Freshers Handbook 2021 24-09

2.13 Smart Clothes 37
One current and one former student at a Formal
2.13.2 Black Tie
You’d wear Black Tie for any balls and some
very smart occasions. Balls are mainly at
the end of Easter Term but some societies
(like The Union) put them on throughout the
year.
In addition, some of the bigger evening
events in College will also be appropriate
for Black Tie and in these cases you’ll need
to wear a gown too; Black Tie is optional
for Matriculation Dinner, and not expected
for Formals, but other special dinners might
ask for it. Events that expect you to wear
Black Tie will often be indicated on invites
or notices by ‘evening dress’, ‘dinner
jackets’, ‘dinner suits’ or helpfully ‘Black
Tie’.
Black Tie being shown off at the
2019 May Ball
It’s easily possible to go through Cambridge
without wearing Black Tie, and you can always
ask your friends to borrow something for oneoffs,
but investing in it early on might give a bit more flexibility (you can find very
reasonable prices for dinner jackets online and in charity shops).
Option 1: A dinner jacket and a black bow tie. A dress shirt. Smart black shoes.
Option 2: A floor length dress for a ball, but the same as ‘Formal’ for most other
events.