page_title: Western dress codes
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Western dress codes / History
caption_attribution_description: English: A plate from Fashion, showing the acceptable dress at that time in America.
context_page_description: Western dress codes are dress codes in Western culture about what clothes are worn for what occasion. Classifications are traditionally divided into formal wear, semi-formal wear, and informal wear. The first two sometimes in turn divided into day and evening wear. Anything below this level is referred to as casual wear, although sometimes in combinations such as "smart casual" or "business casual" in order to indicate higher expectation than none at all.
  Formal i.e. white tie, semi-formal i.e. black tie, and informal i.e. suit, all have roots in 19th century customs subsequent to the replacement of the 18th century generic justaucorps, and has remained essentially fixed defined since the 20th century, despite decline following the counterculture of the 1960s. The 19th century frock coat rarely occurs except as formal alternative. For women, interpretations have fluctuated more dynamically according to fashion. For both men and women, hats corresponding to the various levels of formality declined following the counterculture of the 1960s.
  Dress codes are typically explicitly instructed, but may also be expected by peer pressure of sensitivity.
context_section_description: The background of traditional contemporary Western dress codes as fixed in 20th century relied on several steps of replacement of preexisting formal wear, while in turn increasing the formality levels of the previously less formal alternatives. Thus was the case with the ceasing of the justacorps, extensively worn from the 1660s until the 1790s, followed by the same fate of the 18th century frock (not to be confused with frock coat), in turn followed by the frock coat.
caption: A historic chart of dress codes from Fashion, 1902
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