Goodness, the nightmares of my youth. We would go to my aunt's some years. Dress, black tie. Long dinner, ladies to withdraw, led by my aunt, leaving men and the teenage me to our cigars, brandy or port and very bad jokes. Followed by party games last played in about 1910. Dire.
As I am now here at Christmas, I will take Christmas Dinner at lunchtime with my daughter at a hotel restaurant and dress will be traditional Newmarket day formal viz. I'll be wearing lemon yellow corduroy trousers, waistcoat,check shirt and hacking jacket, daughter will wear something tweedy, far too old for her but conventional. Dead comfortable.