What is Napa Casual?

Dress code is a funny concept, it can be stretched, broken, strictly enforced or simply an unwritten rule that people all seem to adhere to. Also, we hear terms like business casual, business formal, cocktail attire, dressy casual, black tie, white tie, beach formal, urban casual, elegant casual, casual chic, festive attire, resort attire, after-five attire.  We see them on invitations to weddings, birthday parties, etc.

For some reasons, dress codes tend to develop regionally. Lots of different regions use their area to define a specific type of dress code. We’ve heard of Texas Black Tie, Tahoe Casual, Hampton Casual, Hawaii Casual and of course, Napa Casual.  So what does that mean?

Katie Leonardini asked locals what they thought Napa casual meant on her Facebook page. Here are the responses:

The best description she received was sophisticated, elegant, and casual.  And anything that goes well with a glass of wine in hand.

Another person said that we are close to San Francisco, so we are sophisticated, yet not urban.  All black does not work here, and neither does leather which we would wear if heading over the Golden Gate Bridge.  We also don’t go flashy, no sparkles, rhinestone belts, etc.  Signature sunglasses, handbags and shoes are seen everywhere.

Our opinion regarding guests coming in to town is dress how you want to dress.  We love visitors and tourists, and can usually identify your origination within less than a minute! But of course, be comfortable because you will most likely be doing some walking around our property.

If you want to fit in with the locals, spend a few days in the restaurants where the locals go and you will quickly see that sophistication and elegance, while being casual, is the best bet.

At our Bocce party this past weekend we had around 20 guests dressed in their finest “napa casual” attire. Check out these photos to see what I mean.