Why After-Five Is the Only Dress Code You Need to Know

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How many times have you opened up a party invite to read a different dress code? Between ‘black-tie optional’, ‘cocktail’, ‘smart casual’ and ‘business casual’, it’s understandable that there’s confusion and a collective Google search for what to wear at this time of year.

This is why we’re proposing a new dress code—'After-Five'. Dress codes are a funny thing. They date back to the Middle Ages when they were used to differentiate classes. I think we’ve moved away from that now, and fashion has too. Ladies can now wear pants, and skirt length debates are a thing of the past.

So what is 'After-Five'? It’s the girl you can’t take your eyes off when she walks into a room. She’s always polished (no chipped nails in sight), elevated (read: timeless), and can seamlessly slip from one event to another without so much as a shoe change. It isn’t overly trend driven and maintains your modesty.

Rather than explain with words, keep scrolling to see our new favourite dress code in motion.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

What do you think about dress codes? Are they dated? Will you use ‘after-five’ the next time you organise an event? Let us know in the comments below then shop a new party look over at Net-a-Porter!

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Amanda Bardas
Amanda Bardas
Contributor

Amanda Bardas is an award-winning leader with 15 years experience building modern digital media businesses. She is currently the head of Val Morgan Digital Publisher. She joined the Val Morgan team to help launch its digital business and to shape the content team of the future. In six years they’ve grown to become Australia's largest youth network by bringing together household name brands including Fandom, LADbible Group, POPSUGAR, BuzzFeed, and Tasty, all under one roof.