
What to Wear to a Gala: A Dress Code Decoder
Gala dress codes follow a fixed ladder of formality. Here is what white tie, black tie and morning dress actually require.
Galas follows the benefit circuit from committee lists to auction results: who hosts, who is honored, what a seat costs, and how much of the night's total reaches the charity printed on the invitation. Written for readers who attend these evenings or scrutinize the money behind them.

Gala dress codes follow a fixed ladder of formality. Here is what white tie, black tie and morning dress actually require.

The styling tricks that make a banquet table look expensive, none of which require an expensive budget.

From the first committee meeting to the last paddle raised, a practical timeline for organizers who have never run one before.

Behind every seated dinner and paddle raise sits a hierarchy of volunteers. Here is who actually does what, and how a newcomer earns a chair.

The seat is the product. Committees spend months arranging it.

The first Monday in May is a fundraiser before it is a red carpet — roughly 400 guests, tickets reported at $75,000 apiece, and a guest list approved by one editor, all for the Costume Institute's benefit.