Tuxedo & Black Tie Dress Code Explained: How To Look Awesome in a Tux for Wedding, Groom, Gala , Prom

Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. Today's video is all about black tie. I discuss tuxedos in depth because it's a topic that's very dear to my heart and I see a lot of men committing a lot of mistakes and it's a dress code dictated by lots of rules so it's particularly important to understand what looks good and what is adequate and what is not. For most men, a black tie ensemble is the most formal thing they'll ever wear. However, unlike in modern day wear, it's really dictated by rules that matter a lot. At the end of the day, you never want to look like a typical prom student in his rented tuxedo because that's just embarrassing. Instead, in this video, I broke everything down step by step so you can look at least as good as James Bond in his tuxedo. First off, let's talk about the jacket. It seems like a very simple black one, however, it has very distinct features and a lot of people get it wrong, especially in Hollywood today. The classic choice for a fabric is a black wool berthia which is a little more matte and alternatively, you can opt for something navy or a very dark blue, maybe with a herringbone weave. Some people even go with a fine twill weave or a plain weave. Sometimes, people add a little bit of mohair to the fabric which adds some sparkle which is particularly well suited for evening wear. If you see synthetic blends or any kind of nylon or polyester, stay clear of it because your sweat is going to be uncomfortable and you won't look dapper. The gold standard for tuxedo fabrics is 100% wool. Make sure it's not too thick and heavy, otherwise, you'll easily overheat. In terms of styling, the most classic option is what I'm wearing here right now. It is a single button jacket which is like single-breasted with just one button. Then, you have a peak lapel because that's more formal than a notched lapel. Today, you oftentimes see men with a notched lapel tuxedo, however, that's incorrect and should never be worn. An alternative to it would be a shawl collar, likewise, with a single button or you can have a double-breasted jacket with a shawl collar. Typically, it's a four-button jacket that's just buttoned on one and you can also have it with peak lapels. So keep in mind, peak lapels or shawl collars are the only acceptable options for black tie. Sometimes, you may see six buttons that button on one or six buttons that button on two but that's the exception to the rule. The most traditional jacket has no vents which is unusual today because most jackets have either side vents or center vents. The center vent comes from horseback riding, the side vents are more comfortable when you stand but for evening wear, you go for the ultimate look and the ventless is just the best because it really hugs your body and looks awesome. The most traditional pocket style is jetted pockets. You have one on the right, one on the left, no ticket pocket and sometimes, you see men with flat pockets, however, that's a detail from day wear and not suited to evening wear. In terms of buttons, you want black matching buttons that are either covered in the same fabric as your tuxedo or the silk or you go with a contrasting black button sometimes with some decorations. Stay clear from contrasting plastic buttons or horn buttons or buttons in a different color that really stand out. Now, your lapels are not just regular lapels but they're faced with silk. The most classic option is to go with satin but you can also have a wrap silk or a grosgrain or a berethia which is a little more matte than the satin or any other kind. Ideally, you also want a buttonhole in your lapel so you can have a beautiful boutonniere which is particularly well-suited for evening wear. Of course, you also want a chest pocket for your pocket square and if you wear boutonniere, go with a simple plain white linen pocket square, otherwise, you can also opt for maybe a solid color red, maybe purple, maybe yellow pocket square in silk. So let's talk about the details to avoid in a tuxedo jacket. First of all, you do not want a flannel material, you want a worsted or wool with some mohair. Second, avoid notched lapels because they're not suited for black tie. For the same reason, avoid any two-button or three-button single-breasted jackets because that's for day wear. Also, avoid side vents and center vents because that's historically incorrect for black tie and for the same reason, don't go with flaps on your pockets. Moreover, go for straight jacket pockets, not angled ones because it would be too sporty. Now, for the trouser and the pants, you want a matching material to the jacket in the same color. Now obviously, we're not talking about contrasting dinner jackets here and if you want to learn more about those, please check out our in-depth guide and video here. Because you want a matching pair, you should usually buy these items together. Trying to find a matching jacket and a pair of pants that are from different sources is almost impossible. Yes, the color is black but the texture and the weave and the feel of the fabric is different so it won't work together. Therefore, never buy your pants and your tuxedo jacket separately or try to match them afterwards, it's going to go wrong. A special hallmark of the black tie trouser is a strip of fabric on the side which is also called galon. It can either be a white strip that's the same material as your lapel, in this case, satin, or it can have a decorative woven braid. It's important, for black tie, you only have one galon, one stripe. For white tie, you have two. Another important detail is that black tie pants are never worn with a belt because the belt is not suited for evening wear and instead, you either have suspenders or braces or side adjusters. To cover your waistband, you have two options. One is to wear a waistcoat which I'm wearing here right now. The other one is to wear a cummerbund which we offer here from Fort Belvedere. Ideally, they're adjustable so no matter if you sit or if you dance, it's always comfortable and you want a little loop in the back so you can hook it into the bottom of your pants so it doesn't move around and you always look spot on. Your cummerbund should match your bow tie. Traditionally, it also matches your lapels but those rules are a little more relaxed. If you want to learn how to find the best black bow tie and cummerbund, please check out this guide here. Now, as a black tie connoisseur, you want your pants to have the perfect length because if they're too long, it just looks sloppy. To get that, I personally prefer my bottom hem to be angled and it should never have any cuffs or turn ups because that would be too informal and wrong. To learn more about that, please check out our in-depth guide about pants breaks here. When it comes to your evening vest, they're very different from your day vest. They have a much deeper cutout so you see more of your shirt front and the studs in your shirt or the front. Most of the time, you see vests that are cut like day vests and it's the hallmark of someone who doesn't know anything about black tie. Every vest I've ever seen from a rental place is a day wear vest and it just looks like that from a mile away so stay clear. When you wear your cummerbund, you want to make sure that the pleats face upwards, not downwards. Otherwise, it would be considered to be a faux pas and people would know that you don't know anything about black tie. For a good selection of different cummerbunds that match their bow ties, please take a look at our shop here. If you want even more details about black tie waistcoats, please check out our free PDF guide that you can download on our website here. Next up, let's take a closer look at a tuxedo shirt. It looks like a regular white shirt but it is not. It's made of a white fabric, usually broadcloth or poplin, maybe even twill and it always has an insert. It can either be a Marcella or a PK cotton bib insert, it can be a pleated front or sometimes just a finely woven pattern. Don't wear any regular white shirt, it's not going to cut it because you can actually see the buttons which is not something you want in a tuxedo shirt. Either you have decorative studs or you have a hidden fly. Personally, I much prefer the studs because it's not something you wear otherwise and it makes black tie even more distinct. Some people who are a little more simplistic prefer a hidden fly, the choice is yours. A hundred years ago, men would wear stiff detachable collar shirts for evening wear but the Prince of Wales and later the Duke of Windsor decided he wanted something softer and so he was a big proponent of a soft turn down collar shirt with a French cuff that was doubled and folded over and most importantly, not starched. So today, if you wear a white tie, you have the old school shirt with detachable collar that is starched and for black tie, you wear a softer version. However, sometimes vintage lovers wear a white stiff collar shirt paired with a white waistcoat that is from white tie simply to kind of elevate their black tie outfit but that's something quite advanced and you hardly ever see unless people really know what they do. Now, let's talk about the centerpiece of the ensemble, the black bow tie. It's called black tie but that means black bow tie. You never wear a black necktie, that would be incorrect. The only acceptable color is black and you can go with different shapes and textures. To learn more about which black bow tie works best for you, please check out our in-depth guide here. Sometimes, you can see people who wear a red bow tie with a red cummerbund and a matching red pocket square. These things are very gaudy and it's a hallmark of someone who is just not really into clothes but who wants some attention and tries to get it that way. But someone who really understands the rules of black tie will always frown upon that. In terms of shoes, traditionally, men would wear patent leather shoes which is shiny black leather and the only two options were a capless oxford shoe that was laced or opera pumps also known as court shoes with a deep cutout and a bow in front. Both of these are very elegant, however, if you rarely wear black tie and you want to get more use out of your shoes, you can also get a capless black leather shoe and then polish it so it has a beautiful shine and that way, you can wear it not just for black tie but also with your business suit. In any case, try to stay clear from any form of cap toe, any form of broguing because that would make it less formal. For the same reason, no wingtips. And of course, the only acceptable color for a black tie shoe is black. Don't go with brown, red, or any other items and likewise, skip anything like a monk strap. You really only can go with an oxford that is capless and the court shoe. Sometimes, you can also see men wearing velvet slippers. Now, that's something I personally only wear in the comfort of my own home, maybe wearing a velvet dinner jacket but it's not a traditional look that is appropriate for black tie in public. You want to make sure that your black tie shoes have a thin leather sole and no rubber because leather is more formal and has a nicer sound and rubber is just very uncomfortable when you dance. You also want to shy away from any boxy toe shoes with big seams. Instead, go for a chisel toe or a nice rounded toe, just a classic look. To learn more about oxfords, you can check out our Oxford guide on our website. Of course, we put all these details together in our free PDF guide which you can get on our website here. In terms of black tie accessories, you want to have black silk socks that are over the calf. I know I was at a hard time finding exactly the ones I wanted that would stay up so I designed them myself and you can take a closer look at them here. Colorful silk socks are one of those few things that can help you stand out with black tie just like your pocket square is. For that reason, you can opt for something in red, maybe purple, maybe green, or any other color that you want. However, I urge you to stay with maybe just one color or two at the maximum. Definitely avoid crazy socks or any like really bold patterns such as neon pink or yellow. For cufflinks, black tie items are usually black such as onyx or abalone and sometimes they would come in as a matching set with your shirt studs. Personally, I also like to wear white mother of pearl studs because it just provides a different look and it's something that comes from white tie and it's just a little bit more formal. Of course, you can also find other sets with precious and semi-precious stones and usually they're quite expensive. If you want to splurge on that, go for it. This is your time to shine. Again, don't wear belts but you can have a pair of suspenders that ensure that your pants stay at the right height all night long no matter if you sit, dance, or do anything else. For boutonnieres, the most classic choice are carnations. Right now here, I'm wearing a smaller one, mid-sized in dark purple. Most classic would be white or red but you can also go with pink or white or any other color for that matter that suits you. To keep my flowers from wilting and to be able to wear them on a cruise ship, I designed my silk flowers that look like that all day, every day, 365 days of the year. And if you want to check out any of those accessories, please head over to our website where we have a good selection of them. If you wear a boutonniere, make sure you wear a stem through the buttonhole of your lapel and if it's not cut or if it doesn't have a buttonhole, don't wear one. Pinning one on to your tuxedo just looks garish and like someone who really doesn't know what he's doing. Now, basically, these are all the elements of a classic black tie tuxedo outfit. If it's very cold outside in the winter, you may want to add a white silk scarf or you can have a white and black one. When you toss the scarf around your shoulder, it looks very elegant and it keeps you warm at the same time. In combination, you can add an evening overcoat which is a black overcoat with one buttoning point and peak lapels that are faced with silk and the entire thing is lined with silk. However, most people have very little use for that and for that reason, evening overcoats are hardly seen anymore. Instead, you can go with a dark either black or navy blue double-breasted or single-breasted overcoat, ideally one with peak lapels. To top it off, you can wear a hat. The perfect hat would be a Hamburg hat because it has the right degree of formality. Definitely avoid a top hat or an opera hat because they're too formal and they only go with white tie. Last but not the least, if you get cold fingers, consider a pair of white gloves but I would always take them off when I'm inside and only wear them with my overcoat or evening overcoat. It definitely provides you a very dapper look that screams elegance. Now, if you live in a warmer climate, if you go on a cruise or to a destination wedding, black tie rules are a little different. For more details, please check out our free in-depth PDF guide on our website.