What Do You Wear to a Red-Tie Dinner?

Written By
David Shoo
David Shoo
Published: Sep 29, 2011
Updated: Feb 5, 2019
2 minute read

A red-tie dinner is held to raise money for charity. The dinner can be sponsored by an individual or charity organization. Participants are not restricted to wearing red ties. Some red-tie dinner invitations specify what you should wear, but if the organizers do not include a dress code, select formal or semi-formal wear. Black-tie dress code appropriate for charity events and fundraisers.

Formal Wear for Men

Men are required to wear a tuxedo without tails. Your shirt should be white or black with French cuffs and vertical pleats. The cummerbund should be black. If you like to wear cufflinks, they should be subtle and gold or black in color. Choose black leather shoes for a red-tie dinner and complete your look with a red or black silk tie. Colorful ties that match your cummerbund can also be worn to a charity event.

Men’s Semi-formal Wear

For a charity event set in a less formal setting, you can have semi-formal wear. Put on some dress slacks with a dress shirt and tie. Jackets are optional for semi-formal wear. Some of the events do not require you to wear a tie. You can wear a turtleneck with a jacket if the event is not formal.

Ladies Formal Wear

Ladies have more options when choosing outfits for a formal event. Select an evening dress or cocktail gown for the charity dinner. You need a floor-length cocktail gown made of a high-end fabric. A short dress is only suitable for daytime events. Accessorize your gown with classic pieces of jewelry. Your shoes should be subtle in terms of design and color. When dressing for a red-tie dinner, select classic jewelry and clothing designs.

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Colors

Some men prefer to dress in black or white when attending a red-tie dinner, but this does not have to be the case. Choose from a variety of colors as long as your outfit is formal or semi-formal. For ladies, gowns and dresses for a charity event should be in rich and dark colors. Some of the colors that you can wear include black, rich red, navy, green and white. These colors are appropriate for evening occasions. For an elegant red-tie dinner, you can also wear a silver or champagne gold evening dress.

David Shoo

David Shoo has professionally been writing since 2005. His articles have been featured in the UNICEF (Sierra Leone) and BBC online publications. David holds a Master of Arts in international journalism from the University of Westminster,…

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