Dumb Formal is a genderless casual clothing and lifestyle brand that encourages you to wear what makes you feel your best—regardless of dress codes, labels, or conventions.

Founded by Kaitlyn Rippon in 2023, Dumb Formal was born out of the frustration of trying to fit in, (I.e., dressing “smart casual”), and the freedom that came with learning not to.

Rooted in timeless, comfortable, classic American style, each piece is made for anyone and built for any-wear.

ABOUT

Dumb Formal

Smart Casual

adjective

Person dressed in a long dark coat, red patterned tie, white shirt and shorts, wearing white socks and black loafers, holding a mug.

  1. A form of clothing that is often times inconsistent with the traditional, neat, or conventional standard of style.

  2. Especially worn to make you feel your best, and not to conform to any particular dress code.

Person with long blonde hair smiling indoors, wearing a black top, in a room with a bed and a television in the background.

KAITLYN RIPPON

CREATED BY

how do you feel in it?

Magazine cover featuring a person leaning against a statue.
Black and white split image: above is a person labeled "Féminin," below is a person labeled "Masculin."
Collage art with a close-up of lips and a speech bubble reading "Your fear of looking stupid is holding you back!", featuring newspaper print and raindrop drawings.
Polo Sport 1992 advertisement featuring Ralph Lauren apparel.

I like When girls wear boys clothes

& When boys are cool about it.

Autonomy, at its simplest, is the ability to act on one’s own values and interests.

An autonomous person makes decisions without influence or fear of judgment from others.

They do what they want, wear what they like, and love who they choose.

Ultimately, this type of person acknowledges the human fear of being different—

And Chooses to do it anyway.

AUTONOMOUS

ATTIRE

Multiple arms and hands showing a middle finger gesture, isolated on a white background.
Person wearing a plaid jacket, tie, jeans, and baseball cap standing in front of a market stall with bananas.
People socializing at a party or gathering

WALKING

CONTRADICTION

fashion that incorporates contradictions, or to a conversational style that is oppositional. 

Person wearing a green blazer, striped shirt, black track pants with white stripes, and brown shoes.
Person wearing beige cowboy boots and a black dress with a high slit, walking on a gray brick surface.
Person wearing double denim outfit with bell-bottom jeans and sneakers, holding a book, walking on a city street.
Person in oversized blazer and jeans seated on a chair, head back, in an artistic pose.
Magazine cover titled 'The Art of Dressing Wrong', featuring a person in an oversized blazer, striped shirt, and casual pants, standing in a room with a black chair.
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Magazine cover titled "Dumb Formal" with a background of casually dressed people walking, wearing jeans and casual shoes, emphasizing a dress code that is not about what you wear, but how you feel and notice.
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Fashion magazine cover featuring a person wearing high boots and a black garment, with the title 'Dumb Formal.' The cover includes sections titled 'What', 'How', 'Feel', and 'Notice' with small text explaining these concepts related to fashion choice
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Cover of Dumb Formal magazine, Spring 2024 issue, featuring two people from the back wearing casual clothing, with text overlaying the image.

Worn Especially To Make You Feel Your Best, And Not To Conform To Any Particular Dress Code.

SMART CASUAL