Senior prom

[ajpthng03]

Hey my senior prom is coming up and i was just trying to figure out what kind of tux i should go with. I want something classic, yet original. Last year i went with the basic two button, black tie, black vest, and wingtip collar shirt, which gave a very classy look. My date is wearing a black dress, and i would rather not repeat last years look. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[PeterMetro]

I think you'll find a pretty conservative bunch here when it comes to formal wear. In fact, your outfit last year sounds spot on to me (even though I would have chosen a turn down collar, there are those who would disgree with me on that front).

As bad as most prom dresses are, what the boys wear is often equally tasteless. I've seen spectators, patterned bowties, sneakers, even jeans. It's all designed to make the wearer stand out - unfortunately they just stand out as a jackass.

The simple elegance of the black and white shouldn't be underestimated. If your tux fits, you'll look great. My only advice is to wear patent leather shoes and tie your own bowtie. You'll stand out because you'll be the only guy in a crowd of girls.

Good luck.

 

[Yosarian77]

Your last year's look sounds elegant to me, though I agree Mr. Metro, in that I would have probably gone with a turned down collar. One look that I've been seeing this year that I like (I've been to a few formal affairs in the last few months), is the point collar formal shirt with a plain black tie. I have a black tie with a simple blue square at the bottom that I wore to a formal event, and I thought it looked very appropriate, but different. It might look better with a three button tuxedo jacket, so if you are going two button, I'd probably just go simple and elegant. Nothing wrong with a patterned tux shirt, as long as the pattern is subtle. There are others who would disagreee, probably.

 

[Mike C.]

I'm gonna dissagree with the previous posters. I think the black tux is pretty boring, especially for a HS prom. You're young, wear something with a little edge. Last year someone asked the same question as you, but unfourtunatly I can't seem to find the post (It's driving me nuts...).

Anyway, I'd suggest going out and purchasing a skinny black suit along the lines of Dior and Gucci. You will get tremendous amounts of use out of them in the years to come, and look better than your friends who rented cheap tuxes. For a little more than the amount to rent a tux, you can put together a pretty nice ensamble, which will pay off in the long run.

This new year's, I put together a great formal outfit; black suit (one button), silver tie, white shirt (high english spread collar). You might want to try something similar.

Thankfully you're not one of those schmucks who thinks it's funny to wear a leisure suit, zoot suit, kilt, or anything else stupid like that to their prom. You had to see the prom I went to... hahahah.

 

[VMan]

This year for my prom (well, for my girlfriend's prom, I graduated last year and she's a senior) I rented a Tux. I really wanted to purchase one and put together my own ensemble. I saw a spread in GQ a while back, and it had a cool look. It was basically the jacket, pants, and shoes as normal, but instead of the formal tux shirt, vest, and bowtie, this model was just wearing a dress shirt. I think this would have looked pretty smooth, especially with a black or dark gray shirt, but I wimped out and got a traditional tux. I was able to rent a Dior, single breasted two-button tux with a 'double collar', I was actually suprised with the quality. Instead of matching the dress color to the tux, I chose a white vest and tie with a wingtip shirt (I wanted to go with an ivory vest and tie, but the store clerk said that the white shirt and ivory accessories would look dirty together). Prom is in two weeks, and I'm looking forward to it. The only thing I'll do is instead of wearing those awful plastic-y rental shoes, I'll wear my nice comfy Kenneth Cole's. The suit idea is good, however, everybody wears tuxes at my school, and though it would make someone stand out, I think it might be in a bad way.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

The only thing I'll do is instead of wearing those awful plastic-y rental shoes, I'll wear my nice comfy Kenneth Cole's.  

Please tell me that it isn't one of the square-toed, chunky rubber soled models . . . nothing ruins an outfit quicker than a pair of shoes that is out of place.

 

[VMan]

Quote:

The only thing I'll do is instead of wearing those awful plastic-y rental shoes, I'll wear my nice comfy Kenneth Cole's. Â
Please tell me that it isn't one of the square-toed, chunky rubber soled models . . . nothing ruins an outfit quicker than a pair of shoes that is out of place.
Haha, no. Â These shoes aren't from the cheaper Reaction or Unlisted lines, they are from the Kenneth Cole New York collection, simple black, conservative, plain-toe oxford. Very similar to these: Shoes

 

[Bradford]

Nice looking shoes - definitely appropriate with the tuxedo.

Bradford

 

[MikeF]

I think those shoes are too chunky to wear with a suit, let alone a tuxedo.

 

[sweeney]

I think those shoes are perfectly acceptable with suit or tux, particularly given the applicable age group we're dealing with. I think that style -- including the square toe, which I think lends a nice edge -- is far more likely to be viewed as cool and stylish in this context than most others, and is infinitely preferable to whatever horrid, low vamp shoes many of the other attendees are likely to borrow from dad for the evening's festivities. Renting, of course, is rarely a preferable course of action. And, for that age group, the price is right.

 

[VMan]

Thanks, Bradford, I think they will work out well. Mike, the picture is slightly different than the actual shoes like I mentioned, the shoes that I own have slightly pointier toes, as well as a slimmer looking sole. Dealing with the context of the occasion, I think the more important issue is comfort rather than the looks of the shoe (looks are definately important, but in this case most people will think that as long as the shoes are black, they'll work). If I'm going to be dancing all night long, I'm not going to want to be wearing a highly pointed shoe or else my feet will be killing me an hour into the dance.

 

[norcaltransplant]

My 2 cents....
I think that dress code high school proms are EXTREMELY dependent on location and the SES of the school. I grew up in a fashion devoid city in Central California that ranks one step up from Bakersfield in the hierarchy of chic. I wore the standard rent-a-tux with some plain Cole Haan oxfords. Pretty generic stuff... some advice on formal clothing:

1) If the student body is well-to-do I suggest that you buy your own...think CLASSIC (I'll explain the longterm use in a bit) or go completely off-the-wall, think powder blue... depending on your personality.
2) If the KC do NOT have leather soles, I suggest that you invest in some new shoes. Aside from the normal booty shaking, traditional dances (swing, salsa, waltz???) require shoes that let you slide. Added bonus: moonwalk to those eighties hits.
3) Accessories: Chicks dig cufflinks. My parents bought a gold and black onyx set for my b/d...I've used them for every formal I've attended. I've since invested in some Mother of Pearl links in sterling silver. Tons of positive comments. BTW, raid your parents jewelry collection if possible. I wear some plain sterling silver buttons that have been around since the Carter administration.
4) Shoes again: nice dress shoes last. I think you would do well with conservative classics: Bally, Bruno Magli, Moreschi. Note: I EXCLUDED Prada, Gucci, Ferragamo, Lobb, etc. due to their fleeting chic factor and expense. Once broken-in nice dress shoes can last between 10-20 years with light to moderate use. I still wear my Cole-Haans from high school, Class of '97.
5) Long term returns: A single breasted tux, notched lapel will NEVER go out of style. If and when you decide to go to college, the college and/or Greek system (if you go that route) make buying a tux worthwhile. You might be required to buy certain accessories for kitch fund-raisers (red-cumberbunds and bow-ties for Casino Night). Go the used route in this situation: upperclassman sell random stuff for a nominal fee.

 

[DSKent]

Is there any place on the web or a chain where it's possible to rent formalwear from better brands, such as Zegna? I see them for sale all over the place, but I guess because of the cost of replacing them, no one rents them.

 

[BjornH]

Isn't a notch lapel tux jacket just a suit jacket with satiny lapels ? I'm a beliver in that a tux jacket should have peak lapels or a shawl one. I'm shooping around on e-bay for a double breasted peak lapel one - it's very James Bondish outfit wit a turn down collar and what's more, one can skip the vest/cummerbund w/o getting unorthodox.

BH

 

[VMan]

Is there any place on the web or a chain where it's possible to rent formalwear from better brands, such as Zegna?  I see them for sale all over the place, but I guess because of the cost of replacing them, no one rents them.

There's a place by me (Milwaukee, WI) that carries more expensive brands of menswear, and they have a formalwear rental service. The price is quite a bit higher than, say, Desmonds, but they have some very nice looking suits and tuxes (unfortunately, too pricey for this poor college student). I saw some Zegna tuxes, as well as Emporio Armani and Dior, but I'm sure they had other brands as well. If they have a service like that here, I'm sure they have it other places as well.