White tie (or evening dress, full evening dress; slang top hat and tails or white tie and tails) is the most formal evening dress code in Western fashion. It is worn to ceremonial occasions such as state dinners in some countries, as well as to very formal balls and evening weddings. The chief components for men are the black dress coat commonly known as an evening tailcoat, white bow tie, white waistcoat and starched wing collar shirt, while women wear a suitable dress for the occasion, such as an evening gown.

As evening dress, white tie is traditionally considered correct only after 6 p.m. although some etiquette authorities allow for it anytime after dark even if that means prior to 6 p.m.[1] The equivalent formal attire for daytime events is called morning dress. The less formal evening counterpart of white tie is black tie.

In the Middle Ages, formal dress for women had yet to be developed. Women simply added a train to their kirtle for formal occasions. As centuries rolled by, most gowns were generally very elaborate, but more so for formal occasions. In the 18th century, formal dress started as the mantua, but later developed into the elaborate sack-back gown. Starting with the 19th century, the term \”evening gown\” began. The fashionable length was ankle-length, but, during the reign of Victoria, the evening gown was floor-length. The styles ranged from having huge sleeves in the 1830s, to off-the-shoulder and with wide flounces in the 1840s, to very low-necked in the 1850s, to having low necklines and short sleeves in the 1860s, to long and lean with a bustle and very short sleeves in the 1870s, to sleeveless, low-necked, and worn with gloves in the 1880s, to having a squared decolletage, a wasp-waist cut, and skirts with long trains in the 1890s. During the Edwardian era, the empire silhouette was popular. Later, in the 1920s, evening gowns were very simple to match the style of the flapper era. Starting with the 1930s, evening gowns began to modernize. Along with the empire cut, over the years the sheath, mermaid, A-line, and trumpet shapes became popular. Also, the dropped waist and princesse styles were frequent, depending on the era. Grace Kelly is noted for wearing understated evening gowns. Today, the evening gown comes in any silhouette, and is popular for formal occasions such as the opera, formal dinners, cocktail parties, and wedding receptions.

When worn to white tie occasions, the evening gown is generally more elaborate than when worn to black tie occasions. For example, the silhouette will be fuller, to match with the \”very formal\” white tie attire by men. In the modern times, the evening gown is becoming more frequent in women\’s formal wear, even at white tie occasions, despite etiquette stating that a ball gown must be worn.

Evening gowns can range to tea length (mid-calf to ankle-length) to full-length (to the floor). In general, the same rules of a white tie event apply to a black tie event, although in some cases a cocktail dress is acceptable. However, women usually wear evening gowns to black tie occasions.

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