Debrett's, whose rules were checked in August 2026, describes white tie as the most formal and rarest code: a black tailcoat with silk lapels, always worn open, and a white shirt fastened with removable studs, not sewn-on buttons. This is what sets it apart from black tie, which is built around the dinner jacket.
The Viennese balls apply it to the letter. At the Vienna Opera Ball, whose 69th edition takes place on Thursday, February 4, 2027, the official regulations require gentlemen to wear a black tailcoat with white shirt, white bow tie and black patent leather shoes, with gala uniform admitted as an option. Ladies wear a floor-length ball gown, in any color; traditional costume and the festive dirndl are expressly excluded. The same requirement applies at the Ball der Wiener Philharmoniker, on Thursday, January 21, 2027 at the Musikverein: long evening gown and tailcoat. Both evenings begin at 10 pm and end at 5 am.