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Dress Code: Tuxedo
Smoking, evening dress, dinner jacket, tuxedo or black tie. The dress code has many names, depending on where in the world you are. In this post, we will teach you how to wear it the right way.
Photo: Leo Prim
Text: Jon harrington
The tuxedo is, alongside the tailcoat, one of the more formal and stylish garments a man can wear. If you have ever tried one, you know what we mean. The tuxedo is essentially a refined version of a suit, featuring satin or velvet-covered lapels, satin-covered buttons, and trousers with black satin stripes.
Just like the suit, the tuxedo is an outfit that you should wear with a relaxed self-awareness and a lighthearted attitude. However, the opportunities for personal flair and style interpretations are fewer and should be based on a comprehensive, unquestionable understanding of how to wear the garment according to the dress code and the art's every rule.
Just like the suit, the tuxedo is an outfit that you should wear with a relaxed self-awareness and a lighthearted attitude. However, the opportunities for personal flair and style interpretations are fewer and should be based on a comprehensive, unquestionable understanding of how to wear the garment according to the dress code and the art's every rule.
The Origin of the Tuxedo
There are differing opinions on who was responsible for the creation of the tuxedo as a garment. One interpretation that Americans are particularly fond of is that businessman Griswold Lorillard is said to have worn the first tuxedo, a short tailcoat without the traditional tails, in 1886 at The Tuxedo Club in New York. This is why it is often referred to as a Tuxedo. When America later celebrated the garment's centenary, Angus Cundey, managing director at Henry Poole, No. 15 Savile Row in London, discreetly and succinctly pointed out: “We made a short smoking jacket for the prince of Wales as early as 1865”.
A side note in this context is the worn cliché that one should not wear brown shoes after 6:00 PM. This stems from the fact that in well-dressed settings after 6:00 PM, it was universally expected to wear a tailcoat for dinner, which meant one would be wearing black shoes. So, the next time a self-proclaimed expert makes that statement, you should commend them for presumably wearing a tailcoat to dinner after 6:00 PM.
The Appearance of the Smoking Jacket
The tuxedo typically consists of a jacket with peaked lapels, or what are called shawl lapels. It can be single-breasted, with a button covered in the same fabric as the lapels, or double-breasted. The trousers have satin stripes in the same fabric as the jacket lapels and are traditionally without cuffs. Traditionally, the trousers have no belt loops and should be held up with suspenders of the type that fasten with buttons on the inside of the waistband. Preferably made by Albert Thurston. The original and probably some of the best suspenders in the world. Suspenders that attach with metal clips belong to a time when your mother or father forced you to wear them.
The color of your tuxedo can be black or midnight blue, with black silk lapels and trouser stripes. In southern latitudes, a white tuxedo jacket with black trousers can be a stylish alternative. A combination that stands out and demands its wearer.
The shirt for the tuxedo should be made of high-quality white cotton. No color other than white. The fastening can be concealed but is often made up of black so-called studs, which preferably should have a black front and be made of white or gold-colored metal, along with cufflinks that harmonize. The collar can be a classic point collar, with varying degrees of spread.
The color of your tuxedo can be black or midnight blue, with black silk lapels and trouser stripes. In southern latitudes, a white tuxedo jacket with black trousers can be a stylish alternative. A combination that stands out and demands its wearer.
The shirt for the tuxedo should be made of high-quality white cotton. No color other than white. The fastening can be concealed but is often made up of black so-called studs, which preferably should have a black front and be made of white or gold-colored metal, along with cufflinks that harmonize. The collar can be a classic point collar, with varying degrees of spread.
To match or not to match the lady's outfit
A common misconception is that it’s a bit charming for a man to match the color of his bow tie with the color of the lady’s dress. This is often a request made by the lady. We suggest that instead, you ask her to match the color of her dress with the bow tie. The bow tie for a tuxedo should invariably be black, usually made of silk, sometimes velvet if the jacket's lapels are made of this material. We advocate that you learn to tie a bow tie yourself.
Tasteful variations to vary the bow tie include wearing it in a knitted version, or in a matte wool quality, possibly also in a flannel model. The pocket square should be completely white according to the dress code, preferably made of fine cotton or linen, and looks best that way.
Tasteful variations to vary the bow tie include wearing it in a knitted version, or in a matte wool quality, possibly also in a flannel model. The pocket square should be completely white according to the dress code, preferably made of fine cotton or linen, and looks best that way.
What shoes should you wear with a tuxedo?
The shoes you wear with your tuxedo should be black patent leather shoes of the Oxford model, or patent pumps with a bow. With a strong sense of style, one can play a bit with shoe choices to make wearing the tuxedo more personal, but we only recommend this for very experienced wearers of the garment. As always, learn the rules well, so you can break them in the right way.
The socks you wear with your tuxedo should be black, made of silk and in a classic knee-high design. Some trendy slim-cut trousers make this difficult, as the pant legs can catch on the high sock tops. However, the color is what matters, and the sock should be long enough that you never risk showing its top when the pant leg rides up, for example, when you sit down.
Finally, the option to rent a tuxedo is often mentioned. Our experience is that if you have had the opportunity to wear a tuxedo once, it is often the case that it happens again, and the cost of renting a tuxedo two to three times is very close to the price of buying your own, which will fit you much better.
The socks you wear with your tuxedo should be black, made of silk and in a classic knee-high design. Some trendy slim-cut trousers make this difficult, as the pant legs can catch on the high sock tops. However, the color is what matters, and the sock should be long enough that you never risk showing its top when the pant leg rides up, for example, when you sit down.
Finally, the option to rent a tuxedo is often mentioned. Our experience is that if you have had the opportunity to wear a tuxedo once, it is often the case that it happens again, and the cost of renting a tuxedo two to three times is very close to the price of buying your own, which will fit you much better.
