► Dress
Codes
For more information on formal dress codes and variations on the
black tie code (e.g. Black Tie Optional) see
Formal Dress Codes.
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Sources
This consensus has been
compiled according to 20 different works by the leading
contemporary authorities on fashion and etiquette including:
Debrett’s A-Z of Modern
Manners and Debrett’s
Guide for the Modern Gentleman
published by UK’s leading etiquette authority
Details Men’s Style
Manual (2007)
Dressing the Man: The
Art
of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser, acclaimed menswear
designer and author
Emily Post’s Etiquette
(2004 edition), America’s etiquette authority since 1922
Encyclopedia of Men’s
Clothing by menswear historian Andy Gilchrist
A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up
GQ “Ask the Style Guy” columns
from 2000-2009 by Glenn O’Brien
History of Men’s
Fashions: What the Well Dressed Man is Wearing
Letitia Baldrige’s New
Manners for New Times by one of
America's foremost etiquette authors
Men's Style: The
Thinking Man's Guide to Dress by style columnist Russell Smith
Mr. Jones’ Rules
by Dylan Jones, editor of British GQ
The Suit: A
Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style
Differing opinions are
discussed in detail in the
Classic Black Tie and
Contemporary Black
Tie sections of the
Guide.
Wikipedia, although the Web’s most popular source for black
tie information, has been excluded from consideration because
it is essentially a summary of this Guide making it both astute
and redundant.
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► Personalization
For information on time-honored tasteful alternatives check out
Classic Alternatives.
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Defining Black Tie
Qualifying The Experts
While there is a universal
understanding that
black
tie is a dress code, definitions of the code’s specific
attire can vary widely. The question then becomes, whose
definition is correct?
Before we assess the
validity of various definitions we first must place the black-tie code in
context:
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the code is used specifically to maximize an
occasion’s formality
"formal", in turn, is defined as the maintaining of tradition
traditions evolve (If they
didn’t then the tuxedo would still be unacceptable in mixed company)
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Viewed in this perspective we can determine the
qualification of a given definition's source:
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the most relevant sources are experts on
conventional etiquette and menswear
because fashion experts focus on the short term
their opinions are applicable only when a long-term pattern
emerges
sources that heavily emphasize personal
flair can be dismissed altogether as they run counter to
black tie’s traditional emphasis on uniformity
published sources are more valid than amateur
commentators as they are more likely to have legitimate
credentials and to influence the population at large
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The Expert Consensus
Upon examining the advice of this
select group of pundits it quickly becomes apparent that the
true definition of black tie lies in its details.
Furthermore, despite the diversity of the experts sources
and the century-long evolution of the dress code, the cumulated details are largely identical.
This fact completely discredits the argument that black tie is simply a matter of personal
interpretation.
The Short Answer
Black Tie is a dress code that for men consists of the traditional tuxedo and
accompaniments: a black dinner jacket and matching trousers, an
optional black formal waistcoat or black cummerbund, a white formal shirt, a
black bow tie or alternatively a black long tie, black dress socks
and black formal shoes. In hot weather a white dinner jacket
may be substituted and the cummerbund is the preferred waist
covering.
The Complete Answer
The simplistic summary above may be suitable for a dictionary but
in a practical sense it raises more questions than it answers:
What qualifies as a "dinner jacket"? A "formal shirt"?
"Dress socks"? Therefore, in order to
actually
assemble a proper black-tie outfit each of its components requires its own
definition:
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1. jacket |
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fabric:
· black wool is the norm
· midnight blue is equally correct
model can be:
· single-breasted
· double-breasted
lapels can be:
· peaked lapel
· shawl collar
· notched lapel is most popular but
not accepted by
traditionalists
and can have:
· satin facing
· grosgrain facing
no vents is most formal
one button is traditional for single-breasted
models but two
buttons are becoming acceptable
pockets should not have flaps
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2. trousers |
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same material as jacket
single braid along outside seams to match lapel facings
cut for suspenders (braces in UK)
no cuffs (turnups in UK)
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3. waist covering |
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optional waist covering is traditionally either:
· black cummerbund made from silk to match jacket facings;
best suited to shawl collar jacket; not particularly
popular in
Europe
· black low-cut evening waistcoat; best suited to peaked
lapel
jacket
either is worn with single-breasted jacket models but
not with double-breasted
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4. shirt
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white fabric,
turndown collar
fronts can be either pleated or piqué (marcella in UK)
shirt traditionally has eyelets for studs;
some authorities allow for fly-fronts
French cuffs (double cuffs in UK)
wing collar is considered unflattering or
inappropriate for black tie by most authorities; some
allow it but only in its traditional
white tie
form
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5. neckwear
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black self-tie silk bow tie to match lapel facings
black silk four-in-hand tie (long
tie) has become a popular alternative although it is
rejected by traditionalists
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6. footwear
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black shoes can be:
· patent or highly polished
leather
oxfords (most popular)
· patent or highly polished leather pumps (most
traditional)
black silk or fine fabric hose, over-the-calf length
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7. accessories |
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harmonizing
black, gold or mother-of-pearl studs and cufflinks
suspenders (braces in UK) of black or white
silk
optional white silk or linen
handkerchief as pocket square
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outerwear
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chesterfield coat is most conventional but any other
dark dressy coat is acceptable; rain (trench) coats are
not appropriate
evening dress scarf of white silk
with tassels
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Warm-Weather Variation
Acceptable year round in tropical climates and in summer in
North America.
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1. jacket |
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white or preferably ivory
self-faced lapels
all other details as per classic jacket
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2. trousers |
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black
all other details as per standard black-tie trousers
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3. waist covering
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black cummerbund
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4. shirt
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as per standard black-tie shirt
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5. neckwear
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as per standard black-tie neckwear
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6. footwear
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as per standard black-tie footwear
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7. accessories |
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optional colored silk or linen handkerchief
as pocket square
all other details as per standard black-tie accessories
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The Code's Variety
Obviously, proper black tie
is a far more specific dress code than anything the average man is
likely to encounter outside of the military. What may
not be so obvious, especially to the novice, is just how much of
this seemingly restrictive list is actually optional.
Take a second look and you will see that much of black tie’s
dress code is not about what you
must wear but what you
may wear.
It is this extent of choice that lies behind black tie’s
genius – not to mention its survival in the face of contemporary
trends that have virtually banished the far more austere white tie
dress code.
In fact, the amount of
choice can be a little overwhelming. But don’t worry, the
Relative Formality discussion
will help you narrow down the choices based on what is appropriate
for various types of occasions and the
Classic Black Tie section will
help you achieve your desired look based on how each option impacts
the end result.
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Correct black tie is defined by its seven components. The traditional variations shown
here are described in detail in the
Classic Black Tie
section.
Modern iterations of black
tie can reduce the outfit to a common black suit. See
Contemporary Black Tie for important guidelines.
Black tie's tropical variation differs only in two primary
details. See
Warm-Weather Back Tie
for more information.
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