Hat with a tuxedo?

[Jay]

I almost feel bad about asking this, but which kind of hat is appropriate to wear with a tuxedo. Home coming is in a couple weeks, and this year its black and white semi-formal....Me and my friends are gonna overdress to give the place some class.

Thanks in advance,
Jason

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

The bowler is a daytime-only hat I believe, and if you are wearing a tuxedo in the daytime you have issues...

 

[Andykev]

Top it off with a TOP HAT

Don't forget the Top Hat. I have a Christy's from London, and a Roger Peet collapsable hat. It is the "Opera" hat. The spring mechanism is quite nice, and the hat folds flat, so you can put it under the theater chair.

I don't think a Fedora works with a tux. A tux is formal. Stick with Suits, and sport coats, or your leather jacket with the fedora. Actually, a fedora goes well with almost anything except maybe a swim suit.

 

[jpdesign]

If wearing tails, then the only acceptable headwear is a top hat, wether it is morning or evening dress.
If no tails, a homburg.
And you shouldn't wear top hat without tails.

Jimmy

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Make a statement, I always say.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I agree with Jimmy. I would be quite wary wearing a top hat with a tuxedo, which is an informal garment after all. A top hat is at the very top of the formality chain and should be reserved for formal clothes.

I would wear either a very dressy fedora or a homburg with a tuxedo.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

 

[Lauren]

I vote for the beanie

Just kidding. I've seen guys in old movies wear fedoras with tuxes and I really like that look.

 

[Wild Root]

Top hat is appropriate with tails and also with a double breasted tux. If some of you recall, in the 1935 RKO film TOP HAT with Fred Astaire he wore a double breasted tux with a top hat in the first part as he met ?¢‚Ǩ?ìHorace Hardwick?¢‚Ǩ? played by Edward Everett Horton. Top hats and black homburgs are the only hat proper for evening clothes. Black Fedoras maybe, but nothing but black with black!

I hardly believe a brown witch hat is going to fit the bill Bob. Lets try to be helpful to the lad.

=WR=

 

[Lauren]

I've seen gray in the actual movies of the period, but black on black does look better.

 

[Veronica Parra]

Don't forget that at summer resorts (such as Palm Beach), men wore straw boaters with black grosgrain ribbons. It wasn't just a look for Maurice Chevalier and vaudevillians.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

Top hat is appropriate with tails and also with a double breasted tux. If some of you recall, in the 1935 RKO film TOP HAT with Fred Astaire he wore a double breasted tux with a top hat in the first part as he met ?¢‚Ǩ?ìHorace Hardwick?¢‚Ǩ? played by Edward Everett Horton. Top hats and black homburgs are the only hat proper for evening clothes. Black Fedoras maybe, but nothing but black with black!

I hardly believe a brown witch hat is going to fit the bill Bob. Lets try to be helpful to the lad.

=WR=

Wasn't Astaire also known for wearing a porkpie with a tuxedo?

 

[Mycroft]

I would wear a black Bogart or an oprea cloapsable top hat.

 

[Veronica Parra]

Wasn't Astaire also known for wearing a porkpie with a tuxedo?

Astaire wore repp stripe neckties as belts. Astaire wore bright striped socks with white flannel trousers. Astaire was a dandy who knew his footwork.

 

[Wild Root]

Astaire wore pork?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s only in his later films. But, I can't recall if he did with a tux. Doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t sound like him. He was a fashion plate however.

=WR=

 

[Andykev]

MIDNIGHT BLUE FOR YOU!

Top hats and black homburgs are the only hat proper for evening clothes. Black Fedoras maybe, but nothing but black with black!

I hardly believe a brown witch hat is going to fit the bill Bob. Lets try to be helpful to the lad.

=WR=

Hey don't forget, for NIGHT, the best color is "MIDNIGHT BLUE" not BLACK. In reality, black looks greenish under certain lighting conditions (flourescent or artificial lights). My fashion book says "midnight blue". I have a hat in that color, and at night, under a light, it looks black as can be!:cheers1:

 

[Matt Deckard]

Tails being carried over from the equestrian riding set dictates that that outfit is for out of doors wear and indoors wear. Top hat is appropriate.

The tuxedo being Dinner attire by it's origin is indoor wear, no hat is specificlally appropriate. You see stars going to premieres and events hatless with a tuxedo. In transition to and from events you can wear pretty much any hat you like... There are more formal options like the Homburg or black fedora and black overcoat which better compliment the tux when in transition.

If you are going to or from an event and don't want to put forth the expendature on an expensive overcoat you can wear your regular over coat and a complimenting hat and surprise people with the tuxedo underneath.

 

[jamespowers]

I would choose the homburg but Matt definitely has a point about being inside most of the time and not really using the hat. I tend to like a cape with a tuxedo myself but finding a decent one that doesn't make you look like The Count is not easy and can be expensive.
An overcoat is a very good option if the weather is cool enough or if you have a light weight overcoat. The overcoat has always been a protective garment that takes the rain and wear that you really do not want to expose your tuxedo, suit or other clothes to.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Lauren]

Astaire wore repp stripe neckties as belts. Astaire wore bright striped socks with white flannel trousers. Astaire was a dandy who knew his footwork.

And this is why he is one of my favorite old stars. He didn't stick to all the rules. He knew what worked and added character to his wardrobe. Who can resist a good dancer with a good wardrobe, with a tongue in cheek sense of humour?

Sorry, back to hats with tuxes.

 

[Veronica Parra]

Coverings for tuxedos:

-- black chesterfield overcoat (single breasted with fly front opening, or double breasted: both styles with a black velvet collar).

-- U.S. Navy cape: think Franklin D. Roosevelt at Yalta.

-- Opera cape: as jamespowers already mentioned, think Bela Lugosi.