"No Ties, No Jeans" notation on invitation

[gellchom]

Lowspark, I think you make a good point about it being one thing for a b'nei mitzvah party, another for a wedding.

Point of information for those who may be confused: this isn't a kids' party.  It's a party for all the relatives and for the family's friends.  Typically, here, the child has a few friends in addition to those who are there anyway with their parents, and sometimes they do invite many kids.  But not as frequently if it is a dinner dance at a hotel.

[Venus193]

When my college buddy's kids had communion and confirmation, the dress code was "yacht club" or "country club", meaning white shirts, blue blazers, and khaki pants.  Ties were optional.  That's how I interpret the invitation's description.  Can we make that an official designation?

[Yvaine]

When my college buddy's kids had communion and confirmation, the dress code was "yacht club" or "country club", meaning white shirts, blue blazers, and khaki pants.  Ties were optional.  That's how I interpret the invitation's description.  Can we make that an official designation?

It would probably take a while to work its way into the general parlance, I think. There are many, many of us who have never set foot in a yacht club or country club, whereas at least most of us have been to a formal or casual event. It feels cliquish, a bit.

[Hmmmmm]

When my college buddy's kids had communion and confirmation, the dress code was "yacht club" or "country club", meaning white shirts, blue blazers, and khaki pants.  Ties were optional.  That's how I interpret the invitation's description.  Can we make that an official designation?

I dislike both terms as they seem a little elitist, unless your inviting people who are members of yacht and country clubs.

[Venus193]

It's not difficult to decode what it means in the Internet Age....

[CaptainObvious]

When my college buddy's kids had communion and confirmation, the dress code was "yacht club" or "country club", meaning white shirts, blue blazers, and khaki pants.  Ties were optional.  That's how I interpret the invitation's description.  Can we make that an official designation?

It would probably take a while to work its way into the general parlance, I think. There are many, many of us who have never set foot in a yacht club or country club, whereas at least most of us have been to a formal or casual event. It feels cliquish, a bit.

I agree, and different clubs have completely different rules.

[Tabby Uprising]

When my college buddy's kids had communion and confirmation, the dress code was "yacht club" or "country club", meaning white shirts, blue blazers, and khaki pants.  Ties were optional.  That's how I interpret the invitation's description.  Can we make that an official designation?

I dislike both terms as they seem a little elitist, unless your inviting people who are members of yacht and country clubs.

If I saw "yacht club" listed for the dress code, I would immediately think of Caddyshack 

[Yvaine]

It's not difficult to decode what it means in the Internet Age....

The first thing I did was google it and find, as Captain Obvious says, a whole host of clubs with varying degrees of formality.

ETA: Before someone says "well, google the one the party's at," of course I would look up the dress code for a specific club if an event was being held there. I'm talking about people saying "yacht club dress code" for their party at some other random place and expecting everyone to magically know what yacht club they're imagining.

[Hmmmmm]

It's not difficult to decode what it means in the Internet Age....

I'm not saying the terms are hard to understand, I just don't think the image they portray are always appropriate.  And actually, just "CountryClub" is too generic.  Our club has a formal, informal, and casual dress codes.  So you'd need to at least specify which of the 3 levels.  And you also need to know which venue is being used.  Casual in the clubhouse dining room after 6pm means  a jacket is required, but if under a tent on the lawn, men should be in a collard shirt, pants, or Bermuda shorts that are no more than 3 inches above the knee.  Denim is not allowed at the club at any time except for the annual "Go Texan Event" or if a group is having a gala with a western theme.  And I'm sure other country clubs have very different rules.

[CaptainObvious]

It's not difficult to decode what it means in the Internet Age....

I'm not saying the terms are hard to understand, I just don't think the image they portray are always appropriate.  And actually, just "CountryClub" is too generic.  Our club has a formal, informal, and casual dress codes.  So you'd need to at least specify which of the 3 levels.  And you also need to know which venue is being used.  Casual in the clubhouse dining room after 6pm means  a jacket is required, but if under a tent on the lawn, men should be in a collard shirt, pants, or Bermuda shorts that are no more than 3 inches above the knee.  Denim is not allowed at the club at any time except for the annual "Go Texan Event" or if a group is having a gala with a western theme.  And I'm sure other country clubs have very different rules.

I agree, and I think the Host was trying to offer an explanation that didn't need to be Googled, or given a whole lot of thought. It was simple, and gave the info needed.

[audrey1962]

"No Ties, No Jeans" doesn't bother me in the least. It's communicating in a way the intended audience*  understands. I doubt many tweens/teens know what "business casual" or "yacht club" attire means.

*I'm assuming the guests are not adults.

[Tabby Uprising]

"No Ties, No Jeans" doesn't bother me in the least. It's communicating in a way the intended audience*  understands. I doubt many tweens/teens know what "business casual" or "yacht club" attire means.

*I'm assuming the guests are not adults.

I agree.  And I would personally assume a tie would be acceptable for "business casual", but I'd be wrong in this case. 

[CaptainObvious]

"No Ties, No Jeans" doesn't bother me in the least. It's communicating in a way the intended audience*  understands. I doubt many tweens/teens know what "business casual" or "yacht club" attire means.

*I'm assuming the guests are not adults.

I agree.  And I would personally assume a tie would be acceptable for "business casual", but I'd be wrong in this case.

I think the host added that to save the trouble of having to go out and buy a tie. Most kids don't own ties or suits, and I think this was a very nice gesture. I'm sure the Parents know what an expense it can be.

[MariaE]

"No Ties, No Jeans" doesn't bother me in the least. It's communicating in a way the intended audience*  understands. I doubt many tweens/teens know what "business casual" or "yacht club" attire means.

*I'm assuming the guests are not adults.

I agree.  And I would personally assume a tie would be acceptable for "business casual", but I'd be wrong in this case.

So would I.

[mlogica]

My first reaction to the "no ties, no jeans" dress code was:  what a great idea!  After reading through this thread, I still think it's a great idea that works well to communicate a specific level of formality.  As others have said, I would not interpret "no ties" to mean:  "Absolutely do not wear a tie".  Rather I would read it as "ties not required".  If some people are more comfortable in a tie, they would probably wear a more casual one to an event like this.  And not look out of place or overdressed.

For research purposes, when I was out for a run this morning with a friend, I asked her opinion.  FWIW, we are both in our mid-50's and work full-time in professional positions.  She in particular attends a large number of events that are connected with her job.  Her reaction was, "Perfect!  Just four words to convey the level of formality they're looking for!"

IMHO, using any qualifier on the word "casual" will still result in a certain number of people wearing jeans.  And I think if the hosts don't want jeans in any way, shape or form, they have to specify exactly that.  Note that I'm not expressing an opinion on the appropriateness of jeans for any event, or whether the hosts should make this distinction, etc.  Just stating that because jeans of all levels of style/formality are ubiquitous in today's society, only a direct "no jeans" request will convey that they are not preferred attire.