Alec Baldwin does a great job as Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock, and episode seven of the first season has the best reason to want to be him. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), a comedy writer already under a lot of stress, has to come up with jokes for a speech she thinks Donaghy is giving that night. Feeling frustrated, she questioning his decision to change into a tuxedo while he’s at work when she learns that the speech hasn’t occurred for months. He says, “It’s after 6 pm.” “Am I a farmer?”
It’s a shame that casual dinner black tie dress attire isn’t often an option for most of us. If you’ll dress like this occasionally, you might as well be a black belt. Whatever it is—a wedding, an awards show, winning a high-stakes poker game against a terrorist financier who has a protruding tear duct- it would be a huge accomplishment.
BLACK TIE’S HISTORY
According to experts in evening wear, black tie clothing has its roots when wearing tails to dinner was expected. According to Simon Cundey, the esteemed Savile Row tailor’s managing director Henry Poole, it was common practice to wear dinner jackets to supper every night. (Simon, Poole’s cousin and business partner, is the great-grandson of Crudey.) You’d take off your tailcoat and put on a smoking jacket to smoke in the drawing room, but you’d quickly change back because you were polite to the women.
The future King Edward VII, the Prince of Wales, sought a more natural fit in Sandringham House, a “really a sort of getaway castle” in Norfolk, England, and wanted a new outfit in 1865. “He liked something a little less formal and easier to wear because he often ate by himself and didn’t want to have to spread his tails every time he sat down,” says Cundey. “He and Poole thought it would be cool to cut off the tails and the front to make it a “dining lounge jacket.” What is “casual” about a “getaway castle”?
New York’s Tuxedo Club members who bought Poole clothes finally got the penguin suit. This is why the term is an Americanism, even though Cundey uses it extensively.
WHAT THE BLACK TIE MEANS RIGHT NOW
Even though black tie is now seen as the most formal outfit, it was initially designed to be worn as loungewear. This is both odd and a sign of how low clothing standards have fallen in society. If you’re not a member of the Bullingdon Club at Oxford University, your tailcoat will probably not be worn as often as your dinner jacket, if you have a tailcoat at all. “These days, black tie is the best chance for men to put in some effort and look smart,” agrees Cundey. “I think that’s great.”
Black ties have also become less strict over the years, and now there are many types and colours to choose from. But while black tie doesn’t have to be black (and technically shouldn’t – see below), any urge to stand out should be dampened by a regard for uniformity. At a black tie event, people treat each other with respect and style, says Cundey. “It’s like at a golf club: everyone looks very sharp when they all wear the same blazer.” It looks like a Caddyshack when they wear different colours, though.”
An elegant dress party is not the same as a black tie affair, meaning that attendees dress formally.
BLACK TIE’S NEW REQUIREMENTS
MAINTAIN YOUR BASES
As a first rule, According to Cundey, a waistcoat should conceal the gap between the pants’ elastic bands. What’s worse than pants that are too short and a too high vest? Being able to see the shirt or band seam.
Seeing as how your dinner suit is two-piece only, you could be asking why you need the cummerbund—other than to hold your opera tickets.
DO NOT ALWAYS PUT YOUR MONEY ON BLACK
It might seem strange to wear a dark blue dinner jacket these days, but it was more common in the past. Also, when the sun goes down, it gets darker.
It turns very black when midnight blue is mixed with black, but it can also turn a dusty grey, according to Cundey. “In general, midnight blue will look deeper and darker.” It wasn’t until It was after Prince Albert’s death in 1861 that black ties gained notoriety, as Queen Victoria grieved for him.
ENSURE ACCURATE METAL DATA
Not only does your black tie watch need to be in sync, but so does everything else you own. Rings, watches, cufflinks, and wedding bands should all coordinate.
Cundey says, “Don’t mix gold and silver.” “You should wear a watch with a silver case if you’re wearing black onyx studs and a gold case if you’re wearing mother-of-pearl studs.”
MAKE A TEAM GAME
Don’t show your style unless the invitation says “black tie creative” or “Ballon d’Or.”
“The cut and fit make a dinner suit,” said by Cundey. Getting the proportions and balance of an outfit perfect is the most important thing. A suit should be understated, in my opinion. You will exude an air of command when you pair a scarlet face with a mid-blue silk. “You might as well bring a trumpet to dinner.”
FILL IT WITH VECTOR
The beloved smoking jacket is slipping out of the living room. For example, Cundey says cocktail clothes are “advantageous for less formal events and more fun.” He also talks about the different styles that can work in a more formal setting.
He says, “You can have almost a ‘dress blazer’: a button-fronted one with a shawl lapel in a velvet facing instead of silk.” “Then it goes the other way, so you can have all the regalia and frogging in midnight blue, which makes it look straightforward.”
LET HOLLYWOOD OFF THE HOOK
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In the movie Casino Royale, Eva Green played Vesper Lynd. She said, “There are jackets and dinner jackets.” A black suit is not the same thing as a black tie. Like a black tie. Cundey says, “There’s nothing worse than seeing guys slouching around in an evening suit while everyone else is at a black tie.” Besides, a seam can be seen in the pants band.
The lapels of a dinner suit jacket will differ from the rest of the suit, and the pants will have ribbons running down the legs. Both will likely be made of a shiny fabric like satin, grosgrain, or faille.
PRESS THE FLYWAY BUTTON
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While some people like to show off their waistcoats, you should always button up a fitted jacket when you’re not sitting down. If there are two buttons, you should only button the top one.
It is also said that the Prince of Wales came up with this tradition, though he may not have been aware of it then. The story goes that he overindulged and couldn’t button his waistcoat up. His friends removed theirs to make him feel better, or at least not offended.
BREAK WITH THE USUAL
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You are not one of the Downton Abbey characters. Much has happened in the world of style since 1865. Ralph Lauren now has the style chops to pair pants with a dinner jacket, and Pharrell might or might not look good in shorts.
The point of strange-style norms is to be disregarded at times and places by courageous rebels, but that’s not always the case. Then, before you “disrupt,” double-check that you will actually be there at the designated time.
BLACK TIE: THE IMPORTANT PARTS
THE SUIT FOR DINNER
Poole’s first recipe for a dinner suit was a three-piece outfit with a peak collar, a front with one button, and two buttons left undone at the bottom. “It gives you that feeling of being high and straight,” says Cundey.
Before Poole switched to wool barathea, the first versions were made of silk. Corded silk, which lacks satin’s sheen and appears darker in colour was used to contrast.
Instead of flaps, the pockets that are “jetted,” which are thin openings that resemble internal breast pockets. and the unvented back (though slits are now famous) made the silhouette even more slim. Poole doesn’t even put hip pockets on his pants. Instead, he likes to put a cigar pocket in the bottom right corner of his jacket.
SHIRT
Cundey states, “At Poole, we recommend a Marcella pique-fronted shirt [with studs] with a texture that looks like the dimples on a golf ball.” He is “not a great fan” of pleated versions, which are perfectly fine.
A well-dressed black tie shirt also has a collar that turns down instead of “wings,” usually worn with tailcoats. “People often try to look Edwardian by wearing a wing-collar shirt with a dinner suit, but I don’t think it works.”
Also, your shirt should have two sets of cuffs held together with cufflinks instead of buttons. If you don’t have other clothes, you could get by with a plain white shirt, but you’ll look much less cool.
A BOW TIE
It’s almost impossible to tie a good bow tie from line drawings. However, it becomes shockingly simple after viewing a charming video instruction given by an outfitter for a southern gentleman. At the end of the night, just as you reach for your hidden cigar pocket, you can take it off to show off your newfound abilities.
Pick one that isn’t perfectly tied if you like one already tied; a little imperfection will make people think you tied it yourself—and ensure the neck is adjustable so it fits tightly in the collar. No matter what kind of bow tie you choose, make sure it fits your head, shirt collar, and jacket lapels.
THE BOOTS
Your cheap office shoes might work, but they won’t look professional. Cundey says, “Your shoes should have a finer line than a standard Oxford or lace-up.” “They should look smoother and more like a pump or a low-cut dress shoe.” No, not “sneaker.”
The urban legend states that a black tie isn’t the right accessory for wet-look patent leather, which is supposedly only meant for tails. Another excellent but impractical option is velvet slippers. However, they were initially only worn to “at home” invitations and are “more often found in the country,” according to Debrett’s Etiquette Guide. Place a pair in your escape castle.
WATCHES
In the opening scene of Goldfinger, Sean Connery wears a white dinner jacket and a Rolex Submariner. Both of these items look very out of place. “I think wearing a sports watch with a black tie is wrong,” says Cundey. “The Jaeger-LeCoultre or Cartiers is what you want. They’re much more stylish than a big Omega.”
But it’s not about the brand name; it’s about the watch itself, which should have a black leather strap that matches, a slim profile, and a classically simple face.
HOW TO WEAR A BLACK TIE AND WHAT NOT TO DO
DO: PUT SOME COLOUR IN IT
Regardless of whether it’s tucked into your scarf, pocket square, or bow tie. Even subdued shades like green or burgundy might work as formal jackets. Good Eggs in Kingsman 2.
DO NOT BROADEN YOUR PORTFOLIO
Debrett warns that one should exercise prudence while wearing a matched cummerbund and tie in an unconventional tint, such as pastels, instead of burgundy and black.
DO: TAKE A DEEP BREATH
And if you’re still not sure why or how to wear suspenders, they take the weight off your waist after dinner, make your legs look longer, and keep that annoying shirt from sticking out.
DO NOT PUT ON A BELT
Cundey says, “A tux should never have a belt.” “Even if it’s in style with a famous person or something.” There ought to be no loops on the pants.
PUT ON A SHWAL
Just like velvet, the shawl collar got its start on smoking coats. It’s less formal than a peak collar. For the same reason as silk, it’s an excellent way to show off your style.
DO NOT TURN IT UP A STEEL
A lot of non-traditional dinner coats have lapels like suit lapels. But if it’s a big moment in your life or work, you should seize it.
DO: PUT ON A TOP COAT
In other words, a dark wool jacket that fits well. Anything less formal will kill the mood when you enter or leave.
DO NOT GIVE THEM A HARD TIME
If your socks are black, you can wear any color you want. No funny socks. Or ties with bows. For example, shirts. Or tie pins. Or something new. Ever.
DO: PICK A GOOD TIME
It’s proper to wear a black tie only after 6 pm. (The other name, “eveningwear,” tells you what it is.) This is not the time to wear a white jacket: it’s better for hot weather.
DO NOT CHECK THE TIME
Most people agree that the fashion cops won’t be called if the event starts before 6 pm. George Clooney and Kanye West wore black ties to their daytime weddings.
DO: SIGN UP
“Black tie optional” is an imprecise and misleading statement. Even though your hosts will be wearing it, they aren’t going to force you to. They probably want you to, too. Decipher the sign.
DO NOT: GIVE UP
Why break the rules about what to wear when you can do it right? I agree with Cundey that “it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.” It helps to have your dinner suit.
DO: GET SOME STUFF
After having one tailored, a dinner suit will be a perfect fit., whether it’s velvet or not. It will also look more valuable than it was, and it will pay for itself after a few uses.
DO NOT: RENT
It’s not worth the money to hire a DJ unless you will wear that outfit again. It’s essential to look and feel suitable for important events.
