Housewarming party calls for casual dress

Q: I moved into my first house last fall and am finally having a housewarming party. A couple of guests have asked me how they should dress. I didn't think about that. I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to wear. Help!

A: Housewarmings usually are casual affairs, so you may want to let invitees know that they can dress casually. If you want to inject more fun into the event -- and keep some guests from interpreting casual as sloppy -- specify creative casual. Or, ask everyone to incorporate a certain color into whatever they wear.

The host or hostess has the job of greeting everyone and making sure the mood is kept upbeat. There are also a multitude of tasks large and small, such as replenishing food, cleaning up spills, etc.

While you want to wear comfortable footwear, aim to dress with a little polish. A hostess can't go wrong with a pretty skirt or dress slacks with a nice top and ballet flats or a kitten heel. A host usually strikes the right balance in khakis or dress slacks, an open-collar dress shirt or better-quality golf shirt and loafers or dressy sandals.

(E-mail LaMont Jones at ljones(at)post-gazette.com.)

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