Do you own a Tux?

[Tomasso]

So, what you're all saying is, I should have just let this thread fade away ...

My bad.

What is your query? Does it concern union labels/dating?

 

[Tooch]

What is your query? Does it concern union labels/dating?

I had a general question about the dating and provenance of the tuxedo I purchased. Basically, I wanted to see if anybody had any info about early Blass garments like that. Mostly though, I was just throwing it into the mix to share. No big deal, really.

 

[anon`]

"Tux" has to be one of the most unfortunate pseudo-words in the history of mankind.

Nah, there's nothing wrong with Tux!

 

[Tailor Tom]

My thoughts...

I recently picked up a Bill Blass tuxedo that looks to be from the early to mid-'70s.

I know that Bill Blass Ltd. was created in 1970, and the single-button jacket has a union label from the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, which apparently merged with another union in 1976, and changed names. That's the basis for my shot-in-the-dark dating guess.

The tux has a Bill Blass label, the union label and a Saks Fifth Avenue label, but no label indicating materials used in its construction. Does anybody know when such labels became standard practice? It feels like good-quality material, though, and is fully lined.

The lapel threw me at first, but a little research suggests that it's a cran Necker or Parisian lapel -- more popular in Europe than in the U.S. It looks good to me, if for no other reason than that it's a little different. It's interesting -- to me, anyway -- that Blass adopted that French-style feature.

The jacket is tagged as a 40R (my size) but I'm glad I do my sit-ups, since the whole ensemble, top and bottom, is cut for somebody with a trim figure. If I need any encouragement to keep running, a desire to slip into this outfit without bulging anywhere is it.

The trousers fit perfectly -- no suspender buttons, and they're not needed. The jacket is a little tight in the shoulders, so I'll let my tailor have a go. There seems to be more than enough material to make a bit of room.

Anybody have any info that might help me out?

Tooch, My guess would be that your Tux is mid to late 70's even poss early 80's. Bill Blass leased his name out to everything and everyone during that period. I even think there was a car (Lincoln maybe?) with the Bill Blass Edition. I have a great friend who worked in the garment district in New York City. For years she did trousers for a formal wear manufacturer. Bill Blass was one of their biggest labels. As for the Union label, large shops like that had labels in the 10's of thousands. and they never wasted anything. so they would have used all they had prior to opening a new box of labels and throwing out the old ones.

It very well could be 100% wool, although blends were making huge inroads in every faction of the clothing industry then. If you can find a sacrificial fabric, you can always give it a quick burn test to check further.

None the less, it looks like a great classic piece. Enjoy it.

 

[Tooch]

Tooch, My guess would be that your Tux is mid to late 70's even poss early 80's. ...

Thanks!

I was curious about the vintage, and it hadn't occurred to me that the tuxedo could be that recent. I certainly like the cut and fit, and was under no illusions that this was a golden-age piece, so I'm happy with the seemingly pristine jacket and trousers, whenever it was made.

I may try the burn test, just to satisfy my curiosity. Whatever the result, I plan to put it to good use.

Again, I appreciate the information.

 

[Tomasso]

Bill Blass leased his name out to everything and everyone .

TT, you make it sound taudry.........

 

[The Good]

I have been considering picking up a tuxedo for veriuos formal events. I tend to get invited to 2 or 3 through the year that I'd like to get a little more dressed up then a black suit. That got me to wondering who owns a tux and how often do you get to wear it?

Do I own a tuxedo? No, I'm afraid... However, I do wish to own one eventually, and yes, own, as in not renting them. I would like for it to be a sort of wardrobe staple, for the occasional formal event, whenever and whatever that may be. It's too bad that the tuxedo is a dying tradition now, though. I've just read this depressing article on that topic:

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/09/image/ig-tie09

Nevertheless, a classic tuxedo is still something I should look into. I'm trying to find affordable wool tuxedos, so as to avoid all of that polyester...

 

[Charlie Huang]

This was me recently at a Burlesque do:

The DJ is vintage. The only alterations I had to do was to lengthen the sleeves and replace the buttons of the DJ, reface the waistcoat with silk grosgrain and let out the trousers. I am happy with it and will not need to search for a replacement again.

 

[Chasseur]

Charlie,

Nice black tie rig!:eusa_clap

 

[Charlie Huang]

Indeed! I probably need to get a pair of opera pumps or patent shoes to truly complete it to my satisfaction.

Of course, now I am focusing on the white tie. I already have the tailcoat but most of the other stuff I need to get. I might not bother as of yet as I have no need for white tie right now. I think I'll wait.

 

[Edward]

Charlie, nice outfit! That's the biggest gap in my black tie set... I have a thirties sb shawl collar jacket and trousers (I'd like the same again in a fifties cut) and a forties db jacket and trews, but what I really want is a thirties style sb with peak lapels, and a low gore waistcoat to go with it.

fftopic: What night was that you were at? The best one in the Brum area (nay, the UK!) is the CandyBox, though they're not so regular just now with Imelda May's solo career having (very deservedly) taken off (Al Palooka, half of the couple who run that night, is Imelda's bass player, and, of course, Imelda has always been the house singer). The Kiss Kiss Bang Bang nights over in Lichfield are grand too.

 

[Charlie Huang]

Charlie, nice outfit! That's the biggest gap in my black tie set... I have a thirties sb shawl collar jacket and trousers (I'd like the same again in a fifties cut) and a forties db jacket and trews, but what I really want is a thirties style sb with peak lapels, and a low gore waistcoat to go with it.

fftopic: What night was that you were at? The best one in the Brum area (nay, the UK!) is the CandyBox, though they're not so regular just now with Imelda May's solo career having (very deservedly) taken off (Al Palooka, half of the couple who run that night, is Imelda's bass player, and, of course, Imelda has always been the house singer). The Kiss Kiss Bang Bang nights over in Lichfield are grand too.

It was a burlesque night organised by some of the members of a Club.

http://thiasolian.com/

 

[Bugsy]

This was me recently at a Burlesque do:

The DJ is vintage. The only alterations I had to do was to lengthen the sleeves and replace the buttons of the DJ, reface the waistcoat with silk grosgrain and let out the trousers. I am happy with it and will not need to search for a replacement again.

Another triumph for you. :eusa_clap

 

[Tailor Tom]

TT, you make it sound taudry.........

In my mind, it kind of is tawdry. Not the suit/tux, but what happened to the entire garment business. Namely, the selling of a designers name, and then the "tiering" & "design by committee" This helped to bring about the entire "licensing" of ones name on any number of products. From clothes to cars to egg beaters and more.

We have all seen "Design by committee" in the generic focus that has happened to the actual fit of garments.

"Tiering" is when labels produce a kind of "Good, Better, Best" product range. But, the good is not very good. They make production decisions based on cost and not much else. The outcome has been what I see almost every day, a person purchasing a garment with a "designer" label on it, thinking it is wonderful and it turns out to be inferior.

Case in point: A customer brought me a suit he recently purchased for alterations. A Joseph Abboud, now JA has several levels of garments and levels of quality that goes with them. This customer thought he was getting a quality suit at a great price. Turns out, the suit was made in China, used the poorest quality of materials and short cuts (ie; lots of fusing instead of quality canvas, thin linings, etc) to produce it. Did I make it fit the client? Yes, to a tee. And also gave him some sound advice on his next purchase without scolding him.

Most every designer does this now, because their stockholders demand profits, even Ralph Lauren. RL's Black & Purple labels are beautiful, but Polo University Club and Chaps were poorly constructed garments with a branded RL label.

All this re-inforces the adage, Buy Beware!

 

[MisterCairo]

I have been considering picking up a tuxedo for veriuos formal events. I tend to get invited to 2 or 3 through the year that I'd like to get a little more dressed up then a black suit. That got me to wondering who owns a tux and how often do you get to wear it?

I bought a tuxedo in law school, as we had a formal law ball each year, and rentals with shoes would cost about $130 a year. A Canadian chain of menswear, Moores the Suit People, offer cut-price deals on suits, formal wear and shoes, and had a tuxedo, not the best quality, obviously, but it looks good, at just over $200. With a shirt, shoes and shirt studs I was at about $450 all in, so for a little more than three rentals, I owned a formal outfit.

Nowadays I wear my military mess dress for formal occasions, but that tux (I still have it) more than made its cost back in not having to rent.

 

[Edward]

Nowadays I wear my military mess dress for formal occasions, but that tux (I still have it) more than made its cost back in not having to rent.

Yes, if you're not concerned about the vagaries of fashion and you're not sixteen and therefore likely to change size very suddenly, it's always better to buy carefully than rent in the long run. The jacket and trousers I wore for a couple of years back about 2003-2006 (too contemporary for my tastes now, but nothing wrong ith the quality) cost me GBP100 along with a shirt included. I think it was worn on maybe only four or five occasions (nowadyas I find more reason to go out in black tie... ), but with the rental equivalent being GBP50 at the time for jacket and trousers alone, I did rightly out of that. I must sell it on, it's still in as new condition.... My mainstay for the past couple of years has been an early forties DB and trousers which fits me beautifully and I believe cost me in the region of £35, including a couple of alterations.

My first dj and trousers were most likely of 1980s manufacture, but beautifully cut with a bit of a 50s look to my eye (shawl collar, sb jacket with satin lapel). For those I paid a grand total of GBP3 in a charity shop, and I wore them for several years before I got fat and passed them on to a slighter friend. All wool, beautifully put together. I was still at University when I bought that for an upcoming formal. The following year I took a couple of friends round the charity shops to find something for them.... We did well. And it was always a bonus not to have to get up early the following morning (or, more often, to have to get in early the following morning ) to return the outfit to the rental place. and there were always plenty of ladies mightily impressed when they gathered you owned your own...

 

[Edward]

It was a burlesque night organised by some of the members of a Club.

http://thiasolian.com/

Looks fun! Since the Candybox blazed the trail, there have ben a whole bunch of new nights opened up round Brum, some great, some less so. This looks like it as run by some folks who had an idea of what they were at.

 

[John in Covina]

Owning a tux is a good idea for many if they have one or more formal events per year. I say that because a tux is also good for going out on the town with a young lady, for New Years Eve parties and as a last choice Halloween costume.

I went to a Halloween Party in my tux and had a facsimilie oversized prize check as the awards guy for publisher's clearing house. "Mr and Mrs jones! You just won!"

 

[Edward]

I say that because a tux is also good for going out on the town with a young lady

I'm not sure I remember the last time I escorted a young lady for real, but certainly when I've been socialising with female friends, it's been (mostly) positively regarded.

 

[jamespowers]

Owning a tux is a good idea for many if they have one or more formal events per year. I say that because a tux is also good for going out on the town with a young lady, for New Years Eve parties and as a last choice Halloween costume.

I went to a Halloween Party in my tux and had a facsimilie oversized prize check as the awards guy for publisher's clearing house. "Mr and Mrs jones! You just won!"

I get out the tuxedo every wedding anniversary. We go to a decent restaurant and everyone thinks we are going to a prom or something. With two children in tow, I figured they would know better but you never know nowadays.