Connecticut Casual

Connecticut Casual is often described as the type of attire one might wear to a garden party. For men, a button-down or polo shirt, perhaps a sweater vest and/ or a bow tie, khakis (either as shorts or as pants), and loafers; A sweater or cardigan with sleeves tied around the neck is suitable, and sleeves on long-sleeved shirts may be rolled or pushed up for comfort; a jacket is not required, and neither is a tie, though both are certainly acceptable so long as the tie is worn loose and the jacket is kept unbuttoned; a Panama hat or the like is perfectly appropriate; tee-shirts, tennis shoes, baseball caps, and jeans (unless the jeans are perhaps worn with a dinner jacket and loafers) are usually considered too informal.

For women, a comfortable loose floral-print dress or a blouse/ skirt combination, matching loafers/ slip-ons/ flats/ wedges or sandals, and a small purse are suitable; heels of any kind are not usually considered desirable or appropriate; jewelery, if worn at all, should be be kept simple: a strand of pearls looks nice, but diamonds and other cut stones tend to make the wearer look too flashy for a Connecticut-casual event; a large-brimmed hat to ward off the sun is de rigueur; pants (khakis) can be worn with the cuffs rolled-up, and khaki shorts may also be worn (garden party colors are best: bright greens, oranges, pinks, blues, and especially yellows are ideal, but all bright colors, including simple white, are perfectly suitable); as with the men, jeans, tee-shirts, and tennis shoes in most cases lack sufficient formality. Sunglasses are suitable for both sexes; shoes for both sexes must be clean and comfortable without being street-wear items.

The point of "Connecticut Casual" is that it is NOT "formal": suits are out of place, as are all evening-wear garments for both sexes. Neither is the style "informal" (hence the prohibition against tennis shoes and most of their rubber-soled ilk). The wearer should feel comfortable yet dressed up a bit.