The State of Black Tie: Your Observations

[upr_crust]

That jacket is off-the-charts awesome!

My luck with the sale rack at New & Lingwood is legendary.

 

[MattyS]

New Year's Eve at The Top Of The Mark in San Francisco.
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My wife loves your wife's dress and was wondering where it's from!

 

[Andy57]

My wife loves your wife's dress and was wondering where it's from!

It's by a Las Vegas designer who does business as Camille Flawless. She somewhat specializes in crystal-encrusted dresses like this one and dresses with hand-painted acrylic designs (difficult to describe).

 

[MattyS]

It's by a Las Vegas designer who does business as Camille Flawless. She somewhat specializes in crystal-encrusted dresses like this one and dresses with hand-painted acrylic designs (difficult to describe).

Thanks. My wife says, “The dress is stunning, as is your wife!”

 

[NakedYoga]

New Year's Eve at The Top Of The Mark in San Francisco.
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And "The Leo"
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Looking great--both of you. I love the trousers and the Gatsby pose in the final photo. Love the Tank, too, and I see you already answered my question as to whether it is an Americaine.

 

[Andy57]

Thanks. My wife says, “The dress is stunning, as is your wife!”

Please thank your wife on behalf of my wife. Her comment was greatly appreciated!

 

[corpseposeur]

I recently got a pair of velvet Albert slippers to pair with black silk socks and a my DB tuxedo. Is this generally acceptable for a black tie cocktail party? I don't like patent leather at all.

 

[corpseposeur]

I went to a New Year's cocktail party in a two piece navy suit and felt both over and under dressed amongst a crowd of stylish Brooklyn residents clad in black outfits as is custom in New York. I admit that it felt a bit amateur as someone who peruses various menswear blogs and websites. A tuxedo would have been fine for a formal ball, but a bit overkill at a relatively low key cocktail bar.

So I've been inspired by some of @Andy57 's excellent black tie outfits to commission a velvet shawl collar DB for my first garment from Divij this year. I'm heavily leaning towards midnight blue, but maybe black is OK as well? I'm undecided.

It will be similar in style to the standard issue Casablanca jacket but velvet with fabric covered buttons, self facing lapels and more structure and roped shoulders. Possibly turn back cuffs. I really like the low DB style since it looks elegant, relaxed and doesn't require additional paraphernalia like waistcoats or cummerbunds to look "correct". I just keep it the jacket closed and it looks great while standing or sitting.

I could wear it with the traditional black tie, maybe with a shirt with a fly placket or in a more contemporary relaxed way with a turtleneck like Simon's doing in his latest article.

 

[Thin White Duke]

1. Your velvet Albert slippers would be perfectly fine for a cocktail party. It’s sorta what they were invented for. They will also go perfectly with your upcoming velvet jacket in which case I’d go with matching black fabric.
2. Thinking along similar lines I saw a black velvet jacket going ridiculously cheap a few years ago. I’ve worn it to a new year house party with tuxedo strides, El Toro Albert slippers with skulls, a white Marsala (pique front) fly fronted shirt open at the neck and an Alexander McQueen red silk pocket square also with skulls. It’s a ‘dressed down’ black tie rig (without a black tie) which may be an oxymoron and also anathema to purists but a way to sneak in wearing some black tie elements in an environment when showing up in full penguin rig would have definitely been ‘de trop’.

 

[benjamin831]

Is it historically accurate to have cream summer DJs made of 100% linen? Or did they use lightweight wools?

 

[Thin White Duke]

Is it historically accurate to have cream summer DJs made of 100% linen? Or did they use lightweight wools?

Almost always lightweight wools.
I think @The Chai has an ecru dinner jacket in linen and you could go for silk or mohair for a very luxe / slightly flashy look but the standard is lightweight wool.

 

[The Chai]

Is it historically accurate to have cream summer DJs made of 100% linen? Or did they use lightweight wools?

Both were used iir. The infamous palm beach cloth was a mohair cotton composition. If you are gonna go with linen I suggest lightweight linen. There is something about the rumples of heavy linen that doesnt sit right in the context of a dj vs heavy linen but that's just my opinion

 

[The Chai]

Almost always lightweight wools.
I think @The Chai has an ecru dinner jacket in linen and you could go for silk or mohair for a very luxe / slightly flashy look but the standard is lightweight wool.

At this rate I've had ercu djs in wool, mohair linen, linen and pure silk!
I personally do not like cream in wool. Feels dull compared to some of the other fabric compositions.

 

[benjamin831]

How do you guys feel about going ventless for your jackets? I notice that side vents have more or less become the norm and my previous jacket was made with side vents as well. For those who've worn ventless exclusively, what are some of the downsides?

 

[Krish the Fish]

Black tie? I’m going ventless. Cleaner lines, more traditional. I think vents break up the lines and make it look less clean