Mr. Ashby Guides
Guides
The questions people ask most, answered properly and for free: what to wear, which fork, and how to tell the table you have finished.
By Mr. Ashby, butler, retired. Updated 30 September 2026.
-
Black tie vs black tie optional
What each code asks of a suit and a dress, and what black tie preferred means.
-
The formal table setting, explained
The place setting drawn and numbered, and the outside-in rule.
-
Dress codes explained
The whole ladder, white tie to casual, one drawing per rung.
-
Knife and fork signals
Resting vs finished, and four o’clock vs six.