formalwear

[fawr-muhl-wair]

noun

1. clothing designed for or customarily worn worn on formal occasions, as tuxedos and evening gowns.

Word History and Origins

Origin of formalwear¹

formal ¹ + wear

Example Sentences

Dressed in all-white formalwear, the band took care to show how much compositional rigor went into this album’s laid-back feeling.

From Los Angeles Times

Lynch’s double-breasted jacket and necktie almost don’t look like formalwear.

From Los Angeles Times

Her campaign attire, her accessories, her formalwear, her outerwear and especially her shoes.

From Los Angeles Times

Priorities evolve, jacket lengths rise and fall and formalwear is seen less frequently, but attention to detail remains.

From Los Angeles Times

Near the altar, my dad waits for her dressed in a white barong, the traditional formalwear for Filipino men.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• evening gown