Using the Guide
 • Who Should Use the Guide
This guide is for men of all experience levels.
Whether you suspect that the outfit you rented for your high school
prom is not going to cut it in urbane social circles or you have
figured this out from actual practice then you have come to the
right place.
This guide is also for men with all degrees of
sartorial knowledge. Some of the fashion advice will seem
ridiculously basic for men who wear suits regularly but many
others today have little or no experience with classic men’s clothing
so it is important that they be taught the fundamentals.
Finally, this guide is for men of all financial means.
In fact, an educated tuxedo rental will trump an uninformed
purchase any day. For those planning to buy, the guide will
ensure their money is well invested regardless of their budget.
• Getting the Most from the Guide
Although it is obviously
possible to jump from topic to topic, you will gain the most from
this site reading the sections in order because each topic builds on the knowledge gained
in the previous one.
In fact, it's a lot like a course curriculum - but
without the homework, deadlines and surprise quizzes.
-
The Black Tie Basics section provides the
absolute fundamentals: defining black-tie attire and explaining
its etiquette
-
The History section explains how the
current dress code and etiquette came into being by examining
black tie’s origin and evolution
-
Classic Black Tie draws from black tie’s
history to describe in detail its benchmark attire
-
Contemporary Black Tie looks at black tie’s
modern trends in context of its history and classic benchmarks
-
Finally, the Supplementary section will
help you assemble and care for the black-tie wardrobe that you
have chosen based on your newfound knowledge.
It will also inspire you to stay true to tradition by showing examples of
guys who know what they’re doing and guys who only think they
do.
As you are reading through the site, don’t
forget to use the illustrated Glossary whenever you come across an
unfamiliar sartorial term.
If after obtaining your Bachelor of Black Tie
you are ready to move on to your master’s degree, check out the
Vintage Black Tie section for the details needed to authentically
reproduce a formal ensemble from just about any decade in its
history. You may also want to
check out the Bibliography (located in the Supplementary section)
for further reading.
• Terminology in the Guide
Because the population of the United States is
roughly four and a half times that of the United Kingdom and nearly
nine times the population of my own country, Canada, it would stand
to reason that the majority of visitors to this site will be
American. For that reason, and because of nearly
identical American and Canadian vocabulary and spelling, it is only
logical for me to write in American English.
Having said that, it is important to me to make the site
as accommodating as possible to visitors who are more familiar with
British English. This is a bit of a challenge because
formalwear terms can be very different on either side of the
Atlantic and in some cases downright contradictory. And
just to add to the confusion, many North Americans prefer original
British terminologies over American derivatives.
The following chart of comparative formalwear
terminology should help to clear things up.
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|
 |
|
Tuxedo(1) |
Dinner Jacket
/
Dinner Suit
|
Tuxedo, Dinner Jacket, Dinner Suit |
|
Dinner Jacket
when used (incorrectly) to
refer specifically to a white dinner jacket |
Tuxedo
when used (incorrectly) to refer
specifically to a white dinner jacket |
White Dinner Jacket |
|
Vest |
Waistcoat |
Waistcoat |
|
Pants, Trousers |
Trousers |
Trousers |
|
Suspenders |
Braces |
Suspenders |
|
Formalwear |
Dress or Formal Dress |
(Semi-)Formal Wear(2) |
|
Dress (as adjective) |
Formal |
Dress |
|
Evening Wear |
Evening Dress or
Evening Suits |
Evening Wear, Semi-Formal Evening Wear (2) |
(1) Note that tuxedo can mean the jacket
alone (the term's original meaning) or the jacket
and the trouser combination or the entire black-tie ensemble. When
the term is used on this site it refers to the combination of jacket
and trousers. Dinner jacket is also often used in the same context.
(2) This site uses the traditional classification of black tie as semi-formal. See the
Dress Codes section for
further details.
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