What is Country Club Casual?

Repost from WSJ

Q: My wife and I will be attending her 50th high-school-class reunion later this month at a country club in Santa Barbara, Calif. The dress is “country club casual.” Just what constitutes “country club casual” in a place like Santa Barbara?

Sandy Nichols

.—C.N., Prescott, Ariz.

A: Think of “country club casual” as a festive spin on business casual. It’s a look that will work at country-club events across America.

Err on the dressy side. Class reunions are the one occasion when you want to look your youthful best, as you’ll be memorialized in pictures and videos that will be circulated everywhere. Begin by concentrating on the colors and silhouettes that are most flattering on you.

Try an open-collar, long-sleeved linen shirt—maybe in cool French blue or peach—or a fine-gauge silk knit polo shirt, worn with khaki trousers and loafers or fisherman sandals. A sport coat is optional—depending on the weather and your own individual style.

One possibility for your wife is a lovely print or pastel sundress with low-heeled or fancy flat sandals. Another is dressy, wide-legged pants worn with a pretty tunic top or with a tank top and an open kimono jacket. Go ahead and turn up the volume with jewelry and accessories. The country-club setting calls for a spiffy look