The State of Black Tie: Your Observations

[JohnMRobie]

Anyone else going with black tie this evening?

Lousy mirror pic. Off to dinner. Happy new year y’all

 

[ericgereghty]

@Mark from Plano make with the fit pic!

As an aside, can y'all toss out some ideas for "fun" black tie braces? I feel like this is a sphere where folks could venture outside the bounds of tradition without making a mess of things.

 

[solid_olid]

Black tie noob here, trying to figure out some stuff for my wedding. Hoping you wonderfully well dressed gents can help me out, I've already benefited a lot form reviewing other parts of the thread. I am leaning towards a Kent Wang MTO but want to try some more OTR stuff in case it ends up just working, and also to help figure out what I want.

A couple requests that would be very helpful for me:

1. What are your best examples of midnight blue tuxes? With the color variation based on the light it is a bit hard to tell what to go for.
   1. I love this though color-wise, I like that there is not a heavy contrast with the lapel. https://www.styleforum.net/threads/the-state-of-black-tie-your-observations.275650/post-10809778
2. What's your favorite OTR/RTW black tux? Ideally sub $1000 but can flex up to $1500?
3. What's your favorite OTR/RTW midnight blue tux? Same pricing as above.

 

[Mark from Plano]

@Mark from Plano make with the fit pic!

As an aside, can y'all toss out some ideas for "fun" black tie braces? I feel like this is a sphere where folks could venture outside the bounds of tradition without making a mess of things.

Bad quick bathroom pic. Along with my braces and cuff links.

 

[upr_crust]

Black tie noob here, trying to figure out some stuff for my wedding. Hoping you wonderfully well dressed gents can help me out, I've already benefited a lot form reviewing other parts of the thread. I am leaning towards a Kent Wang MTO but want to try some more OTR stuff in case it ends up just working, and also to help figure out what I want.

A couple requests that would be very helpful for me:

1. What are your best examples of midnight blue tuxes? With the color variation based on the light it is a bit hard to tell what to go for.
   1. I love this though color-wise, I like that there is not a heavy contrast with the lapel. https://www.styleforum.net/threads/the-state-of-black-tie-your-observations.275650/post-10809778
2. What's your favorite OTR/RTW black tux? Ideally sub $1000 but can flex up to $1500?
3. What's your favorite OTR/RTW midnight blue tux? Same pricing as above.

I am unsure that this is a "best example" of a midnight blue tuxedo, but it is what I own. I have attached a close-up and a full length shot to better inform your search for information. The lapel facings are midnight blue grosgrain, as are the stripes on the trouser legs. Certainly, I would recommend that, if you go for a midnight blue tuxedo, that the lapel facings should be midnight blue, not black.

 

[solid_olid]

Thank you @upr_crust , that's a very helpful example. Love the color match on the lapel with the midnight. Hope you're having a great NYE!

 

[hpreston]

Anyone else going with black tie this evening?

 

[hpreston]

Thank you @upr_crust , that's a very helpful example. Love the color match on the lapel with the midnight. Hope you're having a great NYE!

FWIW, I went back and forth and opted for midnight barathea fabric and black grosgrain facings on the shawl DB tux posted above….

 

[ericgereghty]

View attachment 1873521

@gdl203 your crew rocked the friggin bells here.
@hpreston what fabric did you opt for? I think you mentioned initially, but scotch and champagne make short term recall suboptimal

 

[hpreston]

@gdl203 your crew rocked the friggin bells here.
@hpreston what fabric did you opt for? I think you mentioned initially, but scotch and champagne make short term recall suboptimal

Drapers Midnight blue wool-mohair

edited to correct my also fuzzy (Champaign….. ) memory

 

[JohnMRobie]

Final tally from dinner last night. 3 people in proper rigs. Another half dozen or so in suits sans tie. Maybe the most telling was that we got seated across the restaurant from a couple guys who own an MTM company that passes itself off as bespoke and are always out taking about the benefits of tailoring yada, yada. They were wearing a henley and a sweater respectively, each with designer sneakers.

 

[The Dirty Pigeon]

Happy new year, all. The “black tie optional” party that we attended last night was a blast and it was good to see a few fellas in some version of proper black tie. Out of about 150 guests, I’d say about 15-20 men rose to the occasion in some way. Many men wore the color black but did not don black tie attire. With the ladies, there were some long dresses but it was mostly cocktail attire.

Edit: I forgot to mention that one gentleman was in Scottish Highland Dress which was very refreshing to see. He took the black tie prize in my opinion.

As for my getup, I found a fairly inexpensive gold/brown velvet dinner jacket on eBay that sort-of fit but it wasn’t great. My jacket button fell off about an hour into the evening. Whoops. After my first martini, I didn’t care anymore.

A few pics:

 

[edinatlanta]

Anyone else going with black tie this evening?

Wore my spier and mackay dinner jacket @Kent Wang cummerbund and bow tie, vintage tiki stud set (they are really more like drama masks) and.... cowboy boots.

 

[ericgereghty]

My attempt it looking snappy last night.
@edinatlanta you got the blackwatch DJ, no?

 

[brax]