JSLALALAND

CITY & ITS PEOPLE

The LA dress code translator

In LA, when an invite says 'casual,' that's the one you can least wing. From the most formal, white tie, to the hardest, 'LA casual': each dress code with how LA really does it and what not to wear. Check this the second the invite lands.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. First, the formality ranking

    From top to bottom: White tie → Black tie → Black tie optional / Formal → Cocktail → Semi-formal / Dressy casual → Business / Smart casual → Casual / "LA casual."

  2. No.01｜White tie

    The most formal and very rare, like a state dinner or a special charity gala. Women wear floor-length gowns, and gloves aren't weird; men wear tailcoats and white bow ties. If you see this, go all out.

  3. No.02｜Black tie

    Formal evening events, common for weddings and awards-season galas. Women wear floor-length gowns or very formal cocktail dresses, men wear a tuxedo with a black bow tie; skip short dresses and daytime-looking florals.

  4. No.03｜Black tie optional／Formal

    You can go full black tie, but you don't have to: a gown, or a high-quality knee-length dress or formal suit. When in doubt, dress up; at LA weddings, overdressing is rarely a mistake.

  5. No.04｜Cocktail attire

    The most common for LA weddings and parties: knee-length or midi dresses, a great suit or jumpsuit, and men can skip the tie with a suit. No floor-length gowns, and no jeans: pretty, but not the red carpet.

  6. No.05｜Semi-formal／Dressy casual

    More relaxed than cocktail, but you still need to 'look like you tried': a nice dress, or a good-quality top with wide-leg pants; men can do a blazer with trousers, no full suit needed.

  7. No.06｜Business casual

    Work clothes, minus the suit: a button-down, a sweater, trousers or a knee-length skirt. The LA version is even more relaxed; a good-quality sweater with straight-leg jeans counts at a lot of companies.

  8. No.07｜Smart casual

    Casual, but you can tell you made an effort: a nice top, straight-leg jeans, a blazer, loafers. This is the most common level for dinner in LA.

  9. No.08｜Casual

    Casual doesn't mean sloppy: a white tee, jeans, sneakers, a jacket. Skip anything really old, really wrinkled or with holes (not the designer kind).

  10. No.09 | 'LA casual' (the hardest one)

    Looks super casual, but every piece was chosen: a matching activewear or linen set, clean sneakers, sunglasses, a good bag. When friends say dress casual, show up in your best-looking 'casual.'

  11. Special occasions | Weddings

    Don't wear white unless the couple says it's OK; skip stilettos on outdoor lawns; beach formal is a flowy maxi dress with sandals, and a linen suit for men; evening weddings are more formal than daytime ones.

  12. Special occasions | Theme parties

    "Festive" means sequins, red and velvet are all fair game; "All white / All black" really means head-to-toe; Angelenos take theme parties seriously, so don't just show up in a hat.

  13. Special occasions | LA only

    Always bring a light jacket to the Hollywood Bowl, it gets cold at night; for dinner in Malibu, wear linen and sandals plus a knit; rooftops are windy, so avoid very short skirts; for a sound bath, wear loose clothes you can lie down in.

  14. When you're not sure

    Just ask the host "What's the vibe?"; that's totally normal in LA. Evening, indoors, a nice restaurant: dress up; better slightly overdressed than underdressed; bring a jacket you can put on or take off.

  15. Two-city mirror

    Taiwanese wedding invitations rarely include a dress code; you just dress 'sincerely.' LA spells it out clearly, and then everyone asks, "What does cocktail mean?" A dress code is the host telling you the vibe they want.

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).