A look at today’s tuxes
The tuxedo of today is much cooler than the purely black-and-white penguin suit that has dominated America’s formalwear up to this point – it is more colorful. It’s a personality statement. It’s also a lot more confusing.
Stores now rent and sell tuxedos in colors ranging from red, silver and even periwinkle. Jackets come in crushed velvet, vests come in patterns and shirts come with ruffles. Despite these bold new directions, there are a few guidelines to contemporary tuxedo style, straight from fashion experts. Here’s a closer look:
Shirts: The quarter-inch pleat shirt offers the most versatility. It has dozens of small pleats and is appropriate for any event and any body type. As for collars, there are three options: The wing collar, which has front points that stick out and are folded at the end; the lay-down collar, which resembles a dress shirt; and the band collar, which is worn without a tie. As for sleeves, buttonless French cuffs, with onyx or mother-of-pearl studs, instead of buttons, are common.
Jackets: Jacket styles depend on the formality of the wedding. “Full dress” denotes tails, or a tailcoat. Such outfits are worn at ultra-formal occasions. A jacket known simply as a “tuxedo” can be single- or double-breasted and is for formal or semi-formal evening events. The Mandarin, Nehru or Mao jacket has a stand-up collar with no lapel and is worn with an orange shirt. The cutaway, or morning coat, is for formal day weddings. It is short in the front and long in the back, and worn with striped pants. The stroller coat is a semi-formal jacket cut like a tuxedo. It is gray or black, and worn during the day.
Ties: The ascot tie is wide, folded over and held together with a pin. It is for ultra-formal day weddings. The Bolo tie is a cowboy, Western-style tie. The Euro tie is a long, square-bottomed tie worn with a wing collar or spread collar shirt. Don’t forget the classic bow tie, which can match the wedding colors or be black.
Accessories: Vests, or waistcoats, are for ultra-formal evening weddings. They come in various patterns. Cummerbunds, which are essentially pleated fabrics worn around the waist, are usually black but can be more colorful to match the bridesmaid dresses or wedding colors.
Size: Tall and thin men can wear almost any style of tuxedo. For the extremely thin, a double-breasted tuxedo will pad the chest. But double-breasted jackets and pleated shirts may add too much bulk to bigger guys. Larger men may also want to wear a vest instead of a cummerbund because it draws attention away from the waist and hides bulk. Black always proves slimming for those looking to hide a few pounds.
Time of day: It is not always necessary to wear a tuxedo. For informal, daytime weddings, and even for semi-formal, summertime events, the tuxedo can be replaced with a white dinner jacket and black pants, or a traditional black suit. For formal affairs, however, a tuxedo is always encouraged.
The wedding party: The groom’s outfit, experts say, should look slightly different from the groomsmen. The groom can either wear a tuxedo jacket with tails, or a different vest. Though he is not required to dress formally, the groom’s father should wear a tuxedo. The bride’s father should wear a tuxedo because he will walk down the aisle. The ring bearer can wear a tuxedo, but boys under six should not wear one.
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