Dress Code - Private Dress Codes

Private Dress Codes

Private organisations may insist on particular dress codes or standards in particular situations.

• Religious bodies may insist on their standards of modesty being followed at their premises and events.
• Employees are sometimes required to wear a uniform or certain standards of dress, such as a business suit or tie. This may depend on particular situations, for example if they are expected to interact with customers. (see also International standard business attire) These policies vary depending on the industry with lawyers, bankers, and executives often wearing suit and tie. Some work places require that tattoos be covered.
• Schools usually have dress codes for their students and teachers and may require students to wear a school uniform in school and while travelling to and from school, or a sport uniform on sporting occasions.
• Patrons of a disco or nightclub are sometimes expected to dress in a particular style, such as clubwear; and bouncers of a disco or nightclub at times refuse entrance to those whose clothing they consider not consistent with the atmosphere of the venue.
• Patrons of a casino, shop or restaurant are usually expected to dress to a minimum standard, such as smart casual.
• The organisers of some parties sometimes specify a costume or theme for the event, such as a naked party or toga party.
• Fetish clubs often require patrons to dress in fetish clothing.

Dress codes function on certain social occasions and for certain jobs. A military institution may require specified uniforms; if it allows the wearing of plain clothes it may place restrictions on their use.

A "formal" or white tie dress code typically means tail-coats for men and full-length evening dresses for women. "Semi-formal" has a much less precise definition but typically means an evening jacket and tie for men (known as black tie) and a dress for women. "Business casual" typically means not wearing neckties or suits, but wearing instead collared shirts, and more country trousers (not black, but more relaxed, including things such as corduroy). "Casual" typically just means clothing for the torso, legs and shoes. "Wedding Casual" defines yet another mode of dress, where guests dress respectfully, but not necessarily fancily.

Organisations which seek to maintain standards of modesty have difficulties with sheer and see-through clothing.

Dress codes usually set a lower limit on body covering. However, sometimes it can specify the opposite, for example, in UK gay jargon, dress code, means people who dress in a militaristic manner. Dress code nights in nightclubs, and elsewhere, are deemed to specifically target people who have militaristic fetishes (e.g. leather/skinhead men).

See also shoe etiquette, mourning, sharia, Dress code (Western).