The State of Black Tie: Your Observations

[gringodaddy]

Let's not start throwing stones, we are all perfectly happy to keep up the delusion that we need any of this crap we buy.

J

You may be, and that is your prerogative. but many men get through life very nicely (and stylishly) not wearing black tie. I believe Manton himself alluded to the fact that he never wears black tie. I could be wrong or not be remembering the comment correctly. No hate.

 

[J011yroger]



Pretty good, but will depend on the button point of your Morning Coat. You want about the same amoount of vest above and below the closure.

Well, that is good to know but since my game plan revolves around eBay and thrift purchases I shall have to pray for the luck blessings of the sartorial gods.

J

 

[J011yroger]



You may be, and that is your prerogative. but many men get through life very nicely (and stylishly) not wearing black tie.  I believe Manton himself alluded to the fact that he never wears black tie.  I could be wrong or not be remembering the comment correctly.  No hate.

No worries, I know it is all a big goof. I consider it the same as owning golf clubs.

J

 

[ImTheGroom]

Well, that is good to know but since my game plan revolves around eBay and thrift purchases I shall have to pray for the luck blessings of the sartorial gods.

J

If they're of similar vintage, you should be ok. I got my morning waistcoat from mytuxed.co.uk - pretty good for the price. Also try savvyrow.co.uk ... thye have some but they always seem to be backless, and I hate backless.

 

[gringodaddy]

No worries, I know it is all a big goof. I consider it the same as owning golf clubs.

J

I don't own those either. Then again, I have to walk 10 blocks just to see grass. I probably have more reason to own black tie then I do golf clubs, but I am too pragmatic. Someone had started a "modern black tie" type thread here a few years back; velvet jackets, prince alberts, etc that I found interesting and is worth looking up.

 

[J011yroger]



I don't own those either.  Then again, I have to walk 10 blocks just to see grass. I probably have more reason to own black tie then I do golf clubs, but I am too pragmatic.  Someone had started a "modern black tie" type thread here a few years back; velvet jackets, prince alberts, etc that I found interesting and is worth looking up.

Yea, I own a lot of that stuff too. Many times I wear it out on the town, or to a more trendy or relaxed party for new years or the like.

Some of it can do double or triple duty, but most of it can't.

J

 

[WICaniac]



I wear a suit to work every day in Silicon Valley, and even I struggle to find occasions to wear black tie.

I wear a suit twice a year and BT 2-4 times. I don't see a natural correlation.

 

[WICaniac]



The tuxedo I am looking at retails at $2700. One event a year will not justify.

Look around. My rig was about $1600 complete and is built around an Italian-made RLP tux and a MTO waistcoat from Jermyn street. I was on a budget but refused to cut corners. In the end, I was surprised by how well I did.

 

[mingus2112]



My father-in-law went to a black tie wedding and when he arrived he was the only one (other than the wedding party) wearing a tux and most people weren't wearing ties at all. He was so mad.

I have a black tie gala I am attending for work this Spring. I have set a limit. If I attend 3 events a year that require a tux then I will buy one. Yesterday I tried on a Castangia Tuxedo and it fit me like a glove. That being said I won't buy one unless I hit that threshold.

This happened to me a few years ago. Invitation said "Black Tie." Not "black tie optional." I went out and bought a new rig. Nothing fancy, but it was correct. Peak lapels, vintage stud set, etc. I could count on my hand the number of people wearing real bowties - and this was a HUGE wedding. The wedding party were wearing lounge suit-looking "tuxedos" with CLIP ON suspenders and straight black ties. They looked more like the blues brothers (whom I love, by the way, but they're not wearing black tie!) than a wedding party. You know, that kind of stuff is OK, but don't advertise an event as "black tie" if you don't mean it. I understand that not everyone understands - but this was the WEDDING PARTY.

 

[ImTheGroom]

Look around. My rig was about $1600 complete and is built around an Italian-made RLP tux and a MTO waistcoat from Jermyn street. I was on a budget but refused to cut corners. In the end, I was surprised by how well I did.

Indeed. I got very lucky with my consignment finds. My dinner suit is a wool mohair blend, fully canvassed, made in Austria. Not sure of the vintage, but would guess 90's or 60's, if I had to, based on styling, and was $140. The waistcoat is vintage from the 30's; found it online, and paid $50, then another $35 in alterations. My shoes, shirt, and bow tie, are nothing special; just budget options, but decent quality ones, of good value. The whole thing, excluding hat, was under $400. The hat was a gift; was as much as half the rig, lol.

 

[Midnight Blue]



That is like riding a bicycle because you can't justify buying a Ferrari.

Well said. There's a whole range of excellent options that lie between the two extremes. My tuxedo cost $800 and alterations were another $200 or so. And it looks as good today as when I bought it ten years ago.

 

[sugarbutch]

I wear a suit to work every day in Silicon Valley, and even I struggle to find occasions to wear black tie.

I wear a suit twice a year and BT 2-4 times. I don't see a natural correlation.

My point is that I don't mind being the most formally dressed person in the room on a daily basis, but even so there are few occasions where my wearing black tie would be within the acceptable spectrum. I take every marginal opportunity (including a Christmas party at a friend's home), and there just aren't many.

 

[Veremund]



The tuxedo I am looking at retails at $2700. One event a year will not justify.

You can't base your decision to buy a tux on the cost effectiveness of the purchasing vs rental comparison, and then use a 3000 dollar tux in the equation. That's just silly.

If you're rich, buy the tux and don't gripe about having to justify the cost. If you're not rich, get a tux that costs less than 500.

 

[32-20]

Fellas, how do you feel about a bottle-green dinner suit? That is, an is-that-black-or-do-my-eyes-deceive-me shade of green. The lapels (peak) would be black grosgrain.

 

[J011yroger]

Velvet jacket, yes; dinner suit, no.

J