The Splurge: The Ultimate Black Tie Getup (and its more affordable counterpart)
There’s been a huge uptick in emails asking for all kinds of Black Tie related advice & suggestions. Tis the season for swanky charity galas, top-notch office parties, and dressed up New Years Eve gatherings. First suggestion: Don’t rent. You won’t look great and you’ll feel worse. Second suggestion: Pay close attention to the fit of your tux, and the details you surround it with. Do that and you’ll look better than just about every other guy at the party.
What follows are two suggested Black Tie outfits. The Ultimate, and the more affordable. Both will allow you to stand out quietly, which is precisely what Black Tie is all about for men. Now, “Ultimate” in this case is relative. Of course you could spend 10x as much on a Burberry Tux and a Rolex, but in this case “Utliatme” it’s what many of us would consider a high end option but still potentially attainable.
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The Tux: Indochino Dinner Jacket Tux – $359 | Tommy Hilfiger Trim Fit – $224.98
Indochino: Again, you could go more expensive. Way more expensive. But the Indochino Dinner Jacket tux is custom built to your measurements (then most likely further tweaked by your tailor courtesy of the Indochino $75 re-tailoring credit), it’s made of 97% wool and 3% silk, and it’ll provide the perfect canvas for the rest of what you wear. Plus, if you use their “advanced” options, (small link, next to “save” while customizing) you can get higher armholes. Also, opt out of belt loops.
Tommy Hilfiger: The armholes on the Hilfiger Trim fit are decently high, but that entire line tends to run a little long in the jacket. You’ll also need to get it darted in at the sides, even though it does come pre-contoured.
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The Shirt: Hugo Boss Trim Fit Tux Shirt – $125 | CK Tonal Stripe French Cuff – $54.99
Hugo Boss: Tux shirts are just plain expensive. Ignore the traditional wing collar tux shirts (as seen on the Indochino model, those are the shirts that just have points for a collar) and go with something that’ll actually cover the back of your bowtie. The covered placket on the Hugo Boss is the more accepted way to go without studs, and the tonal stripes on the front are a subtle take on the classic ribbed and bibbed Tux shirt
Calvin Klein: The grand champ of the Slim and Fitted Dress Shirt Palooza, you’re taking a risk by not going with studs or a covered placket, but hey… the J. Crew guys are doing it. Quality fabric with a nice french cuff.
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The Bow Tie: Thomas Pink – $60.00 | J. Crew – $45.00
Thomas Pink: A bowtie is all about balance. You don’t want one that’s so skinny thin that you’ll look like you’re wearing an airplane propeller. Nor do you want one so floppy that you start to resemble Charles Nelson Reilly. The Thomas pink looks to lean a little larger, plus it’s ribbed and will deliver a nice bit of texture.
J. Crew: A bit cheaper, a bit smaller, and much smoother. All satin.
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The Shoes: Kenneth Cole Mister Man – $153 (reg. $255) | Calvin Klein Gareth – $139.95
Kenneth Cole: Some guys swear by patent tux shoes. Those just look rented. Stick with a plain black lace up and get em’ shined before. Kenneth Cole’s Mister Man shoe is the right blend of traditional minimalism and a modern elongated toe. They’ve got a leather sole and… brace yourselves… they’re made in Italy. A nice bargain at $150
Calvin Klein: At $140 retail price they’re a little expensive for what you get, but watch for a sale.
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The Watch: ESQ Chronograph – $395 | Hugo Boss Silver Dial – $175.00
ESQ by Movado: You’ve got enough black/white contrast going on, so a white dial watch on your wrist probably isn’t a great idea. If you go with a larger watch, make sure it’s dressed up with a black dial which will blend in a little more. The ESQ is one… handsome as hell watch. Just as impressive in person. Sharply modern hands with beefy classic Roman Numerals.
Hugo Boss: A great name at a sub $200 price. Subtle and simple, with a silver (not white) dial. Watch for sales on both of these since they’re sold by Macy’s.
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The Cufflinks: Tiffany 1837 Cufflinks – $225 | Forzieri Cylanders – $83.00
Tiffany: Keep your links slim, subtle, and sleek. Buy these from Tiffany and they’ll be the one set of shined up cuff links you’ll ever need. Plus, you can hand em’ down to your kids (if you have kids).
Forzieri: A little more of a textured modern twist, but still slim. Made in Italy.
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The coat: J. Crew Chesterfield – $395 | Banana Republic Chesterfield – $165 – $275
J. Crew: The Chesterfield, with its black velvet contrast collar, screams black tie affair. But, this one sold out during the massive J. Crew outerwear sale. It should come back though.
Banana Republic: The Banana Republic version is cheaper, and although I haven’t seen it in store, it’s probably pretty similar to their standard topcoat. If that’s the case, the unexpectedly light weight of the fabric won’t keep you warm if you’re standing on a corner in a blizzard, but if you’re going from car to party, and then from party, to… cab… it’ll work just fine. Wait for a sale. If the sale is as big as 40% off you can get it for $165.
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Money clip & Card Case: K.C. Textured Money Clip – $35.00 | R.L. Slim Case – $39.99
Kenneth Cole: If it’s a black tie affair you shouldn’t be hauling around a wallet. Get a good amount of cash out of the ATM and stash it in your money clip. This textured version from Kenneth Cole is what I carry.
Ralph Lauren: Your license, a credit card, and maybe a couple business cards go in your card case. Seems like the old-style silver covered card cases are tough to find. Leather will do, plus it’s cheaper.
Additions, subtractions, comments and concerns… throw em’ all in the comments section below.
As far as peaks or notch or slim notch (to take Indochino’s options as an example) which would you go with? Peak is classic but it’s a bit much in my opinion for a regular suit, but with a tux? And what sort of vents? Indochino seems to think no vents, but the Hilfiger has side vents. What’s your take?
And finally, what about midnight blue/navy?
Cheers, and great post!
Ben
@Ben:
Traditionally, Tuxedos have no peak lapels and no vents, due to their strictly ‘formal’ application.
I ordered that tux from Indochino about a year ago, with peak lapels and sans vents and couldn’t be happier.
@Ben, in my humble opinion, when in doubt go with a 1-button, peak lapel jacket. I’d say go ventless, but I don’t think that matters all that much. Midnight blue is fine…in velvet is bold. Just the jacket in midnight blue, pants are black.
I get hand-made bow ties from http://tothenynesboise.com/ and I think they add a bit more than the clip ones that people usually wear. And you don’t have to look like Tucker Carlson or Orville Redenbacher.
@Ben: I’m a notch lapel guy myself, but on some guys the peak lapel looks great. I also prefer side vents as to ventless. Midnight Blue/Navy certainly does stand out and I think you’ve got to be a bit of a risk-taker (translation: not a minimalist) to pull it off. As long as you’re cool with being the absolute center of attention, I think the blue tux is just fine. I on the other hand, would go with a black, notch lapel, side vent tux that’s been tailored about as trim as possible without being tight. Add in a sweet watch and some great shoes and that’s my ideal. Just my take though…
@ Butch: So you’re saying that the jacket alone would be midnight blue? My impression was that one would have jacket and pants midnight blue but the lapels, buttons and shoes and tie would all still be black. Is this incorrect?
@ Joe: I like the sounds of your approach, and you know my somewhat minimalist leanings. I’m not sure really. I like the idea of midnight blue, but I think in some respects, one would already stand out “enough” if wearing a perfectly tailored tux. Standing out, unobtrusively. I realize that one shouldn’t dress down, as standing out is more than acceptable–desirable even. That said, I wonder if the extra kick of navy (given that I’m not going to be in a red-carpet, or fancy schmoozing gala-type scenario where most people actually ARE in tailored tuxes) may be just a bit much. I think a midnight blue would be an awesome second tux, if I were ever in a position to warrant or afford something like that haha. Still, it looks pretty sharp (google Daniel Craig Tuxedo and some come up with him in a midnight blue with a shawl collar. On him, and on the red carpet, it makes a statement in a very, very good way.)
As far as indochino is concerned, would you go with the slim notch lapels or the standard notched ones? The standard seem a bit weighty to my eye.
Thanks for the replies
Cheers,
Ben
Big bowtie guy for many years. One time that actually DOES allow a pre-tied bowtie is a black tie event. No need for one that you tie yourself. You’re also forgetting the cummerbund.
@Alain: I actually did mention that I’m not a cummerbund guy. Wore one for many years when a part time job required it. Not my thing. Personal preference I suppose.
Joe,
Great article about black tie. You pretty much nailed all the important details. One minor suggestion for anyone wearing a tuxedo is to tuck in the pocket flaps on the jacket. In my opinion, having the flaps tucked in makes the tuxedo look more sleek. And isn’t looking sleek the whole point of wearing black tie?
An inexpensive alternative for the covered placket:
http://www.jcpenney.com/men/sale/stacy-adams-french-cuff-dress-shirt/prod.jump?ppId=pp5003230121&searchTerm=cuff+shirts&dimCombo=null&dimComboVal=null&catId=SearchResults&colorizedImg=DP0828201317112922M.tif