Suit or sport coat?

May 6, 2010 2:08 PM

What to wear to a $75/plate charity dinner/event? (Male.)

For a $75/plate charity dinner, would a suit typically be expected, or can I get away with a sport coat & trousers? This is in a mid-sized midwestern US city, and I expect the guests to tend to be mainly in the mid-20s to 40s range.

In either case, this will be an opportunity for purchasing additional clothing, as I'd like to expand my wardrobe into the currently-empty space between "business casual" and "my one and only suit, very dark gray, that I wear to weddings and funerals," so more specific advice is also welcome.

posted by DevilsAdvocate to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

I think the difference here is pretty minimal and between the two choices, I'd say it's not what you wear, it's how you wear it. A sport coat and trousers can look a lot sharper than a suit that has been at the back of your closet, especially if it's less well-fitting.

Also, the weather is getting warmer, so your comfort in dark gray will be in jeopardy.

Bottom line: they appreciate your donation and as long as the sport coat and trousers are decent, you'll be fine.
posted by inturnaround at 2:15 PM on May 6, 2010

Best answer: Bottom line: they appreciate your donation and as long as the sport coat and trousers are decent, you'll be fine.

This. No, really. You are the donor, and a perk of that is not having to fuss over a suit v. sport coat. Wear what you'd be comfortable in. At my NPO, we have a $75 ticket fundraiser every year and some people wear evening gowns and some wear jeans and tennies.
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:30 PM on May 6, 2010

I'd buy yourself another suit. Black is always a sharp color. Especially for a dinner event, I'd vote suit.
posted by bearwife at 2:30 PM on May 6, 2010

If you don't have the occasion to wear suits that much, a (navy) blazer is a VERY versatile thing to have in your wardrobe. There's a lot of variability behind the "sport coat & trousers" look. I have seen people pull off a pretty dressy look with a blazer. But you can also (intentionally or not) dress it down.

Well-fitting sport coat with plain white dress shirt and tie + nice (tailored) trousers is a VERY different look than a sport coat that doesn't fit well on top of a polo shirt and a pair of khaki dockers. Or even sport coat + turtleneck + jeans. (Not that you should even consider that look for the charity dinner.)

How "dressy" you choose to be may require considering who else is going. At the risk of invoking stereotypes, is it lawyers and bankers? If so, definitely suit. If it's blue-collar types or software engineers, probably not so much.
posted by QuantumMeruit at 2:33 PM on May 6, 2010

I help run two of these events per year with the same pricing, only for schools. Some people wear suits, though as a worker, I always wear a sports coat with a tie and khakies and people always comment how nice I look. Maybe that's a testament to how I normally dress for work, but point is, coat with a tie will put you be perfectly acceptable at the event. You could also wear a suit and fit in, too.
posted by jmd82 at 2:36 PM on May 6, 2010

I attended an event on Sunday similar to this. I would say it depends on the venue. Ours was afternoon on the patio of a home - dress was casual. If yours is evening, swanky hotel, etc., wear the coat & tie.
posted by eleslie at 2:48 PM on May 6, 2010

What's the venue, and what day/time is the event? These are clues as to dressiness.
posted by desuetude at 3:32 PM on May 6, 2010

Whatever you're comfortable in... from jeans to a suit. If you're seeing it as a networking opportunity, then dress to impress the people you plan to connect with... If you're going as a donor to support the organization, wear what you want (we all assume you know where that bottom line is) and have fun..

The wife and I attend a number of these, and I've hosted a number as the ED of an NPO... I've been on both sides of the coin...

an aside... I went to a major movie premier as the guest of the producer once... I agonized for a week as to what I should wear, ended up in a black suit, new black shirt..the whole deal.. the director showed up in torn jeans.... just sayin'
posted by HuronBob at 5:52 PM on May 6, 2010

Always aim to slightly, imperceptibly, over-dress. It makes you look good. It makes the event look good, and if you completely misjudge the dress standard and want to blend in more, it's usually easy to dress down to match once you're already there (unbutton a collar? take off a jacket? untuck a shirt? lose a tie? roll up sleeves?), but the reverse usually can't be done.
posted by -harlequin- at 6:56 PM on May 6, 2010 [1 favorite]

Jacket and nice trousers will be just fine. Heck, I don't even own a suit anymore, because a jacket and trousers are perfectly acceptable damn near anywhere anymore.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:11 AM on May 7, 2010

A really sharp tie, though, would be a perfect touch, to dress it up a bit.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:12 AM on May 7, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks for the advice everyone. Lutoslawski was exactly right regarding the wide variety of dress levels. I wore a coat and trousers and felt fine.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:56 PM on May 16, 2010