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Guy Talk: The Black Tie Dress Code

DearSugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:30:00 -0700

When it comes to choosing an outfit for an invitation event, men and women alike have questions about what's appropriate and acceptable. I just received an e-mail asking if a light- colored suit would be acceptable for a man to wear at a black tie event, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to run through the basic rules of thumb.

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Deciphering dress codes requires a little bit of knowledge, and certain occasions have strict rules that are best and most comfortable to follow. When the invitation specifies a form of dress, this is both a courtesy and a guide for the tenor of the event. If an invitation specifically calls for black tie, men are expected to wear a tuxedo.

Men don't get as many opportunities as women to express themselves through their formal attire. That said, a tuxedo is a lovely and classic look! If you feel the need to mix things up a bit, opt to wear a long tie instead of the classic bow tie. You can spice up the simple black and white look with a colored or patterned bow tie, vest or cummerbund. But please, fellas, pick only one piece for your bold or patterned accent! Depending on the event, sometimes a tux can we worn without a tie altogether, and that's a look I kinda dig.

Another safe way to show some style is through your cuff links. Cuff links make a nice, subtle personal statement; they're a safe way for men to accessorize and add some flair to the outfit. Most of all, fellas, don't forget to enjoy yourself!

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Open House: How Do You Dress Your Thanksgiving Table?

CasaSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:30:04 -0800

When it comes to the Thanksgiving table, how you dress it is often as important to the hostess as what food sits upon it. Over the years, I've seen family members fuss over table settings, switching out placemats, rethinking china sets, and shifting floral arrangements.

I admit that I'm known to fuss over my Thanksgiving table as well. The first year that my hubby and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family, I stayed up late into the night sewing a dozen napkins, pressing tablecloths, and arranging flowers. In the end though, it was all worth it. Not only did the food turn out wonderfully, but the table looked spectacular as well. Plus, as far as I'm concerned, deciding on color schemes and flower arrangements is all part of the fun.

So tell me, how do you dress your Thanksgiving table? Do you keep things casual? Is your feast a buffet-style affair? Or do you get formal with placecards and calligraphied names? Tell me all about it in the comments!

Source: Flickr User thedabble

Color Theory: Mix Pink and Red

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

When you're talking fashion, there are a lot of rules about color. No white after Labor Day. Black and brown clash. A lot of these rules have fallen by the wayside now that people dress a bit more bohemian, but for interior design, they've never really applied. You can be more liberal with the colors in your home. There's no doubt about it that red and pink clash, but if you mix them purposefully, it works!

I love the color pairing of these photos from stylist Olga Naiman. The solid red corner headboard and solid magenta bedspread on the left were very clearly designed to be used together, and it looks chic in a bold way. On the right, patterned and textured pinks and reds were mixed in a very playful manner. Since it's a low, lounge-y space, there's no need for those formal rules to apply. You'll see in both images that neutral colors were used on the walls and furniture; this tames the palette a bit. Mixing these colors also gives them a new association. On their own, pink is girly, while red is seductive. Together, they are lighthearted and fun. Try this at home!

Ten Maxi Gowns for a Formal Wedding

FabSugarUK — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:42 -0700

I love any excuse to dress up, but preparing myself for a formal event is one of my favourites. These kind of events don't come along every day (unless you're a celebrity), so make the most of them in a long flowing, maxi dress.

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Ten Strapless Dresses for a Semi-Formal Wedding

FabSugarUK — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:30:10 -0700

Wedding season continues today with recommendations for what to wear to a semi-formal affair. This includes plenty of cocktail dresses to see you from the daytime event to the party. Preparing for this should be enjoyable, and you can end up feeling like you're starring on the red carpet!

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All-Male Morehouse College Bans Cross-Dressing

TresSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

It appears that folks in Georgia aren't too fond of cross-dressers. We told you about a teen in Kennesaw who quit high school rather than stop cross-dressing, and now Martin Luther King, Jr.'s alma mater Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA has instituted a no dress-wearing clause to its larger dress code policy.

The "Appropriate Attire Policy," which already bans casual attire like do-rags and sagging pants, has now added dresses to the list of casual clothes its male students cannot wear. But the last time I checked, a dress isn't "casual" attire; a dress could actually be considered formal attire. So what's really going on here? If you want to weigh in, read more

This rule was implemented because of five men on campus who are cross-dressing, according to Dr. William Bynum, Morehouse's vice president for Student Services. "We are talking about five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men," he said. Even the campus' gay organization, Morehouse Safe Space, was OK with the ban, voting 24 - 3 in favor of it before it was instituted.

Do you think that a gay man wearing a dress is on par with a barefoot, saggy-pants wearing man in a do-rag, or is this institutionalized homophobia in action?

Love it or Hate it: Samantha Jones' '80s Look

FabSugarUK — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:00:18 -0700

Filming for the Sex and the City 2 movie continued yesterday as the girls dressed up in classic '80s attire. Carrie had a funky Madonna vibe, Miranda was formal, Charlotte was very preppy whilst Samantha went for full-on bad taste! I love the clashing prints of Samantha's ensemble complete with red buckle boots (very similar to a Chloe pair from Autumn 2009). Although I wouldn't actually go out like this, Patricia Field has definitely nailed what we all imagined Samantha to be like 20 years ago! What do you think of her '80s look?

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Teen Choice Awards: Ashley Greene

BellaSugar — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:37:10 -0700

Robert Pattinson may get the screams on the red carpet, but Ashley Greene gets my applause for always looking polished, pretty, and - perhaps I'm projecting - down-to-earth at events. Here, she looks simply elegant, with a fuss-free style that would work as well with jeans and a tee as it does with a formal dress. Are you loving this look, too?

Vote on all of my Teen Choice Awards polls here!

Brad and Diane Take Inglourious Basterds To Berlin

PopSugarUK — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:25:58 -0700

Brad Pitt and Diane Kruger accompanied their Inglourious Basterds director Quentin Tarantino to promotional events for the movie in Berlin yesterday. Starting off with a photocall - where Diane wore a gorgeous yellow dress - the three went on to the more formal premiere and the afterparty where Diane used a fan to cool down and Brad enjoyed a cold beer! Brad, who missed the London premiere, talked about how he got involved with the movie, saying:

"Quentin came to visit some time at the end of the summer, we talked about back story, we talked about movies. I get up the next morning and see five empty bottles of wine right on the floor. Five. And something that resembled a smoking apparatus - I don't know what that was about - and apparently I had agreed to do this film."

Still, I'm sure he's not regretting it! The movie is out in the UK on August 21, will you be going to see it?

To see more photos of Brad and Diane promoting and then partying, just read more.

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Must-Read: BBQ Bash

partysugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:00:59 -0700

Last year I received a copy of BBQ Bash: The Be-All, End-All Party Guide, from Barefoot to Black Tie ($16.95) by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig. I quickly flipped through the pages, but since it was October, I stored it on the book shelf.

Then two weeks ago I was sitting on my couch, looked up, and swore BBQ Bash jumped out at me. I scooped it up and started reading. To find out why I couldn't put this book down - even on the bus - read more.

Pros:

It's written by two females, the BBQ Queens, so instead of taking a stereotypical manly point of view, the tone offers a refreshing anyone-can-do-it attitude.
Filled with hundreds of mouthwatering recipes, helpful tips, party plans, interesting lists (example: 15 different flavored butters), general information on grilling, smoking, and barbecuing.
To the authors, barbecue is a 24/seven, 365-day-a-year thing - meaning there is something for everyone.
The party plans are festive and fun. They include such themes as A Black-Tie Barbecue, Home For the Holidays Barbecue, and A Cozy Dinner a Deux.
There're plenty of cocktail recipes, too.

Cons:

Lack of photos. There's a small color photo spread in the center of the book that features 14 images. Other than that, the book is photo-free.
Some of the recipes call for specialty ingredients like artisanal prosciutto, peppadews, and tarragon vinegar.
Other recipes are uncreative and rely on store-made products. A salmon recipe is little more than salmon fillets marinated in Italian dressing and Seafood Magic rub.
There's no index or list of the drink recipes making them hard to find.

Recipes: Each recipe is followed up with helpful pointers: to "deck it out" (make the dish seem more formal), to "take it easy" (simplify the recipe), to "change it up" (meat, herb, and cheese substitutions), and to "raise a glass" (alcoholic beverage pairing suggestions). Here are some that caught my eye:

Rioja-style grilled pork tenderloin tapas
Limoncello spritzers
Big Easy grilled beef tenderloin, Zinfandel-glazed baby back ribs with a kiss of smoke
Blue cheese coleslaw
Grilled Winter-greens with warm cranberry port-vinaigrette
Grilled chocolate crostini
Dulce de leche sauce

Imagery: As mentioned above, there are only 14 color photos. The rest of the book is filled with curvy illustrations.

Overall: If you do a lot of outdoor entertaining and don't mind a cookbook without images, this book is perfect for you!

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