What do y'all wear when an invite says cocktail attire?

Tux

dress pants and jacket

tie optional

I always took it as formal but with more color and patterns and usually sans tie.

Depends on the specific occasion and how formal it is.

Typical options: a dark colored suit (charcoal, dark grey, or navy) with a nice shirt and tie for more formal cocktail events

Or, a sports coat with nice slacks, shirt, and tie if less formal

If the circumstances are particularly informal for a cocktail occasion then maaaybe I would go without a tie, but I love ties, so nah, I'll wear a tie

Jacket, no tie.

Means you have to have a 'tail' on the coat you wear

Other posters are wrong.

Cocktail attire means a tie, women in a nice knee length type dress.

Dressy casual means no tie
Casual means no tie
Cocktail specifically means wear a tie

cheers

ETA: I'm assuming you're in the South, where the above would apply. Other regions can be less formal (the west in particular)

Ok, thanks

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Means you have to have a 'tail' on the coat you wear

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lol no

Ties are only optional for very informal cocktail events IMO. I'm surprised at how many people are saying no tie.

I think it's better to slightly overdress if you're not sure. No one is going to think it's odd that you're wearing a tie, but if you show up without a tie and everyone else has one, you might feel underdressed.

Plus, you can always take a tie off if you want to. If you don't bring a tie and everyone else has one, you're fricked.