TUXEDO'S: Shawl collars, velvet, and putting it all together

[saiyar1]

Just a couple questions:

1. Is only a cummerbund acceptable with shawl collar jacket? Or is a waistcoat good too?

2. What kind of shirt goes with a shawl collar?

3. If one were to wear a velvet, peaked lapel smoking jacket, would that be perfectly proper for a black tie ball? Or is it too casual as a third option among the peaked and shawl lapel jackets? Any examples (pics) of an acceptable and not acceptable velvet jacket?
- Should one wear regular tuxedo pants with the velvet jacket?
- What type of shirt should be worn?
- What kind of waist covering?
- What kind of shoes?


Thanks folks.

 

[cptjeff]

1. Either works.
2. Turn down only. Peaks tend to look silly anyway, especially with an adjustable bowtie, which means the vast majority of available bowties. Basically, the the wing collar is a holdover from white tie and the days where the tuxedo was the less formal alternitive, so it really shouldn't be worn with the more casual tuxedo options.
3. Perfectly appropriate? Not according to traditional standards. In modenr usage, yes. Regular tuxedo pants, turn down collar shirt (as a smoking jacket is more casual), cummerbund or none if the jacket is DB, velvet slippers would be be the traditional pairing, but any black tie appropriate footwear would do fine. If it was me (and not worrying about money), I would probably go with the calf pumps on the Brooks Brothers website.

 

[Michael Ay329]

Smoking jacket's are exclusively shawl collar. Only option is single or double breasted. I would not consider a peak lapel velvet jacket to be a smoking jacket. Traditionally, the smoking jacket was in a fabric choice other than the traditional black barathea. Velvet was the cloth of choice....either in burgundy, midnight or green velvet. I black velvet peak lapel single breasted jacket (one button), coupled with black barathea trousers is quite acceptable at black tie events I do not like cummberbunds, and they are traditionally more of a summer alternative to black vests. http://www.blacktieguide.com/

 

[Will C.]

Smoking jacket = shawl collar + worn only at home, not in public