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What's in a Name?:
"Black Tie" vs. "Black-Tie"
When used as a compound adjective the term black tie
is hyphenated
. . . except when capitalized.
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Using the Guide
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 by 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.
A primary black-tie
education should include the following:
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the Etiquette section
provides the absolute fundamentals: defining white-tie and
black-tie attire
and describing their associated traditions
the History section
examines the origin and evolution of the
above
attire and traditions; its lessons are not essential for men who
intend to follow the conventional rules but they are critical
for men who think they can rewrite those rules
Classic Black Tie draws from black tie’s
history to describe in detail its benchmark attire
Contemporary Black Tie looks at black tie’s
contemporary trends in context of its history and classic benchmarks
Style Basics
explains the important principles of well-suited and
well-fitting tailored clothing
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Be sure to take advantage of the illustrated Glossary (in the Supplementary section)
when you come across an
unfamiliar sartorial term.
The remaining sections are
largely special interest.
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the Buying Guide
will save you time in tracking down some of the
harder-to-find classic garments and accessories
White Tie is the
equivalent of the Classic Black Tie section and is invaluable
for anyone fortunate enough to be invited to a full-dress
occasion
the Vintage
section examines the finer detail of formal attire and tradition
in a specific topic-by-topic approach (rather than the general
era-by-era approach of the History section)
the Supplemental
section is a pot pourri of of interesting related topics including Red Carpet Black Tie, Scottish Black Tie
and formal daytime attire
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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, 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 |
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 |
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Vest |
Waistcoat |
Waistcoat |
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Pants, Trousers |
Trousers |
Trousers |
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Suspenders |
Braces |
Suspenders |
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Formal Wear |
Formal Dress1 |
Formal Wear |
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Evening Wear |
Evening Dress or
Evening Suits |
Evening Wear |
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Traditionally, the most formal category of attire is
described as formal in North American and dress
in Britain. The second most formal category
– e.g.
traditional business attire – is conversely described as
dress in North America and formal in Britain.
Therefore a black-tie event calls for a formal shirt in North
America and a dress shirt in Britain, even though both words are
describing the same garment. (Note: Some British
haberdasher Web sites have recently begun to use the term
"formal" in the American sense of the word, likely to make
themselves more accessible to online shoppers from the US.)
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