Do you own a Tux?

[Lancealot]

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?

 

[Fletch]

I have 2 full tuxes in a year-round weight. One is peak lapel SB, the other shawl collared DB. Being a musician, I get to wear them a lot. I like a weskit best with the peak lapel, but I also do a crumb-band on occasion.

I also have several old ivory dinner jackets in various sizes (I use them to outfit my players during the odd summer gig), a year-round tailcoat to go with the pants from the DB tux, and a full tail suit of vintage winter weight wool, plus the necessary white piqué kit. I never get to wear tails, but one can always prepare.

A look I particularly like is white piqué vest and shirt with black tie and the peak lapel tux. It doesn't get much more 30s than that.

 

[Undertow]

I also have two year-round combos: SB notch and DB shawl.

Both were modest investments and so far, both have paid off IMO.

I would say I am invited to 2-3 formal events a year, although to call them 'black tie' is to push a boundary as the majority of patrons are suited in dingy sport coats with wrinkled/stained cotton khakis.

Just make sure you consider the long-term when purchasing these items as most black tie combos are a long-term investment. In other words, get light weight wool and make sure you can make alterations to expand.

 

[BJBAmerica]

I have a tux I purchased from Jos. A. Bank about 4 years ago, SB w/notched lapels. Bought it for my stepfather's retirement gala (My stepfather is Tubby Raymond, Head Football Coach at the University of Delaware for 35 years).

Unfortunatly, I've only had the occasion to wear it that once. Am sure it would be a bit big on me now, as I've lost a considerable amount of weight since my cancer diagnosis last year, but I know it's there should I need it, and I'm sure it woud need a tremendous amout of alterations for my now smaller frame.

 

[dhermann1]

A bought a really neat 1940's vintage tux back around 1987 on the lower east side of Manhattan. I used it often when I MC'ed for the NY Swing Dance Society. Sadly, I out grew it (horizontally).
I think the previous advice is good. Get a good quality tux, as nice as you can afford. If you use it once a year for 4 years, it will be good investment. Having seen both cheap and nice tuxes out there, I strongly advocate not being mistaken for one of the musicians.
I expect I'll get a new one some time in the next year or so.
Let's see what you wind up getting!
There is an excellent thread here that explains all the nuances of formal wear. I was surprised to learn that my double breasted tux was the least formal style, the single breasted angled lapel being the most formal.
BTW, the last "formal" event I was invited to was at the Waldorf Astoria, on a weekday evening, and slightly more than half the men there were in business suits (including me). Just as a benchmark. (OK, yeah, and I'm braggin'. Sorry. It was a tres cool evening.)

 

[dostacos]

I have a tux I purchased from Jos. A. Bank about 4 years ago, SB w/notched lapels. Bought it for my stepfather's retirement gala (My stepfather is Tubby Raymond, Head Football Coach at the University of Delaware for 35 years).

Unfortunatly, I've only had the occasion to wear it that once. Am sure it would be a bit big on me now, as I've lost a considerable amount of weight since my cancer diagnosis last year, but I know it's there should I need it, and I'm sure it woud need a tremendous amout of alterations for my now smaller frame.

well it sounds like it is time to invite you to the Queen Mary event I have no tux yet but I need to lose weight before that expense. I hope to be at weight and done with hip surgery for the 2008 Queen Mary event

 

[MrBern]

Two tux. A notch collar in a modern slimcut. And a shawl collar 40s baggy type.
I'd like to get a cream tux jacket, but I doubt I'd get the chance to wear it very often.

 

[Orgetorix]

I have one. I got it cheap at a Jos. A Banks outlet three years ago. I had three or four opportunities to wear it the first year I owned it, and only one chance since then.

 

[Ryan]

I bought a DB tux from Nordstrom 15 years ago that I've worn out. I then bought a white dinner jacket to use with the pants. SB that looks like linen. The cut is 50's. How often, maybe 4 times a year.

 

[thunderw21]

I have a vintage DB dinner jacket and vest. I'm looking for some trousers to go with them. I haven't had any chances to wear it yet but I'm looking forward to it.

The previous owner must have grown a little large and had to move the buttons a little to accomodate, creating the lopsided appearance. I moved them back to their original positions.

 

[John K Stetson]

I have one tuxedo, SB shawl collar, a few different shirts, ties, cummerbunds and vests to change the look. I get to wear it several times a year, and hey, it comes in handy for a last minute Dracula costume on Halloween.

The tuxedo is rather special to me: it is the one in which I was married over 20 years ago.

 

[Edward]

I bought my first tux while at University still. My first couple of black tie evenings (well... "formals" - the dress code was pretty much black tie, but many folks deviated into what is more properly "tuxedo" wear - i.e. coloured shirts, bow ties, and - the biggest style-sin of all - novelty cartoon character waistcoats. Vile.) I hired - back then jacket, trousers and bow (I always wore a black one, even though early on it was, much to my later disgust, pre-tied). I fell in with my first jacket and trousers (possibly 80s manufacture, good quality wool, sb shawl collar faced in satin dj) for the princely sum of GBP3 (that's three pounds - six bucks) in a charity shop in July 1996. They were a reasonably common sight in charity shops back then, though of course that's changed Anno eBay. I wore it I think three or four occasions before I outgrew it (it was latterly passed on to a smaller friend). In 2003 I bought my current tux. It wouldn't be my stylistic choice now - two button, notch lapel sb jacket - but it is a quality garment and the cut of the jacket is very flattering. I plan to sell it in due course once I can afford to have a Magnoli three piece run up for me, with a black waistcoat. I'm not sure how much I'll get for it, but really it has paid for itself already. when I bought it back then it cost me £100 and a shirt was thrown in; essentially it came with everything barring the tie (well, it had a pre-tied bow, but I bought an untied separately) that I needed. Hire charge at the time was around £50, and I've had I think four wearings out of it (plus one of the trousers along with my ivory coloured sb jacket, a very classic, very nice jacket from Marks & Spencer via eBay for £16. ). I'll wear my next tux more often - I'm increasingly comfortable with dressing for myself rather than down to the standards of those around, and I'd be perfectly happy to wear black tie on many more occasions now).

As with any clothes investment that isn't strictly necessary, I tend to look at the price of the tux in a "per-wears" fashion - basically a calculation as to whether the purchase price divided by the likely number of wearings yields a result less than or equal to the cost of hiring on each of those occasions. I do this with most expensive garments I have - shelling out on an expensive jacket for example feels much more justifiable if I can think that it quickly ends up only costing me a couple of pounds per occasion worn. Of course this doesn't take account of e.g. dry cleaning bills which you don't face (seperately, at least) with hiring charges, but I see that as the flipside of the conveninence of owning your own (no having to have it back by a certain time the next day). There's also a certain pride to be found in feeling one's wardrobe that bit more complete, IMO. Once I have a black tie I am happy with to go alongside my nice white tie bits, I'd like to add full morning dress and a stroller. Not that I'll get the chance to wear those very much if at all, but still....

 

[TraderRic]

I have quite an array of formal wear. One set of full tails, three sets of SB peak lapel dinner jackets (1 worsted, 2 heavy wool from the '40s) and one off white shawl collar DJ. When I was a professional musician, I wore these all the time. Now I make occasions to wear a DJ. Aniversary dinner, opera, concert, etc. If it's opening night at the opera I'll wear tails. Some stare, some compliment, but I just want people to know it's OK to dress. You don't have to be a slave to "casual friday". I fine that people who say they are uncomfortable in dress clothes don't really know how to fit themselves and worse, shop in stores who don't know how to fit their costomers (the 8th deadly sin). Nothing beats a good fit as all of you well know.

 

[Mid-fogey]

I too have a Jos A Bank...

...Tuxedo. I bought it at least 15-20 years ago. I've stayed the same size, so I can still wear it. I currently have it on about once per year.

Presuming you buy a good tux, take care of of it, and don't change sizes, you will get your money back many times over.

 

[Midnight Blue]

I like the 50s look myself.

 

[Dinerman]

I have a beautiful double breasted gabardine tux from 1938.
Check out the waistband.

And yeah, those are the ebay photos, but the details just don't show in pictures of me wearing it.

 

[Mike K.]

I am currently looking into getting a dinner jacket for wear at this year's Queen Mary event and other formal occasions that I have coming up. It seems that the basic black suit is the way to go, perhaps with a white dinner jacket also in the closet for those summer events. I have a real fondness for the classic look of tailcoats, but it's so rare to go to any event these days where tailcoats are worn. Here's an interesting article I came across recently. Regardless of accuracy, it was interesting to read.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_3_tailcoats.html

Question - Is the classic tailcoat on the verge of extinction?

 

[Midnight Blue]

Question - Is the classic tailcoat on the verge of extinction?

I think the more relevant question is whether the tuxedo is on the verge of extinction. Considering the ever increasing popularity of slobwear how much longer will anyone be bothered to wear any garment that requires a modicum of effort or sophistication?

 

[Orgetorix]

I think the more relevant question is whether the tuxedo is on the verge of extinction. Considering the ever increasing popularity of slobwear how much longer will anyone be bothered to wear any garment that requires a modicum of effort or sophistication?

The tailcoat is nearly extinct, or virtually so. There are perhaps two or three major events in the US that specify white tie in their dress code.

Black tie events, on the other hand, are plentiful. The average middle-class Ricky Ricardo may not wear one on a weekly basis anymore, but most middle- to upper-middle class folks can expect to attend semi-formal events at least occasionally, depending on where they live.

A style is dead when the old men no longer wear it. Look hard enough, and you will find lots of old men wearing tuxedos in major cities. You will look in vain to find anyone, old or young, wearing a tailcoat.

 

[Mid-fogey]

So true...

A style is dead when the old men no longer wear it. Look hard enough, and you will find lots of old men wearing tuxedos in major cities. You will look in vain to find anyone, old or young, wearing a tailcoat.

...I remember reading that Thomas Jefferson continued to wear knee breeches until he died, despite the fact that they out of style for over 20 years. Those outfits became elevated from everyday to "court dress." Interestingly, it seems that the everyday outfit of today becomes the dress outfit of tomorrow. Note that the tuxedo is giving way to the black suit. In 50 years will black shorts and polo shirts be dress clothes?