Black Tie Attire

How did this formal dress code originate? Well, black tie has not always been considered a formal type of dress code. In fact it was the semi-formal alternative to White Tie Attire. Black Tie dress code dates back to the 1860 in England. The Prince of Whales asked his tailor to make him a jacket similar to a tailcoat (worn for white tie functions), but wanted it much shorter and more comfortable. The tuxedo jacket was born!

Since then black tie has become one of the world's most popular dress codes. It has almost replaced white tie attire - a formal and exclusive dress code that is typically reserved for presidential dinners, or should you have the chance to meet the Queen of England.

Classic black tie attire means to dress in black and white, and NO other colors. Regardless of what you see at the Grammy-awards, classic black tie is a black tux, white shirt, black bow tie, and black shoes. IN addition you either wear a cummerbund or a vest that is also in black color.

What about white jackets?
White, and ivory-cream colored dinner jackets are acceptable for warm-weather black tie. If you are invited to an event calling for black tie dress code, and the vent is during the day, and/or in warmer weather (usually under open air) then it is very classy to wear a white jacket instead of the black one. Besides the jacket, all other pieces of accessories stay the same.

There are three common dress shirts for black tie attire. Especially the first two are most popular.

Lay-down collar shirt
The flay down collar dress shirt is very similar to a regular dress shirt that has been polished to a more formal look. How is this done you might ask? First off all the shirt has French-cuffs (must be paired with cufflinks). Secondly the shirt usually has a pleated front, as well as hidden shirt buttons.

Shirts with Wingtips
The wing tip dress shirt is the most classic of all black tie dress shirts. As the name suggests, the tip of the collars are folded in, while the rest of the collar stands up. The bow tie will be visible at the back with is actually the desired look for classic black tie. Some people consider the wing-tip dress shirts as somewhat uncomfortable -especially if the collar was stiffened with a heavier starch.

Mandarin Tux Shirt
For the mandarin tuxedo shirt the collars are not flipped over. Typically the collar is buttoned together with a decorative piece of stud-jewelry (usually black in color). The mandarin dress shirt usually has a decorative, pleated front, and is buttoned using studs.

Besides formal bow ties, there are a few other accessories commonly used for black tie attire. Some are mandatory, while others are a great way to add a more personal touch to the somewhat uniform-looking outfit.

Cummerbund or Vest?
The choice is yours, but one of the two should be chosen in a black colors. Typically black tie cummerbunds have horizontal pleats a the front similar to your dress shirt. Should you wear a mandarin dress shirt, then wear a cummerbund.

Cufflinks & Studs
Cufflinks should be worn with black tie attire (this assumes that your tuxedo shirt has French cuffs). Studs are little decorative buttons used on your dress shirt. If your tuxedo shirt has no buttons, or let's you ad studs, then wear studs that match your cufflinks. The color on cufflinks and studs is usually black or gold.

Scarves
A white scarves with fine tassels is a classy accessory. Typically the scarves are made from fine cashmere or silk and either white or off-white/ivory in color. The scarf is not tied around your neck, but worn hanging down on each side of your shoulders. Traditionally men wore these scarves to the Opera with the purpose to offer to their date during intermission. Hence the "Black Tie Scart" also became known as the "Opera Scarf".

Pocket Squares
Wear a pocket square! Typically you will wear a white pocket square made from fine silk. Choose a classy-elegant pocket square fold, such as the flat pocket square fold - also known as the presidential pocket square fold. Click here to learn how to fold a pocket square For warm-weather black tie in combination with a white dinner jacket it is quite common to wear a black pocket square instead.

The Right Shoes
Not any dress shoes will do for your tux. Preferred are leather shoes with excellent shine and a thin leather sole. Thicket soles made from rubber don't look elegant and will just look to bulky for the sleek tuxedo look. There are especially made tuxedo shoes and also slippers. Make sure the shoes are made from leather. Lower end, and cheaper pairs will be made from polyester. They will give you sweaty and smelly feet.

If your invitation reads "black tie optional" then, yes you guessed right, a tuxedo is optional. Usually hosts write this on an invitation if they prefer you to wear a tux, but do not want to make it mandatory. Not everyone owns a tuxedo and renting one for a single night can be costly.

So if you own a tuxedo then wear it! If you don't, wear a dark colored two piece suit -preferably black or dark gray. Also wear a white dress shirt, cufflinks, and a necktie instead of a bow tie. Choose a formal necktie in classic colors. Typically black, silver and white neckties are most formal. Neckties with less patterns such as solid color silk ties are quite popular for black tie optional invitations.

Even more formal than black tie attire is the so-called white tie attire. It is the highest dress code in terms of formality and usually associated with presidential affairs. As the name suggest, white tie requires a white bow tie, that is traditionally matched with tailcoat jacket in black, a vest, and a wing-tip collar dress shirt.

Most people never have the opportunity to dress in white tie attire - unfortunately. If you still like the look, then Halloween will always be an option.

There isn't much room for personal interpretation on black tie attire. The classic look consists of two colors: Black and White. A true eye-sore for gentlemen that value traditional attire are colored tuxedos and bow ties. Unless you are of young age and are not invited to a formal black tie event (although you might think that your high school prom is such a event) other colors than black are occasionally acceptable.

Besides colored tuxedos and bow ties, un-matching footwear, bad grooming, wrong sock colors, and clip-on bow ties are other fashion faux pas related to back tie dress code. As a quick reminder, you should only wear black or white and you will be safe. For classic black tie, the only white shown is on the dress shirt, the handkerchief, and the opera scarf (an optional accessory that is often times also in off-white color such as ivory).

How to Tie a Necktie
Learn the art of tying your necktie in more than just one way. Learn tying a four in hand, the small and larger double Windsor, the Pratt knot, the Shelby, The Prince Albert tie knot and more. Besides tying neckties also learn how to tie bow ties as well as different pocket square folds.

How to Dress For Success
Impressions are made within the first few seconds of meeting someone. Eye-contact, your handshake, a smile, and what you wear will all influence how you are perceived. Dressing your part will help you in many aspects in your life - from a job promotion to how you are treated at the local grocery store. Learn how to dress for success in my other squidoo lens.

Show for Freestyle Bow Ties
A good selection of freestyle aka self-tied bow ties. This online tie retailer carries all the popular colors such as white bow ties, classic black bow ties (used for black tie attire), burgundy bow ties, midnight blue bow ties, and more. Besides self tied bows you will also find a good selection of pre-tied bow ties in solid colors as well as unique patterns.

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