Proceed with Caution

Contemporary Jackets

Contemporary Trousers

Contemporary Waist Coverings

Contemporary Shirts

Contemporary Neckwear

Contemporary Footwear

Contemporary Accessories

Contemporary Personalization

Contemporary Personalization

A man without impeccable taste who attempts to individualize this uniform (for it is a uniform and its attractiveness lies precisely in its uniformity) risks looking like a snickering juvenile.  There is nothing more pathetic than a failed flamboyant.

Men’s Style

• Rules & Risks Recap

We now arrive at the most precarious of all black-tie variations: contemporary alternatives.  Men seeking to add personal flair without the use of tried-and-true classic alternatives or correct modern variations will require a great deal of prudence in order to avoid becoming what style columnist Russell Smith termed a “failed flamboyant.”  To this end, it is worth repeating the vital cautions presented in the introduction to this section of the Guide.

First, take a long look at the perceived gains and known risks of flaunting convention.  As Mr. Smith’s Men’s Style explains, the modern trend of influential celebrities choosing “creative” ways to make their formal attire unique is creating an unpleasant fallout: “The Dennis Rodmans of the world are creating a growing pressure on salesmen and ordinary consumers to be more original.  Paradoxically, this does not entail grater freedom for men; it means greater confusion.  It will lead to far more disastrous experiments, and an overall rise in tackiness.”

Secondly, a man can’t successfully bend the rules of black tie unless he knows what the rules are.  It is particularly vital to understand the fundamental principles behind these rules: formal wear is intended to preserve tradition and in the case of dressy men’s attire tradition dictates that “less is more.”

Thirdly, keep in mind that there are rules for bending the rules  Discerning the appropriateness of unorthodox alternatives has just as much to do with the degree of the transgression, the nature of the event and even the age of the wearer as it does with its sartorial details.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the most popular customization trends with an eye to minimizing their risk to black-tie’s intended purpose.

• Mixing & Matching

Mainstream formalwear retailers have discovered an ingenious method for offering gullible young customers unique alternatives: mix and match their existing inventory.  Sartorial classicist Nicholas Antongiavanni explains the implications of such a crass approach to customizing one’s formal wardrobe:

One way the English upper class maintained the distinction between servant and served was by forcing the former to wear correct attire in incorrect combinations.  Thus butlers wore black tie with tails, clerks long ties with wing collars, and footmen bow ties with morning coats and even striped trousers with tailcoats.  Though butlers and footmen are rare today, they still dress like this; and no one who is not one wants to look like one. 

Other experts provide similar warnings for integrating formal and informal attire.  Russell Smith asserts that the current vogue for combining a tuxedo with a long tie “will make you look like a drug-addled actor who got lost on his way to the Academy Awards” while the authors of A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up warn that when a man mixes a dinner jacket and blue jeans for a hip personal style “he runs the risk of suggesting that only half his suit was returned from the dry cleaners.”

• Adding Color

As explained in Classic Alternatives, although 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 sophomoric prom costume.  To avoid this pitfall, stick to the simple guidelines offered by classic menswear authority Alan Flusser:

• use only one colored accessory
  

• surround the color with black (i.e. limit it to waistcoats, cummerbunds or pocket squares)

• use deep, rich colors     

Metallics and Tones

Adding a metallic finish to colored accessories has become a fashionable new option over the past decade.  Silver is a particularly popular way of straddling the line between the current conservatism in formal wear and young men’s natural desire to stand out from the crowd.    While a little too showy for traditional black-tie events, these fashions are appropriate for the informal weddings at which they are commonly seen.  To minimize the Vegas aspect of these shiny alternatives, stick to a deep silver and limit it to a cummerbund or discreet low-cut waistcoat; noticeably tall contemporary vests lack the subtly needed to prevent the domination of what is supposed to be an accent garment.

Equally popular at youthful weddings are four-in-hand ties of silver and black or white satin.  As explained in Classic Neckwear, long ties are too informal to technically qualify as black tie.  While black versions may hover on the edge of acceptability, any other hue will only lessen the tie’s formality even further.   

Whether traditional bow tie or contemporary long tie, identically matching one’s neckwear with one’s waistcoat or cummerbund is thoroughly pedestrian.  The reasons for this have been explained ad infinitum throughout this site.

• Using Patterns

Pattern exploded onto black-tie attire in the late 1950s alongside vibrant colors and metallic sheens and it remained popular throughout the subsequent Peacock Revolution.  Then the return of conservatism in the 1980s reined in the excesses of the counterculture movement and the use of pattern became limited to accessories.  Patterns remain a perfectly legitimate accent today provided they observe a few simple caveats to ensure they remain tasteful:

• they are tone-on-tone

• they are limited to a two-color design with one of those colors drawing from black tie’s fundamental black and white palette and the other being a hue that respects the previously discussed color guidelines

• they do not use white as a predominant color (with the possible exception of pocket squares)

Notably, pattern is the only appropriate means for personalizing one’s bow tie provided that it is restricted to a subtle white design against a black background.  Discretion is particularly important when customizing a bow tie because it can all too easily detract from the wearer’s face which is intended to be the focal point of any refined outfit.