social settings, including workplaces, restaurants, travel, and movie theaters. In the 1950s, [[casual wear]] became prominent in many of these settings, but informal wear remained dominant in workplaces and churches. Beginning in the 1980s, [[technology companies]] in Silicon Valley developed the [[business casual]] dress code, which was part of a broader organizational culture of emphasizing efficiency over propriety. Today, casual wear is the norm in the tech industry, exemplified by tech executives such as [[Steve Jobs]] and [[Mark Zuckerberg]].<ref name="theatlantic-american-casual">{{cite web|title=Why American Workers Now Dress So Casually|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/05/history-of-business-casual/526014/|last=Clemente|first=Deirdre|website=[[The Atlantic]] |date=2017-05-22|access-date=2024-03-19}}</ref>

In North American high schools, fashion for girls began to be more revealing in the late twentieth century, including clothing such as low-rise jeans, revealing tops, miniskirts, and spaghetti straps.<ref name=":7" /> With these new styles appearing in schools, dress codes have in some cases become more rigorous as a result.<ref name=":7" />

The dress codes in North American high schools typically resulted in tests that would determine if skirts or shorts were long enough. A common test would be used to measure the appropriate length of students' shorts/skirts. If a student's fingers extended past their clothing, then the clothing was considered a violation of the school dress code.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Frazier |first1=Karen |title=Typical School Dress Codes |url=https://teens.lovetoknow.com/School_Dress_Codes#:~:text=Many%20schools%20define%20the%20appropriate%20length%20of%20skirts,the%20student%27s%20arms%20are%20extended%20at%20his%2Fher%20sides.%22 |website=lovetoknow |access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref>

=== Muslim world ===
{{Main|Haram#Clothing and adornment}}
[[Islam]], founded in the seventh century CE, laid out rules regarding the attire of both men and women in public.  Gold adornments and silk clothes are [[Haram|prohibited]] for men to wear, as they are luxurious, but they are permissible for women.  Men are also required to wear the ''[[Ihram clothing|ihram]]'' clothing while on [[Hajj]], or annual pilgrimage to [[Mecca]].

''[[Hijab]]'' generally refers to various head coverings conventionally worn by some Muslim women,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/06/29/religious-clothing-and-personal-appearance/|title=9. Religious clothing and personal appearance|first=Travis|last=Mitchell|date=29 June 2021|access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref> most often a headscarf wrapped around the head, covering the hair, neck and ears, but leaving the face visible.<ref name="eogr">{{cite encyclopedia |editor=Mark Juergensmeyer, Wade Clark Roof |title=Encyclopedia of Global Religion |entry=Hijab |url=https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/globalreligion/n313.xml |volume=1 |publisher=SAGE Publications |year=2012 |pages=516 |isbn=9780761927297 |doi=10.4135/9781412997898|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>“Hijab.” ''Cambridge Dictionary'', dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/hijab. Accessed 6 Sept. 2023.</ref> The use of the hijab has been on the rise worldwide since the 1970s and is viewed by many Muslims as expressing modesty and faith.<ref name="eogr" /> There is a consensus among Islamic religious scholars that covering the head is either required or preferred, though some Muslim scholars and activists argue that it is not mandated.<ref name="The Quran Does Not Mandate Hijab">{{cite web |last=Syed |first=Ibrahim |title=The Quran Does Not Mandate Hijab |url=http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_351_400/quran_does_not_mandate_hijab.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221175749/http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_351_400/quran_does_not_mandate_hijab.htm |archive-date=21 December 2015 |access-date=26 December 2015 |website=Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite web |url=http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/06/45564/hijab-is-not-an-islamic-duty-scholar/ |work=Morocco World News |title=Hijab is Not an Islamic Duty: Muslim Scholar |access-date=26 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227054847/http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/06/45564/hijab-is-not-an-islamic-duty-scholar/ |archive-date=27 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Asra-2015">{{cite news |last1=Nomani |first1=Asra Q. |last2=Arafa |first2=Hala |title=Opinion: As Muslim women, we actually ask you not to wear the hijab in the name of interfaith solidarity |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/12/21/as-muslim-women-we-actually-ask-you-not-to-wear-the-hijab-in-the-name-of-interfaith-solidarity/ |access-date=22 December 2022 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=21 December 2015 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedawnjournal.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/11-Dr.Shakun_3.pdf|title=Behind the Veil: Oppression or Assertion|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504071359/https://www.thedawnjournal.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/11-Dr.Shakun_3.pdf|archive-date=4 May 2023}}</ref>

=== Indian subcontinent ===
[[Sikhism]], which was founded in the Indian subcontinent around the end of the fifteenth century, also requires a dress code.
[[File:Gurbir Grewal SEC.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Gurbir Grewal, member of the [[United States Securities and Exchange Commission]]]]
Male Sikhs, who are members of the [[Khalsa]] are required to wear a [[turban]] at all times. Some, but not all, male Sikhs in North America wear a turban; they will instead tie their hair in a knot or ponytail.

==Laws and social norms==

{{Main|Clothing laws by country}}
{{see also|Islamic clothing|Islamic veiling practices by country|Sumptuary laws}}
Cultural values, norms, and laws regarding clothing can vary by location.

For example, the degree of nudity that is acceptable changes depending on location. In [[New Guinea]] and [[Vanuatu]], there are areas where it is customary for men to wear nothing but penis sheaths in public, while women wear string skirts. In remote areas of [[Bali]], women may go [[toplessness|topless]], which is less common in more Western countries.

Most Western countries have generally no rules regarding specific clothing in most public scenarios, but only have private rules.

[[Islamic clothing]] codes vary by country, especially [[Islamic veiling practices by country]]. In [[Dubai]], it is less strict outside of [[mosques]], but for both men and women, shoulders and knees must be covered in public.<ref name=Dubai>{{cite web|url=https://www.dubai-tickets.co/travel-guide/trip-planner/what-to-wear-in-dubai/|title=What to Wear in Dubai? Do's & Don'ts| website=Dubai Tickets |access-date=March 23, 2025}}</ref> Nudity is illegal in Dubai for both sexes, cross-dressing is prohibited, and toplessness or cleavage is essentially illegal for women.<ref name=Dubai /> In [[Afghanistan]], the [[hijab]] is compulsory for all women and everywhere, including in schools, while the [[burqa]] is not mandatory but is customary.<ref>{{cite web|title=Taliban says burqa not mandatory for women, hijab is|url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/08/18/taliban-says-burqa-not-mandatory-for-women-hijab-is-.html|access-date=2021-12-18|website=The Jakarta Post|language=en}}</ref> On the other hand, in the [[People's Republic of China]], the burqa is banned in the Islamic area of [[Xinjiang]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-burqa-abnormal-beards-ban-muslim-province-xinjiang-veils-province-extremism-crackdown-freedom-a7657826.html|title=China bans burqas and 'abnormal' beards in Muslim province|website=[[Independent.co.uk]]|date=30 March 2017}}</ref>

===Indigenous costumes===

Indigenous [[national costume]]s are often preferred for certain occasions, even among communities that also incorporate more widespread dress customs from the [[Western world|West]]. The [[barong tagalog]] for men and [[baro't saya]] for women are formal wear in the [[Philippines]].<ref name=Filipiniana>{{cite web|url=https://narrastudio.com/blogs/journal/the-evolution-of-modern-filipiniana#:~:text=The%20Filipiniana%20is%20a%20traditional,neck)%20draped%20over%20the%20shoulders.|title=THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN FILIPINIANA: A BRIEF HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE FASHION|work=Narra Studio|date=2025|access-date=January 20, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://philippinefolklifemuseum.org/|title=Piña Exhibit (drop-down box): Evolution of Philippine Costume|work=Philippine Folk Museum Foundation (United States) |date=2025|access-date=January 20, 2025}}</ref> Other examples include [[chut thai]] in [[Thailand]],<ref name="MOC">{{cite web|title=ชุดไทยพระราชนิยม (Chut Thai Phra ratcha niyom)|url=http://www.m-culture.go.th/detail_page.php?sub_id=960|work=Ministry of Culture website|publisher=Ministry of Culture|accessdate=10 June 2010|language=Thai|date=3 February 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127010447/http://www.m-culture.go.th/detail_page.php?sub_id=960|archivedate=27 January 2010}}</ref> [[kilt]]s in [[Scotland]],<ref>{{cite news| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/850061.stm | title = Kilts Dance to New Tune | work =[[BBC News]] | date = 25 July 2000 | access-date =10 June 2009}}</ref> and [[Kente cloth|kente]] in [[Ghana]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Asante Kente Cloth |url=https://new.artsmia.org/programs/teachers-and-students/teaching-the-arts/artwork-in-focus/asante-kente-cloth |website=artsmia.org |publisher=Minneapolis Institute of Art |access-date=August 13, 2025}}</ref> [[Bhutan|Bhutan's]] code of etiquette, [[driglam namzha]], specifies indigenous clothing that should be worn in public, both formally and informally; adherence to this code in certain settings has been legally mandated since 1989.<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitecross |first=Richard W. |date=March 23, 2017 |editor-last=Schmidt |editor-first=Johannes Dragsbæk |series=Contemporary South Asian Studies |title=Development Challenges in Bhutan: Perspectives on Inequality and Gross National Happiness |publisher=Springer |pages=115-134 |chapter=Law, "Tradition" and Legitimacy: Contesting Driglam Namzha |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-47925-5_7 |isbn=978-3-319-47924-8}}</ref>

==Private dress codes==
[[File:Black Tie-Regular LGE.jpg|thumb|upright|Black tie standard]]
Many places have their own private dress code; these organizations may insist on particular dress codes or standards in particular situations, such as for weddings, funerals, religious gatherings, etc.

=== Workplace ===
[[File:Chrystia Freeland with Rex Tillerson in Ottawa - 2017 (38457257634).jpg|thumb|[[Deputy Prime Minister of Canada|Canadian Deputy PM]] [[Chrystia Freeland]] with [[United States Secretary of State|U.S. Secretary of State]] [[Rex Tillerson]] in [[Western dress code]] at a meeting]]

Employees are sometimes required to wear a [[uniform]] or certain standards of dress, such as a business suit and tie. This may depend on particular situations, for example if they are expected to interact with customers. (See also [[International standard business attire]])

In Western countries, these policies vary depending on the industry. [[Lawyers]], [[bankers]], and [[Executive (management)|executives]] often wear a suit and tie, with black shoes and belt, while [[casual wear]] is more common in the [[technology industry]].<ref name="theatlantic-american-casual"/> Some businesses observe that anti-discrimination laws restricts their determining what is appropriate and inappropriate workplace clothing. Requiring men and women to dress differently at the workplace can be challenged because the gender-specific dress codes would be based on one sex and could be considered stereotypical.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/employeedressandappearance.aspx|website=Society for Human Resource Management|access-date=27 September 2017|title = Employee Dress and Appearance}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Most businesses have authority in determining and establishing what workplace clothes they can require of their workers. Generally, a carefully drafted dress code applied consistently does not violate anti-discrimination laws.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ppspublishers.com/biz/dresscode.htm |title = Dress Code Legal Issues|website =  Personnel Policy Services Inc|last = Thomas|first = Robin|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160314064207/http://www.ppspublishers.com/biz/dresscode.htm|archive-date = 14 March 2016}}</ref> So long as the dress code does not favor one gender over the other it is usually acceptable by law for employers to have a private dress code.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.employmentlawfirms.com/resources/employment/discrimination/illegal-workplace-policy.htm|title=Illegal Workplace Policies: Appearance, Dress Codes, and Grooming Policies|website=www.employmentlawfirms.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-17}}</ref>

In the United States, it is legal for employers to require women to wear makeup and ban men from wearing it. It has been argued that such a distinction in a dress code is not discriminatory because both sexes have rules about their appearance. An important court case that occurred in the U.S was the ''[[Jespersen v. Harrah's Operating Co.]]'', which allowed for a workplace to require that female employees wear makeup while their male counterparts were banned from doing so. Darlene Jespersen worked at [[Harrah's Entertainment|Harrah's Casino]] for more than 20 years and found that the makeup and dress code was not only unattainable but degrading.<ref name=":2">{{cite book|last1=Ainsworth|first1=Janet|url=|title=Law, Culture and Visual Studies|publisher=Dordrecht Springer|date=January 2014|isbn=978-90-481-9322-6|pages=241–260|chapter=What's Wrong with Pink Pearls and Cornrow Braids? Employee Dress Codes and the Semiotic Performance of Race and Gender in the Workplace}}</ref> Jespersen found that the 'Personal Best' policy was not true to her natural appearance as it required a full face of makeup including foundation, powder, blush, mascara, and lipstick.<ref name=":2" /> Jespersen stated that this policy "forced her to be ... 'dolled up' like a sexual object, and ... took away her credibility as an individual and as a person."<ref name=":2" /> In opposition men who worked at Harrah's Casino were banned from wearing makeup, nail polish, and other traditionally female attires.<ref name=":2" /> [[Alex Kozinski|Judge Kozinski]] argued that [[Hyperestrogenism|hyperfemininity]] was a burden that only women employees suffered. Kozinski stated that the time, effort and expense was more of a hindrance than just being banned from wearing makeup.<ref name=":2" /> However despite these efforts, in the ruling, it was decided that women did not have a larger burden in the requirements of the dress code but two judges disagreed and argued that makeup takes more time and money and that sex stereotyping occurred because women's bare faces were seen as less desirable.<ref name=":2" />

====New Jersey BorgataBabes case====

In [[New Jersey]], twenty-one women sued the [[Borgata|Borgata Casino Hotel & Spa]] for requiring them to lose weight and stay under a certain size to maintain their jobs. The women argued that the management would ridicule them over weight gain even if they were pregnant. The case was dismissed in New Jersey because the BorgataBabes program required that both men and women maintain certain body shapes and sizes. The "BorgataBabes&nbsp;contractually agreed to adhere to these strict personal appearance and conduct standards".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Schiavo v. Marina District Development Company, LLC, NJ: Appellate Div. 2015 - Google Scholar|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=4942181328196123281&q=borgata+babe&hl=en&as_sdt=20000006|access-date=2021-02-26|website=scholar.google.com}}</ref> In 2016, Superior Court Judge [[Nelson Johnson]] dismissed the claims because the appearance standards were lawful. He also determined that the women could return to court for their claims of a hostile environment created by the management.<ref>{{Cite web|last=NJ.com|first=Paige Gross {{!}} For|date=2019-05-20|title=The 'Borgata Babes' who sued the casino a decade ago will get their day in court. Rules about their weight were discriminatory, they say|url=https://www.nj.com/atlantic/2019/05/the-borgata-babes-who-sued-the-casino-a-decade-ago-claiming-discriminating-weight-rules-will-get-their-day-in-court.html|access-date=2021-02-26|website=nj|language=en}}</ref>

====''Doe v. Boeing Corporation'' (1993)====

Doe, a [[transgender]] person beginning [[Gender transitioning|gender transition]], found that her supervisors at the engineering company, [[Boeing|Boeing Corporation]], were uncooperative with her desire to wear feminine presenting clothing to work. She was warned against wearing, "obviously feminine clothing such as dresses, skirts, or frilly blouses" and from using the women's bathroom. This was even after her counselor recommended that wearing female presenting clothing would help with her transition. After a few warnings from her supervisors, Doe showed up to work wearing a pink pantsuit and was subsequently fired for violating the dress code. This prompted Doe to legal action. The [[Washington Supreme Court|Washington State Supreme Court]] ultimately upheld the decision made by Boeing and stated that the company had the right to determine what female identity looked like while at work.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="justia-doe-boeing">{{cite court|litigants=Jane Doe v. Boeing Company |vol=121 |reporter=Wn.2d |opinion=8 |court=Supreme Court of Washington, ''en banc'' |date=1993 |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/washington/supreme-court/1993/59117-2-1.html }}</ref>

====''Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. R.G. &. G.R Harris Funeral Homes, Inc.''====

[[Aimee Stephens]], a transgender woman, worked at the [[R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission|R.G. &. G.R Harris Funeral Homes]] and originally was dressing as a stereotypical male following the funeral home's male attire, but Stephens had intended to transition to female attire to better suit her [[gender identity]]. Thomas Rost, the owner of the funeral home, fired Stephens for not presenting herself as a man and for dressing like a woman.<ref name=":3">{{Citation|title=Eeoc v. Rg &. Gr Harris Funeral Homes, Inc.|date=October 4, 2017|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=11341739590762191378&q=r.g.+&+g.r.+harris+funeral+homes+v.+eeoc&hl=en&as_sdt=20000006&as_vis=1|volume=884|pages=560|access-date=February 25, 2021}}, Argued: October 4, 2017</ref> Stephens opened a case at the [[Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]], stating discrimination based on sex and gender but the district court sided with the funeral home&nbsp;stating, "that transgender status is not a protected trait under [[Civil Rights Act of 1964#Title_VII_–_equal_employment_opportunity|Title VII]]".<ref name=":3" /> In the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit|Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals]], it was ruled that Stephens was unlawfully fired based on [[Sexism|sex discrimination]], which does protect transgender people.<ref>{{Cite web|title=R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v EEOC & Aimee Stephens|url=https://www.aclu.org/cases/rg-gr-harris-funeral-homes-v-eeoc-aimee-stephens|access-date=2021-02-26|website=American Civil Liberties Union|language=en}}</ref> The [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] ruled in 2020 against firing someone for being homosexual or transgender, as being discrimination based on sex.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Higgins|first=Tucker|date=2020-06-15|title=Supreme Court rules workers can't be fired for being gay or transgender|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/15/supreme-court-rules-workers-cant-be-fired-for-being-gay-or-transgender.html|access-date=2021-02-26|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref>

====''The CROWN Act''====

The CROWN act, standing for "create a respectful and open world for natural hair" is a California law that prohibits discrimination in the school and workplace based on the style or texture of one's hair. The act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition in partnership with California's State Senator Holly J. Mitchel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecrownact.com/|title=The Official CROWN Act|website=The Official CROWN Act}}</ref> After a study conducted by Dove to reveal the degree of workplace discrimination towards black women, the data was used to spread awareness and elicit change for the act to be passed. CROWN continues to fight for this cause, with a recent work-study conducted in 2023 revealing that discrimination regarding hair texture still prevails. As of June 2023, 23 US states have enacted the CROWN act into law.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/inclusion-equity-diversity/crown-act-state-prohibit-hair-discrimination#:~:text=As%20of%20June%202023%2C%2023,including%20the%20U.S.%20Virgin%20Islands | title=CROWN Act: Does Your State Prohibit Hair Discrimination? }}</ref>

=== Formal wear ===
{{Main|Formal wear}}
In Western countries, a "formal" dress code typically means coats for men and [[Evening gown|evening dresses]] for women. The most-formal dress code is a full-length [[ball gown|ball]] or [[evening gown]]s with [[evening gloves]] for women and for men [[white tie]], which also includes a [[tailcoat]].

"Semi-formal" has a much less precise definition but typically means an evening jacket and tie for men (known as [[black tie]]) and a dress for women. A frilled or patterned white shirt is considered more formal than a plain white or black shirt, and a black [[bow tie]] is considered more formal than a plain black [[necktie|cravat]], but all could be considered appropriate, depending upon the gala or wedding, when white, black, and blue were the only acceptable colors for weddings and gala events in the 20th century.

Many classical music venues, such as [[La Scala]], in [[Milan]], [[Italy]], enforce a formal dress code: "no flip flops or tank tops allowed."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/arts/la-scala-opera-dress-code.html|work=New York Times|title=La Scala Warns Opera Lovers: No Flip Flops or Tank Tops Allowed|date=10 July 2025|access-date=11 July 2025}}</ref>

===Weddings===
Weddings across the world tend to be formal affairs. In Asian culture, women tend to wear red or similar dresses. In Europe and the Americas, the bride wears white silk, taffeta, lace, or other fancy-cloth dresses, while the [[bridesmaid]]s and mothers of the bride and groom often wear [[pastel]] colors of the bride's choice. The [[groom]], [[best man]], and other groomsmen in many countries usually wear the most formal [[morning coat]], tuxedo, or dinner jacket, depending upon the time of day. Even the [[flower girl]] or boy gets dressed up.

"Wedding Casual" defines yet another mode of dress, where guests dress respectfully, but not necessarily fancily. Weddings in the 21st century tend to attract more colorful clothing than traditionally in the past. Ethnically appropriate costumes, such as a [[kilt]], [[turban]], [[Barong tagalog]], [[sari]], or [[kinte cloth]] are also worn frequently.

=== Business casual ===
{{Main|Business casual}}
"Business casual" typically means not wearing [[necktie]]s or [[Suit (clothing)|suits]], but wearing instead collared shirts, and trousers (not black, but more ''relaxed'', including things such as [[corduroy]]).

''Business casual'' dress is a popular workplace dress code that emerged in [[white-collar worker|white-collar]] workplaces in [[Western world|Western countries]] in the 1990s, especially in the United States and Canada. Many [[information technology]] businesses in [[Silicon Valley]] were early adopters of this dress code. In contrast to formal business wear such as [[suit (clothing)|suit]]s and [[necktie]]s (the [[international standard business attire]]), the business casual dress code has no generally accepted definition; its interpretation differs widely among organizations and is often a cause of sartorial confusion among workers.

The [[job search engine]] [[Monster.com]] offers this definition, "In general, business casual means dressing professionally, looking relaxed, yet neat and pulled together." A more pragmatic definition is that business casual dress is the mid ground between formal business clothes and street clothes. Generally, neckties are excluded from business casual dress, unless worn in nontraditional ways. The acceptability of blue [[jeans]] and denim cloth clothing varies — some businesses consider them to be sloppy and informal.

===Casual===
"Casual" typically just means clothing for the torso, legs and shoes.

===Vestments===

{{main|Vestment}}

In certain Christian and other religions, [[Vestment]]s are worn by clergy, [[cantor]]s, and [[acolyte]]s. In denominations that follow a set liturgical cycle, that dress might vary by season or occasion; for example, for a funeral, the bishop may dictate that clergy to wear black garb with white stoles.

===Unwritten rules===

Because dress codes are frequently unwritten and unspoken, some [[Neurodivergence|neurodivergent people]] have difficulty understanding, finding, shopping for, and dressing appropriately to the codes of special events.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

==Education system ==
{{Overly detailed|section|date=September 2019}}
Many schools around the world implement dress codes in the school system to prevent students from wearing inappropriate clothing items to school and was thought to help influence a safer and more professional environment.

=== United States education ===
In 1996, former U.S. President [[Bill Clinton]] announced his support for the idea of [[school uniform]]s by stating, "School uniforms are one step that may help break the cycle of violence, truancy and disorder by helping young students understand what really counts is what kind of people they are." Many [[school district]]s in the United States took up the idea.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bowen|first=Sherry|title=Should Kids Wear School Uniforms?|url=http://www.eduguide.org/article/should-kids-wear-school-uniforms|publisher=EduGuide|access-date=September 22, 2013}}</ref> In all, 70 schools--comprising around 60,000 students--switched to school uniforms.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal|last1=Firmin|first1=Michael|last2=Smith|first2=Suzanne|last3=Perry|first3=Lynsey|date=2006|title=School Uniforms: A Qualitative Analysis of Aims and Accomplishments at Two Christian Schools|id={{ProQuest|594820094}}|
journal=Journal of Research on Christian Education|volume= 15|issue= 2|pages= 143–168
|doi=10.1080/10656210609485000|s2cid=144932641}}</ref>

School uniforms have been used with several schools to teach students how to dress appropriately, and in cases it has worked, and has decreased distractions in the educational systems.<ref name=":8" /> School uniforms also have several other purposes: they are used to create [[conformity]] to [[social norms]], increase [[school spirit]], reduce peer [[bullying]], and prevent discrimination based upon [[socioeconomic class]].

One common criticism of school dress codes in the U.S. is that they infringe on students' right to self-expression. There have been many court cases regarding school dress code, the first being ''[[Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District]]'', which involved students wearing black [[armband]]s to protest the Vietnam war.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://education.findlaw.com/student-rights/school-dress-codes.html|title=School Dress Codes - FindLaw|work=Findlaw|access-date=2017-12-08}}</ref>

Within the educational system, the Federation supports professional dress code standards for all teachers.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=Hills|first=Surry|date=April 7, 2014|title=Response to dress code|id={{ProQuest|1519605424}}|
journal=Education|volume= 95|issue= 3|page=8
}}</ref>

====Dress code violations====
"Communicative" dress code violations are violations where the clothing has implications of hate, violence, gang-affiliation, etc.<ref name="Herbon, Beth 2000">Herbon, Beth, and Jane E. Workman. "Dress and Appearance Codes in Public Secondary School Handbooks." Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences 92.5 (2000): 68-76.</ref> In cases where dress code rules in public school systems have been violated by non-communicative clothing, courts repeatedly legitimise dress code discrimination based on [[gender]].<ref name="Smith, Natalie 2012">Smith, Natalie. "Eliminating Gender Stereotypes in Public School Dress Codes: The Necessity of Respecting Personal Preference." ''Journal of Law & Education''; 41.1 (2012): 251-60.</ref> Amongst the [[transgender]] populations, gender based dress codes are primarily enforced against individuals who do not yet [[Passing (gender)|pass]].<ref name="Smith, Natalie 2012" />

Violation of dress codes have become a subject of school protests, such as at a high school in Toronto, which had a protest after a student was disciplined for wearing a crop top.<ref>{{cite web | last=Casey | first=Liam | title=Toronto students sport crop tops in protest of dress code | website=CTVNews | date=May 26, 2015 | url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/toronto-students-sport-crop-tops-in-protest-of-dress-code/ | access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref> Students at multiple schools have protested gender discrimination in the application of dress codes.<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Emma | title=Meet the Teenage Girls Who Are Taking a Stand Against Slut-Shaming Dress Codes | website=Mic | date=September 1, 2015 | url=https://www.mic.com/articles/126179/meet-the-teenage-girls-who-are-taking-a-stand-against-slut-shaming-dress-codes | access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref>

==== Dress code backlash ====
Certain dress code restrictions in schools across North America have been accused of perpetuating sexist standards. In March 2014, a group of middle-school girls from Evanston, Illinois, protested their school's dress code, which prohibited them from wearing leggings to school under the pretense that it was "too distracting for boys." Thirteen-year-old student Sophie Hasty was quoted in the ''Evanston Review'' saying that "not being able to wear leggings because it's 'too distracting for boys' is giving us the impression we should be guilty for what guys do." In a ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine article covering the incident, Eliana Dockterman argued that teachers and administration in these schools are "walking the fine line between enforcing a dress code and slut shaming."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/36997/when-enforcing-school-dress-codes-turns-into-slut-shaming/|title=When Enforcing School Dress Codes Turns Into Slut Shaming|last=Dockterman|first=Eliana|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=2015-11-16}}</ref>

School dress codes seem to also be gender-biased towards young girls. The research article, "Objectification Study on High School Girls" conducted interviews with middle school girls, one of them describing, "If they're [boys] wearing a sleeveless basketball jersey, it doesn't fully cover their shoulders. They don't usually get called out for that. Guys are not the ones that they're looking out for. So they dress code girls, so guys don't get distracted. But they don't think that girls are going to get distracted by guys' shoulders.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lim |first1=Heejin |last2=Lennon |first2=Sharron |last3=Jones |first3=Domenique |date=2021-11-17 |title=Objectification Found in High School Girls' Experience With Dress Code Enforcement |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0887302X211058434 |journal=Clothing and Textiles Research Journal |volume=42 |issue=2 |language=en |pages=103–120 |doi=10.1177/0887302X211058434 |s2cid=244394673 |issn=0887-302X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>" 

On Monday, September 22, 2014, "about 100 pupils walked out of Bingham high school in South Jordan, Utah"<ref name="Carroll">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/24/us-high-schools-dress-codes-protest-sexism-hemline|title=Students protest 'slut shaming' high school dress codes with mass walkouts|last1=Carroll|first1=Rory|website=The Guardian|date=24 September 2014 |access-date=8 December 2014}}</ref> after more than a dozen girls were turned away from a [[homecoming dance]] for wearing dresses which violated the dress code.<ref name="Carroll" /> "School staff allegedly lined up girls against a wall as they arrived and banished about two dozen for having dresses which purportedly showed too much skin and violated the rules." It is believed that this act was awkward and humiliating towards the female students, which spawned the walkouts.<ref name="Carroll" />

In August 2021, one student's mother criticized her daughter's school for continuing to enforce clothing restrictions on girls while allowing students to opt out of mask-wearing during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Louise |title=Mom praised for calling out double standard of schools not enforcing masks but 'misogynistic' dress code |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/schools-masks-clothing-mother-girls-coronavirus-b1902378.html |work=The Independent |date=13 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=West |first1=Phil |title=Mom calls out school's double standard in letting masks be optional but making girls adhere to 'misogynistic' dress code |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/mom-hamilton-county-schools-board-letter-masks-dress-code/ |work=The Daily Dot |date=13 August 2021}}</ref>

There have been several issues with dress code backlash happening to several students, such as a 15-year-old girl who attended Edmonton High school, she was banned from attending her school due to dying her hair blue, this resulted in the girl suing her principal for discrimination.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Pomertanz|first=Shauna|date=2007|title=Cleavage in a Tank Top: Bodily Prohibition and the Discourses of School Dress Codes|id={{ProQuest|228639180}} |journal= Alberta Journal of Educational Research|volume= 53|issue= 4|pages= 373–386}}</ref> In another case, a 16-year-old girl was sent home because she refused to take her eyebrow ring out.<ref name=":7" />

=== Canadian education ===

==== Dress code backlash ====
A Canadian teenager, Lauren Wiggins, was given detention in May 2015 for wearing a floor-length dress with a halter neckline. The punishment prompted Wiggins to write an open letter to the school's assistant vice principal at Harrison Trimble High School in Moncton, New Brunswick. In the letter, Wiggins concentrated specifically on the fact that females are often blamed for the behaviour of males, saying that if a boy "will get distracted by my upper back and shoulders then he needs to be sent home and practice self-control." She was then given a one-day suspension after writing and submitting the letter.<ref name=":7" />

In Ontario, Canada, there were a few backlash incidents that occurred which consisted of girls being sent home due to wearing shorts that were too short.<ref name=":7" /> The other case happened in British Columbia where students were directed to wear clothes that were in good taste, and clothing that displayed a business look.<ref name=":7" /> In another case in British Columbia, a young woman was sent home from her high school, because her principal stated that her shirt was inappropriate due to the show of too much cleavage.<ref name=":7" /> These are a few of the many cases that have resulted in a backlash against dress codes.

===Academic dress===
{{main|Academic dress}}
{{see also|Burgon Society|Groves classification system}}
[[File:King's College London academic dress designed by Vivienne Westwood.jpg|thumb|[[Academic dress of King's College London]] in different colours, designed and presented by fashion designer [[Vivienne Westwood]]]]

Academic dress is a traditional form of [[clothing]] for [[academia|academic]] settings, mainly [[tertiary education|tertiary]] (and sometimes [[secondary schools|secondary]]) education, worn mainly by those who have obtained a [[university degree]], or hold a status that entitles them to assume them (e.g., undergraduate students at certain old universities).<ref>[[George Shaw (academic dress scholar)|Shaw, George W.]] (1995), ''Academical Dress of British and Irish Universities''. Chichlester: Philmore & Co. Ltd. {{ISBN|0-85033-974-X}} p. 3.</ref> It is also known as academical dress,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reocities.com/noelcox/Introduction.htm|title=Cox, N. (2000). Academical dress in New Zealand.|access-date=12 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114024604/http://www.reocities.com/noelcox/Introduction.htm|archive-date=14 November 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> or academic regalia.

===Académie Française===
The [[Académie Française]] has a distinctive and expensive set of formal wear or uniform required for its members ''les immortels'', known as {{lang|fr|l'habit vert}}, or green clothing.<ref name=uniform>{{cite news
| publisher = {{Lang|fr|Académie Française|italic=no}} official website
| url = http://www.academie-francaise.fr/les-immortels/lhabit-vert-et-lepee
| title = L'habit vert et l'épée 
| access-date = 2025-09-27
}}</ref><ref name=Academy />
[[File:At the French Academy of Sciences.jpg|thumb|[[Bernard Dujon]] and his colleague [[Eric Westhof]], wearing the "Habit vert" of the {{Lang|fr|Institut de France|italic=no}}]]

==Expense and access==
One of the most significant criticisms about dress codes is the expense to purchase particular items. An academic gown, tuxedo, or prom dress can cost $1,000, while [[bespoke]] ''l'habit vert'' can cost $20,000.<ref name=Academy>{{cite periodical|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/09/academie-francaise-members-france|work=Vanity Fair|title=Meet the Cultural Illuminati Guarding France’s Most Sacrosanct Asset: The French Language; The sanctity—and relevance—of the French language lies in the hands of the intrepid members of the Académie Française, a centuries-old cloak-and-dagger society working to preserve France’s mother tongue.|first=James|last=Reginato|date=September 12, 2018|access-date=September 27, 2025}}</ref>

The criticism of costliness can be pushed back by some ways that the expense is alleviated. First, the cost of buying and maintaining school uniforms is often much lower than buying multiple, fashionable brand-name outfits. Secondly, [[thrift store]]s often sell lightly used clothes such as suits, dresses, and ties, for a fraction of the cost and with the knowledge that the customer is both helping the charity (such as a church, [[Goodwill Industries]], or [[Housing Works]]) that sells the items, and the environment, by not buying [[fast fashion]]. Thirdly, a few items can be mixed and matched with [[khakis]] and a Navy [[blazer]]:
{{quote|I find that if I wear a chino with one of three shirts – a white [[Oxford shirt|oxford]], a blue [[chambray]], or a dark rinse denim – that carries me through so many looks.|James E. Mulholland, designer
<ref>''A Life in Style: The Wardrobe of James E. Mulholland'', p. 5, Kent State University.</ref>}}

Finally, some people will host a fundraiser, for example, to purchase ''l'habit vert''.<ref name=Academy />

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Clothing laws by country]]
* [[Clothing sizes]]
* [[Cosmetics policy]]
* [[Costume]]
* [[Double empathy problem]]
* [[Full dress]]
* [[Dress clothes]]
* [[Haute couture]]
* [[Hemline]]
* [[High heel policy]]
* [[History of fashion design]]
* [[Income segregation]]
* [[Indian wedding clothes]]
* [[Nonverbal communication]]
* [[School uniform]]
* [[Semiotics]]
* [[Smart casual]]
* [[Social norm]]
* [[Social role of hair]]
* [[Subculture]]
* [[Sumptuary law]]
* [[Uniform]]
* [[Uniform fetishism]]
* [[Unwritten rules]]
* [[Vanity sizing]]
* [[Western dress code]]
* [[Workwear]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
* Pratt, Michael G., and Anat Rafaeli. "Organizational Dress as a Symbol of Multilayered Social Identities." Academy of Management Journal, vol. 40, no. 4, 1997, pp. 862-898. {{ProQuest|199840879}}.
* Hand, Douglas. "The Laws of Style." Isbn: 9781634258968. (Ankerwycke 2018).

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category}}
*{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060523041346/http://www.beachesfoundation.org/PDF_articles/BB09/AmericansDie.pdf|date=May 23, 2006|title=Majority of Americans Would Rather Die Than Take Their Clothes Off}} (Beach Buzz)

{{Fashion}}
{{Historical clothing}}
{{Clothing}}
{{Meals_navbox}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Dress codes| ]]