EmilyPost

How formal are the wonderful Charleston restaurants at lunch and at dinner? Will my husband need a tie at dinner?

DebitNM

We ate at several of the more renown restaurants while there in September and no one wore a tie. Business casual was the most "formal" we saw and even less at many places.

palmettoprincess

Charleston is like every other city with regard to dress except for one thing. We wear color. Leave your black-on-black ensemble for at home

DebitNM

{You would have been proud of me, palmettoprincess - no black at all!}

palmettoprincess

Yes, I am proud. I enjoyed reading your posts.

Cali

We were in Charleston this past week and went to many different restaurants and I agree your husband does not need a tie. By the way, we loved Charleston and had a great time.

Ackislander

"Charleston casual" for men is a blazer, khakis, and a nice shirt -- either a buttondow or a polo shirt, according to my Charlestonian friends. It worked for me. Tie for business or church.

EmilyPost

Perfect. Thanks!

JanetKMR

What everyone else said Leave the tie at home!

suewoo

Sometimes people go stright from work out to supper, so you might see some men in ties. It shouldn't make your H uncomfortable.

ustwo

Ackislander, you said, "Tie for business or church." When we travel we enjoy visiting a church for Sunday morning services if it works out for us. In our own area most churches are very casual. You may see a few ties & jackets, but mostly shirts/slacks/jeans. Are the churches in the southern states more apt to be tie/jacket or would casual wear be acceptable? Women slacks?

Ackislander

You can wear what you want, but in my experience churches are indeed more formal in the South, especially at the standard denominations at the principal services, but slacks for women are fine in the churches I have visited.

I am an Episcopalian, and I often go to the early service, which is almost always more casual.

As a general rule, people dress a lot better in the South than they do here in New England, though that isn't saying much. Because I spend much of the winter in Richmond, I actually have two wardrobes so I won't embarrass my family there or my friends here!

Gretchen

Agree with Ack about church clothes although you will not be turned away even in blue jeans--at least at ours!! ;o)

EmilyPost

Thank-you. I always wear a skirt to my Protestant churches in the Northeast. I can't remember ever seeing an adult wear jeans to a Sunday service in a Congregational church, but if they did, nobody would care although they might notice.

It's sometimes easier to know what to wear to church than it is to know what to wear out to dinner or around a new town!

Ackislander

Maria, have you got a point or are you here to advertise kaftans?

Are you writing about Charleston or Oz?

Ozarksbill

Recent week in Savannah (maybe report later). We noticed coming out of church and along the street during the week more formal clothing. Men were wearing black on black business attire.