The State of Black Tie: Your Observations

[Canadianguy]

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of taking part in "Milano su Misura". These are the shoes I created for the gala in black tie, a pair of seamless whole cut Oxford in Black Annonay Vocalou box calf. As soon as we receive the official photographs I will also post the ones of the suit, created by a friend of mine, the young tailor Mario Iannetta. View attachment 1690945 View attachment 1690949

Beautiful shoes!

 

[luca_defumo]

Beautiful shoes!

Thank you Sir!

 

[Concordia]

The only concert black imo that I would do is a black silk nehru jacket or sbpl or db paired with a rollneck sweater

 

[Concordia]

I know its not Black Tie per se...but could you just wear a black shirt with your new tux rig? I'm not familiar with the Concert Black dress code...

Personally, I hate dragging proper tailoring into that scene, but people do it. Just went to a professional concert in Oxford last weekend. Conductor had a black suit, shirt, and tie. Orchestra men had black shirts, with or without jackets.

When I do orchestras here, I usually wear a black linen shirt and a V-neck sweater, along with odd trousers (Fresco). Most others do a black suit rather than just trousers, but I'm thinking that I blend into the stage just fine as it is.

For a ceremony a few weeks ago where I was one of two violinists playing by ourselves, dress was 'black'. I took that to be black suit and tie, but cheated and wore a white shirt. Didn't get any smack back about it, but we'll see if I am invited to next year's event.

 

[Concordia]

I wonder how many in the orchestra think all black is sophisticated / edgy / modern, and how many wonder why they have to dress as if they were in the pit.

I go back and forth on this. One advantage of all-black is that it never looks as bad as an ill-fitting dinner suit and poorly-pressed white shirt can. You get 30-100 people dressed in black, it is an army prepared to do a job. Neat, tidy, nothing calling attention to itself.

Bernstein's experiment actually has a lot of merit, IMO. In fact, I might see if Whitcomb & Shaftesbury will make me that jacket, sans white piping. Maybe in silk, or something obviously not matched to the trousers so I can swap into evening dress. After all, Bernstein was merely borrowing from Bruno Walter and Toscanini, who wore those in rehearsals a lot of the time.

 

[The Chai]

I go back and forth on this. One advantage of all-black is that it never looks as bad as an ill-fitting dinner suit and poorly-pressed white shirt can. You get 30-100 people dressed in black, it is an army prepared to do a job. Neat, tidy, nothing calling attention to itself.

Bernstein's experiment actually has a lot of merit, IMO. In fact, I might see if Whitcomb & Shaftesbury will make me that jacket, sans white piping. Maybe in silk, or something obviously not matched to the trousers so I can swap into evening dress. After all, Bernstein was merely borrowing from Bruno Walter and Toscanini, who wore those in rehearsals a lot of the time.

I personally would go full asian (I am chinese anyway) and have the silk chinese button toggle knots rather than the buttons. Silk or a kid mohair blend in midnight for the bond villain look which I love! Maybe even a silk brocade. I know the lining company has been selling them recently...

 

[Van Veen]

View attachment 1691773

A lot of conductors love those things because they sweat like pigs.

So do some musicians, for that matter. My wife worked backstage for a big American orchestra when she was in college. She said she'd have to hold her nose when going through the men's locker room.

Said probably the worst of it was when the orchestra came back from a European tour. Those old concert halls are not air conditioned. So after the last concert, everybody took off their sweaty clothes and threw them in ATA wardrobe trunks, where they stewed for like 10 days before they were opened. Disgusting.

I go back and forth on this. One advantage of all-black is that it never looks as bad as an ill-fitting dinner suit and poorly-pressed white shirt can. You get 30-100 people dressed in black, it is an army prepared to do a job. Neat, tidy, nothing calling attention to itself.

One orchestra I've played with has 7 dress codes. For men it's: white tie, black tie, white dinner jacket, "black or navy" suit & tie, all black with jacket, all black without jacket, white short sleeve shirt & black pants (outdoor concerts -- I hate that one the most. looks terrible).

Imagine being a young, broke musician and having to buy all that (and have it tailored). You can barely even think about "proper fit." When I was in school I bought ex-rentals from a local place that had an outlet sale every Saturday. The white dinner jacket was probably 15 years old. The buttoning point was down at my crotch.

For once, when it comes to clothes, women actually get off easier in this world. White & black blouses, black trousers (or long skirt). You're set.

There's also a huge DEI push in the orchestra world right now, and "concert black" is a genderless dress code.

 

[Concordia]

Back before tropical weight was normal, Sir Malcolm Sargent conducted at London's Proms in the summer. He was known to be a sharp dresser, having a wardrobe from Kilgour, French & Stanbury. In his flat across from Royal Albert Hall, he had a rack where he kept eight tail suits in rotation. He'd wear one to a concert, and then let it hang for seven days while it dried out. I presume his tailors would sponge and press all of them after the summer was over.

Bernstein habitually wore white tie, whose shirts fasten up the back, not up the front. Apparently, he'd get enough exercise that he'd want to change shirts between pieces, He and his valet had to rehearse the ballet of taking off the coat, having someone remove shirt #1, walking straight into shirt #2, and then having the appropriate cufflinks, studs, and buttons applied before the coat went back on. Sort of a Formula One tire change.

 

[The Chai]

Sweating like a pig is an issue in my experience when doing tango dancing, on dancing in a nightclub where it's not well ventilated and you're stuck in the middle of the dancefloor packed like a can of sardines. Theres little one can do to mitigate the sweating. However mohair blend suits, linen shirts and linen undergarments help mitigate all of this in my experience. A more blousey shirt cut also helps

 

[Andy57]

Gonna get this Holland & Sherry plaid made up into a pair of trousers for New Year's Eve in Scotland!

 

[ericgereghty]

Uh ****. Uh yes. Love it, Andy.

 

[ValidusLA]

He'll yah. Clan tartan trousers have been high on my list of to-dos, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[lowlander]

Called trews, never trousers.

 

[Andy57]

Called trews, never trousers.

I believe I shall call my trousers whatever I want. Thanks, though.

 

[lowlander]

I believe I shall call my trousers whatever I want. Thanks, though.

Always happy to help, Andy.