"People, like diamonds, have a basic market value, but it is only after they have been polished that the world will pay their real value."  - William Thourlby

“Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.” -Clarence Thomas

What do James Bond and Cary Grant have in common? They represent the quintessential gentleman. It's what

makes them so charming and beloved. They are smooth and suave, and know how to behave in every situation. What do

they have that I don't? You must be asking yourself. Nothing, it's just that they read the book on etiquette.

Although one might think they're a staple of a bygone era, true gentlemen never go out of style.

Basic Good Manners1) Don't flaunt your richesNobody likes a braggart. Keep your assets

vague if you have to discuss financial matters. You can wear expensive things without blowing your own trumpet.

2) Never let others see you looking at your watchWhen you're amid company, ask for the time or look at your watch only if you're ready to leave right that instant. When others notice you glancing at the time, it can be interpreted as boredom. Be inconspicuous.

3) Never groom yourself in publicThis includes picking your nose, chewing your nails and picking your teeth. These areas should only be ventured in private. Committing these acts overtly is a colossal mark of a lack of class.

4) Be punctualPerhaps the greatest sign of respect, which is what a gentleman is all about, is being on time. Having people wait for you is the equivalent of telling them that you don't care about them.

5) Shake hands firmlyYour handshake should mirror your personality. You want the other person to think of you as someone resolved, concrete and positive. But it shouldn't be a test of your strength; don't hurt them. Your grip should be the same for women.

6) Apply constant verbal graceUse "excuse me" or "I beg your pardon" for all occasions. An extension of politeness, you should always use these expressions, whether it's to get someone to move out of your way, to apologize for your upcoming journey to the men's room, or simply to signal your interlocutors that you're about to start a sentence.

7) Tip well and discreetlyOnly tip when it's called for, as opposed to those occasions when it's simply awkward (i.e. hospital nurses or

business messenger). When you do tip, don't be cheap. Respect the 15% gratuity for restaurant tabs and nothing less than $10 for a significantly useful maitre d'.

8) Project high moral valuesEven if you know that deep down you're not, appear as if you were virtuous. A real gentleman always comes out of everything smelling like a rose.

The Basics of Chivalry

In addition to the aforementioned rules, gentlemen (in training) should follow these additional rules when in the presence of a lady. Chivalry may be on life support, but it is not dead yet. Be one of the few to keep this flame burning for many years to come.

1. Always open doors: This is perhaps the most basic rule of male etiquette out there. It is also one of the easiest to follow so you have no reason to forget it. Whether she is about to enter your car, restaurant, club, or anyplace with a door, you should always hold it open. If there are many doors, then hold them open one after the other.

2. Put on her coat: Always help a lady put on her coat or overgarment. This is a simple but powerful action.

3. Help with her seat: If an unaccompanied lady is sitting next to you, it is important that you help her be seated by pulling her chair out for her and gently pushing it back into place, with the lady seated of course.

4. Give up your seat: If a lady arrives at the table and there are no available seats, you should stand up and offer yours to her.

5. Stand at attention: Always stand when a lady enters or exits the room. This rule has been somewhat relaxed, so you can stand upon entrance but remain seated upon exit. Nonetheless, if you can do both, you should.

6. Give her your arm: When escorting a lady (that you know) to and from social events, you should offer her your arm. This is a little more intimate, but serves well when walking on uneven ground -- especially if she's wearing high heels.

7. Ask if she needs anything: This is one that most guys already do, but helps complete the gentleman in all of us nevertheless. When at social events, make sure to ask the lady if you can get her something to drink (or eat, depending on the event). Show her that you care about her comfort and needs.

8. Open the door : In a business context, opening the door for women can be a contentious issue, so don't make it too obvious. If there are men and women in the group, hold the door for everyone. In a social context, a gentleman will always hold the door for a lady. In addition, go around to open the car door and wait there until she is seated.

9. Retrieve dropped items: When someone drops something, pick it up and hand it back, whether it's a glove, a file folder or a twenty-dollar bill. Make sure you bend at the knees, not from the waist.

10.Walk beside a lady on the stairs: Never walk behind a woman on the stairway, especially if she's wearing a miniskirt. Walk beside her or slightly ahead of her on the stairs. When exiting a subway station in a crush of people, a gentleman will avert his eyes from the thighs ahead of him. The same principle applies if you are walking on the streets; don't follow any woman you don't know too closely.

11.Walk on the outside of a sidewalk: This allows your lady to be farther from the traffic. This way, if someone is going to be splashed, it will be you, not her. I know, I know... but that's the price to pay if you want to be a gentleman.

As author John Bridges says, being a gentleman requires "a little logic, a bit of forethought and a great deal of consideration for others."

Gentlemen, if I may call you that, these are the rules of etiquette you should observe in everyday life. Elevate yourself above the rabble and display the mannerisms of a true gentleman. The world will appreciate such a rarity and your career will most definitely benefit from your good manners and savoir-faire .

Party etiquette

The following tips apply for those occasions when you are venturing out into social events and get-togethers. God forbid you didn't know how to act like the gentleman you are.

1. Acknowledge your acquaintances : Don't play hide & seek with the people you know, even if you don't feel like talking to them. Bite the bullet, initiate the mandatory greetings, and get it over with.

2. Address new acquaintances by their title and last name: Doctor and military ranks are important to the people who have these titles. Mr. and Mrs. should be used for the others (if you're unsure about a woman's marital status, use Ms. when addressing her). Wait until they ask you to use their first name before doing so. There's nothing more irritating than someone who uses your first name two minutes after having met you.

3. Look at your interlocutor: Your attention should always be focused on the person you are talking with. Always look at them when listening as well as when you are in control of the conversation. Again, it's a question of respect.

4. At dinner, address those on your left and right: Unless it's a frat house keg fest, don't shout across the table -- concentrate on those closest to you. This will keep the proceedings calm and orderly.

5. Never remove coat or necktie when in company: By keeping your clothes on, you show that you consider the other guests important enough for you to remain fashionably tip-top.

6. Only talk when you've been formally introduced: Which is why the phrases "Have we met?" or "Have we been introduced?" are so handy. If you feel like speaking to somebody, find a person the two of you have in common and arrange a proper introduction.

7. Let your social superiors address you first: Unless you are on intimate terms, always let your social superior address you. This may seem archaic, but think of it in modern terms. You see Bill Gates at the party; do you go talk to him? Not unless you want his bodyguard to intervene. It can be clumsy, so arrange an introduction.

Feeling Gallant?

You know how to act around the ladies, don't you?

1. Never smoke in the presence of a lady unless invited to: In this age of political correctness it has almost become a given. While she may not ask you to, make sure you do request her permission.

2. Remove the cigar from your lips if a lady passes by: This one is pure common sense. It's a security measure as well as an indicator of high regard.

3. Offer your seat to women: Classics are always fashionable. Some feminists would certainly have a fit, but most women will definitely value the gesture.

4. Always carry a woman's packages: Let's face it; today's women would probably shoot you a puzzled fleeting look, so at least offer to do so. This lets her know you respect her and are courteous enough to inquire as to her comfort.

5. Carry a handkerchief: Plan ahead. Have a clean handkerchief in your pocket, especially when you attend a funeral. It's also a great idea to have a hanky handy for a lady friend to dry raindrops or tears.

6. Share your umbrella: It's very gallant to offer your umbrella to a lady. On a chilly evening or if the air conditioning is high, your wife or date might appreciate the loan of your suit jacket and others will notice your thoughtfulness. However, this gesture may be viewed as patronizing in a business setting, so don't do it for a female colleague unless hypothermia is imminent.

7. Cough thoughtfully: If you're overcome by a fit of coughing or sneezing, excuse yourself and leave the meeting or dinner table for a few minutes. Return quietly and apologize again as you take your seat.

8. Pay the bill discreetly: When you invite someone for lunch or dinner, accept the bill discreetly and without fanfare. When you're the guest, you may offer to pay your share or to buy the wine but it is ungentlemanly to argue about who will pay the tab.

Finally, while excessive chivalry is what drove Don Quixote to madness, good manners are never uninvited in this era of fast business and faster relationships. Remember that behaving like a gentleman brings out the lady in every woman.

Courtesy & Consideration

1. Don't "kiss and tell": Discretion, honor and integrity are of paramount importance in developing and maintaining your reputation as a gentleman. Details of your love life should remain private. Similarly, if a colleague has too much to drink at a party, be discreet. Never break a confidence and don't participate in unkind gossip.

2. Interrupt politely: Etiquette dictates that you should never interrupt, but that's not always practical. Interjecting your comments while someone else is speaking is definitely impolite, unless there is an emergency, or other good and valid reason. If you must interrupt or leave a conversational group, be sure to say, "excuse me" or "I beg your pardon." Being polite means treating other people's situations, opinions and feelings with respect.

3. Be prudently punctual: It's important to be respectful of people's time. Arrive on time for meetings, business functions and social events. If a meeting is dragging on later in the day than planned, a gent will ask if there are any time conflicts. A true gentleman also recognizes when it's time to leave a party.

Suave Communication

1. Practice good etiquette: Being courteous and respectful extends to how you handle your oral and written communications. Letters and voicemail messages should show that you are well-mannered and professional. In addition, practice e-mail Netiquette and cell phone etiquette.

2. Be a gracious guest: Thank the host at a social or business function. At a company party, always seek out and thank the most senior management in attendance, plus your own boss and the party organizers.

3. Thank others: Send handwritten thank-you notes for any gifts you receive, whether they are from suppliers or clients, or even your great-aunt Martha. Thank your server at lunch, the doorman at your building and your colleague who brings in donuts. Recognizing other people's thoughtfulness demonstrates your good breeding.

4. Don't be politically incorrect: The difference between a gentleman and a boor is class. Show you have it. Avoid off-color jokes and gossip. A few cheap laughs at someone else's expense will tarnish your image, both socially and professionally.

5. Practice small talk: Whether you're at a wedding reception or business conference, how you make conversation will boost the impression of your refinement. Charming conversationalists mentally rehearse small talk on a variety of topics, avoiding religion, politics and sex. A gentleman listens attentively, making eye contact, showing interest and graciously drawing other people into a conversation.

Table Manners

1. Never speak with food in your mouth: No one wants to see what you're chewing or listen to you talk with a mouthful of food. If you're asked something and your mouth is full, signal your apologies and, if your dining partners are refined, they will patiently wait until you're able to reply. Unless there's a valid reason to wolf down your food and bolt from the table, eat slowly and converse with your tablemates.

2. Don't reach across someone: When dining with others, don't reach over; politely ask someone to pass the bread. When they do, take the tray or basket and offer the passer a piece of bread before taking one. If the bread is in front of you, pass it to the person beside you and, if they are knowledgeable about good etiquette, they will offer it to you before taking their own.

3. Put down your knife: Unless you're expecting an attack from a pack of marauding wild animals, put down your knife after cutting your food and before eating it. It demonstrates good table manners, slows down the process of eating and allows you more time to showcase your talents as a scintillating conversationalist.

4. Follow the host's lead: At a business dinner or dinner party, don't sit until your host does, and don't begin eating until they have lifted their fork. Wait to drink your wine until your host proposes a toast or takes a sip. Do not smoke until everyone has finished, and then only smoke if it is clearly permitted and once you have asked permission of your tablemates.

5. Bring your food to your face, not your face to your food: You shouldn’t be leaning over your food, shoveling it into your mouth with a distance traveled of only 6 inches.  Instead, sit straight, balance a single bite on the utensil of choice and bring it directly to your mouth.  And never drink from your soup bowl.

Informal Dining – Non-seated

By non-seated, I mean there will be no set time in which everyone sits around a table to dine as a group.

Examples are picnics and barbeques where people arrive, eat, and leave at various times. 

And although table manners here are much more relaxed, there are still a few rules of dining etiquette you should pay attention to.

• Take an average sized serving – It is bad form to find you can only eat half the food on your plate and that your excess caused a fellow guest to miss out on the dish entirely.  Going back for a second serving, assuming there is plenty, is always a compliment to the chef.

• Do not double dip – If you really like the dip, and need every part of your chip covered in it, use a spoon and make your own dipping station on your plate.

• Precutting meat- Cut for yourself and those immediately around you – do not cut the entire roast as it will cause the meat to dry out quicker.

• Clean-up after yourself – Do I need to say more?

Informal Dining – Seated

Informal Dinner Setting

By informal seated dining I mean that at some point all parties will be seated and a set meal will be served and conversation will take place over food. 

Examples are recruiting events, business meals, or Easter dinner with the fiancée’s family.  This is a place setting you might see. 

Note the word Luncheon could be substituted for breakfast or dinner, as you can see this set-up anytime of the day.

The general guidelines are this:

Everything revolves around the plateo Forks to the left

o Spoons and knives to the right.

When it comes to silverware, o You start on the outside and work inward. 

Therefore, if in the picture above we had a fork for appetizers (which we do not), it would be to the left of the dinner fork (which is the one seen).  Your glass, when not in use, should remain in the upper right area of your setting.  Notice the water goblet is usually larger than your wine glass.

Formal Dining

Formal Dinner Setting

The first clue that you’ll be attending a formal dinner will be the uniform – suits and in many cases black tie are required.  The picture will give you an idea of the set-up you’ll face.

The Napkin

Place your napkin in your lap within 1 minute of sitting at the table to dine. 

Do not tuck it into the front of your shirt collar like a bib or into your pants; unfold it just enough to cover your lap (usual leaving it half folded is enough, although fully unfolded is fine for larger men). 

Although it can serve to protect your trousers from a spill, its main purpose is to enable you to seamlessly remove food from the sides of your mouth. 

As such, use it when needed and when finished or excusing yourself from the table place it neatly to the left of your plate.

-(Ese Es David) Don’t hog all the food for yourself

When to Start Eating?

The simple and safe answer to this question is when others do. 

The reality is that it is often unclear, as that hot food is being served and the hostess along with a helper are still in the kitchen and a few guests are out wandering around out of earshot. 

In this case, if hot food is being served and at least two people are seated, you may begin. 

If the meal is orderly, and everyone is seated, then once three to four people have been served you may begin (assuming a group larger than 4 – if 4 or smaller wait for everyone to be served). 

The general guideline is to never eat alone, but to eat hot food while it is still hot.

A prayer, if to be said, should be initiated by the host but can be given by anyone. 

It should be given before the meal is served.  

Don’t reach across the table

Elbows, Reaching, and Spills

Placing your elbows on the table while the meal is in progress should be avoided

However, there is nothing wrong with putting them on the table during a conversation between meals and during coffee or tea. 

Reaching on the other hand is never allowed; if anything is beyond your normal reach (meaning you have to rise from your seat to get to it) or is within another’s personal space, always ask the person closest to pass the item you need.  

And if something spills?  First, deal with the item spilling and next do what you can to assist the host with the immediate cleanup.  And then forget about it and enjoy your meal.

Dealing with Food You Do Not Want

• You simply do not want to try it – If you haven’t tried it, how do you know you won’t like it?  Always try to take just a little of all dishes offered; sometimes that little stays on the plate after a single bite, but at least the host was not offended. 

• You have a restrictive diet – Depending on how restrictive, you may want to notify your host beforehand so that they can make special arrangements.  I recently hosted a dinner where a number of the guests were fasting for Lent.  Although it required a little extra work, my wife and I were more than happy to accommodate our guest’s diet restrictions.  If the event you are attending is large and the host is not easily accessible, you may want to eat well the meal before in the case you are forced to eat light that evening. 

• Saying no to alcohol – Being a non-drinker, I have run into situations where alcohol consumption is expected by all men present.  On many occasions when visiting family in Ukraine I have been pressured heavily to partake in traditional shots of Vodka.  My solution here is to take one glass, toast with the family, and then touch it to my lips.  This works for me, and now that I have built a reputation as a non-drinker the issue rarely arises.  The key is whatever your decision when pressured to drink, keep your choice consistent and you will run into less problems and hurt feelings.

How to Signal You Are Finished

The proper way to signal you are finished with your meal is to place your knife and fork in the 4:20 position. 

Your fork should be closest to you with tongs pointed up, the knife with its cutting edge facing the fork’s tongs; not only does this tell a waiter or host that you are finished, it is the most stable position for your silverware when a person seeks to clear your place for dessert or drinks.

I’m Finished with my Meal

Saying Goodbye

Before leaving, say thank you to your hosts – all of them. 

If the event is large (more than 30 people) and you must leave immediately but your hosts are in the middle of entertaining other guests, you can pull a French leave and slip out without saying goodbye directly – in these situations it is prudent to ask a trusted friend, if present, to pass a goodbye message. 

However, a follow-up call or message within 24 hours is mandatory to explain why you departed without saying goodbye.

Final Tips

1.Enjoy yourself and have a few drinks if you are so inclined; however do not ruin your host’s night by being the guy who after a half-dozen drinks starts making off-color comments and then argues loudly with his girlfriend.

2.Talk with people – I mean, really listen to them, understand what they say, and have a good conversation.  If you are the only person who has spoken for the last 10 minutes, you are not having a conversation – you are giving a presentation.

3.Turn the cell phone off and enjoy the moment.  Do not put it on silent, as nothing says “Our conversation is less important than some random call” than you peeking at your cell phone every 5 minutes.  You can live without Twitter and Facebook for a night.

4.The best way to acquire proper table manners is to practice them at every meal; make them a habit, teach them to your children, and when you need them they will be there.

“The dinner table is the center for the teaching and practicing not just of table manners but of conversation, consideration, tolerance, family feeling, and just about all

the other accomplishments of polite society except the minuet.”   -Judith Martin

NOW UNTO CLOTHING (ESPECIALMENTE PARA LOS ZAPATOS DE RAFAEL Y EL CLOSET COMPLETO DE DAVID )

A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO EVENING WEAR

In spite of male evening clothes being highly formulaic and regimented by their very nature, opportunities to observe this particular masculine attire being worn correctly today are surprisingly rare.

Prior to World War II, the average man took his fashion cues from an upper class that considered proper appearance to be a very serious matter and could afford the services of highly experienced tailors to suit their standards. 

All that changed following the war as the expansion of the middle class, youth culture, popular media and relaxed social standards gradually led to a fashion free-for-all. 

Society’s previous emphasis on appearing mature and sophisticated gave way to a preference for youthfulness and sex appeal. 

This shift in focus has been significantly detrimental to classic formal wear which is not simply about what’s currently popular but what’s traditionally acceptable; after all, the very definition of formal is the preserving of a “form” or tradition.

In today’s world that often means tuxedo rental companies, fashion magazines and red carpet celebrities and therein lies the rub: the clothes being hyped by these sources are primarily designed to feed America’s obsession with the next fleeting fad. 

The trendy variations offered each season by upscale designers and

mainstream manufacturers may be fine for teenage proms and youthful nuptials but they certainly won't hold water at proper black-tie events where guests are expected to be adult enough to know better.

A mature understanding of black tie must come instead from an appreciation of the rich tapestry of tradition that lies hidden beneath its visible components. 

Thanks to modern society's ignorance of traditional etiquette, the amount of detail contained in the precise definition of black tie can seem a little overwhelming at first.  

It may also appear somewhat arbitrary to people born after 1980 who are used to casual eateries and casual workplaces which lack any semblance of a formal dress code. 

However, once a man begins to understand the premise of an outfit being correct rather than just passable, he realizes the significant benefits of a dress code. 

Acing the black-tie test has nothing to do with skill or experience, it is simply a matter of following the rules.

Black Tie

No matter what extremes Hollywood people go to in making black tie garish and tieless, the real thing retains its unassailable verve, élan and sheer swankiness.

Glenn O’Brien (GQ “Style Guy”)

The black-tie code in context:

The code is used specifically to maximize an occasion’s formality 

"Formal", in turn, is defined as the maintaining of tradition

Traditions evolve  (If they didn’t then the tuxedo would still

be unacceptable in mixed company

The current definition of proper black tie, like most contemporary definitions throughout its past, provides options that can produce either a timeless look or a look relative to a specific era. 

While the relative look can be hit or miss (remember ruffled shirts and powder blue suits?) the timeless look delivers optimal results every time: It makes a man look taller, stronger and younger, it focuses attention on his face, it provides sophistication, swank and uniformity and it channels time-honored sartorial convention.  

Therefore if we strip past and present black-tie definitions of their temporal variations, we are left with the quintessential or “classic” black tie code: the Depression-era ideal.

Prior to the 1930s black tie was still largely an informal offshoot of white tie, borrowing its parent’s white waistcoat, stiff shirt and even bow tie at times. 

During the Depression era it finally came into its own with its standardization of the black waistcoat, adoption of a formal turndown-collar shirt and acceptance of swank warm-weather alternatives such as the double-breasted and white jackets and the cummerbund. 

“No other era could have produced such a sartorial success,” says author and designer Alan Flusser.  “Since the culmination of the dinner jacket’s design in the late 1930s, men’s fashion has yet to improve upon the genius of its original design or the unimpeachable refinement of its accoutrements.”  

It is for this reason that the standards of the 1930s have remained the benchmarks for successful black tie to this day.

1) Jacket Fabric:

o Black wool is the norm

o Midnight blue is equally correct

Model can be:o Single-breasted

o Double-breasted

Lapels can be:o Peaked lapel

o Shawl collar

o Notched lapel is most popular but not accepted by

traditionalists and can have:  Satin facing Grosgrain facing

No vents is most formal One button is traditional for single-breasted models but two

buttons are becoming acceptable Pockets should not have flaps

2) Trousers Same material as jacket Single braid along outside seams to match lapel facings Cut for suspenders (braces in UK) No cuffs (turnups in UK)

3) Waist Covering Optional waist covering is traditionally either:

o Black cummerbund made from silk to match jacket facing

o Best suited to shawl collar jacket; not particularly popular in

o Europe

o Black low-cut evening waistcoat; best suited to peaked lapel

o Jacket

o Either is worn with single-breasted jacket models but not

with double-breasted

4) Shirt White fabric, turndown collar Fronts can be either pleated or piqué (marcella in UK) Shirt traditionally has eyelets for studs; some authorities allow for

fly-fronts French cuffs (double cuffs in UK) Wing collar is considered unflattering or inappropriate for black tie

by most authorities; some allow it but only in its traditional white tie form

5) Neckwear Black self-tie silk bow tie to match lapel facings Black silk four-in-hand tie (long tie) has become a popular

alternative although it is rejected by traditionalists

6) Footwear Black shoes can be

o Patent or highly polished leather oxfords (most popular)    ·

o Patent or highly polished leather pumps (most traditional)

Black silk or fine fabric hose, over-the-calf length

7) Accessories Harmonizing black, gold or mother-of-pearl studs and cufflinks Suspenders (braces in UK) of black or white silk   Optional white silk or linen handkerchief as pocket square

8) Outerwear Chesterfield coat is most conventional but any other dark dressy

coat is acceptable; rain (trench) coats are not appropriate Evening dress scarf of white silk with tassels

Classic Tuxedos (Dinner Suits) 

 

The dinner jacket is the foundation of the black-tie ensemble.  The model, style and facings chosen for the jacket set the tone for the formality and swank of the remaining attire.  It also embodies the refined minimalism that sets evening wear above a simple suit through the clever concealment of each garment’s working parts.

 

 

Jacket Model and Style

Model

  

The original and most formal model of dinner jacket is the single-breasted model.  Unlike regular suits it has only one button which allows the front to be cut in a deep “V” shape that mimics the ideal male torso.  Because the single-breasted model is often worn unbuttoned (see sidebar) it requires that the trousers’ exposed waistband be covered by a cummerbund or waistcoat.  This in turn provides more opportunities for versatility in a man's formal ensemble. 

The double-breasted model became accepted as an informal alternative to the single-breasted in the 1930s and is now considered equally correct.  This model looks better buttoned when the wearer is standing so there is no need for any sort of waist covering.  However, because men usually prefer to unbutton their jacket when seated the double-breasted option could be considered less convenient.  This type of jacket traditionally has four buttons

and fastens with either the bottom row (known as 4-on-1 style) or both rows (4-on-2) depending on the cut.   

 

Lapels

The peaked lapel and shawl collar are equally authentic and correct.   

The peaked lapel is derived from the tailcoat and for that reason it is considered the more formal of the two styles.  The upward and outward sweep of this style also serve to emphasize height and shoulder width.  The shawl collar, on the other hand, is influenced by the smoking jacket and conveys a softer image than its angular counterpart.  Considered less formal due to its origins, it nonetheless appeals to urbane dressers due to its after-six exclusivity.  The shawl collar is also the style most popular on warm weather jackets and other alternative dinner jackets.   

Although the notched lapel is by far the most popular style today and proponents point out that it has made occasional appearances since Victorian times, the style’s derivation from the common lounge suit has traditionally limited it to a fashion-forward alternative.  It was not until the late 1970s that etiquette and style experts began to consider it to be correct for formal attire and even then its acceptance was limited.  Therefore this style is covered in the Contemporary Black Tie section.

 

Vents

 

The original dinner jackets were made without vents then later offered with side vents. While side vents provide easier access to trouser pockets and are more comfortable to sit in, they can also make the jacket less slimming and somewhat compromise the intended formality of the tuxedo.

The center (aka single) vent is unacceptable not only because of its sporty pedigree (it was designed for horseback riding) but also because it opens up when a man reaches into his trouser pockets thus exposing the seat of his pants and often a white patch of shirt to boot.  Despite its inappropriateness, the single vent is becoming more common on dinner jackets as mainstream manufacturers save money by patterning their tuxedos on standard suit styles.  Fortunately, a good tailor can convert these jackets into ventless models by closing the vent. 

 

 

Jacket Fabric

Ever since the British perfected the process of making and tailoring cloth, refined dressers have harmonized their clothing with their environment.  This is seen in the customary association of of dark finished worsteds with urban settings, earth-tone coarse tweeds with the countryside and pale lightweight fabrics with the summer months.  Thus it is only logical that the darkest and most refined materials would be reserved for after-dark socializing.

Color

Besides its natural association with night, the deliberate use of black for traditional evening wear has two distinct aesthetic advantages.  First, it imbues the wearer with an aura of dominance and power.  Second, when worn with a white shirt and accessories the juxtaposition of black's complete lack of color against white's complete spectrum of color creates the greatest contrast possible.  “If the topic was printing rather than formal dress,” observed the author of The Aesthetics of the Tuxedo, “classic black tie would be the equivalent of putting words in bold.”

While black is the norm, midnight blue is also a classic.  This extremely dark hue of navy blue achieved its popularity in the 1930s due to its ability to retain its richness under artificial light whereas black fabric is generally more reflective and can sometimes give off a greenish or grayish cast, particularly if the cloth is not brand new.  For this reason midnight blue is frequently described as being "blacker than black" although "richer than black" would be a more accurate definition.  Similarly, midnight blue has the upper hand at parties that start prior to sunset because black has a tendency to appear dull and lifeless in daylight.  Sadly, such a garment is rarely offered in the ready-to-wear world and usually has to be obtained on a made-to-measure basis.

A white dinner jacket may be worn in warm weather but only under certain conditions.  See Warm-Weather Black Tie for complete details.

 

Material

 

Formal suits are typically made from finished or unfinished worsted wool (a type of yarn that produces a firm, napless fabric).  Because tuxedos are worn far less frequently than business suits and don’t have to stand up to the same amount of wear and tear over time they can be made of a much finer wool than their everyday counterparts.   

In his book Dressing the Man, classic couturier Alan Flusser provides sage advice on the benefits of discretion when choosing a fabric finish:

Like the tailcoat, dinner clothes are trimmed in facings of varying degrees of luster; therefore, so as not to overstate the sheen quotient, the dinner jacket’s base cloth should be in a dulled or matte finish.  Subtle textured weave effects such as baratheas and mini-herringbones, or quiet variegated effects

avoid affectation while adding surface interest to the formal ensemble. 

This recommendation applies more to North Americans as British tailors generally consider barathea to be the norm for eveningwear wools and silks.

Despite what some salespeople will claim, there is no such thing as a year-round weight for suit material.  However, since formal affairs almost invariably take place in climate-controlled environments, experts concur that a 9-10 ounce fabric (300-340 grams/square metre) is the most practical choice. 

 

Jacket Finishes

 

Lapel Facings

One of the most distinctive traits of a tuxedo jacket is the decorative covering on the lapels known as facing.  This not only provides a jacket with an elegant flair but also emphasizes the “V” effect created by peaked lapels.  The best facings are made of pure silk, while less expensive ones contain a synthetic component.  The silk can take the form of smooth satin or the dulled ribbed texture of grosgrain.  Although the former is much more common in North America – and particularly well suited to the shawl collar – the latter, according to Flusser, is preferred in England due to its association with custom tailoring.

Be aware that the facing chosen for the lapels will determine the type of material used for the bow tie and cummerbund and possibly the waistcoat.  Here too, grosgrain may be seen as preferable because it permits some contrast in textures for the bow tie while satin facings require the neckwear to match which may result in an affected look.      

With a midnight-blue dinner suit facings are typically black.

 

Lapel Buttonhole

Classic sartorial pundits strongly recommend that all dinner jackets have a working buttonhole on the left lapel for a boutonniere (buttonhole in UK – the literal translation of the French term).  Ready-to-wear jackets may have to be taken to a qualified tailor who will know where to locate the hole and how to skillfully add it to the silk-faced lapel.  Custom-made formal jackets will also sometimes have a stem holder on the reverse side of the lapel.  This is typically a small cord that keeps the stem in place so that the flower does not fall out of one's lapel over the course of an evening of dining and dancing. 

 

Pockets

The double-besomed jetted (slit) hip pocket is the only style understated enough to compliment the dressy dinner jacket.  Flap pockets are not appropriate for formal attire’s refined minimalism due to their busier and bulkier design and are simply an attempt by tuxedo manufacturers to save money by using standard suit patterns (although sometimes they will trim the edges of a flap pocket so that the flap can be tucked in or removed if desired). 

Besom welts can be of self fabric or trimmed with the lapel’s silk facing, though classic menswear scholar Nicholas Antongiavanni suggests that for the English this latter touch “is a sure sign of hired clothes”. 

The dinner jacket should also have a welt breast pocket to hold a pocket handkerchief.  Ticket pockets are for functional day suits and would only create unnecessary clutter on a dinner jacket.

 

Buttons

The jacket’s sleeves should be finished with four buttons with their edges touching, just like the sleeves on the tailcoat and better business suits. 

All of the jacket’s buttons can be plain black or covered in the lapel’s facing.

 

Trousers

Black-tie trousers are made of the same fabric as the jacket.  

The waistband is meant to be covered either by a cummerbund, waistcoat or closed double-breasted jacket so it is essential that it sits high enough to remain hidden throughout the evening.  Men with a trim waistline and an expert tailor can accomplish this by means of custom-made trousers with adjustable side tabs.  Everyone else will require trousers cut for suspenders (braces in the UK).  Belts are out of the question as they add bulk to the waistline and will invariably become exposed as the trouser waist gradually creeps downwards.

A trimmed waistband is a relatively recent invention designed to replace the cummerbund but its inability to cover the shirt's waist makes it a poor substitute. 

The side seams of formal trousers are also covered.  Employing a technique common to military dress uniforms, they are concealed by a single band of

facing that is either satin or grosgrain to match the jacket’s lapels.  In the past braid was also used for this purpose but today the term is often used generically to refer to the more common silk stripe.  This elegant detail also serves to emphasize the suit’s vertical lines thus enhancing the wearer’s height.

The formal trouser’s minimalism is rounded out by strategically placed side pockets and the absence of cuffs.  Side pockets are usually cut on the trouser’s side seam making them virtually invisible and more easily accessible, particularly when wearing a cummerbund or waistcoat.  Trouser legs are always plain because cuffs (turn-ups in UK) are too casual (they originated as a mudguard) and would interfere with the side braid.

The absence or presence of pleats is a matter of comfort and personal preference and does not impact a dinner suit’s formality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single-breasted peaked lapel.

Single-breasted shawl collar.

Double-breasted peaked lapel,

buttoned 4-on-1

Double-breasted shawl collar,

buttoned 4-on-2.

Side vents.

The difference between midnight blue and black is most obvious in daylight (top) and least apparent in artificial light (bottom).

 

 

 

Barathea dinner jacket from British bespoke tailors Norton & Townsend. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grosgrain detail.

 

 

 

 

Buttonholes are not as common in shawl collars most likely because  they tend to interfere with the uninterrupted line of the collar.

 

 

 

Besom hip pocket.

 

 

Correct sleeve buttons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evening trousers' vertical stripe (shown here in satin) and side pockets emphasize height.

 

 

Bona fide braid.

Classic Black-Tie Shirts 

A Tale of Two Collars 

Once upon a time the dinner jacket was born as the informal offspring of the majestic tailcoat and had no accessories to call its own.  

For many years it borrowed the stiff-front wing-collar shirt from its full-dress parent. 

Then the jacket came of age in the glorious sartorial days of the 1930s with a unique dress code that included a soft-front shirt with a turndown collar. 

This soon became the standard black-tie shirt and remained so until a very dark time known as the seventies when an evil imposter appeared. 

 

 

Wing-Collar Shirt 

The Full-Dress Original

The full-dress shirt is the only classic style of wing collar

With its tall, starched wing collar and stiff, plain bosom, this classic shirt radiates the elegance and gentility of a nobler era and imbues the most ordinary of men with an aristocratic air. 

Despite being rarely seen with black tie since the 1940s, some sartorial authorities such as Alan Flusser and Nicholas Antongiavanni advise that this option remains perfectly acceptable today, although it should be limited to the very formal single-breasted peaked-lapel jacket. 

Other pundits argue that the wing collar should remain the domain of white tie for aesthetic reasons. 

Etiquette maven Miss Manners is one of those who feel that while the bow tie’s uncovered band is fine in a white-on-white scheme, “gentlemen with their black ties exposed all around their necks look silly.”  

Canadian style guru Russell Smith agrees, finding the visible metal clasp of the tie band to be particularly unattractive.  He also notes the fact that “the wing collar’s height pushes against a double chin and makes a full-faced or overweight man look constrained and puffy.” 

The Modern Reinvention

In the 1960s American manufacturers created the attached collar version of the wing-collar shirt. 

At first it maintained the traits of the original but by the late 1970s it was featuring soft pleated fronts with miniscule wings -- modern and much maligned incarnation

 

 

Turndown-Collar Shirt 

Popularized in the early 1930s by the future Duke of Windsor, turndown-collar dinner shirts offered a more comfortable and practical alternative to the cardboard-stiff full-dress model in that they were softer, did not require extensive starching and laundering and could be buttoned in front instead of in the back. 

Initially considered too informal for any occasion outside of summer, they soon became the black-tie shirt of choice following the war.  

The body of a soft evening shirt is typically constructed of a thin fabric that provides maximum breathability such as fine broadcloth, poplin, batiste or voile. 

The turndown collar can either be spread or semi-spread as shown in the pictures to the right and bottom left.  The spread version is more formal and because its tips are hidden under the jacket lapels it is well suited for the streamlined shawl-collar.  The sleeves of soft-front shirts always carry French cuffs (double cuffs in the UK). 

1/2" pleat with spread collar

The final visible portion of the shirt, the bosom, is a bib-shaped or vertically rectangular double layer of fabric unique to formal shirts. 

The bosom is traditionally decorated with pleats or piqué. 

For the first option, wide or “box” pleats were the most 3/4" pleat with semi-spread collar common style during the 1930s but the narrow pleats

that are so popular today have been around since the 1940s. 

A dressier alternative was devised by London shirt makers of the 1930s who decorated the bosom, cuffs and collars with the piqué normally associated with the full-dress shirt. 

This combination is commonly known as a marcella shirt after the British term for the birdseye pattern that is used in the piqué.  

Black-tie shirts are traditionally closed with two to three studs depending on the wearer’s height although it should be noted that some classic etiquette authorities limited studs to stiff-front shirts only and prescribed pearl buttons for soft-front models instead. 

Marcella shirt

Bosoms can be unstarched (“soft- front”) or lightly starched (“semi-stiff”). 

In the latter case, the bib should end above the waistline to prevent it from billowing out when the wearer sits down. 

And to keep either type of shirt front from pulling out of the trousers when the wearer stands up, higher-end models

will have a tab that attaches to a button on the inside of the trouser waistband. 

Voile formal shirt Bib, collar and cuffs

Like the bottom of the shirt’s bib, the tab is hidden by the formal waist covering.

There are no pockets on formal shirts as they are not considered dressy and would interfere with the reinforced

Trouser tab bosom.

Classic Black-Tie Footwear

Whether slip-on or lace-up, the defining characteristic of formal footwear is its aesthetic minimalism. 

“Small, slim, and narrow feet give a light, quick, and (and hence) young lift to the overall silhouette” explains the black-tie treatise The Aesthetics of the Tuxedo, pointing out that this optical slight-of-hand was often employed by vintage fashion illustrators. 

Consequently, formal shoes have a distinctly slipper-like appearance.

Patent leather was the material of choice for evening shoes from the 1850s through to the 1950s when well-polished calfskin became an acceptable alternative. 

In both cases the high gloss of the shoe is intended to complement the outfit’s various silk facings as part of black tie’s sophisticated contrast of textures. 

Just be sure to avoid inexpensive patent PVC (vinyl) footwear as it will not only look cheap but will crack and peel as well.

Formal Pump (Court Shoe)

The formal pump (also known as an opera pump or, in the UK, men's court shoe) has its origin in eighteenth century court dress and has changed very little in the ensuing three hundred years. 

A vestige of an era of more effete men’s wear – it was originally worn with knee breeches and silk stockings – it is often misunderstood by more macho contemporary dressers. 

However, sartorial connoisseurs continue to appreciate its club elegance and the aristocratic nature of footwear intended

to be worn exclusively indoors. 

The evening pump is decorated with a silk bow, either pinched or flat, that complements the overall outfit in a couple of ways according to The Aesthetics of the Tuxedo.  (On Left: Calfskin pump with pinched bow)

First, it coordinates with the necktie to bookend the suit and, secondly, it tricks the eye into seeing a smaller vamp (the upper portion of the shoe where the bow sits) thus enhancing the illusion of a smaller foot. 

While it would stand to reason that the bow should be satin or grosgrain to coordinate with the rest of the outfit’s facings, it is almost always grosgrain. 

This is because the high gloss of the shoe’s leather already complements the luster of the facings and so the bow fabric is utilized to offset the pump’s sheen rather than overdo it.

Pumps have traditionally been associated with dancing which is why they are often quilted for additional comfort.  However their slight build and lack of ties require that they fit the foot perfectly in order not to slip at the heel. 

Patent leather pump with flat bow

Formal Lace-Up (Oxford)

Although not as formal as the pump, the evening lace-up still boasts an impressive heritage dating back to the turn of the twentieth century. 

The low-cut oxford derives its elegance from its “closely cropped soles, delicately beveled waist, and glovelike fit” as Dressing the Man so poetically explains. 

In addition, the ready-to-wear version has an advantage over its slip-on counterpart because of its ability to fit a wider variety of foot shapes and subsequent reduced likelihood of pinching or slipping while dancing. 

Laced shoes must be as basic as possible in order to respect formalwear’s refined minimalism. 

Plain-toe models are best due to the absence of decoration.  Of the two types of oxfords, the closed-laced balmoral (considered the only true oxford by the British and by American traditionalists) is considered more formal than the open-laced blucher (derby in UK) because of its shapelier silhouette.  

Conversely, wingtips and brogues should be avoided as they are too similar to daily work shoes and loafers are also much too casual. 

Patent leather plain-toe balmoral (top) and plain-toe blucher Patent Leather plain cap-toe balmoral

Formal Hose

With a classic black-tie ensemble even the hosiery is carefully selected to enhance overall elegance. 

The traditional choice is black silk socks, descendants of the hose worn at court with knee breeches. 

The material's dull luster serves as an effective complement to the trouser's silk stripes and an elegant transition from the matte wool of the trousers to the glossy finish of the shoes. 

When wearing a midnight blue dinner suit hose should be of the same color.

Fine-ribbed cotton-lisle and even wool have been acceptable alternatives for evening hose since Edwardian times. 

However, GQ’s Style Guy wisely advises that if a man is wearing pumps he should make sure the socks are very thin because “If you wear them with thick black socks you’ll look like a lesbian.”

Regardless of the material or color chosen, formal socks must be calf height. 

There is probably no better way to ruin a formal outfit than by flashing bare shins when you sit or cross your legs.

 

 

   Silk over-the-calf socks. 

 

 

  

Classic Black-Tie Accessories

Classic accessories add the finishing touches to a man’s black-tie kit and allow him to inject a dash of swank without degrading its inherent formality.

Savvy dressers can use the following traditional variations to add a new twist to their tuxedo each time they wear it.

Cufflinks and Studs

Classic black-tie shirt studs, cufflinks and waistcoat studs (if applicable) are typically gold and onyx but formal jewelry is a perfect opportunity to

tastefully personalize a formal wardrobe. 

Just be sure that the designs are conservative and that the studs and links are a set or that they closely match. 

Mother-of-pearl jewelry is preferred by many when wearing the full-dress shirt with a dinner

jacket as those are the shirt’s traditional accompaniments when worn with white tie.  

Suspenders (Braces), Sock Garters (Sock Suspenders)

Unless trousers are custom tailored to stay securely in place, suspenders (braces in the UK) are always worn with a tuxedo. 

This is not just a matter of tradition but also of style because they ensure that the trouser waistband does not slip below the bottom of the waistcoat, they align the trousers’ pleats with the waistcoat’s points and they avoid the extra waistline bulk that would result from wearing a belt.  

Classic black-tie braces can be black or white silk or a combination of both. 

Black moiré evening braces

Ultimately, the preferred color is irrelevant because suspenders are underwear and as such are never meant to see the light of day.  (This is one of the primary reasons that a gentleman never removes his jacket at a formal function.)

Formal suspenders are always the button-on variety – never clip-on – and they customarily feature soft, knitted ends instead of the stiffer and more bulky leather tabs found on ordinary suspenders. 

Socks should be held in place by a sock garter (sock suspender in the UK) to ensure that they do not sag or bunch, an unfortunate trait of silk hose. 

Drooping socks are not only unsightly but can also result in exposed shins when a man sits or crosses his legs. 

Sock garters keep hose in place

Formalwear purists can opt for garters that match their braces. 

Dress Watch (Optional)

Some consider it gauche to wear a timepiece to a formal occasion arguing that clock watching is contradictory to the celebratory nature of such events and insulting to the hostess.

Those men who can't conceive of being without a wristwatch for an entire evening should at least heed the advice of Glenn O'Brien, GQ’s Style Guy. 

“Just because it’s gold, is diamond festooned, and costs more than the average car doesn’t mean it’s a dressy watch,” he says. 

“Instead, opt for a slim, unadorned timepiece with a black leather band.  A formal watch should keep time, not flash it.” 

A watch face with markings and a seconds hand that are minimal or non-existent is particularly well-suited to black tie's refined minimalism. 

The metal trim should match the metal of the cufflinks.

Alternately, a formal affair is a wonderful excuse to carry a classic pocket watch and at least pretend to be unfettered by temporal constraints (see sidebar).

Pocket Square (Optional)

The classic pocket square is a white handkerchief of fine white linen, preferably hand-rolled. 

Some style authorities suggest that the handkerchief be casually stuffed into the pocket in an irregular shape so as to add a human touch to an otherwise highly disciplined appearance. 

Other experts prefer the formal simplicity of the square-folded handkerchief. 

As for the precision-folded silk handkerchiefs seen on formalwear displays, they are best left to the

mannequins.

Silk pocket squares are a modern variation.

Boutonniere (Buttonhole) (Optional)

Although rarely seen outside of weddings since the Second World War, a boutonniere (buttonhole in UK) can be correctly worn in the buttonhole on the left lapel of the dinner jacket. 

The Encyclopedia of Men’s Clothes advises that men seeking to add this classic flair to their black-tie outfit will require a flower that is small yet sturdy: “You don’t want it “clown” size, nor do you want it to disintegrate while wearing”.  

A white or deep red carnation is the most classic choice.  

Note that flowers such as standard carnations cannot be simply purchased from a shop and inserted into a lapel because the bud is usually too thick to fit through the buttonhole. 

To ensure that such flowers fit properly The Boutonniere: Style in One’s Lapel suggests that they be adapted into true boutonnieres. 

A florist will remove the bud, wrap the stem and even level the base of the flower all so that the bloom sits flat against

the lapel.

Remembering that boutonniere is French for “button hole” will help you remember that these flowers are inserted through the lapel, not pinned on top of it. 

Also keep in mind that a boutonniere is not a miniature bouquet; the stereotypical accoutrements of baby’s breath, leafy stems and colored berries belong at a wedding, not at a black-tie gala. 

Boutonnieres are not worn with decorations and to avoid gilding the lily (so to speak), it is also best not to combine them with pocket squares unless one or both are white.

A Note About Remembrance Poppies

Since World War I, wearing an artificial poppy to commemorate the sacrifice of veterans and civilians in past wars has been a popular tradition in many Commonwealth countries prior to Remembrance Day or Armistice Day on November 11. 

To a much lesser extent the practice also exists in the United States in the weeks preceding Memorial Day on the last Monday in May.  This symbol should not be regarded as a type of boutonniere. 

Rather, it is a sign of respect for those who gave their lives to defend our freedom and as such is every bit as appropriate on a tuxedo as it is on any other type of jacket. 

General etiquette for the wearing of lapel poppies varies by country

Evening Scarf (Optional)

The evening scarf worn with overcoats can be worn indoors as an accessory on particularly formal evenings.  

Sometimes known as an opera scarf, it is more commonly seen in Britain than in North America where it will more than likely be viewed as an affection. 

Evening (Indoor) Gloves (Obsolete)

Outside of a few rare white-tie balls, indoor gloves are only for servant liveries and military dress uniforms.

Classic Black-Tie Outerwear

While black-tie outerwear etiquette is more a set of guidelines than hard and fast rules, these traditional accompaniments will ensure that a man's winter wrappings harmonize with the formal apparel they are covering. 

Overcoat

The most conventional overcoat for evening dress since the 1930s has been the chesterfield coat. 

However, the coat's characteristics are more important than its name because interpretations can vary significantly. 

The color should be black, dark blue or oxford gray, the length should be knee length or longer and the model should be single-breasted fly front or double breasted. 

A black velvet collar is ideal 

Note that raincoats (a.k.a. trench coats) are not appropriate outerwear for a tuxedo or tailcoat.

Evening Cloak (Obsolete)

The last time evening cloaks were a going concern was in the 1960s when advocates of Austin Powers style menswear argued they were no longer exclusive to white tie and could therefore be worn with tuxedos.  Arguably,  etiquette guru Amy Vanderbilt's advice from 1952 remains relevant today: "The black satin-lined evening cape, an elegant garment, is still seen on gentlemen who take their clothes very seriously and who like to keep alive

the niceties of Victorian dress."  In other words, it's best left to the eccentrics.

Evening Scarf

The correct formal scarf is one made of white silk with tassels.

Gloves

The classic outdoor glove for Black Tie is gray chamois, buck or mocha (soft suede leathers made from sheep, deer or goat skin) in either button, snap or slip-on style.

  Dressy black leather gloves are also perfectly appropriate.

Hat

For men who consider a stylish outfit to be incomplete without accompanying headwear, the black or midnight blue homburg has been the most accepted hat for the dinner jacket since the 1930s.    

Classic Alternatives: Tasteful Personalization

The key to dressing well is to find freedom within the rules.  Anyone can be completely different, since it’s easy to be outrageous.  The trick is to be just that bit different.

Elegance: A Guide to Quality In Menswear

Classic Precedents

For those readers who have reached this page after learning the Etiquette, History and Classic Components of black tie, it will be readily apparent that tinkering with the conventional formal wardrobe is akin to tampering with perfection.

 However, perfection is a relative concept, which means that there is always room for reinterpretation.    

The key to tasteful personalization is recognizing that the difference between skillfully bending the rules and ineptly breaking them lies in one’s knowledge of their underlying principles. 

Men who wish to experiment with unproven black-tie variations should maximize their chances for success by first learning these fundamentals. 

A red velvet "house coat or smoking jacket" is worn by the host of an "informal dinner party at home".

Others who prefer to take advantage of tried-and-true options can simply choose from the following sartorial precedents favored by some of the most stylish dressers of the twentieth century.

Discretion is an important factor in assembling an evening kit that is distinctive without being distasteful; the adage “less is more” couldn’t be better suited to customizing a wardrobe that derives its primary appeal from its refined simplicity.  

Therefore, when choosing among the following classic alternatives it is best to limit yourself to one item at a time.   

Also be aware that a man’s age and an event’s formality will impact the appropriateness of these alternatives. 

Adding Color

While color is the simplest way to customize a black-tie ensemble, its indiscreet use is the most common culprit in degrading the tuxedo from elegant formal attire to a sophomoric prom costume.  

(These faille cummerbunds offered by Ben Silver are the epitome of traditionally tasteful colors.)

In Dressing the Man, classic menswear authority Alan Flusser offers some basic advice for avoiding this pitfall:

Use only one colored accessory: “Injecting more than one contrasting accessory into the two-color format fragments its formal integrity into smaller, less important pieces.”

Surround the color with black: “By limiting your selection to only those components predominantly bordered by black, such as the waistcoat, cummerbund, dress shirt or pocket square, you have ensured that this single dollop of dissonance remains part of the whole.” 

Use deep, rich colors: “The tonalities capable of enriching this

already dramatic, high-contrast composition are those registering an equal

Jacket

The cardinal rules for alternative jackets is that they are appropriate only for less formal occasions, such as a private party at home or at a private club, and that all other aspects of one’s ensemble comply with the rules for proper black tie

  Even then, advises menswear author Nicholas Antongiavanni, they “should be approached with caution for they do not command universal respect.”

Restrict color to an item that is largely surrounded by

black

Smoking Jacket

As the inspiration for the original dinner jacket, the smoking jacket remains a popular alternative to the traditional black-tie coat. 

Although fashioned in many different styles it is always constructed of colored velvet in dark hues usually of green, violet, burgundy or blue. 

The most authentic types of smoking jacket can be either double-breasted or single-breasted and have frog closures in place of buttons as well as a self-faced shawl collar. 

Classic variations popular in the 1930s were velvet hybrids that featured standard buttons and had self-faced peaked lapels on the double-breasted models or silk-covered shawl collars and cuffs on the single-breasted.  

Single-breasted smoking jacket with classic link closure

More contemporary iterations are simply tuxedo jackets in every detail except for the velvet fabric. 

English haberdashers often include these designs in the smoking jacket category while North Americans are more likely to refer to them velvet dinner jackets. 

The American moniker may better describe the garment's appearance but the British terminology reflects its suitability for informal lounging rather than formal dining. 

These pseudo dinner jackets are discussed further on in Contemporary Jackets.

Odd / Separate Dinner Jacket

In the summer a tan colored jacket is a conventional alternative to white or off-white.

Glenn O’Brien, GQ’s Style Guy, also recommends resurrecting the early ‘30s white civilian mess jacket but you’re on your own with that one.

1934 white dinner jackets in double- and single-breasted shawl collar styles.

Waist Covering

Matching Sets

First and foremost, do not wear waist coverings and bow ties made out of matching colors or patterns. 

The black-tie outfit is close enough to a uniform as it is and accessories should be used to avoid a pre-packaged look, not to encourage it.  

As A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up so aptly puts it, “a gentleman’s pocket square, tie, and cummerbund were never intended to share the same gene pool.”

Odd Waistcoats and Cummerbunds

Waistcoats and cummerbunds are the most common method for adding color and pattern to black-tie but, once again, discretion is essential to maintaining the integrity of the formal ensemble.  

As mentioned previously, stick to deep, rich colors that harmonize with the existing black and white ensemble instead of bright, loud colors that detract from it.  

White Waistcoat

While colored and patterned waistcoats inherently diminish the formality of the tuxedo, the white piqué full-dress waistcoat actually elevates it. 

This posh variation – best paired with the very formal wing-collar shirt and peaked-lapel jacket – was common in the 1920s and 1930s and was prescribed by Emily Post for the most formal of black-tie occasions

right up until the 1970s. 

Today it remains a stylish alternative for many dapper dressers.  

Shirt

Silk dress shirts have long been accepted as a luxurious warm-weather alternative to cotton. 

A silk dress shirt with fly front is a swank touch for summer

Neckwear

The Rule

There is one very simple rule for replacing the black bow tie: don’t. 

Regardless of how commonly this sartorial gaffe appears at formal functions, it is still a faux pas.  

While it is true that matching ties and cummerbunds were recommended by even the most esteemed etiquette and fashion authorities from the 1960s through the early ‘80s, since that time there has been a return to classic standards which dictate the solid black bow tie is the only correct option with the black dinner jacket.

This is not simply a matter of changing fashions but, rather, a reflection of timeless style. 

Unlike the waistcoat, cummerbund or handkerchief, a contrasting bow tie is not framed by a dark color and therefore stands out as a glaring distraction. 

It has the effect of gift wrapping the neck and detracting from the face which is supposed to be the focal point of the suit.

And don't even think of substituting a white bow tie. 

Just as with the evening tailcoat, the full-dress bow tie is never meant to be seen outside of a white-tie ensemble and its appearance with a tuxedo is considered a grave solecism.

The (Sole) Exception

The only exception to the black bow tie rule is limited to classic warm-weather kits due to their inherent informality. 

In the 1940s in particular, matching sets of maroon cummerbunds and bow ties were a popular alternative to black.  (Midnight blue ties were also allowed when worn with trousers of the same color.) 

Today, the only hope that a grown man has for pulling off this look is to follow the classic warm-weather rules to the letter: jackets should be off-white, shirts should have turndown collars, the set's color must be a genuine maroon and, most importantly, ties should be self-tied.  

The maroon bow tie: a rare – and highly conditional –

exception to the black-and-white rule.

Wearing a pre-tied scarlet bow and cummerbund set with a modern wing-collar shirt and bleached white coat will virtually guarantee that you spend your evening taking other guests' drink orders or being asked what time your band starts playing.

Footwear

The classic alternative in black-tie footwear is the elegant evening slipper. 

Also known as the Prince Albert slipper, this soigné accent is made of velvet with leather soles and features a grosgrain bow or a motif or the wearer’s initials embroidered in gold. 

These slippers share the same dark colors as the smoking jacket with which they make a perfect pairing. 

Formal slippers offer a luxurious personal touch

Like the smoking jacket, they are appropriate only for private occasions.

Formal hose can have a clock design that is either self-colored or of a contrasting color to match another accessory. 

However, the latter option should be used with discretion.

Accessories

Suspenders (Braces)

Because you would never be so uncouth as to remove your jacket at a formal event your suspenders will never be seen by anyone other than your intimate companions.  Consequently this is a perfect opportunity to go ahead and indulge yourself.

Jewelry

Like formal hose, cufflinks and studs are another option for subtly enhancing a color that has been introduced by another component in the formal ensemble. 

Pocket Square

Handkerchiefs in dark colors make for a natty touch, especially with warm-weather attire.  Just be sure not to wear a colored boutonniere at the same time. 

Boutonniere

If you're really daring you could revive the 1930s vogue for blue cornflower boutonnieres.

Blue cornflower

Semi-Classic: Plaid Variations

While not technically classic, the 1950s origin of plaid alternatives can justifiably categorize them as at least semi-classic. 

Jackets and Waist Coverings

The understated blue and green tones of the Black Watch pattern are particularly well suited for dinner jackets and waist coverings.  (Most tartan patterns can be worn by anyone but be aware that it’s bad form to wear ones that are reserved for the use of a specific family or company, such as the British royal family's Balmoral pattern.)     Tartan coats traditionally take shawl collars faced in black silk but otherwise all details are the same as for standard dinner jackets. 

Bow Ties

A red and green plaid is a fitting touch for a less formal Christmas party as long as precautions are taken to minimize its distraction from the overall outfit:

The colors should be tastefully dark The bow should be self-tied The band must be hidden by a turndown shirt collar It should not be worn with a matching waist cover

Only for Christmas (and 1950s-themed proms).

In addition, the tie should be constructed of silk as per standard formal bow ties.  Most tartan bow ties are sold in the same wool used to make kilts but their rough, unfinished texture makes them inappropriate for formal attire.

 

 

The Code's Variety

 Obviously, proper black tie is a far more specific dress code than anything the average man is likely to encounter outside of the military. 

What may not be so obvious, especially to the novice, is just how much of this seemingly restrictive list is actually optional. 

Take a second look and you will see that much of black tie’s dress code is not about what you must wear but what you may wear. 

It is this extent of choice that lies behind black tie’s genius – not to mention its survival in the face of contemporary trends that have virtually banished the far more austere white tie dress code.

In fact, the amount of choice can be a little overwhelming. 

Classic Warm-Weather Black TieThe white jacket variation of black tie began in the early 1930s as a way for well-heeled vacationers to dress formally in the tropical heat without having to endure the heavy and dark-colored fabrics that were standard for evening wear at the time. 

While dinner suits have become much more lightweight since then, the light-colored jacket has remained a popular warm-weather alternative to its ebony progenitor.  

However, without a proper understanding of its form and function, the white dinner jacket easily becomes a flashy gimmick.  Subtlety and restraint are the keys to the successful execution of this classic variation. 

EtiquetteThe white dinner jacket's origin on cruises and at tropical resorts speaks to its specific role as a less formal alternative to traditional black tie. 

It is only appropriate at formal occasions in the tropics year round and in America during the summer season, typically at open-air social gatherings such as country club dances and yacht club parties.

While summer in the southern United States qualifies as being at least subtropical, the same cannot be said for the more temperate northern states and Canada. 

It is for this reason that numerous experts advise using discretion north of the Mason-Dixon line in order to avoid dressing for effect rather than for the occasion. 

Indeed, black-tie guests north of the 49th parallel would be wise to heed the example of their British cousins who do not consider the United Kingdom's

temperate climate to be appropriate for white formal wear at any time of the year (with the notable exception of Last Night at the Proms). 

And if a man is particularly serious about formal convention, a white jacket should never be worn in the city “unless one has a napkin over his arm or a saxophone up to his lips” as Esquire once put it.

Don't forget that the white jacket is an alternative, not a directive.  The black jacket is perfectly acceptable in any season and any locale and actually trumps the formality of the white version.

Warm-Weather Variation 

Acceptable as a substitute to standard black tie year round in tropical climates and in summer in North America.

1) Jacket White or preferably ivory Self-faced lapels All other details as per classic jacket

2) Trousers Black All other details as per standard black-tie trousers

3) Waist Covering Black Cummerbund

4) Shirt As Per Standard Black-Tie Shirt

5) Neckwear As Per Standard Black-Tie Neckwear

6) Footwear As Per Standard Black-Tie Footwear

7) Accessories Optional colored silk or linen handkerchief as pocket square All other details as per standard black-tie accessories

Dinner Jacket

Model and Style

Single- or double-breasted models are both correct and both offer distinct advantages for warm-weather climates. 

The former allows the jacket to be worn open while the latter permits the wearer to dispense with a waist covering. 

While peaked lapels are perfectly acceptable, the more casual effect of the shawl collar is ideally suited to this less formal dinner jacket. 

FabricAlthough etiquette experts generally refer to these alternative jackets as “white” and rental shops are filled with brightly bleached polyester coats, sartorial authorities deliberately prefer descriptors such as off-white, ivory, cream or winter white instead.  There are a number of reasons for this:

White wool and other natural fabrics take on a yellowish appearance over time

When worn in abundance pure white is counterintuitive to the understated elegance that formal wear is intended to convey 

Bright white is unflattering to fair-skinned faces 

Unlined, lightweight natural fabrics are acceptable alternatives to the standard worsted wool. 

Cotton Gabardine Linen

Avoid synthetic fabrics, as they don’t breathe well (and usually don’t look very good either).

FinishesTraditionally, the lapels are self-facing meaning that they are covered in the same fabric as the rest of the jacket.  The details of the pockets, vents and buttons are the same as for the classic jacket.

TrousersWarm-weather trousers follow the same rules as classic trousers including their black or midnight blue coloring. 

If choosing to have a pair purpose-tailored for hot climes it stands to reason that they should be constructed of lighter weight worsted than used for a year-round tuxedo.

Waist Covering

The cummerbund is the overlay of choice for tropical weather as it covers up less of the torso than does the waistcoat, thereby keeping the wearer cooler.  It is worn only with single-breasted jackets not just because of classic black-tie etiquette but also because adding an unnecessary layer of clothing under a closed double-breasted model would defeat the purpose of this warm-weather alternative.  As with the year-round ensemble, the cummerbund is traditionally made of black silk in a grosgrain or satin finish but can be used as an opportunity to inject a tasteful color or pattern into one’s evening wear.

Shirt

The classic pleated-front shirt with soft turndown collar is traditionally paired with the light colored jacket due to its equally relaxed air. 

Neckwear

The same details apply as per the classic bow tie including the matching of the tie's fabric – but not its color – with the cummerbund.

Footwear

While either type of classic footwear is acceptable, the formal pump's more stylish appearance is an ideal complement to the swank demeanor of warm-weather black tie.

Accessories

White suspenders are a prudent choice when wearing light-colored jackets constructed of thin materials. 

A handkerchief of white silk is always natty but this is a perfect chance to infuse the warm-weather ensemble with a dash of tasteful color, particularly if not wearing a boutonniere. 

In the heyday of the white dinner jacket stylish men would also wear colorful cufflinks and shirt studs set with precious stones that matched the cummerbund or pocket square

The complete warm-weather kit: as swank today as the year it originated.   The shawl collar is by far the most usual lapel for the warm-weather

dinner jacket.   The peak lapel is relatively rare on the summer coat.  The white dinner jacket is worn with standard black-tie trousers

and cummerbund. 

This ivory wool jacket is enhanced by a colored pocket square (but diminished by flap pockets and a center vent).

Contemporary Black Tie: Amending Perfection

 

 

    Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.

Henry David Thoreau

  

     

 

Not only does our perception of elegance continue to evolve, but some of the classic garments of black tie’s golden age have become virtually extinct.

On a less practical level, it is simple human nature to be tempted by the prospect of improving perfection, particularly for each new generation looking to make its mark.

Lessons from the Past: Style above Fashion

Risking Traditional Benefits

Young men choosing a tuxedo for the first time have many choices today. 

They can opt for the celebrity styles seen on the red carpet, designer creations featured in fashion magazines or the latest trends promoted by formalwear renters. 

With all of these modern alternatives what guy would want to wear a tuxedo like his grandfather’s?  The one who knows a good thing when he sees it.

 Since the 1960s, modernist attempts to reinvent black tie have typically arisen from the perception that it needs to be more comfortable or more contemporary.  

However, proponents of classic menswear argue that the formula has already been perfected and tampering with it is not only needless but will invariably mar the outcome. 

Black tie’s components “have been perfected over many decades by the best tailors and most astute dandies,” says traditionalist Nicholas Antongiavanni.

“All the necessary compromises have already been made.  To press further is to lapse into vulgarity for the sake not of comfort but of fashion.”  A 2004 Wall Street Journal editorial concurs:

This is the power of the traditional costume--it is at the same time aristocratic and democratic. The very uniformity of the tuxedo makes it socially leveling. And whereas most instruments of democratic equality tend to lower all boats, the tuxedo levels up. Would-be improvements invariably throw the aristocratic-democratic balance out of whack.

Change for the Worse

Sartorial Pitfalls

 To wit: men who opted for traditional black tie in the forties and fifties look like Cary Grant or Frank Sinatra in their prom and wedding pictures, the epitome of cool. 

In contrast, their sons who viewed themselves as infinitely hipper in the 1970s ended up resembling Lawrence Welk band members in their own portraits. 

Their subsequent self-assured offspring who also chose trendy fashion over traditional style later found themselves cringing at photos of Duran Duran wannabes. 

And now Generation Y males, convinced they’ll never look as ridiculous as their predecessors, are smugly dressing themselves as black-suited morticians for their own big day.  

Social Pitfalls

As botched as they may have been, past generations’ misguided choices of prom and wedding formal styles impacted no-one but the wearers. 

By the time the perpetrators were old enough to attend proper black-tie functions they had usually learned their lesson and realized the numerous benefits of following the dress code’s customary interpretation.  

However, many of today’s young men – particularly in the creative industries – have decided to carry their indiscretions beyond the wedding hall and into the realm of formal galas. 

Here their choices also impact those around them because they diminish the sartorial uniformity that lies at the heart of the Black Tie dress code.

Poor Influences

When debonair movie stars and performers like Clark Gable and Cary Grant used to walk the red carpet they could be always counted upon to epitomize black tie’s understated elegance and uniformity. 

Today, however, Hollywood fashions are often influenced by young celebrities who have little or no understanding of the principles of men’s formal dress and view it primarily as a tool for attracting attention.  

The all-pervasive fashion industry is no better a teacher because it is largely composed of the same stylists that feed the witless celebrity mill. 

While menswear magazines and high-end retailers once educated readers on the etiquette and elegance of conventional evening wear, they now spotlight designers’ frenzied attempts to catch the public's fleeting attention.

 Couture’s practice of constantly trying to reinvent fashion may be fine for everyday wear but it is anathema to attire named for its role as a preserver of traditional form. 

These capricious designer and celebrity trends then filter down the fashion pyramid to influence the offerings of the mainstream “formalwear” shops that cater to the vast majority of the tuxedo wearers. 

Consequently this industry’s salespeople are more likely to be trained as specialists in inventory turnover than experts in traditional etiquette.  It is much easier, after all, to sell a young man on the latest vogue then to take the time to explain the sublime advantages of a century-old tradition.

 

Change for the Better

Despite the grim track record of the past fifty years, history has also proven that not all change is bad. 

In fact, what we define as classic black tie today would never have come into existence if it were not for change: soft-front shirts with turndown collars were considered the height of informality when they began appearing with tuxedos in the 1920s and traditionalists of that era were equally reluctant to accept the double-breasted dinner jacket or cummerbund as anything but casual summer alternatives.  

This can’t be emphasized enough – the only people who can successfully bend the rules are the ones who truly understand them. 

Having established that seeking guidance on black tie from today’s most common tuxedo trendsetters is akin to obtaining writing instruction from an illiterate, where do we find teachers who genuinely understand style and tradition? 

A man can look to style and etiquette authors, celebrities with a proven penchant for classic styling, experienced tailors and knowledgeable black-tie partygoers. 

The Fundamentals of Black Tie   

Black tie's specificity creates a uniformity and therefore equality among men

Black tie maximizes the masculine ideal by making a man look taller, stronger and younger than any other type of dress.

Black tie makes a man look more refined than any other type of dress. Black tie maximizes an occasion's formality

These merits are achieved through a few fundamental rules

Black tie manifests established sartorial tradition. Black tie is grounded in black.  White is always secondary and color

is to be used sparsely and with great discretion.  Black tie emphasizes understated details and elegant finishes.

Rules for Bending the Rules

Once armed with the “rules” of successful black tie a man can join the ranks of those qualified to judge the potential success of modern variations.  In addition, he can take advantage of a few secondary guidelines to assess how best to bend those rules: 

1) Try it on.  The fact that a new trend looks good on a professional model or popular celebrity means nothing unless he’ll be the one wearing it for you.  Similarly, you can’t truly weigh the visceral appeal of current fads against the subtle nuances of traditional style until you have worn the latter as well

2) Keep it low key.  A variation that is subtle and respectful of the remaining fundamentals is only bending the rules; a transgression that blatantly contravenes numerous principles is definitely breaking the rules.  Play it safe by leaving the dinner suit untouched and limiting the modern twists to its less visible accessories

3) Pace yourself.  Include no more than one unorthodox variation at a time, particularly if it’s an especially conspicuous bastardization

4) Know your audience.  Remember that Black Tie customs vary according to geographic region, social strata and relative formality of the affair.  You will be much more likely to get away with a Nehru jacket and band collar shirt at a music awards ceremony than you would at a diplomatic reception

5) Act your age.  Younger men can get away with a lot more than other guys.  So can much older men, for that matter.  For all the rest of us it’s best that we accept our limitations

Defining White Tie

Black tie’s numerous variations reflect its origin as informal dining attire and its later role as semi-formal cocktail attire. 

White tie, on the other hand, originated as the most formal type of civilian apparel and has retained that exclusivity for over two centuries. 

When it transitioned from formal evening dress to special evening dress after the Second World War its definition became fixed. 

Fashion designers may attempt to alter the tailcoat’s features from time to time but style and etiquette experts recognize that the fundamentals of full dress (as white tie is also known) are not open to interpretation.

The following definition is drawn from fifty authoritative American and British resources published over the past seventy years.

1. Coat (Evening Tailcoat)

Black wool is the norm but midnight blue is equally correct Cut in a double-breasted pattern but not intended to close Peaked lapels faced in satin or grosgrain, the latter considered more refined Front of coat ends slightly below the waist, coat tails end just behind the

knees2. Trousers

Color and material to match coat Two narrow stripes or one wide stripe of satin, grosgrain or braid along

outside seams Trousers cut for suspenders (braces in UK); high enough rise for waistband

to be covered by short waistcoat No cuffs

3. Waistcoat

White piqué (Marcella in UK) Low cut single-breasted or double-breasted, usually backless Length does not extend below front of tailcoat Oblong self-faced revers (lapels)

4. Shirt

White fabric with stiff bosom of plain linen, plain cotton or piqué (Marcella in UK)  

High, stiff, detachable wing collar Stiff single cuffs fastened by links Eyelets for one or two studs 

5. Bowtie

Bow tie of white piqué (Marcella in UK), preferably to match waistcoat Butterfly or batwing shape Self-tie

6. Footwear

Black pumps or plain-toed oxfords of either: Patent leather (most traditional) Highly polished calf leather Black silk hose, over-the-calf length

7. Accessories

Mother-of-pearl shirt studs (or buttons), waistcoat studs and cufflinks Button-on suspenders (braces in UK) and optional sock garters of white

silk Optional white linen handkerchief as pocket square Optional white boutonniere Optional pocket watch with gold or platinum key chain is most traditional

but evening wristwatch is also acceptable Optional white kid dress gloves for indoor wear

8. Outerwear

Black or midnight blue single- or double-breasted overcoat; chesterfield is especially appropriate

Optional white silk scarf with tassels White buckskin gloves Either black silk top hat or collapsible opera hat is optional

  

Full dress is defined by the same seven components as black tie.

White Tie: The Apex of Elegance In DetailTailored to fit, "white tie" can give any man a special dignity and distinction as do no other clothes.

Complete Book of Etiquette

White Tie requires full dress which, as its name implies, is the highest order of male civilian attire.  

With a patrician pedigree dating back to the English Regency its rules are as rigid as its clothes are resplendent.   

The dress code is also extremely rare these days as it is associated with only the most ceremonious of occasions. 

Therefore should you find yourself fortunate enough to receive a White Tie invitation it is vital you pay attention to detail as this will likely be your sole opportunity to get it right.  

While the less formal Black Tie code provides leeway to channel a variety of looks from 1930s movie stars to modern day superspies, White Tie is a virtual uniform that brooks little deviation. 

When executed sloppily it is no more than a magician’s costume. 

When carried out skillfully, its adroit balance of militaristic authority and refined elegance elevates the most ordinary of men to Royals and Rockefellers.

Evening Tailcoat & Trousers (Dress Suit)

Tailcoat Cut

What North Americans refer to simply as a tailcoat is correctly called an evening tailcoat or dress coat to differentiate it from the formal day tailcoat still worn by the British.  

The coats differ in that the evening coat is a (pseudo) double-breasted model with a sharply cut-away skirt and silk-faced lapels while the morning coat (or cutaway in American English) is a single-breasted model, has a skirt that tapers away gradually and carries self-faced lapels.

The evening tailcoat is further differentiated in that it must fit the torso snugly even though it is cut so that it cannot be closed or buttoned.  

This can only be accomplished by having it contour to the wearer’s body perfectly. 

Therefore, unless a man has proportions virtually identical to a pre-made tailcoat, he will need to invest in the considerable expense of dress suit that is custom made for his physique. 

Whether pre-made or made-to-measure, a well-fitting tailcoat offers significant benefits to the wearer.  

“This garment can turn any many into an Adonis,” says dress historian Nicholas Antongiavanni, “be he short or gangly, fat or lanky” because its cut “accentuates every potential virtue while ruthlessly suppressing every conceivable vice.” 

Body

The full-dress tailcoat’s design is particularly efficient at adding stature to shorter men due to its ability to visually elevate the waistline. 

Like any tailored jacket, the tailcoat’s waistline typically mirrors the wearer’s natural waistline but unlike other jackets the coat fronts – and corresponding white waistcoat – end shortly below the waistline. 

And because the dividing line between the white waistcoat and the black trousers visually breaks the body into vertical halves, the deliberate raising of this line gives the impression of longer legs.  

Diminutive hoofer Fred Astaire employed an exaggerated waist height to great effect in his flawlessly tailored full-dress suits and it was also favored by the English in the 1930s for its dramatic aesthetics.

Like the waistline, other construction details of the coat’s front can vary according to changing fashions but the practices described in a 1913 issue of Vanity Fair have been the norm ever since:

The front effect of the coat is best when well opened, exposing considerable shirt, the lapels rolling to a little below the top button of the waistcoat from where the line slants away to the edge which inclines slightly upward and rounds into the skirt.   

This contemporary take on full dress features a lower waistline than the classically cut tailcoat

As for the rear of the coat, Manual of Politeness dictated in 1837 that “Not a crease should be discernible in the back or tails” and this still holds true.

In addition, the collar of the coat must fit snugly at the neck and rise just high enough to cover the shirt collar’s rear stud and the bow tie’s band while still allowing a significant portion of white to remain visible.    

Original image on left has been altered to show impact of correct tail length and better trouser fit, as well as proper waistcoat

length relative to coat front.

Sleeves

Fred Astaire’s famous tailcoats also incorporated the requisite high armholes that prevented the coat’s sleeves from pulling at the body no matter the position of his arms, a feature that is just as relevant to today’s formal dancers. 

Similar to the collar, sleeves should be cut short enough to reveal “a gleaming expanse of white linen at the cuff”, ranging from half an inch to one inch depending on the wearer’s height.  

Tailcoat sleeves are also relatively narrow, traditionally just wide enough to allow the shirt cuff to slip through.

Skirt (Tails)

A center vent that rises up to the waistline divides the coat’s skirt into two “tails” which originally inspired the nicknames swallow-tail coat and claw-hammer tailcoat. 

The tails generally extend down to the bend of the knee in a straight line with a gentle curve at the bottom.

Lapels

The peaked lapel has been standard since the turn of the twentieth century.  

Not only is it the most formal style of suit lapel but its sweeping upward diagonal lines also create the impression of a powerful V-shaped torso. 

Connoisseurs of vintage formal attire may occasionally stumble across a shawl-collared tailcoat from the interwar years and wish to adopt the style.  

If so, they should view it in context of an era when full dress was worn so frequently that gentlemen naturally sought an alternative take on the classic.  

Unless one’s social calendar is chock full of white-tie events, it is best to leave the shawl collar to the sartorial history books.

Some modern designers like to dress the ultra-formal tailcoat with the business suit's informal notch lapel. 

The only reason for choosing this paradox would be to ensure your fellow guests know that your clothing is rented.

Other Considerations

Most other aspects of a coat’s cut are purely aesthetic and therefore subject to changing fashions.  This includes the amount of drape (fullness over chest and back), amount of shoulder padding and size and curve of the lapels.  See Style Basics for guidelines that will help make a suit as timeless as possible.

Tailcoat Fabric

Black has been the norm for evening wear since the 1850s and midnight blue has been a correct and striking alternative since the 1920s.  

The most common fabric since the late Victorian era has been worsted wool with an understated finish such as barathea which is preferred by Britons. 

Mohair and wool blends have been an acceptable alternative since the late 1950s, favored for their ability to add a tastefully dull sheen to the suit.

Example of barathea wool (with grosgrain trimmed button).

Tailcoat Finishes

Lapel Finishes

The best lapel facings are made of pure silk while less expensive ones contain a synthetic component. 

The silk can take the form of smooth satin or the dulled ribbed texture of grosgrain. 

Although the former is much more common in North America its shiny, somewhat theatrical finish is not as popular in Britain where the understated look of grosgrain is often preferred.

The left lapel should have a working buttonhole for a boutonniere (known in Britain, ironically, as a buttonhole).  

Quality formal coats will also include a stem holder on the reverse side of the lapel. 

Lapel finished with grosgrain facing and buttonhole.   Note also the unique

embroidered buttons on this vintage coat.

This is typically a very small cord that keeps the stem in place so that the flower does not fall out of one's lapel over the course of an evening of dancing and dining. 

Buttons

Because the double-breasted evening tailcoat has not been designed to close since the 1820s, the two rows of front buttons have become purely decorative.  

There are three buttons in each diagonal row and their spacing is a matter of style.  

Sleeves buttons are also ornamental: there should be four of them spaced closely together beginning about half an inch from the end of the sleeve.  

Unique to the tailcoat are the two buttons found at the back of the waistline, a vestige of a time when the coat’s tails were folded up and buttoned to the back for convenience when riding on horseback.

Grosgrain covered sleeve buttons on vintage formal coat.

All buttons are usually covered in the same facing as the coat’s lapels although black bone buttons were acceptable up until the 1950s.

Pockets

“In company, as little as possible should be borne in pockets of the coat ; indeed, a full-dress coat should be made without pockets”.  

The reasoning behind this salient advice from an 1837 etiquette manual is that the weight and bulge of loaded-down pockets will obstruct the graceful lines of the contoured dress suit.

Thus, hip pockets are never seen on a tailcoat and a breast pocket (introduced in the Edwardian era) is left empty by more fastidious dressers.

This lack of pockets presented a dilemma for nineteenth century gentlemen who were expected to remove their otherwise mandatory dress gloves when dining.  

In typical English fashion, Regency dandy Beau Brummell had his tailor hide pockets in the inside folds of the coat’s tails and this remains a feature of better tailcoats to this day.

Inside-out tailcoat showing interior tail pocket (on right).

Full-Dress Trousers

Full-dress trousers are constructed of the same fabric as the tailcoat.  

Because it is essential that they sit just above the bottom of the coat's fronts they must be cut with a high rise (waistline). 

And because it is equally essential that they remain there throughout an evening of spirited ballroom dancing they must be cut for, and held up with, suspenders (braces in the UK). 

They can be constructed with flat fronts as they were prior to the 1920s or with pleats as has been popular since the advent of baggier fashions following the First World War.

A primary characteristic of formal clothing is the concealment of its workings and fastenings.  

This can be seen in the aforementioned silk-covered coat buttons, the decorative studs in a formal shirt and the trim that covers the outer seams of formal trousers.   

This silk trim is either satin or grosgrain to match the coat’s lapels and consists of either one wide stripe or two narrow stripes to differentiate it from tuxedo trousers.  (Apparently this is derived from the military practice of using double stripes to indicate higher rank.) 

In the past, braid was also used for this purpose but today the term is often used generically when referring to trouser trim in general.  

The evening suit’s refined minimalism is further aided by the placement of the side pockets on the trouser’s side seam rendering them virtually invisible. 

Finally, formal trouser legs are always plain as cuffs (turn-ups in UK) are too casual (they originated as a mudguard) and would interfere with the side braid.

Full-Dress Waistcoat

Cut

The full-dress waistcoat is constructed of white piqué (marcella in the UK). 

It can be single- or double-breasted but always features a deep V-shaped opening and is made in the backless style popularized by the future Duke of Windsor in the 1920s.   

The most critical consideration is its length.  

Novices invariably treat the white-tie waistcoat as a typical suit vest, believing that as long as it covers the trouser waistband then its length beyond that point is irrelevant. 

This approach is fine for vests covered up by standard hip-length suit jackets. 

However, with a coat that is cut high up at waist level, a long waistcoat's bottom will be left completely exposed beneath the coat fronts. 

The discordant juxtaposition is made all the more glaring by the stark contrast of the black coat and white vest. 

Onlookers are thus left to infer that a man's dry cleaner must have accidentally shrunk the coat down to a child’s size -- Therefore it is critical that the full-dress waistcoat be either altered or custom-tailored to suit your actual tailcoat; it must be long enough to cover the trouser waistband yet not so long as to extend below the coat fronts. 

Within these parameters there is room for extensive variation in shape of the waistcoat’s revers (lapels) and its bottom edge, making it the sole garment than may be used to add a personal touch to the otherwise rigid white-tie uniform.

Finishes

Better quality models will have a neckstrap that adjusts with buttons rather than a metal ring. 

Neither type of fastener is ever visible, though, as a proper full-dress shirt will have a loop built into its upper back designed to hold the neckstrap – and the bow tie band – from riding up above the tailcoat’s collar. 

Finer waistcoats will also feature a small loop near their bottom edges that fastens to the inside of the trouser and ensures that the weskit will not ride up and expose the waistband. 

The single-breasted model closes with three buttons while the double-breasted version usually

takes four.  The buttons are usually self-faced (US) or mother-of-pearl (UK) and on better models they can be replaced with formal waistcoat studs if desired. 

Full-Dress Shirt

Next to the tailcoat, the full-dress shirt is arguably the most important aspect of white tie's regal bearing.  

Discovering the exquisite details of this aristocratic garment transports a man back to a romantic era of unsurpassed refinement and at the same time instils dismay at the proletarian substitute so ubiquitous today.

The shirt body is made of broadcloth or a very lightweight fabric such as voile which will help the wearer to stay cool. 

It is constructed in a collarless “tunic” style to accommodate the requisite detachable collar which, along with the bosom and sleeve cuffs, are the only portions presented to admiring onlookers.

Front

The classic full-dress shirt commands a military-like formality with a stiff and simple bosom made from plain linen, plain cotton or cotton piqué (typically marcella in the UK). 

This bib-shaped thick layer of fabric is heavily starched to give all men the appearance of a firm, flat torso, regardless of their actual physique. 

In order to prevent the cardboard-stiff shirtfront from billowing out like a sail when the wearer sits down and the excess material has nowhere else to go, the properly tailored bosom will end just above the trouser waist and just inside the suspenders. 

The front traditionally takes one or two (visible) studs depending on the wearer’s height (a single stud adds the illusion of stature) or his tastes. 

Collar

The collar of the full-dress shirt is distinguished not just by its folded wings but also by its height. 

Originally, these detachable collars stood nearly as high as the wearer's jaw line and even today they should extend at least three quarters of an inch above the coat collar. 

Combined with the heavily starched fabric and the broad wings that helped keep the bow tie perfectly in place, the resulting effect “framed all men’s faces in regal splendor” to quote classic couturier Alan Flusser. 

While such collars are difficult to find today they remain the epitome of formality. 

Detachable collars are fastened to the tunic shirt with a shorter stud at the back of the collar and a longer one in front that can accommodate the overlap of fabric at the throat. 

Because of the shirt design, only the front stud touches the neck. 

Therefore, the flat back of this stud should be of bone or mother-of-pearl as metal may leave a mark on the skin.  .

The extended portion of the stud is usually brass but is not seen as it is covered by either the bow tie at the front of the collar or by the bow tie band at the back.

Cuffs

This most formal style of shirt takes stiff barrel cuffs (single cuffs in UK) which are intended to extend further beyond the coat sleeve than do the softer French-style double cuffs worn with a dinner jacket. 

Although they are not folded back, these cuffs are still fastened with links instead of buttons. 

They are made of plain linen or cotton or they can be in piqué to match the shirt’s bosom.

Better formal shirts feature a tab that fastens to the inside of the trousers to prevent the shirt from riding up.

Other Details

It is a little known fact today that when a bow tie is worn with a wing collar shirt its band should never be seen above the coat's collar.  Consequently, a finely tailored formal shirt will have a loop stitched immediately below the collar for the specific purpose of keeping the bow tie’s band – and the backless waistcoat’s neck strap – discreetly tucked away under the jacket.  Less diligent manufacturers will omit the loop to save costs but this can be easily remedied by a trip to the tailor.

Quality formal shirts will also feature a tab that attaches to the inside of the trouser waistband in order to keep the shirt from riding up over the course of an evening.  Like all working details of a formal ensemble this tab is hidden – in this case by the waistcoat.

There are no pockets on formal shirts as they are not considered dressy and would interfere with the reinforced bosom.

Attached Wing-Collar Shirt

 

The practice of wearing wing-collared shirts declined dramatically after the 1930s introduction of the formal turndown shirt for the dinner jacket and the dinner jacket’s subsequent replacement of the tailcoat as standard evening wear. 

As the wing collar’s popularity declined, the number of dry-cleaners able to properly wash and starch them also dwindled. 

In response, shirt manufacturers began to attach the wing collar to their full-dress shirts in the 1960s. 

This new style took off in the seventies and eighties and has become the norm for wing collars. 

Consequently, men who are unwilling to seek out a conventional detachable collar shirt should look for a contemporary collar that at least resembles the classic archetype as much as possible. 

In other words, it should be taller than the one and a half inches that is typical for regular shirt collars, should feature pronounced wings instead of the paltry tabs that are so common now and should have a fused construction so that it remains as stiff possible during wearing.

All other details are the same as the classic shirt including the stiffness and minimal decoration of the bosom; soft pleated fronts are strictly for black tie.

Full-Dress Bow Tie The white full-dress bow tie is made from cotton piqué (marcella in the UK), the material of choice since the 1930s. 

It is considered especially smart if the tie is of the same type of piqué as the waistcoat and, if applicable, the shirtfront. 

The full-dress tie is unique in that it is made of washable material

The tie is traditionally semi-butterfly or batwing shaped as described in Classic Black-Tie Neckwear

It should go without saying that a self-tied model is infinitely preferable to a factory-assembled version. 

If pre-tied neckwear is considered unrefined in a relatively informal office environment then it can only be viewed as downright gauche in the context of an ultra-formal society ball, royal state dinner or Nobel Prize ceremony.  

Full-dress bow tie with detachable collar full-dress shirt.

White tie may be a virtual uniform but it is a gentleman’s uniform and a gentleman appreciates the human touch of a slightly irregular hand-tied knot compared to the cold perfection of a pre-fabricated contraption. 

Adjustable-length models are acceptable although there is a sublime pleasure derived from donning a tie custom sized to fit a man’s own neck and devoid of clasps, hooks and extraneous material. 

When tying the tie, keep in mind that formal bow ties are meant to be worn outside the wings of the collar, not tucked behind them. 

Finally, unless you are a waiter or a butler you must never wear a black bow tie with a tailcoat.  Ever.

Footwear, Accessories, Outerwear

Footwear  Calfskin formal pumps by premiere English shoemaker Edward Green.

Formal lace-ups of patent leather or polished calfskin are correct shoes for full dress. 

However, with its sixteenth-century origin and its long history as de facto footwear at the royal courts and grand ballrooms of Europe, the pump is the most formal of evening shoes and thus the best suited to the evening tailcoat. 

For similar reasons, the aristocratic pedigree and elegant sheen of silk hose make them preferable to other types of dress socks. 

Accessories

Cufflinks and Studs

The cardinal rule for full-dress jewelry is that it be expensive yet discreet. 

As Vogue’s Book of Etiquette said of men’s evening jewelry in 1925, "Whatever they wear must look as if it were useful by intention and valuable by chance." 

Most contemporary authorities keep it simple and suggest that shirt studs, cufflinks and waistcoat studs (if applicable) all be a matching set of mother-of-pearl but there is also a long history of dapper alternatives. 

Shirt studs have traditionally been most popular in mother-of-pearl or genuine pearl but precious or semiprecious stones were also acceptable. 

If they were matched with waistcoat studs then they were often of white pearl, white enamel or crystal. 

Mother-of-pearl evening set.  Proper cufflinks are

double sided to dress both sides of the cuff.

Cufflinks could also match the studs or they could stand apart in plain platinum or plain gold, the latter often being of the white variety.

Suspenders (Braces), Sock Garters (Sock Suspenders)

Classic white-tie suspenders (braces in UK) are constructed of white silk. 

Sock garters (sock suspenders in UK) can be of matching material if desired but it is hardly necessary as both items are classified as underwear and are not intended to be seen.

Dress Watch (Optional)

A pocket watch is the most classic timepiece for full dress but wristwatches have also become acceptable.

Pocket Square (Optional)

A handkerchief of fine white linen is the conventional pocket square with evening wear as described in Classic Black Tie Accessories.

Boutonniere (Optional)

If a boutonniere is worn with full dress then it must be white. 

Carnations are the most traditional choice but small gardenias are also acceptable. 

There was a vogue for dark red carnations among young mavericks from the 1930s to the

1950s but this would likely be considered a bit obnoxious at most white-tie ceremonies today

Evening (Indoor) Gloves (Optional)

Indoor dress gloves were once an essential part of a gentleman’s evening dress but by the 1920s they were obligatory only at balls, the opera and when ushering a formal wedding. 

By the 1930s even these traditions were falling by the wayside and now, according to the British book History of Men’s Fashions, “they are “very seldom needed outside formal banquets, in royal circles or some white tie

charity balls”. 

In America, debutante balls are also known to maintain the chivalric custom of shielding the fairer sex from the clammy touch of a man’s hand in a receiving line or on the dance floor.  

The correct gloves for these august occasions are ones made of white kidskin in the slip-on or button style. 

Cotton gloves, while much less expensive, can not compare to kid’s luxurious texture and its ability to fit like a second skin. 

Just be sure to remove your gloves when refreshments are served, at which point you may discreetly slip them into the inside tail pocket of your tailcoat. 

Walking Stick (Obsolete)

If you are invited to an Edwardian costume party and want to be historically accurate down to the last detail then make sure your walking stick (or cane in the UK) is of plain malacca or other plain wood and has no ornamentation other than possibly a plain silver or gold band to hide the handle joint. 

Gold or ivory knobs are the “hallmark of the imitation gentleman” according to etiquette maven Emily Post who also warned readers in 1922 that black sticks were “tabu”. 

Outerwear

Overcoat, Evening Cloak

The chesterfield coat is the most conventional topcoat for evening wear but any dressy style is appropriate.  Capes are best left to Transylvanian counts. 

Evening Scarf

The correct evening scarf is white silk with tasseled ends as illustrated in Classic Black-Tie Outerwear

Evening Gloves

Traditionally, white buckskin were the most popular street gloves but white chamois and doeskin (soft suede leathers made from sheep or deer skin, respectively) were also correct.

Hat (Optional)

The extended height of the traditional top hat is a swank counterbalance to the tailcoat’s length and its luxe finish is the ideal complement to the coat’s silk trim. 

It remains a perfectly correct choice for a man who has the nonchalance required to pull it off and the willingness to pay a small fortune for an accessory that will be checked at the door. 

There are two models of top hat to choose from: standard and collapsible. 

Polished fur top hat

The best standard models are made from black silk or from beaver fur felt that is highly polished in order to look like silk. 

The silk version, commonly known as a silk hat, was the most popular but is no longer made since the last mill that produced the required silk has gone out of business. 

Such top hats now must be purchased second hand from vintage dealers for prices that can range up to £1,800 (approximately $2,800 US) or higher. 

Beaver-fur styles, on the other hand, are still being manufactured by English companies such as 330-year-old Lock & Co. Hatters where prices start at a mere £365 ($585 US).  

silk hat

Top hats made of inexpensive wool felt are also available but this type of material is suitable only for daytime headwear.

The collapsible model is known as an opera hat or a gibus hat.  

This model has been acceptable with evening wear since the Regency era and is still made by a handful of companies. 

Traditionally it has been constructed of ribbed silk (especially in the US) or dull merino cloth (especially in the UK). 

Alternately, a black stiff-brimmed homburg fedora has been endorsed by various authorities since the 1960s as a more modern version of the full-dress hat.  

Its low crown and dull finish may lack the stature of the topper but at least it keeps the head warm and looks better than a toque.