So you’ve reached a point in the relationship where you’re finally going to meet your girlfriend’s parents over a nice formal dinner. Did you hear correctly? “Nice formal?” you say to yourself. All this time you had taken your girlfriend to your local pub or a bistro, it was always a casual affair – now “nice-formal”?!
You have rehearsed all the foreseeable questions that you may encounter that evening, but you look in your wardrobe and notice nothing formal. You panic and are faced with a dilemma, what should I wear?
In this short article I will try to guide you through the shirt and jacket styles that will surely help you dress to impress the parents!
The dinner shirt
Generally a crisp white or black shirt is sufficient; however you may want to adventure with a baby pink base. In terms of the texture I personally recommend you go for an oxford weave. Oxford is one of the most popular cotton fabrics used in the shirting world today. The Oxford weave resembles a subtle basket-weave pattern and have a lustrous finish. Variations on the traditional Oxford include the Pinpoint Oxford, Royal Oxford and French Oxford, all with fine white yarns introduced into the weave to add contrast.
The casual jacket
After the shirt comes the all-important jacket. This is where you will definitely make your mark. I would recommend a 100% cashmere wool single buttoned jacket with a peaked lapel. A nice Slim fit jacket with slant pockets, double vented at the back would be suitable styling. If you prefer something different, please see our Catalogue for styling variations.
In terms of material – usually dinner jackets are black, but a dark grey / charcoal coloured jacket can also be accommodated here. Best to go with a solid colour as opposed to pin stripe or any other pattern – best to remain conservative when you’re unsure of the parent’s taste.
The attitude
The clichéd term is to “think positive”. Positive thinking is assisted if you are dressed well, and nicely tailored clothing will automatically boost your confidence!
I hope the post above gives all males faced with the task of meeting the parents a nice simple fashion guide to work with – stay tuned for more fashion tips in the coming weeks 