Save for the “doctor is ready now”, do any four words inspire more trepidation—and less excitement—than “cocktail attire for men ... of business casual and the prescriptive formality ...

Depending on the venue, it could mean something as casual as a blazer thrown over a top and trousers ... which usually implies the event will be a ball or in an extravagant venue and suitably serious.

Between holiday parties and wedding season, most of the invitations in your inbox will probably ask for “cocktail attire”—which ... tend to feel a little more casual. I, too, avoid wearing ...