Introduction: Gold Standard

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

Classic Alternatives

 



 

 

 

Formal Facts

 

 

The white dinner jacket attained iconic status when Humphrey Bogart wore it in 1942's Casablanca

 

What's in a Name?

 

The word "tropics" refers to the part of the earth that lays between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.  In other words, the region between 23.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees south of the equator.

 

Summer Season

 

 

Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes and Style and the Man define the summer season as being from Memorial Day to Labor Day in the United States.  In Canada the equivalent period is Victoria Day to Labour Day. 

 

Numerous web sites  claim that white dinner jackets may be worn as early as mid-April.  However, these sites  appear to draw their information from either the tuxedo rental industry - which obviously has a vested interest in extending the summer formal season - or a wikipedia article on black tie written by unaccredited public contributors.   There is likely also a regional discrepancy at play as the southern states enjoy a longer hot weather season than do their northern neighbors.

Classic Warm-Weather Black Tie

 

 

The 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. 

 

 

• Etiquette

 

The white dinner jacket's origin on cruises and at tropical resorts speaks to its specific role as a casual alternative to traditional black tie.  This less formal status limits its appropriateness to celebratory events and hot weather climes.  Such occasions traditionally include vacations in the tropics year round as well as country club and yacht club dances in America during the summer season (see sidebar.) 

 

While summer in the southern United States certainly qualifies as being tropical, 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 in these regions 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. 

 

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” in the words of Esquire magazine.

 

 

Dinner Jacket

 

Model

 

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.  However, the single-breasted option is by far the most popular today.

 

Lapels

 

While peaked lapels are perfectly acceptable, the more casual effect of the shawl collar is ideally suited to this less formal jacket.  Traditionally, the collars are self facing meaning that they are covered in the same fabric as the rest of the jacket.

 

Color

 

While etiquette experts generally refer to these alternative jackets as “white” and rental shops are filled with brightly bleached formal coats menswear authorities deliberately prefer descriptors such as off-white, ivory, cream or winter white instead.  When worn in abundance, pure white is unflattering to fair-skinned visages and counterintuitive to the understated elegance that formalwear is intended to convey.

 

Fabric

 

Unlined, lightweight natural fabrics are acceptable alternatives to the standard worsted wool.  This includes cotton, gabardine and linen.

 

Pocket, Vents and Buttons

 

Same details as for classic jacket.

 

 

• Trousers

 

Warm-weather trousers follow the same rules as classic trousers including their black or midnight blue coloring.  If choosing to have a pair of trousers 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.

 

 

• Shirt

 

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

 

 

• 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.

 

 

• 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 (see Classic Alternatives for more details).

Classic Black-Tie Outerwear Classic Alternatives: Tasteful Personalization

 

 

White dinner jackets are appropriate only for warm-weather locales. 

 


The complete warm-weather kit: as swank today as the year it originated.  Note the classic wide shawl collar and the red carnation.

 

 


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.  This luxurious wool & cashmere off-white model is by Jos. A. Bank.
 

The white dinner jacket is worn with standard formal trousers and  cummerbund. 

Stick to off-white colors and natural fabrics such as this debonair super 120s wool model by Loro Piana.

 

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

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