Cocktail dress code: basic style rules

Cocktails usually start in the afternoon and end around 20:00. Such events do not require such strict dress code compliance as, for example, Black Tie or White Tie. However, depending on the type of event, there are dos and don’ts when choosing an outfit. For example, if it is permissible to wear a short dress and bright jewelry at a social cocktail, then at a business buffet such an outfit is not permissible.

First, let's figure out what events the Coctail Attire dress code implies. These are short events up to 4 hours: various presentations, exhibitions, film premieres, red carpet appearances, corporate banquets, dinner parties or family celebrations with the invitation of a large number of people. All these events can be divided into 3 types.

Types of cocktail events

Depending on the occasion, events with a dress code. Cocktails can be divided into 3 types: business, classic and social. The minimum set of things to attend such evenings includes: a cocktail dress, high-heeled shoes, a handbag (preferably a clutch) and, in some cases, jewelry.

Coctail dress code for business buffets

For a business meeting with partners scheduled in a restaurant, the best choice for women would be a cocktail dress with open arms, just below or to the middle of the knee. The dress code in this case does not allow an open back and deep neckline, as well as high slits. The outfit should be moderately strict and laconic, but not extravagant. A lot of decor is also undesirable.

If you are a fan of dark colors in clothes, this is the case when a black cocktail dress looks most successful. Expensive jewelry is not needed for a business event. But a wedding ring, modest earrings and a watch would be appropriate. Choose shoes with a closed toe and heel, and always with high heels, for example, classic stiletto pumps.

Coctail dress code for a social event

For an evening social event, visiting the theater and exhibitions, the length of a cocktail dress can be up to the middle of the knee or even much higher (moderately short). But even such freedom must be compensated by a strict top - no open back and deep neckline. Any decor, style and color of the outfit is allowed. You can pair the dress with long thin gloves and a boa.

Jewelry is preferred, but expensive jewelry is also acceptable. The shoes are again high heels.

Classic Coctail dress code

For any celebration that starts before eight o'clock in the evening, the invitation for which includes a dress code of Cocktail, it is better to wear a dress with a length of plus or minus 10 cm from the knee with bare shoulders. The outfit can be in any color, with or without decoration.

As for shoes, in the summer you can wear open-toed or open-toed shoes and even sandals. Having a heel, at least a low one, is a must. For decorations, you can choose both jewelry and high-quality costume jewelry. But it’s better to avoid too expensive jewelry.

Cocktail dress code: options and ramifications

Of course, style rules may vary depending on the nature and requirements of the event. Yes, even at a corporate buffet associated with the company’s birthday celebration and promising to be fun, a girl still shouldn’t choose a miniskirt and T-shirt for the party, but a certain degree of freedom will still be given to her.

For example, the dress code may change to a more daring “cocktail chic” format, where dresses become more full, ornate and luxurious. You can also not be afraid to add an abundance of precious jewelry to your look, choose an original bag and generally make your accessories brighter. Let's say more: in a “chic” case, a dress is not necessary at all - it can be replaced with a two-piece suit.

Combinations of a fashionable blouse and skirt, trousers and a knitted blouse, a lace top and a gaucho will look impressive and appropriate. Of course, everything, including courage, should be in moderation - remember that even the loosest look should look elegant. It is for this reason that many design houses advise choosing a black dress, albeit in a non-standard design. It will always be appropriate, and all its original features can fit perfectly into the requirements of the dress code called “cocktail chic”.

Here are the basic rules that a woman who wants and knows how to emphasize the impeccability of her taste should follow. Guided by them, you will be able to accurately create images for the most important, large-scale, formal business events or corporate events and be the queen of a reception, buffet table, or presentation.

How to choose a cocktail dress

Despite the fact that fashion stylists say that rules and seasonality are just conventions, believe me, you are unlikely to look appropriate in a translucent short dress and sandals. Only stars can dress like this for the red carpet. Also, if you don’t want to attract judgmental glances all evening, you shouldn’t show up to a dinner party in open shoes and a dress with a bright floral print, especially if it’s autumn outside. And, conversely, in the summer, fur decor and accessories are absolutely inappropriate.

An ideal option for the warm season is a cocktail dress in a light, muted or bright color. For the autumn-winter season, it is advisable to choose a dress of a darker color. By the way, this is exactly the case when a black or gray dress looks especially appropriate. As for print and decor, any patterns and details should correspond to seasonality and fashion trends.

Dress style for an event with a dress code. Cocktail is a separate topic. This can be an elegant sheath dress, A-line, wrap dress, suit dress or slip dress (of course, without lace or see-through lingerie). In any case, it should suit your body type. But too fluffy babydolls and tutus, as well as oversized styles, will not be appropriate.

Too deep neckline, transparent inserts and provocative cutouts - all this looks good if you are J. Lo and are going to pose for photographers. Otherwise, be careful with outfits that are too revealing, so that later you don’t have to cover open areas of your body with a glass or hold up a miniskirt that rides up.

In addition to dresses, at an event with a Cocktail dress code, suits, both with a skirt and trousers (especially at a business buffet), as well as a skirt with a blouse or a beautiful top, would be appropriate.

What cocktails can you prepare for an evening with friends?

The work week is over and you decide to relax with friends on Saturday evening? You can order ready-made drinks in a cafe or restaurant, or you can prepare them yourself. We will provide cocktail recipes for Saturday evening that you and your guests will surely enjoy.

Before dinner, serve aperitifs that lift your spirits and stimulate your appetite. Digestives are offered to guests during or after meals. All aperitifs are placed on small trays covered with napkins. These drinks can be served with slices of lemon, cheese, olives, sliced fruits and nuts.

Bright and piquant cocktails will add a special flavor to your meeting. And you can prepare such drinks literally in a matter of minutes, the main thing is to have the necessary ingredients and utensils on hand. You can choose the recipe for any cocktail for an evening with friends according to your taste: from the simplest to the most complex.

In what order should alcohol be served? It is better to start with light, low-proof drinks, and then move on to stronger ones. At the beginning of the feast, it is better to offer guests cocktails that have a delicate taste and aroma, and then offer more extractive and sweet ones.

Simple cocktail recipes for Saturday night

Tea and fruit cocktail

For 2 servings:

100 ml chilled tea,
chilled tea 100 ml,
200 ml plum or cherry compote,
100 ml dry red wine,
2 teaspoons rum,
2 teaspoons pomegranate syrup,
plum or cherry.

How to make a cocktail:

Mix tea with compote syrup, add rum, wine and pomegranate syrup. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place plums or cherries in glasses, pour over the tea mixture and serve immediately.

Cosmopolitan cocktail recipe

The Cosmopolitan cocktail became fashionable after the release of the TV series Sex and the City. The recipe for this cocktail, which is perfect for an evening with friends, was created by Dale de Gough back in the 1970s.

Ingredients:

1/2 part Cointreau orange liqueur
1/2 part lemon juice,
3/4 part vodka,
1 part cranberry juice,
orange peel.

Cooking method:

Shake all ingredients except orange peel with ice in a shaker.
Pour the drink into a chilled martini glass.
Before serving, squeeze the orange peel with your fingers, quickly set fire to the essential oil flowing from it and lower the peel into the glass.
You can decorate the cocktail with orange zest.

Cocktail "Margarita"

The ladies attending your party will love the following cocktail recipe. The history of this drink is as follows: the famous socialite Margarita Sames asked to prepare a new cocktail for a party in 1948. This is how the incomparable “Margarita” appeared. There are several types of this drink: classic, lemon, mint.

Sparkling cocktail recipe

To prepare 6 servings of this cocktail you will need:

2 glasses of champagne,
500 g frozen raspberries,
2 tangerines,
1/2 cup pomegranate juice,
4 tbsp. spoons of cranberry juice.

Cooking method:

Peel the tangerines, divide them into slices and remove the membranes.
Blend raspberries and tangerine slices with a blender.
Pour in cranberry and pomegranate juices.
Rub the whipped mass through a sieve and cool.
Place the resulting fruit and berry puree into glasses. Add champagne and stir.

Cocktail "Gin and tonic"

The history of the Gin and Tonic cocktail goes back more than a century. Fleeing from malaria in India, soldiers of the English army drank tonic, to which gin was added for variety. This drink not only lifted your spirits, but was also perfectly refreshing in the heat.

Take:

50 ml gin,
150 ml tonic,
lime,
ice.

Cooking method:

Mix the ingredients in a shaker, squeezing in a wedge of lime.
Then pour the cocktail into a highball glass through a strainer.

You can prepare this drink with mint - for 1 serving you will need 1 sprig. You need to finely tear the mint leaves and crush them with a pestle in a pre-frozen glass with gin and crushed ice. Top with tonic, garnish with a sprig of mint, and serve with a straw.

Mojito cocktail recipe

The following recipe for this cocktail is for 1 serving:

50 ml light rum,
2 teaspoons cane sugar,
60 ml soda water,
1 tbsp. spoon of lime juice,
4 mint leaves,
food ice.

Cooking method:

Place mint and cane sugar in a tall, wide glass and mash.
Add lime juice, crushed ice, and rum and stir.
Pour in the soda and garnish the glass with mint and lime slices.

It is customary to mix alcoholic cocktails in front of those present, so take care of the necessary utensils in advance, in particular one or two shakers, and prepare a sufficient amount of ice.

Cocktail “Gin and fizz”

For 1 serving you will need:

30 ml gin,
20 ml lemon juice,
10 ml sugar syrup,
gin 30 ml,
40 ml soda water,
food ice.

Method for preparing the cocktail:

Pour sugar syrup, lemon juice and gin into a shaker half filled with ice. Wrap the shaker in a towel and shake the cocktail for at least one minute.
Filter the mixture into a highball glass with ice and add soda water.
Garnish the drink with a slice of lemon and a cocktail cherry.

Cocktail recipe for a party - “Beatrice”

For 1 serving you need:

30 ml espresso coffee,
20 ml vodka,
20 ml Grand Marnier liqueur,
20 ml cream,
10 edible ice cubes.

Cooking method:

Stir vodka, liqueur and ice cubes in a mixing glass, then remove the ice.
Pour the cocktail into a glass, pour in chilled coffee and add lightly whipped cream.

Method for preparing the Black Russian cocktail

Men will certainly appreciate this cocktail recipe for an evening with friends.

For 1 serving:

30 ml coffee liqueur,
70 ml vodka,
food ice.

Cooking method:

Pour liqueur into an Old Fashioned glass with ice, then vodka.
Serve garnished to your liking.

Options:

If you use cherry liqueur instead of coffee liqueur, you will get a Red Russian cocktail, and if you use green mint liqueur, you will get a Green Russian cocktail.

Cocktail recipe “The Godfather”

This cocktail is a classic of the genre for a Saturday evening with friends.

For 1 serving:

70 ml Scotch whiskey,
30 ml Amaretto liqueur,
food ice.

Cooking method:

Stir cocktail ingredients in a glass with ice.

Cocktail "Alexander"

This cocktail got its name in honor of the great commander Alexander the Great.

For 6 servings you need to take:

180 ml chocolate liqueur,
180 ml cognac,
180 ml heavy cream,
2 tbsp. spoons of grated chocolate.

How to prepare this cocktail:

Beat the cream with a blender, add cognac and liqueur. Stir.
When serving, pour the cocktail into glasses and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Recipe for the Madagascar cocktail

For 6 servings:

200 ml vodka,
200 ml cranberry juice,
200 ml orange juice,
3 slices of lemon,
6 cocktail cherries,
ice cubes.

Cooking method:

Shake vodka with ice in a shaker.
Add cranberry and orange juices and whisk. Pour the cocktail into glasses.
Garnish with lemon slices and cherries.

We hope that our cocktail recipes for a Saturday evening with friends will please your guests and help create a relaxed atmosphere at the holiday.

How to choose shoes and accessories

As for shoes, the Coctail dress code implies exclusively shoes with heels, preferably high and at least 7 cm with a closed heel and toe. Tights and stockings are a must! In rare cases, it is allowed to wear open shoes or sandals.

As for choosing a bag, no massive trunks or shapeless hobos. A social event is not at all the place where you will need a diary, a cosmetic bag and a dozen other little things that you are used to always carrying with you. Only a small handbag or clutch, which should be in harmony with the main outfit. Nothing except your phone, wallet and lipstick should be in your purse.

Sometimes cocktail events require a headdress, which will be indicated on the invitation. Otherwise, it is better to abandon such accessories.

Raspberry - matsoni

The Raspberry-matsoni cocktail recipe is another New Year’s gift from Denis Kryazhev. It is better to make a cocktail from frozen berries.

Photo courtesy of the restaurant

Ingredients:

Milk – 60 ml Matsoni – 60 ml Raspberry puree – 60 ml Cinnamon syrup – 30 ml Ice – 4-5 cubes

Cooking method:

First, prepare the raspberry puree: for 30 grams of raspberries you will need 60 ml of sugar syrup and 30 grams of lemon juice. Without defrosting, combine the berries in a blender with sugar syrup (you can cook it yourself). Add lemon juice to the mixture of berries and syrup. Grind everything with a blender. We get the consistency of liquid berry puree. In fact, it is difficult to prepare one portion of puree; it is better to mix several at once and then use it gradually, storing the puree in the refrigerator.

Place the milk, matsoni and raspberry puree into a blender and blend for 0.5 minutes. Then add cinnamon syrup, ice and beat everything together for 1.5 minutes. Decorate with a mint leaf and raspberry.

How to behave at an event

How culturally you can behave in a social environment can be understood long before the event itself begins. Once you have received the invitation, you must confirm it. Any questions about the topic of the event, the number of expected guests can be asked to the organizers or the inviting person personally. If the invitation states the dress code is Cocktail, then it is indecent to ask about what to wear. If the invitation does not say anything about a companion, then it is better to come alone.

Etiquette rules include punctuality. Arriving early is considered impolite. “On time” means that you should show up 5-10 minutes later or stay no more than half an hour (if you really have a reason for this). A traffic jam is not an excuse. And you must inform the organizers about the delay.

How to say hello? By the hand, a “dry” kiss - depending on the situation on the spot. When meeting someone, always say both your first and last name.

As for drinking alcoholic beverages, it is better not to give them up. If you don't drink, then take a couple of sips. Firstly, offering a glass of champagne is a gesture of politeness and attention, and secondly, it is also a reason for making a new acquaintance and starting the topic of small talk. Always hold your glass by the stem. Knowing how to serve appetizers and order drinks is a separate topic, so familiarize yourself with it in advance.

Leave only after you have personally thanked the event organizers. If it is not possible to come at the time of departure, then you can send your gratitude to the house on a card with a bouquet within 24 hours.

Pomegranate Negroni

Photo: veronicaolivotto.francescoitalia.com/Depositphotos

Ingredients

30 ml gin;
30 ml red vermouth;
100 ml pomegranate tonic;
orange - 1 slice, optional.

Preparation

Even if you don't have bartending equipment at home, this is not a reason to cancel the party. Take a rocks glass and fill it with ice. Add gin, red vermouth and then pomegranate tonic. Stir all ingredients with ice to chill cocktail. To serve, you can garnish with a slice of orange.

What the Cocktail dress code allows and prohibits

Shoes must have heels at least 7 cm high, preferably thin, with closed toes and heels. In the warm season, it is permissible to wear sandals to attend informal evening get-togethers.
Thin tights or stockings in nude or black are required.
The length of the dress depends on the format of the event, but it cannot be too short. At an event with a Cocktail dress code, maxi length is also not appropriate.
Arms can be open, the neckline should not be too deep and revealing and is unacceptable for business events.
No big bags. Only a clutch or a small decorative handbag.
The general rule: in the fall and winter, the outfit and shoes should be darker than in the spring-summer season.

The mandatory dress code still causes a lot of negativity among many: those who disagree with the rules do not hesitate to come to the ballet in jeans, a short top and sandals. Despite the fact that cocktail events require a less formal appearance and do not imply such rigor, you should dress for such sessions in accordance with the rules of the dress code. And don’t forget, a beautiful dress is only one component of the image. Compliance with the remaining requirements has not been canceled.