Formal night for a man

[kdh123]

First of all I am sure I will get some neg. comments which I will look past.

My sister and husband is going on cruise with us. He doesn't own a suit or sport's jacket. He normally wears t-shirts and jeans. She just called and ask on the formal nights if they will be turned away if her husband comes wearing a long sleeve dress shirt with a tie and dress pants? He refuse to spend $$$ on a suit or sport's jacket that he would only wear one time on cruise and never again. He said it is a waste of money. He tried to borrow but no one is his size. My sister wants to get dress up and go to formal night. She has a cocktail dress she will be wearing. Simple but elegant.

Have any of you seen men wearing this to formal dinner and not get kick out?

 

Oh I forgot to say we will be on the Conquest if that makes a difference which I don't think it will.

[JanineM]

Here's my opinion and you can choose to ignore it or not.

 

A shirt and tie aren't formal by any stretch of the imagination, but from what I understand of Carnival cruises, many people dress more casually. There will be other men in long-sleeved shirts with ties and slacks. If your sister gets dressed to the nines then they may not really "match", but for some people this doesn't matter. I sincerely doubt he'll be kicked out of anywhere. They aren't very strict with the dress codes.

 

If he can't borrow something and wants to make the effort to get a bit more dressed up he could look at either eBay or consignment stores. I have bought a lot of great stuff at consignment stores, then turned around and re-sold it after using it for the event.

 

I actually think that it's great that he's willing to make the effort to dress up, and these days I think we all understand when people don't want to spend a bunch of money on clothes that they'll only wear once. But if he can find a jacket or something he may find use for it again - like for a job interview or a wedding.

 

Just my two cents!

[oldminion]

I have worn everything from a tux, a suit, a sport coat with open collar shirt, a shirt & tie w/slacks, even an open necked short sleeved Guaberra shirt and slacks to the formal night without being turned away. A shirt and tie with slacks should be just fine.

[kdh123]

I didn't think to tell her to check consignment shop out. I will tell her that.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[luckye]

I believe Conquest is a Carnival ship. If so, there no longer is formal night. They call it cruise elegant. Your brother in law will not only be fine with a dress shirt, pants and tie, he will also be in comlete compliance with the cruise line dress codes.

 

Have fun

[Kinkacruiser]

Shame about the demise of the formal night (now "cruise elegant"). Will this policy be extended to other cruise lines?

Anna

[Happy ks]

He will be fine and will not be asked to leave.

 

Your photos will look a bit odd since the clothing styles will not compliment each other (did not say match), but some people don't seem to mind that. One person will look fabulous, the next like they are waiting at the office water cooler.

 

I do think that every man should have at least one suit regardless of how often they wear it. I think a lot of men just "get by" on too many occasions when a suit would be most appropriate.

 

Even after stating that, I'm kind of over what other people wear.

[ucmom3]

I'm guessing this is his first cruise.:confused: Once he becomes addicted like the rest of us, he won't mind having a jacket for all of the cruises he'll want to take. That's what happened to my DH.

[Milaandra]

I'm going to tout my oft-repeated advice...get thee to the Goodwill! :D Men don't tend to wear out suits...they generally change size after the wedding or funeral or job interview they bought it for. So you can find fabulous deals on good quality suits that have been given to charity and are sitting there with a $20 price tag. I keep talking about the fact that my stepson wore a designer suit to his grade 8 graduation due to a vertically challenged business man with excellent taste and an increasing waistline. (There were at least three different sizes waist sizes represented that day...all originally from the most exclusive mens wear shop in town) His silk tie was $1. I've seen quite a few unusual sizes, too, from shorts to longs and small sizes to extra portly. 100% wool, harris tweed, silks, linens...charity shops are an excellent resource for frugal men!

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Oh I forgot to say we will be on the Conquest if that makes a difference which I don't think it will.

Yes, it makes a huge difference for people asking dress guideline questions on which cruiseline - as they are vastly different!

So, it's good that you provided this information.

She just called and ask on the formal nights if they will be turned away if her husband comes wearing a long sleeve dress shirt with a tie and dress pants?

The good news, is that as has been mentioned before it's a Carnival ship, so they have recently changed to Cruise Elegant Night. A shirt, tie, and dress pants are within the new guidelines so he will be fine, and not turned away from the dining room.

My sister wants to get dress up and go to formal night. She has a cocktail dress she will be wearing. Simple but elegant.

I just want to add to what Happy ks mentions about pictures...

Carnival has some of the best photographers, and there is opportunity for portraits that you would normally not get in your regular life. The great thing, is to run around to as many of the photo stations as you can and get pics before dinner. Then you can just buy the ones that turned out the best!

So, at least keep that in mind with his shirt and tie, not to match completely - but at least try to compliment her dress for the portraits.

At least that will also make them look a little less like a mismatched couple (her in a higher dress caliber than him)...

 

But all in all, he will be fine, enjoy it and have fun!

Like ucmom3 said - if he enjoys this cruise, then he might become addicted and decide to get his own jacket later on.:cool:

[Curt Jerome Wild]

charity shops are an excellent resource for frugal men!

They're an excellent resource for stylish men as well!

You can find some vintage styles that simply aren't made that well any more.

I got a fantastic Ivory Dinner Jacket from the 60s for $5!:cool:

[Guest TropicOne]

What you describe for men and women will be perfectly fine and within the dress code on Carnival ships.Do not waste money on a suit, use it in the casino :p.

[Milaandra]

What you describe for men and women will be perfectly fine and within the dress code on Carnival ships.Do not waste money on a suit, use it in the casino :p.

 

Ack! Don't waste money in the casino, use it on a suit! :D (Are you sure you're in the right section? LOL)

[JanetMarie]

KURT, I ditto your suggestion re: running around to the various picture taking stations and then choosing the best ones.

 

As far as men in formal attire, well, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Being in my 50's and cruising the high seas from "days gone by," I would love to see the gents in a tux which is exactly what "FORMAL" means. I think this country has gotten too sloppy about the way we look. Have you ever watched old movies? Men (and women, alike) are typically dressed in clothing that only SOME folks would wear to church these days. LOL ~ that reminds me of the gal in church last summer with skimpy, skimpy shorts on ~ not a pretty sight. So, my vote is to dress FORMALLY, and if you cannot do so, then there are other dining venues to choose from (like the buffet on the upper decks, etc.). :o

[stowaway2k]

If you don't mind wearing used, Ebay is great

for example, this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140338833036&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

[Tisha49]

I think he'll be fine and won't get kicked out by any means. However, I went to goodwill and bought my teenager, who wears men sizes, a beautiful blue sports jacket from an extremely expensive menstore in town (probably was $200-300 at the time), for $8. It's gorgeous and in mint condition. I really recommend going there for this, if you don't find something one week, just go back the next or to another one.

[laurspag]

I'm sure he will be fine if the shirt, tie and pants are nice ones. He won't be turned away, but...

 

A suit is always a good investment, or at least a pair of proper dress pants and a sports jacket. My husband needed a new suit last year, and we found a great deal at the local Marshall's. While there, he found a really nice sports jacket on clearance, so he got them both!

 

Consignment shops are a great way to get a deal. Look around, see what you can do. There is something for every budget.

 

I think it would mean a lot to his wife too, if he was willing to look a little extra nice for a special night.

[neverthought]

If you don't mind wearing used, Ebay is great

for example,

 

I found and bought DH, a brand new sports jacket for less that $15 + shp/handling. Good quality and the right price. He too is a t-shirt & jeans guy! He'll look "mighty fine" IMAO, when we dress for formal night.;)

Neverthought

[Ice Machine]

As already noted he'll be well within the Carnival guidelines and will even be better dressed that many others who will only have a polo shirt. I own suits and sports jackets but I don't feel like packing them. I wear dress pants, dress shirt and tie and have been at least as well dressed as half of the passengers. I also enjoy getting as many pictures as I can and we purchase a few. My wife gets dressed up a little more and I acknowledge they would look better if I had a jacket on but they still turn out fine.

[coffeeclutch1]

Why do men hate to dress up? My husband is a slob at home, but loves putting on the ritz for formal night. I'm glad!!!

[jnc411]

I agree with the others who say go to thrift shops or ebay , great resource for a sports jacket / suit. Some really great buys there.

Cori

[travelbug702]

My mom is making me wear a suit for a seven day cruise on carnival for formal night.. does any one have pictures of what there kids had on...

[Happy ks]

My mom is making me wear a suit for a seven day cruise on carnival for formal night.. does any one have pictures of what there kids had on...

 

 

Sorry, I promised my family to never post pictures of them here on CC, but I will explain.

 

Our son, starting at the age of 13, had a black sportscoat and dark tan slacks. He would wear a white or off-white shirt and a tie, a nice leather belt and black dress shoes.

 

Fortunately he was fully grown by that age and the sportscoat was worn so many times it became worn looking. After about 3 years and numerous cruises, school dances and other special occasions, he has a great selection of shirts and ties.

 

When he was a junior in high school, I purchased him a tuxedo for proms and cruises. He's worn that several times, more than enough to pay for the tux several times over.

 

You will see some young men in suits, some in sportscoats, some in a shirt with only a tie, some in just a shirt (slacks, of course). I have the belief that young men enjoy looking good and it is their parents at times who don't think they care to dress appropriately ;)

 

We'll be cruising again this Christmas and I plan on buying him another sports coat, since his Dad doesn't want to wear a tuxedo. I know he will wear the sportscoat many times over the next few years.

[Happy ks]

Why do men hate to dress up?

not sure

 

Not all men have the desire or the knowledge of how to dress up. Many men are just used to throwing on a pair of pants and a shirt, shoes and go. Many women (never say all!) love to look nice and don't mind making the effort to do so.

 

But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I know I've seen men who I think look a bit sloppy, yet their wife/girlfriend think they look terrific just because they have clean clothes on and they combed their hair. Our perceptions can be so very different, so who am I to say they aren't dressed up?

 

I think a man looks sexy in a suit with a tie if it is well fitting. Of course, I like it with a great haircut as well (former mens hair stylist here :p). I also like to see a man in nice clothing, I'm not at all fond of T shirts and baggy shorts. But, we all have to remember there are different opinions depending on our age bracket and where we live can have a great influence.

 

Fortunately, I am married to a man who likes to dress nice daily and does not mind wearing a sportcoat, suit or even a couple of times a tuxedo for suitable occasions.

[CDRMark]

Why do men hate to dress up?

not sure

A couple reasons.

As has been mentioned, some men think "dress clothes" are uncomfortable. This often stems from having been forcibly dressed by mom for church and special occasions when young.

Some men think that too much interest in their appearance and clothing is "unmanly".

Some men just don't give a hoot. :) Some think that clothes shouldn't "matter". Whether they should or shouldn't, they do.

Cheers

Mark