10 Black Tie Wedding Outfit Ideas | Formal Wedding Attire Lookbook

For look number one, starting out with the most classic of them all, a black tuxedo. If you're looking for a simple, elegant, and timeless wedding look, look no further than the classic black tux. The jacket's styled with a peaked satin lapel, single button, jetted pockets, and a double vent. Underneath, we've got a self-textured shirt with a turndown collar, stud set, and French cuffs with cufflinks in a matching metal. Remember that your lapel fabric is going to guide your bowtie and cummerbund as well. And here we've got a classic butterfly bowtie and cummerbund, both in satin. For a super traditional tuxedo outfit like this, I like to go with a presidential fold for the pocket square. And then we're doing the classic black patent leather oxford to finish it off. Super classic and timeless, a black tux is going to be a no-brainer. Up next, for look number two, a midnight navy blue tuxedo. Midnight blue is a very elegant alternative to black. Not only was it a favorite of many old Hollywood stars, as it's supposedly photographed better in black and white than a black tux, but it's also been seen more or less recently on Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall. So, it's got both that classic allure and modern sensibility. This particular jacket has a peaked grosgrain lapel, and I went with a plise shirt, which I always feel has a little bit of added elegance that pairs really nicely with the midnight blue color. Stud set and matching metal cufflinks for the French cuffs. Grosgrain bowtie and cummerbund to match the grosgrain lapel. Going with an elegant puff fold for the pocket square. Notice the grosgrain trim on the breast pocket as well. And finishing this look off with a pair of black patent Belgian shoes. This outfit is classic yet modern, a standout alternative to a black tux. For look number three, we're staying with the same midnight blue tuxedo, though dressing it up and making it a touch more formal with the addition of the vest. If you're going to opt for a vest instead of a cummerbund for your tux, I always recommend choosing one that's cut lower and with a U-shape like we've got here. It's just got an overall more elegant appearance and gives you an opportunity to show off more of your shirt and stud set. Speaking of the shirt, we've got a Marcella Bibb front shirt with a turndown collar. I think it's got a really rakish quality to it that pairs nicely with the midnight blue color. Same bowtie, stud set, and cufflinks as the last look. Also keeping the white pocket square with a puff fold, though finishing it off this time with some classic black patent oxfords. Still classic and timeless, though a little bit of a notch up on the formality scale. Look number four features a double-breasted tuxedo. If you're comfortable going double-breasted, it is an excellent way to do something special, distinctive, and memorable while still staying within a classic and traditional black tie dress code. This is actually the tuxedo that I wore on my wedding day. It's got a large peaked grosgrain lapel and if you are leaning towards a double breasted tux, definitely make sure that your lapel is on the wider side as it helps balance the proportions of a fuller coverage jacket. This jacket has four buttons and double vent and also has a custom touch of a turn back or cocktail cuff, which for me was a nod to one of my earliest style heroes, James Bond, from that opening scene in Dr. No. For the shirt, we have a pleated front styled with a stud set and cufflinks in a matching metal. A grosgrain modified butterfly bowtie along with a silk pocket square done with a puff fold. And once again, a pair of classic black patent oxfords to finish it off. One final note when wearing a double-breasted jacket is to always make sure that you button the inside anchor button. It helps the jacket lay flat against your body and helps the garment keep its shape. We're going to switch over from the full tuxedo at this point and move on to some dinner jackets starting with look number five and a cream or ivory colored dinner jacket. To be completely honest, this is one of my all-time favorite pieces of formal wear. It's classy, it's timeless, it's elegant, it's full of relaxed sophistication, and it's got some great old-school Humphrey Bogart and James Bond vibes. This jacket has a self-facing shawl lapel and jetted pockets along with a double vent giving it a classic yet contemporary feel. Now, because this is sort of a more relaxed approach to formal wear, we've got a fly front shirt which also plays into the more modern approach. Remember that with a self-facing lapel, you can kind of go any way you want in terms of your bow tie and cummerbund. Here, I've opted for satin just because I like the way the sheen of the fabric plays off the jacket. Now, since the jacket is an off-white color, I chose an off-white pocket square instead of white. You still have a little bit of contrast with the jacket, but it's not as pronounced and jarring as it would be with a white pocket square. And then finally, keeping with that more relaxed and sophisticated approach, the patent Belgian shoes to finish it off. For look number six, we have a burgundy dinner jacket. If you want that relaxed dinner jacket feel and are looking for something a little more unique and that stands out without going overboard, this is a really great choice. I also think it's an excellent pick for an evening event as the deep burgundy color really complements that overall vibe. Once again, we have a shawl lapel. However, this lapel is in a satin fabric. Switching up the shirt this time to a pleated front shirt. It's got that classic yet swanky feel that really matches the effect of the jacket. Of Now, one thing I forgot to mention in the last outfit is that if you are wearing a dinner jacket, you will be wearing classic tuxedo pants. For our accessories here, we've got a straight end satin bow tie, satin cummerbund, white silk pocket square with a puff fold, and black patent Belgian shoes. Up next for look number seven, we've got something for those of you who are looking for a standout piece in the form of a patterned navy blue dinner jacket. While it's certainly statement making, you can see that the pattern is not super bold and it's actually quite subtle. So from a distance, it's not as loud as it seems to be up close. In addition to the pattern, there's also a contrasting blue satin shawl lapel for a little bit of an added pop. Because this jacket is so modern, we're going with a fly front shirt, which with the absence of a stud set, keeps the focus squarely on the jacket. And anytime you're styling a statement piece like this, you always want to keep the rest of your outfit as simple as possible. Classic butterfly bow tie in a satin fabric creates another contrast with the lapel and pulls in the color of the pants. Simple cufflinks, white silk pocket square with a puff fold, and patent Belgian shoes to finish it off. Look number eight features a gold velvet dinner jacket, which is another great standout choice for an evening event. Velvet jacket always attracts a lot of attention in the best possible way and has a rich and warm feel, which is why I think it's particularly nice for nighttime. Like the other dinner jackets we've seen so far, this one also has a shawl lapel and in a satin fabric, which creates a really nice contrast in texture from velvet. Earlier in the course, I talked about velvet bow ties and here is an instance where I think it is perfectly acceptable to wear one since we've got a velvet jacket even though the lapel is satin. Since the lapel is satin though, we are going with a satin cummerbund. For the shirt, going with the pleated front, again playing into the swanky and rakish feel of the jacket. And because of the color of the jacket, I've decided to go with the off-white pocket square just to tamp down the contrast a bit and not make it as jarring as it would be with a white pocket square. And then finally, playing into the fun of the overall look by finishing it off with some velvet slippers. For our final outfit here, look number nine, we have the most formal of all, which is a white tie. This one I'm kind of throwing in just because since it is an extremely specific dress code and also one that you are exceedingly unlikely to choose for a modern wedding. One very important thing to understand, however, is that a white tie dress code does not simply mean wearing a white bow tie with your tuxedo. There are a couple of very particular pieces you need to do white tie correctly, and we're going to go over those right now. The biggest thing, of course, is the jacket. Instead of a regular tuxedo jacket, you are going to need a tailcoat. The tailcoat should fit snugly around your torso and is meant to be cut so it cannot be closed or buttoned. Peaked grosgrain lapel is preferred with button facings to match. Underneath, you have a deep cut pique fabric waistcoat that is long enough to cover your waistband, though not so long that it extends beyond the bottom of the jacket. The true white tie waistcoat is also backless, which is a style that was made popular by the Duke of Windsor in the 1920s. The white tie shirt is a wing collar shirt with a Marcella bib front, and another interesting feature of the true white tie shirt is that it should have a loop in the back through which you will thread the waistcoat neckband. Let's talk about accessories. Studs for white tie should be mother-of-pearl, and that also extends to your cufflinks as well. Bow tie will be in the same pique fabric as the waistcoat with the wings going behind the bow tie. A simple white pocket square, always. A white carnation is a great choice as a boutonniere. And for shoes, you could definitely do patent leather oxfords, but here I chose a classic opera pump as historically they are the most formal footwear. Once again, white tie, not a common wedding dress code. However, if you're going to do it, this is how to do it right. So there you have it. Those are nine outfit ideas that you can use as inspiration if you are planning a more formal wedding. Nice to see everything kind of come together and get an idea of how these different pieces and different styles of things we've talked about throughout the course work as a complete outfit. As always, these are just outfit suggestions. There are many, many other approaches, so if you like some of the looks but want to change a few things up here and there and are wondering if it will work or if it's appropriate, feel free to let me know.