Defining Classic Black Tie
Classic Jackets
Classic Trousers
Classic Waist Coverings
Classic Shirts
Classic Neckwear
Classic Footwear
Classic Accessories
Classic Outerwear
Warm-Weather Black Tie

Building Your Black-Tie Wardrobe

Tip for novices: don't be in a rush to customize your formal wear. Instead, wear your classic ensemble to a number of black-tie events and take note of what works and what doesn't work in other men's attire. The longer you take to customize your wardrobe the longer it will continue to feel fresh and exciting.

►Patterns & Textures

Patterned waistcoats, cummerbunds and bow ties may be the norm in today's rental shops but their 1960s origin precludes them from being categorized as classic. For information on these modern alternatives see the Contemporary Black Tie section.

The Contemporary section also includes alternative fabric options for dinner jackets, another innovation of the jet age.

►White Waistcoat

The full-dress waistcoat was once utilized to maximize the formality of the black-tie ensemble. Now it is used primarily for its sartorial virtues. Be advised though that it can emphasize a pronounced waistline.

Tartan Facts

The Black Watch cummerbund above and jacket on the right demonstrate the variety that can exist within a given tartan. Not only can there be different pattern and color variations - such as Hunting or Dress - there can also be different hue variations within the categories - namely Modern (the standard), Ancient and Weathered.

While most tartans can be worn by anyone, it’s bad form to wear plaids that are reserved for the use of a specific family or company, such as the Balmoral pattern which is for the sole use of the British royal family.

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 section after learning the Basics, History and Classic Components of black tie, it will be readily apparent that tinkering with the institution is akin to tampering with perfection. However, perfection is a relative concept which means that there is always room for reinterpretation.

Just keep in mind that the difference between skillfully bending the rules and oafishly breaking them lies in a man’s knowledge of the fundamental principles behind those rules. For those men willing to experiment with untried black-tie variations, these fundamentals can be discerned in the introduction to the Contemporary section. For others who prefer to take advantage of tried-and-true options in their quest for tasteful personalization, they may 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 understated simplicity. Therefore, when choosing among the following classic alternatives is best to limit oneself to a single item at a time.

Also be aware that a man’s age and an event’s formality will impact the appropriateness of these alternatives. The guidelines for contemporary variations apply just as much to classic ones.

• 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. In Dressing the Man, classic menswear authority Alan Flusser offers some simple 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.” (Note that the bow tie is not included in the list of suggested accessories.)
use deep, rich colors: “The tonalities capable of enriching this already dramatic, high-contrast composition are those registering an equal degree of pluck and richness.” Plum, bottle green, deep gold and dark red are classic examples.

• Jacket

The cardinal rules for alternative jackets is that they are appropriate only for less formal options such as a private party at home or at a man’s club and that all other aspects of one’s ensemble comply with the rules for proper black tie. Even then, says menswear author Nicholas Antongiavanni, they “should be approached with caution for they do not command universal respect.”

Smoking Jacket

As the inspiration for the original dinner jacket, the smoking jacket remains a popular alternative to the traditional black-tie coat. Found in many different styles, it is always constructed of colored velvet in a dark hues such as of green, violet, burgundy and blue. The most authentic smoking jacket model is double-breasted or single-breasted with frog closures in place of buttons and has a self-faced shawl collar (see picture at top right). Classic variations popular in the 1930s were velvet hybrids that featured standard buttons and added self-faced peaked lapels to the double-breasted models or silk-covered shawl collars and cuffs to the single-breasteds.

More contemporary iterations are simply tuxedo jackets in every detail except for the velvet fabric. English haberdashers 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 an innate understanding of it suitability for informal lounging rather than formal dining. These pseudo dinner jackets are further discussed on the Contemporary Jackets page.

Odd / Separate Dinner Jacket

Other than the white model for warm weather, odd dinner jackets (jackets that do not match trousers) are most popular in velvet and tartan. While neither are technically classic, the 1950s origin of the plaid alternative can justifiably categorize it as semi-classic particularly in the understated blue and green tones of the Black Watch pattern. Tartan coats traditionally take shawl collars trimmed in black silk.

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

• 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 - usually paired with a 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 including Alan Flusser. Full details can be found on the White Tie page.

• Shirt

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

• Neckwear

There is one very simple rule for personalizing bow ties: 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 in 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 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. 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 a motif or the wearer’s initials embroidered in gold and has leather soles. These slippers share the same dark colors as the smoking jacket with which they make a perfect pairing. Like the smoking jacket, they are appropriate only for private occasions.

• Accessories

Hose

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.

Suspenders

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 a little.

Jewelry

Cufflinks and studs are a second 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.