Elegance coach’s dress code rules to follow to avoid looking ‘tacky’

By James On Nov 1, 2022

An elegance coach has revealed the dress code rules she believes every stylish person should follow to avoid looking “sticky.”

Anna Bey, who divides her time between London and Geneva, took to YouTube to explain the six mistakes elegant people “never make” when they adhere to dress codes.

She said dress codes are important to ensure that on various occasions guests don’t feel like they are “excellent” because they are either overdressed or underdressed.

‘They help point you in the right direction and make sure you always feel comfortable’ convenience in all circumstances,” Anna insisted, encouraging her 1.42 million subscribers to avoid common dress code mistakes.

These include wearing eye-catching jewelry to a funeral, open-toe shoes to an interview, or cut-out outfits to a wedding.

Here FEMAIL reveals her top tips for following different dress codes..

DO NOT WEAR PLUNG OR CUT OUT OUTFITS TO A WEDDING

Anna Bey (pictured), who splits her time between London and Geneva, took to YouTube to explain the six mistakes elegant people ‘never make’ when they adhere to dress codes

Anna said of wedding dress codes, “I thought everyone knew that you shouldn’t wear white or cream colors or anything like what the bride is wearing at weddings. That is incredibly inappropriate.

“But there are other things that are also not appropriate to wear to a wedding. A general rule is to never outdo the bride.

It’s her day to shine and you don’t want to be the one wearing something where all eyes are on you and not the bride.

“That’s why you shouldn’t have a dress more flamboyant than the bride’s.

“You also have to remember that weddings are generally quite conservative, meaning you have all kinds of people there.

You have also collected all kinds of generations. You have someone’s grandparents, someone’s parents, in-laws, you name it. And that’s why you have to watch what you wear.

“You can’t put on your sexy show. You have to keep in mind that you don’t want someone’s grandfather to stare at your cleavage, for example. I wouldn’t wear crop tops.

I would avoid wearing dresses with side cutouts or some form of mesh on the side, short skirts or very deep plunging necklines.

And finally, if there’s a wedding dress code, make sure you stick to it. If the invitation says white tie, that means it’s a white tie. Don’t put on the cocktail dress.’

DO NOT WEAR FLASH JEWELRY TO A FUNERAL

She said dress codes are important to ensure that on various occasions guests don’t feel like they are “excellent” because they are either overdressed or underdressed. Pictured, Anna

DO NOT WEAR OPEN-TOE SHOES AT AN INTERVIEW

‘In front of [high level] interviews, we would avoid wearing, say, open-toed shoes. We’d wear closed-toe shoes instead,’ Anna said.

“We wouldn’t wear sleeveless tops either because it’s important to cover your shoulders. We wouldn’t wear high heels like stilettos either. We would wear a lower heel, a little more modest.

‘And the same goes for colours. We would go for black, we would go for navy, for gray, or maybe some kind of neutral color. We wouldn’t go all in on colors or patterns and prints. We would keep it modest.’

The elegance coach said, “Unfortunately we all have to attend a funeral at some point and we really have to think about that at a funeral, there is such a thing as a dress code.

“People don’t always pay attention to this and it’s incredibly disrespectful especially to the families who are grieving.

“There are things I think you should never wear to a funeral and those are mini skirts or mini dresses or anything else that really shows a lot of skin.

“It’s very inappropriate and especially if the burial is in some form of a holy place or a church, you really need to cover up.

“Other things I find very inappropriate is when people don’t put in enough effort to dress for a funeral.

“Believe it or not, some people come in t-shirts and first of all it’s very distracting when you wear a t-shirt, not only because it looks very relaxed, but some t-shirts even have large graphic prints.

‘Another point to consider: flashy accessories should be kept to a minimum. It doesn’t matter if you have beautiful jewelry, a funeral really isn’t the right place to display those things because you want to be very discreet at a funeral.

“You want to keep it minimal. You don’t want anything distracting and wearing your biggest diamonds so that they sparkle in people’s eyes. I think it’s a little on the tacky side, you can definitely wear a nice pearl necklace or a bit of accessories, but keep it to a minimum and never flashy.’

CLOTHES TO PRESS IN THE THEATER

1667295952 922 Elegance coachs dress code rules to follow to avoid looking

“They’ll point you in the right direction and make sure you always feel comfortable in all circumstances,” Anna (pictured) insisted, encouraging her 1.42 million subscribers to avoid common dress code mistakes

Anna explained: ‘Some of you know I like going to the opera and the theatre, but oh my, sometimes I feel a little hurt in my eyes when I see what people wear to such events.

“Now let me tell you one thing. Officially, most operas and theaters don’t really have a strict dress code. But nowadays people really let loose in 2022 when they go to the theater, they really don’t care what they wear.

“And that really makes me so sad, because going to the opera, going to the theater used to be a special tradition for people.”

Anna added that sneakers, shorts, sweatpants are all inappropriate theater wear in her eyes, and a “big handbag” is also a big no-no because “it will get in the way of people.”

She added: “Since there is no official dress code, I would just really do my best. I’d wear a cute dress that makes you feel completely at home, maybe with some nice heels.’

DO NOT WEAR SNEAKERS AND JOGGERS TO A RESTAURANT

WHEN VISITING A HOLY PLACE, OBSERVE THEIR CLOTHING CODE

Anna said, “There is a dress code for these kinds of venues… and it’s very important that we follow those rules, whether we belong to that religion or not. When we visit their sacred place, we abide by their rules.

“I would definitely wear something like a shirt dress because a shirt dress is fairly opaque and you can definitely go into a church because your shoulders are covered and you have a skirt that is at least knee length.

“So to me that would be a perfect tourist look that’s also perfect for churches.”

The elegance coach claimed, “There are two kinds of restaurants. No, actually there are three kinds, but you know the fast food places, which we don’t really want to talk about on this channel, but there are two kinds of restaurants.

“You have the casual and then you have the more upscale high-end. And chic restaurants don’t necessarily have to be a Michelin star.

“But then you see some people go to these places and they don’t dress up at all — basically they’re wearing their sneakers, they’re wearing their t-shirts, their sweatpants.

“I understand that not everyone wants to wear heels and dresses and pretty things, but I think it’s common sense for a man, let’s say if you go out to dinner at night, at least he wears a shirt to a restaurant and not necessarily a t-shirt or sweatpants.

‘Or if you’re a lady, at least wear a heel or some nicer evening shoes instead of getting into sneakers. You would also put in a little effort, maybe wear a little dress or maybe some nice fitted pants.

‘It’s not about that, it’s got to be a fashion show. But just try to put in a little effort. This is more of a high-end restaurant, which means you have to look a bit more high-end too, not like you’re eating on your couch at home.’