May
Photo by Evan Falk
Absolutely kills it for black tie (again). Check out the turn-back satin cuffs.
Jan
WSJ: Deconstructing the Tuxedo — Some people can’t leave well enough alone:
A detour at the tuxedo junction can mean wearing a velvet smoking jacket with jeans or even tuxedo pants with high-tops and a puffer jacket.
I wouldn’t call that a “detour.” I’d call it “driving into the concrete median.”
And I about lost it at this sentence:
Mr. Lobban suggested wearing the cummerbund with the crew-neck tee as a contemporary evening look. “You’re in a T-shirt, so it has a more relaxed glamour,” he said.
Horror. Absolute, terrifying, tasteless horror. Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules?
Jan
My tuxedo — Felt good to wear this last night. A breakdown of the fit:
Tuxedo: Vintage find on eBay U.K. It’s a midnight blue mohair with black satin shawl collared lapels with jetted pockets and unvented. Trousers have side adjusters and are flat fronted. I felt pretty lucky to buy this at the price I paid — around $200 — and it’s been a good investment, even if I only wear it once a year.
Shirt: Made-to-measure from Spoon Tailor in San Francisco. It’s a marcella bib front and has a lightweight poplin collar, cuffs, sleeves and shirt body. I opted for a fly front to avoid having to mess with studs and kept the mother-of-pearl buttons thin so they wouldn’t stick up under the placket. Rounded French cuffs and a standard spread collar with elongated points so they would stay under my jacket’s lapels.
Cummerbund and bowtie: Both are from Fine & Dandy Shop. First time wearing a cummerbund this year and I didn’t find I minded it as much as I thought I would.
Pocket square: Howard Yount. White linen. Simple and I wear it with everything else anyway.
Cufflinks: Vintage mother of pearl and double-sided found on eBay. The only pair I wear with my French cuff shirts. Not bad for under $15.
Socks: Marcoliani via Howard Yount. Black silk, thankfully blended with some nylon so they stay up on the calves.
Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo black patent leather captoes via eBay. I’m fairly certain I bought these for under $100 and they’ve held up nicely. To spruce them up a bit, I added silk laces.
Things I would like to add in the future: white silk braces and braces buttons to my trousers. Also, perhaps having my tailor add a lapel buttonhole for a carnation.
Dec
Rugby tuxedo fun shirts — For those of you who attend events where the dress code is “creative black tie”, this might be a not completely terrible way to do it. Available (and on sale) in multi-colored stripes and blackwatch.
(If you want something more tame, they have a normal, pleated-front shirt, too.)
Dec
eojt:
Spotted - My friend Eric wearing a tux in Antarctica!
this is not photoshopped.
Can someone please, please!, give this a #menswear tag. Dude is literally keeping it icy.
Oct
New Brooks Brothers formalwear arrivals — As the holiday season comes up, those of you fortunate enough to attend so many black-tie events that you get bored of wearing your standard dinner jacket might consider other more “fun” options. Perhaps a tartan cummerbund will work. Or even a tartan jacket, if you’re feeling exceptionally bold.
If you’re looking for something a bit more subtle, however, Brooks Brothers just released their velvet blackwatch tuxedo jacket. It’s tough to see the pattern in the photos, but it’s slightly visible on the product shot’s rear view at certain spots. I imagine this looks rather amazing in person. The downside is that the jacket features notch lapels, making this a much more casual jacket (beyond the fact it’s patterned and velvet).
There’s also a grey shawl-collar jacket that I’m not quite sure how I feel about. It’s cut in Brooks Brothers’ “Milano” fit and unfortunately has flapped pockets. And I’m not sure about that use of grey. Part of me wants to give it credit for being different, yet part of me thinks it might make you look like you’re one of the service staff at an event.
Of course, both of these are exercises in excess. If you don’t have a proper suit for black tie, then I suggest you focus on buying a tuxedo first.
Sep
It’s on sale: Polo Ralph Lauren black tie accessories — Ralph Lauren is having a 25% off sale on select items on their site with code RLGIVING12. Frankly, there’s not much there to pick from that’s sale eligible, but I did notice their black batwing bowtie and cummerbund were on sale.
Oh, and also available in black watch (bowtie and cummerbund), for those of you attending a more festive black-tie party this winter.
Jun
Ralph Lauren - how to wear a tuxedo.
Note: the cummerbund
I’ve made it a habit the past two New Year’s Eves to wear a tuxedo and decided to forgo the cummerbund. I’ve decided that I want to pick up one (along with a better bowtie) for this year. Haven’t quite found one yet that I’m crazy about though. I do think it helps complete the look.
I’m also highly considering going for a MTM tuxedo shirt, but I haven’t fully committed myself to that just yet. Perhaps in the fall I’ll place an order.
A change in footwear might also be in order, as I really like the Kent Wang plain-toe balmorals and silk formal socks might be nice, too.
One thing you won’t see me going for? Opera pumps. Sorry, I know they’ve got the Put This On and Vox co-sign, but it’s just not for me.
Apr
Vintage midnight blue shawl-collared tuxedo — If you’re a size 40L, then you might want to take a look. For $200, that’s a bit of a steal, even if you have to put another $100 in alterations into it.
Feb
I'm in some weddings this summer, so I just joined #TeamTuxedo thanks to some eBay sniping. What's are good sources for the corresponding black tie accoutrement (black bow-tie, studs, cufflinks, etc)? And is there any way to cop opera pumps without feeling like they're a huge waste of money? It's not like they're gonna show up at the local thrift store...
I bought my cufflinks on Etsy. They’re a vintage mother-of-pearl pair that cost me $5. You could easily go and find new ones, but vintage works just as well and there’s plenty of deals to be had. Same goes for studs. It’s worth noting that I didn’t buy any studs since I bought a tuxedo shirt that has a hidden placket, so the buttons aren’t visible and there’s no need for studs.
For a bowtie, I bought a skinnier black one from Thomas Pink. The Tie Bar has decent (and cheap) bowties as well. Really, it just depends on your budget and what you want to spend.
Kent Wang has all the wedding accessories you might need, if you’re looking to buy this stuff new.
As for opera pumps, I have no idea where you could affordably buy a pair beyond getting lucky on eBay.
Jan
what brand tux? thanks!
It’s vintage, made in Germany, I think. It’s a wool-mohair fabric blend from Italy in midnight blue. I bought it off of eBay. I wrote a guide on how to buy a dinner suit (tuxedo) on eBay a while back.
Dec
“Everything Evening” — The BowTie
With all the buzz about New Years Eve outfits, our Everything Evening Friday worked out perfectly. This year there have been multiple requests for a formal, but stylish bowtie to accent that perfect New Years Even ensemble.
Check out our selection here…
http://shrinestyle.com/neckwear/bow-ties/
Another great way to set your New Years Eve outfit apart from the crowd is to accessorize with one of Shrine’s beautiful silk scarves such as this Penrose…
http://shrinestyle.com/neckwear/scarves/penrose-silk-scarf-exmoor-a-handmade-in-uk-1/
Happy New Years Everyone!
- Shrine
Class it up on New Year’s Eve, folks.
Dec
So in a couple of months, I'll be going to Junior/Senior prom. Do you have any recommendations on what kind of tux, shirt, shoes, etc.? I know that Indochino is one option, but it is still not very cost-efficient for my lunch money budget.
Let me be brutally honest: There’s no good answer that won’t involve you wasting your lunch money.
Unless you’re really certain that you’ve stopped growing, opting to buy a tuxedo is going to be a waste of money for you. Looking back at what size I was in high school is fairly different than where I am now.
Going the rental route is a huge waste of cash as well, in my opinion. Rental tuxedos are complete shit.
Your best bet would probably be hitting up eBay and trying to track down a decently-priced option. I’ve written about that process here.
If you have around $300 to spend though, I think you could probably swing a tuxedo if you follow this guide from This Fits.
What would I do? I’d skip the tuxedo and buy a suit.
At the very least, having a suit would be useful for you beyond one night in high school. You could wear it to interviews and other events that are somewhat formal. Your cost-per-use would be lower overall.
Find a dark charcoal solid-colored suit, take it to a tailor to be altered to fit you correctly (taper the legs, hem the cuffs, take in the seat, slim the waist of the jacket, have him create a working boutineer hole in the lapel). Then buy a white dress shirt that has French cuffs, spread collar, no chest pocket and a French placket. Get a cheap black bowtie and white silk pocket square from The Tie Bar. Find cheap mother-of-pearl vintage cufflinks on Etsy or eBay. Get a decent pair of over-the-calf black wool socks. Find a pair of black captoe oxford shoes and shine them up nice and glossy the day before.
If the fit’s perfect, you’ll look way better than all the other guys in polyester rentals with pants baggy enough to fit two people. Plus, you’ll have the added benefit of owning a suit that’s decent enough to get you through the next few years if you take care of it (ie: garment bag to help avoid moths).
Dec
I was tapped to do a formal wear post by local Portland style blog Fore Front Fashion. This is the preview and I’m not going to lie, it’s some of the best blogging I’ve ever done. BE EXCITED!
‘Tis the season for party skirts, bow ties and holiday plaids. I asked some of my favorite Portland bloggers to send in their favorite fashions for the festivities ahead to help out with outfit ideas for everything from formal affairs to a holiday brunch.
How awesome is this? I love it!
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