What does the dress code “smart formal” mean?

[NotUnderMyUmbrella]

It’s for a 6th form prize-giving ceremony, held in the evening, dress code is for the students.

Can’t decide if it means formal, as in boys in dinner jacket-black tie and girls in glamorous full length dresses, similar to prom.

Or smart, which I would interpret as boys in suit/jacket and tie, girls in smart skirt and blouse, trouser suit or corporate-looking plain dress perhaps with a jacket.

Or something between the two, which would be..?

Honestly, before you said it was an evening do, I would have said work suit attire, but now, not sure. Just ask the school...it's easier!

Unless it's a very fancy school I would assume it would be the sort of clothes most 6th forms expect students to wear to school.

Suits, I’d imagine. What they call “business wear”.
It won’t be black tie for a school prize giving.

Ask the school, though I think you’re overthinking this.

For what it entails, wearing a typical glamorous prom dress seems like it would be OTT. A different dress would likely be fine. Boys in a generic suit would be fine.

I think “smart formal” is just to put off those who would wear “smart” trainers or “smart” black jeans to it. Ultimately it’s a school event so I’d expect the outfit to not look out of place inside a school.

Yes, I will ask the school, I was hoping smart formal had some universal meaning that everyone except me was familiar with - my first instinct was business wear, but then I doubted myself.

Should have added it is taking place in a hotel, not in the school, which is adding to the confusion!

Ah, a hotel? All bets are off, so!
Better check than go dramatically over the top with cocktail wear 😁

Suits/business wear I imagine.

We've started putting it on our prize giving forms, as despite having a fairly strict uniform policy, when it comes to prize giving, pupils (particularly last year's Y13 who are now first year uni) have turned up in completely inappropriate things before - suddenly gone complete emo/punk with tartan bondage gear and ripped fishnets, for example.

Not the image the school was hoping to project to parents at a prize giving.

No jeans or trainers and the girls can wear dressed up to go out clothes. Not black tie.

Haha, my experience of 6th formers is very casual dress!

I recently received a wedding invitation with 'smart formal' and assumed it meant the same as 'formal' (and someone just wanted to contrast it with 'smart casual').

@Precipice when I was in 6th form we could wear what we like, but in all the schools I've come across through work or my DC, only 1 school let their 6th formers wear casual clothes - all the others expect smart work wear. I wish my DC schools were like the ones you know!

If I had to assume I’d say businesswear. But I would ask around to see what everyone else was wearing!

Youd be best to check
My assumption would be business wear. Suits, plain dresses for the girls.

Smart casual is the one that caught me out, I thought it was black jeans fancy top, Oh no 🤦‍♀️ we got there it was guys in kilts and ladies dolled up to the nines, fancy dresses but not formal work dresses.

To me, neither smart nor formal is black tie! If they wanted black tie, they should say that. I'd assume this mean boys in suits, but agree you should check with the school.

Business wear is known as “lounge suits” in a dress code.

I would assume formal is black tie, although it would universally be known as “black tie”. It may be looser a looser interpretation as not all teens will have a dinner jacket so allows for black tie and dark lounge suits.

Smart formal is completely made up and meaningless because formal is smart. I would ask…and advise them to use the correct terms so everybody knows where they stand.

This makes sense as I would expect formal to always be smart.

my sixth form was basically jeans, T-shirt and hoodies

I think they mean smart smart not smart casual which most would opt for I suspect without the reminder that smart should mean smart, and that's what they want to see.

Yeh but business way or evening dress way - maybe not that different for men but very different for women

Thinking a bit more about this, Keeping in mind it's a school, lots of kids won't own suits and it seems a bit much to ask parents to buy suits for the one minute kids are on stage.

I think they'll be happy with trousers (not jeans) and shirts / ties for the boys. And a dress for the girls.

I would really hope the school mean day wear smart, like old fashioned Sunday best. I'd love to see the students up on stage in what they'd like to wear to a celebration and not be worried about if it fits the code.

Lots of non uniform sixth forms stipulate business wear.

It’s not a fancy school, just the local comp.

School dress code doesn’t go quite as far as business wear, but no jeans, slogans, sportswear etc.

Dd usually wears a knitted dress and boots, or smart trousers/skirt with a plain tee shirt . Lots of the girls seem to wear stretchy jersey mini skirts. Boys are mostly in chinos and shirts and jumpers.

Not sure if it is more awkward to be over or underdressed! I’ll suggest Dd asks around both fellow students and teachers.

Business wear is known as “lounge suits” in a dress code.

It is - but I think a lot of people wouldn’t immediately know what that meant these days. I bet that’s what “smart formal” means, though - boys in a suit and girls in a suit or smart dress. I suspect it’s meant to contrast with “smart casual” which (in a business context at least) would be chinos and polo shirts/trousers or skirt and a jumper type get up.

Yes, I have to admit I wouldn’t have known what lounge wear was 😬

"Lounge wear" means business suit. As Needanewname42
pointed out, most teenage boys are unlikely to own or need a suit. It seems to me wrong to insist on suit, if that's really what they mean.

My assumption would be suits, or jacket and trousers for the boys, but with a shirt (and maybe a tie) not a t-shirt underneath; clean shoes, not trainers.

For the girls, a "respectable" day dress (ie not cut 1cm below their arse cheeks, 3 sizes too small or slit to the navel), or maybe a skirt or trouser suit paired with a blouse/smart top; shoes not trainers.

Sounds like being in a hotel they want the kids to dress up a bit, and smart casual would possibly be interpreted as jeans and trainers being worn with a jacket. Having said that, not a lot of teens dress formally, so they shouldn't be expecting them to go out and purchase clothes that wouldn't be worn again.