<p>Agree with mathmom. There’s plenty of ways to show personal style and yet be entirely appropriate for a country club setting. Appropriate doesn’t necessarily mean “blend in and be indistinguishable from everyone else.”</p>
<p>I think some of you would be surprised that country club is not just all cookie-cutter! Particularly really-rich. The really-rich don’t NEED to be cookie-cutter; they can be eccentric.</p>
<p>Everyone, thanks for the advice. Although the sari idea is nice, we are not Indian and that is not part of my family’s ethnic attire. </p>
<p>I do appreciate that comments and tips about how to socialize with people in cc, but I do find that a little presumptuous. I have attended many events in other venues that had individuals in a higher-income bracket, and I understand how to network with people in that and other socioeconomic backgrounds. I also am not uncomfortable with wealthier people, and I do have extremely well-off friends. I have simply not socialized with these groups of individuals in a country club yet, nor am I worried about how to there.</p>
<p>My only hesitation was on what to wear is because I have heard that cc had a stricter dress code than say, a hotel. Again thanks for all the tips with not only me but my family. You guys have eased my worries about the cc… I just wasn’t sure what to expect!</p>
<p>I am going to give slightly different advice than some of the others. I think it can pay to slightly overdress in this sort of situation. So, if you are a guy, I would suggest wearing khaki pants, a blue blazer, and a shirt and tie. If there are alumni at this event, they will notice this in a positive way. If nobody has on a jacket or tie, you can discretely take off the jacket and put it on a chair. Your parents should dress nicely.
As for any intimidation factor, just remember that the club probably has many members whose children didn’t get into Wake.</p>
<p>Agree that overdressed is always better than underdressed, all else being equal – just didn’t agree that there were only certain, pre-select colors for shirts and ties.<br>
The khaki pants, blue blazer, shirt and tie is always a safe bet; blazers can be taken off, and if really overdressed, a tie can be taken off too. </p>
<p>It’s just a useful thing for any guy to have those clothes on hand, anyway. Who knows what social situations he’ll be exposed to in college? </p>
<p>Maybe I’m dating myself here, but when we were in college and anyone’s parents came to town, they took us to nice restaurants, one step above jeans. And “meeting the new girlfriend’s parents” or going to someone’s home for Thanksgiving dinner (if one wasn’t able to go home over T-giving break) often calls for something above jeans. Learning not to be intimidated by that, learning to have those clothes on hand (for either gender) and wear them with confidence is important, IMO.</p>
<p>Back to your original question, OP – go a step above a polo shirt. That’s not really business casual anyway, IMO. That’s casual-casual.</p>