Do you own a Tux?

[AlanC]

This silk semi-formal waistcoat...

Stylish addition or sartorial abomination?

 

[StanleyVanBuren]

Ah, but the braces will be seen by the person for whom you'll eventually disrobe. Assuming that this gentlewoman has a stolid sense of sartorial decorum (gor, what a phrase! :eusa_doh, you'll not want your monstrously mismatched braces to make her run retching out of the bloody boudoir ... or will you?


.

Or, as in my case, if you have a waistcoat that doesn't have a back...

 

[scotrace]

Ah, but the braces will be seen by the person for whom you'll eventually disrobe. Assuming that this gentlewoman has a stolid sense of sartorial decorum (gor, what a phrase! :eusa_doh, you'll not want your monstrously mismatched braces to make her run retching out of the bloody boudoir ... or will you?


.

I keep re-reading this one.

 

[AlanC]

I just now bought this Oxxford db:

I'm pretty pumped about it. Now let's hope it fits!

 

[StanleyVanBuren]

Looks nice, Alan!

The uh, pattern (I guess) on the lapels looks similar to mine.

 

[Orgetorix]

I just now bought this Oxxford db:

I'm pretty pumped about it. Now let's hope it fits!

Wowee. That's incredible! Ebay?

 

[AlanC]

Wowee. That's incredible! Ebay?

Style Forum Buying & Selling, actually. It just popped up this morning. I'm hoping my search for a dinner jacket is over.

 

[Orgetorix]

Nice. I see it's bespoke. I've always been curious and slightly wary of secondhand bespoke garments. While they're usually very nicely made, I always wonder if buying something made for someone else's physical oddities would be worse than a RTW garment made for a theoretical average with no phyiscal oddities.

At any rate, I'm sure it'll be a lovely DJ. Hope it fits!

 

[AlanC]

Well, I think it's really MTM rather than bespoke. I don't believe Oxxford does true bespoke. Here's hoping my alterations tailor can do what needs to be done.

 

[Midnight Blue]

If the braces can be seen by others, there's something wrong, so in theory you could have fancy designs.

If you have a white/ivory jacket, too, and want to buy only one pair of braces, white might be your choice in case the white jacket isn't opaque enough.

+1

If you really can't decide between black or white see if you can find a vintage pair that contains both colours!

 

[Tomasso]

I always wonder if buying something made for someone else's physical oddities would be worse than a RTW garment made for a theoretical average with no phyiscal oddities.

I think RTW is a safer bet.

 

[MK]

.

I just now bought this Oxxford db:

I'm pretty pumped about it. Now let's hope it fits!

Can we see it on?

 

[WildCelt]

So I recently got a vintage, heavyweight wool tux on ebay and it fits beautifully everywhere but the trouser length and jacket waist (the jacket has hips - see below).

I know the satin accessories aren't correct, and they just look wrong, too.

I really like the grosgrain facing on the lapels, but I have since discovered that grosgrain accessories are wicked expensive ($75 cummerbund? $45 Bow tie? I only paid $35 for the tux including shipping!). I'm pretty sure I could make them myself if I could get ahold of the fabric. I've found 3" grosgrain ribbon, but only in polyester and nylon. Would that be an easily noticeable faux pas? Does anyone know where to find 3" silk grosgrain?

My other question regards shoes. I still have my Corframs from the Marine Corps (the really shiny ones), but I think I prefer my regular black dress shoes (which are actually leather). Which do you think looks better?

 

[AlanC]

Can we see it on?

I don't have it yet. It's shipping out to me on Monday.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

You might try eBay for vintage accessories - grosgrain ties and cummerbunds shouldn't be too hard to find; I would also be tempted to try a waistcoat with that style of jacket. That said, I think the outfit works even with the satin tie and cummerbund (especially if you keep the jacket fastened.)

As to shoes, it is a difficult choice in that (if I am correct in guessing which is which), the Corfam shoes are nicely shiny and a nice round toe (plus points for me) but have a thick sole with storm welt and open lacing (minus) whilst the others are have a toe-cap as well as being quite square-toed and so look heavier. I think either would work, but I would consider in the long term finding some evening shoes, with a slimmer, plain toe, light sole with narrow welt and closed lacing. Or you could always go for something like these...:

 

[WildCelt]

You might try eBay for vintage accessories - grosgrain ties and cummerbunds shouldn't be too hard to find; I would also be tempted to try a waistcoat with that style of jacket.

I haven't had much luck with grosgrain accessories on eBay yet. Bummer.
I'm afraid a waistcoat might make the outfit a bit too warm for this climate; it's very heavy wool.

Another thought - I know terms differ between Britain and the US (Tuxedo vs. Dinner Jacket). Does dinner jacket refer to just the jacket or the whole outfit?

 

[Anthony Jordan]

I haven't had much luck with grosgrain accessories on eBay yet. Bummer.
I'm afraid a waistcoat might make the outfit a bit too warm for this climate; it's very heavy wool.

Another thought - I know terms differ between Britain and the US (Tuxedo vs. Dinner Jacket). Does dinner jacket refer to just the jacket or the whole outfit?

Just a thought - it certainly works well without.

Dinner jacket refers to the whole, with an unstated "with matching trousers"; why it is not called a "dinner suit" I do not know, except that the phrase somehow feels deeply wrong (perhaps I am just inculturated?)

 

[Midnight Blue]

Just a thought - it certainly works well without.

Dinner jacket refers to the whole, with an unstated "with matching trousers"; why it is not called a "dinner suit" I do not know, except that the phrase somehow feels deeply wrong (perhaps I am just inculturated?)

Nothing wrong about it - the term "dinner suit" has been around since at least the 1930s and is perfectly legitimate when referring to matching jacket and trousers.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Ah, but the braces will be seen by the person for whom you'll eventually disrobe. Assuming that this gentlewoman has a stolid sense of sartorial decorum (gor, what a phrase! :eusa_doh, you'll not want your monstrously mismatched braces to make her run retching out of the bloody boudoir ... or will you?

The answer to be expected is, of course, that such hasn't ever happened to me, whatever shirt and other [sic] underwear I had chosen.

But seriously, I hadn't thought of that, and you're right.

.

 

[AlanC]

Using a black or white tabbed braces set with some whimsy is exactly the place that it is acceptable to show individuality in black tie. No one should see them, and it's much better than one of those awful bow tie/cummerbund sets people often wear. The (mythical) lady in the boudoir will no doubt smile at your willingness to thumb your nose at convention while still maintaining the outward appearance of the opposite.