Using examples from the 2008 Fall/Winter RTW collections of Ralph Lauren, Naeem Khan, Oscar de la Renta, Malandrino, Doo.Ri, Brian Reyes and Bottega Veneta, here below are how I would crack the cryptic dress codes of white-tie, black-tie, semi-formal, cocktail, business casual and casual, respectively.
I don't claim to be an Emily Post, an Alan Flusser or any individual for whom dressing according to a set of prescribed rules is a matter of being 100% right or 100% wrong, but I do believe, having attended quite a few of each of these myself - except for (sad face) white-tie - I've developed a pretty good sense of how to show up to an event neither too formally nor too casually clothed.
Enjoy, and please, feel free to disagree with me this time. Really, it's okay, I won't mind. I'm actually getting a bit tired of how obsequious and agreeable you all are, day after day. I mean, criminy, one of you has to disagree with something I've written.
White-tie
(floor-length; luxurious fabric; dramatic neckline/back/sleeve; minimal cleavage)
Black-tie (long)(same as above but more liberties allowed with color/print; no push-up cleavage but tasteful deep-V necks are acceptable)
Black-tie (knee-length)(make sure to compensate with formal and conservative colors, cuts, embellishments and fabrics; NO cleavage)
Semi-formal(longer hemline and lower neckline (optional) than cocktail) 
Cocktail
(at or above the knee; color, fabric, neckline and print as "loud" as you're comfortable with)
Business-casual
(no suits; conservatively tailored pieces in formal but not too formal fabrics)
Casual
(loose-fitting through the hips and legs; casual fabrics) 
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