Bridge tournaments tend to have a larger selection of outfits on the floor than your average fashion show. If you’re attending one, are you dressing for the part?

Here are some tips for making sure that your bridge game’s dress code is on point.

1. Not Sure? Ask

Some bridge games warrant dressing up, some of them warrant dressing down. If the one you’re going to exists in any kind of gray area where you aren’t sure what you should be wearing, call the Powers That Be for your bridge tournament and find out whether formal or informal dress is preferred (or if, for some reason, it’s a costume event).

2. Check the Weather Report

Many bridge games are international – or just local with weird weather. Make sure that you check the weather report for the days of the bridge tournament before showing up, and call up someone who actually lives in the area to ask them what the weather is like that time of year. It can save a lot of effort and often packing.

3. Check with Your Bridge Partner

Other than the weather report, check in with your bridge partner about what they’ll be wearing on the tournament days. It’s great to wear matching outfits for a bridge tournament, but only when it’s intentional on both sides.

Of course, some teams and partnerships can always opt for uniforms, campaign buttons or matching hats.

4. Prepare for Photo Opportunity

Bridge tournaments and photographs usually go together (and not just for the winning partnership). These pictures inevitably end up on the internet: How would you feel about what you wore then? You can play an online game sans pants all you like, but for any chance of photo opportunities at the bridge table, dress approrpriately and keep in mind that it might end up on a website somewhere forever.

5. Never Dress Restrictive

Fashion should never be painful or uncomfortable. Make sure whatever you wear for your bridge game isn’t restrictive (and allows for enough air flow and movement room). Restrictive dress isn’t just unfashionable, but pretty dangerous too: A lack of blood flow can lead to health issues like blood clots.

6. Those Are Great Shoes – but for Eight Hours?

Speaking of restrictive dress, it can often apply to shoes. The ones you’ve picked might seem like the perfect ones for the game, but always ask yourself if they’re still going to be the perfect shoes for the game after several hours of wearing them.

When it comes to fashion, foresight is one of the most important things (and uncomfortable shoes one of the worst). It’s not your grandmother’s bridge game anymore: Shoes are allowed to be comfortable!