The State of Black Tie: Your Observations

[Andy57]

Looking fantastic, as always! I really like the Burma DJ look, perhaps even more than the traditional ivory DJ.

Not sure if you addressed this before, but I've always been meaning to ask: How do you pack your DJs and suits? I suppose you flew to Vegas, so what did you do after you arrived? Did you press the coat yourself, or did you just let it hang overnight? I don't generally get a lot of wrinkles on my coats when I pack them, but inevitably there is an area which needs to be touched up. Your coats always look impeccable, hence my question.

Thank you!

Part of the secret is to use cloth that is naturally resistant to wrinkles. The next part is to fold the jackets carefully. I fold them one shoulder into the other and folded lengthwise once. My midnight blue mohair just shrug off wrinkles. The red silk only needs an hour or two on a hanger. The black one and this burma one are pretty good at shedding wrinkles, too, but if I have time I'll hang them in the bathroom while we use the shower. That helps quite a bit. The green velvet just doesn't show wrinkles at all. The ivory jacket is the most susceptible to wrinkles, so if I have time I'll have the hotel press it. But even then it's usually not necessary. I minimize the amount of time the clothes spend folded in a suitcase, but if it's a trip to Europe, it will be at least 24 hours. So, hang them as soon as possible, steam, and a press as a last resort.

In the picture you quoted, we arrived in Las Vegas on Friday evening. Clothes were hung as soon as we got to our room and I wore the jacket from 6pm Saturday evening and it had shed any evidence of travel trauma.

Another trick is to have a dazzling woman on your arm. Then no one notices what you're wearing.

 

[Andy57]

He travels with a Herve Villechaize sized butler armed with a HV sized steam iron and dummy

Calumny! I'll have you know my valet is full-size, as is my wife's maid.

 

[dan'l]

Thanks, Andy. My packing protocol is similar to yours. I tend to get creases in the sleeves and haven't figured out a way to avoid that. I've stuffed tissue paper in the shoulders before, but the sleeves still end up with wrinkles.

 

[WhereNext]

Thanks, Andy. My packing protocol is similar to yours. I tend to get creases in the sleeves and haven't figured out a way to avoid that. I've stuffed tissue paper in the shoulders before, but the sleeves still end up with wrinkles.

Maybe you're already doing this, but I've found that putting a dry cleaning plastic bag around the jacket/suit when you put it in the suitcase does an amazing job of reducing wrinkles. As noted above, how you pack and the fabric obviously matters a great deal, but the plastic seems to provide a marked improvement in preventing wrinkles.

 

[Andy57]

Maybe you're already doing this, but I've found that putting a dry cleaning plastic bag around the jacket/suit when you put it in the suitcase does an amazing job of reducing wrinkles. As noted above, how you pack and the fabric obviously matters a great deal, but the plastic seems to provide a marked improvement in preventing wrinkles.

Huh. I'll give that a try. Anything you can do to minimize wrinkles is worth trying!

 

[WhereNext]

Huh. I'll give that a try. Anything you can do to minimize wrinkles is worth trying!

Yeah, it sounds weird, but someone suggested it to me a few years ago and it seems to work. Something about the plastic making the fabric slip against other fabric so it never has a chance to get trapped in one place and wrinkle, or something. I'm sure a science whiz knows how it works (or can tell me I'm talking absolute placebo-effect rubbish!), but it seems to help.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Maybe you're already doing this, but I've found that putting a dry cleaning plastic bag around the jacket/suit when you put it in the suitcase does an amazing job of reducing wrinkles. As noted above, how you pack and the fabric obviously matters a great deal, but the plastic seems to provide a marked improvement in preventing wrinkles.

This is like magic. I’ve never heard a good scientific explanation for why this works, but it does. It’s travel sorcery.

 

[Thin White Duke]

Yeah, it sounds weird, but someone suggested it to me a few years ago and it seems to work. Something about the plastic making the fabric slip against other fabric so it never has a chance to get trapped in one place and wrinkle, or something. I'm sure a science whiz knows how it works (or can tell me I'm talking absolute placebo-effect rubbish!), but it seems to help.

Haha! Good post and I agree. For work I usually just quarter my jackets as Andy described and stick them in the carry on but when I’ve travelled with suits in a garment bag I’ve done this and it does seem to work.

 

[perfectstitch]

Hi There,

A bunch of you have been helpful as I've been trying to get a tuxedo for a couple friends' weddings coming up.

The Tuxedo came in from my tailor and unfortunately I'm not thrilled with the result. Here is what I'm planning to email my tailor, but I'm not really sure what, if any, solution there is to be had. If there is anything else you think I should pass along let me know, and if you think I'm crazy and these aren't issues happy to hear that too!


1. Jacket Length: The jacket is quite short. As you can see in the pictures, it barely makes it to my wrists.
2. Jacket Tightness: The jacket is also quite tight around the button and in general seems too small (and I've lost weight since our fitting).
3. Jacket Button Placement: The button should be lower, and I think we had specified that. That would allow for more of the white shirt to show. The button seems too high and tight.
4. Lapel: The lapel cuts do not seem to be symmetrical, and one lapel even goes up over the shoulder.
5. Lapel Cut: The lapel does not seem to be as "pointy" as the pictures in the options you shared. It seems the peak/point is much higher on the shoulder - on my right side the peak is so vertical and high (instead of outward) that it goes over my shoulder. In the pictures you sent (which I've attached) the peak is much lower and points outward toward the shoulders.
6. Waistcoat Back: The back of the waistcoat is dark blue (matches the lining). Is that normal? I would have thought the entire waistcoat would be black.
7. Shirt Collar: Looks to be a spread collar versus a turndown collar? Not the end of the world and am less concerned with this.

Overall the jacket seems too small because it is both too short and seems to be too tight. If it was too large I suppose I could try to take it to a local tailor to get repaired but I'm not sure what to do about this.

The trousers seem good on a first wear.

 

[Oshare]

Hi There,

A bunch of you have been helpful as I've been trying to get a tuxedo for a couple friends' weddings coming up.

The Tuxedo came in from my tailor and unfortunately I'm not thrilled with the result. Here is what I'm planning to email my tailor, but I'm not really sure what, if any, solution there is to be had. If there is anything else you think I should pass along let me know, and if you think I'm crazy and these aren't issues happy to hear that too!


1. Jacket Length: The jacket is quite short. As you can see in the pictures, it barely makes it to my wrists.
2. Jacket Tightness: The jacket is also quite tight around the button and in general seems too small (and I've lost weight since our fitting).
3. Jacket Button Placement: The button should be lower, and I think we had specified that. That would allow for more of the white shirt to show. The button seems too high and tight.
4. Lapel: The lapel cuts do not seem to be symmetrical, and one lapel even goes up over the shoulder.
5. Lapel Cut: The lapel does not seem to be as "pointy" as the pictures in the options you shared. It seems the peak/point is much higher on the shoulder - on my right side the peak is so vertical and high (instead of outward) that it goes over my shoulder. In the pictures you sent (which I've attached) the peak is much lower and points outward toward the shoulders.
6. Waistcoat Back: The back of the waistcoat is dark blue (matches the lining). Is that normal? I would have thought the entire waistcoat would be black.
7. Shirt Collar: Looks to be a spread collar versus a turndown collar? Not the end of the world and am less concerned with this.

Overall the jacket seems too small because it is both too short and seems to be too tight. If it was too large I suppose I could try to take it to a local tailor to get repaired but I'm not sure what to do about this.

The trousers seem good on a first wear.

I agree that it’s a off in the fit. It reminds me of a hipster skinny fit business suit that they just modified with tuxedo details.

I agree that the lapels seem unbalanced. Have you measured them?

Jacket length is typically short for a modern skinny suit. I agree it needs to be longer, and the button position lowered.

Honestly, I don’t think the pants look good on you. I think they should flow more loosely and straight on a tuxedo. Again, it looks like a skinny suit rather than semi-formal pants.

Hope you can get it redone to your satisfaction.

 

[The Chai]

Im thinking about getting a dinner shirt made in a knit/polo/jersey/fine pique fabric of some sort because it’s more comfortable to wear. Anyone have any input on how I should go about this?

 

[Andy57]

From last week, in London:

The top one is at Duke's, the second is Claridge's. Just a casual dinner, so wearing my bottle-green velvet dinner jacket.

 

[UrbanComposition]

Went to the The Marriage of Figaro last night. Tough to follow if you don’t know the story beforehand, but a wonderful performance and ethereal voices.

Took out a vintage tux that I haven’t worn in a while and forgot how much I like that old Hollywood look. I like Ivy, Mod, and current stuff as much as the next guy but part of having a walk-in closet means you can indulge various styles.

 

[Andy57]

Went to the The Marriage of Figaro last night. Tough to follow if you don’t know the story beforehand, but a wonderful performance and ethereal voices.

Took out a vintage tux that I haven’t worn in a while and forgot how much I like that old Hollywood look.

Yes, exactly. When I saw this earlier on Instagram, that was the thought that I had, but not articulated as succinctly. You nailed that "classic Hollywood" vibe, Peter. Really, a great look on you.

 

[upr_crust]

Today's attire is WAYWRN - the Evening Edition. I am, for my sins (and a sizable check) this evening attending the Frick Autumn Dinner, an annual fund raiser for the museum. With temperatures around 18C/64F, I am pushing the limit when it comes to the wearing of a velvet jacket (if I melt, I melt), but I've owned the garment for about a year now - it needs its maiden voyage. (Ditto for the trousers, socks, and shoes.)

I hope to have some candid shots from the party itself, which I shall post "apres le spectacle", but at least my attempts at sartorial splendor should be viewed first.

Jacket & trousers - Ede & Ravenscroft, London
Shirt - Brooks Brothers
Tie - Seigo, NYC
Cufflinks - Tyrwhitt
Braces & shoes - Paul Stuart
Socks - New & Lingwood