Putting My Black Tie Outfit Together

[cufflinkmaniac]

Thank you.

Hope it helps!

 

[Tomasso]

Would you use a pointed collar, as with a business suit?

Yep. I've always had my formal shirts made with the exact same collar as my dress shirts.

 

[vitanola]

When did this become usual, in the late 1980's?

 

[Josephine]

There's a place in VA that does collars ...

I see you're in the South, do you live in Virginia?

 

[Tomasso]

When did this become usual, in the late 1980's?

These gents were sporting the look in the late 1930's.

 

[Max Flash]

This thread smacks of people worrying too much what is "right" and "wrong". There are no hard and fast rules, just what has developed as accepted when it comes to formal wear.

For example, wing collar or normal collar. There is no right or wrong here, just personal preference. A wing collar looks more formal but if that's the look you want, go for it. I don't like it personally, more because the bowtie won't sit properly for me if I wear a wing collar. However, I have worn both in my time.

Generally, you don't want the outfit to look too put-together. This is where I think over-the-top accountrements like opera pumps and white waistcoats go wrong. You want to look as if you get invited to black tie events all the time, and that you're as comfortable in it as any of your other clothes. Too studied an approach and worrying about the "right" thing to wear will show you up as someone who had to read a book on style to find out what to buy, rather than someone who naturally knows what looks good.

 

[cufflinkmaniac]

I see you're in the South, do you live in Virginia?

Just a bit too far north.I'm from NC.

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

marcella....

marcella shirts ties and waistcoats are made to go together. It is not wrong or contrived to wear them together. The whole idea is that the matched pattern adds to the formality. The only thing that is not marcella is the detachable collar.

Plain starched/boiled front shirts can also be worn with a marcella waistcoat & tie. Prior to a marcella waistcoat gents wore an ivory silk waistcoat and tie with tails but this was in the late 1800's early 1900's.

Cheers

Peter

 

[tightcollarman]

High Imperial stiff detachable collars

I agree wholeheartedly! I'm a big fan (actually obsessed) with high, stiff detachable Imperial collars. Love the look and feel of wearing them.
I've several photos of myself wearing them on my Flickr page ...

http://flickr.com/photos/92708344@N00/

I shamelessly pinched that image from the formal wear primer, when I asked about Imperial collars and white tie. It's a much older, conservative look. You can see how the wing tipped collar evolved from it (or so I imagine). With an Imperial collar, you don't have the luxury of looking down, so you kind of have too look down your nose at people As you can see in the picture, the collar is worn with white and black tie dress. I'm not saying that you should, in particular, but I did and I prefer it for strange reasons.

As for laundering of any starched garments, I would suggest taking the Herculean effort upon yourself. I've starched the bib myself, and it's really not that hard, just time consuming. Another reason why I prefer Imperial collars is that they're very easy to launder. Just wash, starch, and curl - don't have to deal with tips. The shirt is also very simple, just starch it flat.

Marcella waistcoats should never be starched, and to be frank, I haven't a clue if the shirts are, I would assume not, as they're meant to be a step away from the old, conservative boiled front shirts.

As for the specific Florsheim model, I can't be certain of it. The ones I have look like the Edgar model listed on Zappos.com, but mine are definitely patent.

 

[Geesie]

Generally, you don't want the outfit to look too put-together. This is where I think over-the-top accountrements like opera pumps and white waistcoats go wrong. You want to look as if you get invited to black tie events all the time, and that you're as comfortable in it as any of your other clothes. Too studied an approach and worrying about the "right" thing to wear will show you up as someone who had to read a book on style to find out what to buy, rather than someone who naturally knows what looks good.

I recently bought a pair of the Brutini opera pumps (btw, $70 at zappos.com) and wore them to a New Year's Eve ball. I didn't feel over-the-top, or "too put-together." Plus they were fabulous for dancing - and my cap-toe Florsheims just aren't.

 

[Lumelux]

I like the Brooks Brothers stiff front shirts with removable wing collar and you can get them off ebay for $30. The seller gets them from the factory in NC. I have 3 of them. I know he has a bunch right now and well worth it since they are $200 + from BB.