A viral video has ignited a discussion about whether Apple Watches are appropriate to wear to formal events, a topic that has previously been debated.
Riane Speak shared the video on her TikTok account @speaksgonemild, where it amassed more than 1 million views. It showed three women at a wedding—all of whom were wearing Apple Watches.
While this video recently stirred the conversation about dress codes and whether smartwatches can be worn to formal events, the discussion is not a new one.
Mardis Coers/Getty Images
Dress Codes
There is a wide range of dress codes and what is appropriate to wear for certain occasions.
According to the Emily Post Institute, women may wear a formal evening gown or a dressy cocktail dress for black tie events while men wear shirt studs and cuff links, a black tuxedo jacket with matching trousers and a black bow tie.
White tie, the most formal of dress codes, calls for a floor-length evening gown for women, while men may wear white or gray gloves, a lack dress coat with matching trousers and a white vest.
Apple Watches at Formal Events
“I’m at a wedding and I just have a quick etiquette question,” the voiceover in Speak’s video said. “At what point did it become appropriate to wear an Apple Watch to a formal event?”
Speak said the video was intended as a joke, noting that she appears in the video herself.
Another TikTok user, @naw_sir, said in a video from September that it was a “red flag” for someone to wear an Apple Watch to a formal event.
“Ya mans has no taste, no flavor, and also, no respect,” @naw_sir said. “This should be nowhere near your man’s wrist at these events.”
A Reddit thread shared in 2020 asked for people’s opinions on whether it was acceptable to wear an Apple Watch to these events.
Input From the Internet
TikTok and Reddit users were split on the matter, some saying that it is an accessory best left at home, while others said the watches were appropriate to wear to a formal event.
“You think I’m going to dance all night and not have it counted?” a viewer of Speak’s video wrote.
“It’s a watch,” another viewer said. “Personally I find it better than carrying your phone around.”
“It’s 2022 and people still have [the] need to tell someone what not to wear,” a viewer of @naw_sir’s video commented.
Some suggested that the watch is worn as a necessity.
“I use mine as a medical device,” a viewer said.
“I’m shocked people who don’t realize a lot of people track their heart disease with this,” another comment under Speak’s video read. “Caught my atrial fibrillation trends and adjusted meds by it.”
Many Reddit users said they wear their Apple Watch to formal events, some choosing to wear different bands to go with the watch face.
“If I’m going to a formal event I will wear a ‘fancier’ band like the Milanese band, the stainless steel watch band or a leather one,” a Reddit user said. “I actually get compliments on the watch.”
Hearing From an Expert
Samantha Sutton-Fetch, the senior fashion editor for InStyle, told Newsweek in an email that an Apple Watch with its traditional strap may appear “clunky” when it is styled with formalwear.
“If you’re headed to a wedding or somewhere that requires you to dress up, I’d leave this particular accessory at home, especially if you don’t want it to steal the spotlight and take away from your overall look,” she said. “However, if your Apple Watch is more of a necessity than a casual thing, there is the option of swapping out the strap for one with links.”
Sutton-Fetch pointed out that different brands sell their own bands for consumers to use in place of what comes with the watch at purchase.
“Michael Kors, for instance, sells classic sterling silver straps, while Tory Burch has elegant gold-tone bracelets,” she said. “You can also score a much-loved herringbone design from Goldenerre and if you’re hoping for a little more flair, you’ll find embellished versions with pavé crystals at Coach.”
Other Viral Moments
Other posts relating to fashion have previously gone viral, including a video showing how someone can alter the fit of a dress when it is too loose.
Another video was shared by a woman who discovered that an old dress kept in her attic for 25 years was a $43,000 Dior gown.
One photo left Reddit users “disgusted” as it showed how a boy preferred to wear his socks.
Newsweek reached out to Riane Speak for comment.
