Tuxedo Rental

[donCarlos]

This may be a bit offtopic, but I thought about this a lot.

There are almost no occasions to wear a diner jacket here. I´ve never seen anyone wearing diner jacket to any social occasion, not even when it would be proper, like proms. So I thought... "What would happen if I intentionally forget the "it´s equally bad to overdress as it is to underdress" rule, get a black tie attire and wear it to ANY suitable evening occasion?" And by suitable, I don´t mean to a pub, or a bar, but if somebody celebrates their birthday, or when I attend some prom, go to some fancy restaurant etc.

Ordinary suit, usually with very bad fit is the most formal wear most people have around here. I know a lot of people who don´t even own a suit. That is so wrong and impossible! Of course I will stick out even more, but I got used to it. People need to know...

There seems to be a trend, mainly among us, the younger loungers "you like it, you wear it"... Why not? What do you think?

 

[dhermann1]

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. Positively, absolutely.
You'll freak out lots of people, but the women will swoon.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

DO IT DonC!! Are there concerts, plays, or other theater performances to wear it to? Once you have the outfit you'll certainly find places to wear it. You may want to consider morning dress (like they wear at ascot!) too besides a tuxedo. You'll look smashing! Someone always needs to start the trend for dressing better, looks like its you where you are!

Like I've said about our family getting into vintage, (and that includes formalwear too -hey, even our 13 yo son has white tie and tails, a single tuxedo, and an ivory dinner jacket), "If we have the clothes, we'll find the places to wear them."

And YES, us women swoon over elegant gents in tuxedos!

This may be a bit offtopic, but I thought about this a lot.

There are almost no occasions to wear a diner jacket here. I´ve never seen anyone wearing diner jacket to any social occasion, not even when it would be proper, like proms. So I thought... "What would happen if I intentionally forget the "it´s equally bad to overdress as it is to underdress" rule, get a black tie attire and wear it to ANY suitable evening occasion?" And by suitable, I don´t mean to a pub, or a bar, but if somebody celebrates their birthday, or when I attend some prom, go to some fancy restaurant etc.

Ordinary suit, usually with very bad fit is the most formal wear most people have around here. I know a lot of people who don´t even own a suit. That is so wrong and impossible! Of course I will stick out even more, but I got used to it. People need to know...

There seems to be a trend, mainly among us, the younger loungers "you like it, you wear it"... Why not? What do you think?

 

[SamReu]

Buy!

I hardly need to weigh in on this, but I advise you to read the excellent advice offered here, ie, buy a good black-tie ensemble, preferably with a shawl collar. If you go with something basic, it won't matter a whole heck of a lot if the groomsmen aren't clad in something precisely like yours.

And, as a Lounger noted, it feels kind of classy to have a tuxedo in the closet, ready for anything.

 

[hargist]

I hardly need to weigh in on this, but I advise you to read the excellent advice offered here, ie, buy a good black-tie ensemble, preferably with a shawl collar. If you go with something basic, it won't matter a whole heck of a lot if the groomsmen aren't clad in something precisely like yours.

And, as a Lounger noted, it feels kind of classy to have a tuxedo in the closet, ready for anything.

I mentioned this previously in the thread, but I already have a nice Italian designer tux in my closet. I was stuck on having my groomsmen match, so was thinking about renting. After hearing all the advice, I decided to wear my own tux and have my groomsmen get their own, with some road rules.

 

[hargist]

DonCarlos,

I can tell you without a doubt that you may get some strange looks here and there, but the reaction will be overwhelmingly positive. And yes, women do like a nicely dressed man. Fact is, dressing nicely is not something that most men do these days, so sticking out from the crowd in a positive way like that is nothing but good.

Case in point: I stopped into a Brooks Brothers yesterday near my work. I often take a break from the office and walk around the outdoor mall across the street. I asked if they had any waistcoats. The woman who was helping me said they didn’t, but went on to say, “Of course you’re looking for a waistcoat. You’re the best dressed man in Century City (that’s the name of the section of Los Angeles where I work). Why wouldn’t you have a waistcoat? In fact, I’m surprised that you don’t have three!”

She went on to say that she notices me walk by the shop all the time. I was a little embarrassed, but it also felt good.

So people do notice, and it usually isn’t bad attention. It’s almost always good. The only snide remarks I get from time to time is about my hat, but that’s rare. Those comments are almost always overwhelmingly positive too.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I agree with SamReu-

Independent of having a tux for a wedding- a tux, vintage or even new (if its a classic style) is always a good style investment.

That's in part why we didn't wait until our almost 13yo son was 16 to get him his. He's already worn formal wear to seven events from early Dec 08 to late May 09. But then again our son may be an unusual kid to use as an typical example...

I hardly need to weigh in on this, but I advise you to read the excellent advice offered here, ie, buy a good black-tie ensemble, preferably with a shawl collar.

And, as a Lounger noted, it feels kind of classy to have a tuxedo in the closet, ready for anything.

 

[donCarlos]

Thanks for positive reactions for my crazy idea! Now you really got me thinking... God, this place really sucks my wallet empty!

Dresscode would be easy for me then - where normal people wear a suit, I wear my new tux. (I still don´t know where to get it)
It´s a shame that I can´t get my tux before going to Karlsbad to the international movie festival. Maybe a rental? lol

 

[Edward]

I refer the gentleman, Mr Don Carlos, to the quotation underneath this very post.

As to source: eBay, eBay, eBay. Seriously, if you can't at least find a decent early 40s db dj and trousers on there, you're doing something very wrong.

 

[hargist]

One last question about tuxes and how they are worn in modern times.

I bought my waistcoat from Brooks Brothers over the weekend. The clerk asked me what kind of tux I have, and I told him it is single button, single-breasted. He said that waistcoats are normally worn with tails, but that's not my understanding.

Just want to clear this up. My understanding is that one has a choice, either a cummerbund or a waistcoat. I prefer waistcoats.

I'm not wrong to wear it with a single-breasted jacket (non-tails), am I?

 

[Bird's One View]

A waistcoat must be worn with a dress tail coat, but may be worn with a dinner jacket as well.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

OMGoodness, I LOVE this avatar!!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

A waistcoat must be worn with a dress tail coat, but may be worn with a dinner jacket as well.

 

[dhermann1]

There are many posts on this question on the formal wear threads. The gist is this: With a standard tux, that is peak lapel or shawl, single breasted, a cummerbund is OK, but a waistcoat preferable. Then there is the question, black or white? Both are acceptable, but make sure it has just 3 buttons. If you look at 30's films, the men all wear black 3 button waistcoats with the dinner jackets, and I'd guess the majority of Loungers would lean in that direction, as well.
You see at a lot of weddings these days the men will have black waistcoats with 4 or 5 buttons, and no lapels. I personally don't think this looks as classy as the old fashoined 3 button with lapels.
With a tailcoat, you'd wear a white waistcoat only. With a white dinner jacket (or off white, i.e. summer style, again, single breasted) you'd wear only a cummerbund.

 

[hargist]

Really, it's no wonder there is so much confusion about this. I knew that a white waistcoat is perfectly acceptable with a single breasted jacket, but when the clerk at Brooks Brothers said that they are normally worn only with tails, I started to second guess my own knowledge. I mean, if the "experts" (the clerks who actually sell tuxedos) can't give straight information, what hope does the average person have?

 

[Orgetorix]

Really, it's no wonder there is so much confusion about this. I knew that a white waistcoat is perfectly acceptable with a single breasted jacket, but when the clerk at Brooks Brothers said that they are normally worn only with tails, I started to second guess my own knowledge. I mean, if the "experts" (the clerks who actually sell tuxedos) can't give straight information, what hope does the average person have?

Well, I wouldn't discount the BB clerk's advice too quickly. The standard accessory with a single-breasted tuxedo is either a black waistcoat or a black cummerbund. A white waistcoat is acceptable for wear with a tuxedo, and indeed it's quite a nice look when paired with a tuxedo and accessories of a sufficiently formal nature. But the white waistcoat is still essentially a loaner from the white-tie outfit and is most at home with a tailcoat.

Keep in mind the historical context: The dinner jacket was a more modern innovation upon the tailcoat, and when men started to adopt them (for less-formal events) they simply swapped out the coat and kept the rest of their white-tie accessories, including white tie and white waistcoat. As the dinner jacket or tuxedo developed into a mode of dress in its own right, it came to have its own set of acceptable accessories--black ties, black waistcoats, and cummerbunds (and, later, soft-fronted shirts with turndown collars). So, by 1935, say, someone wearing a white waistcoat with a dinner jacket would be wearing a style that was a bit out of fashion and a bit more formal than the current trends.

So I still would say that it's true the white waistcoat is normally part of the white-tie ensemble. It's acceptable with black tie--you won't be committing a faux pas--but it's not one of the most commonly chosen accessories.

One other note: If you're going to wear the white waistcoat with a tuxedo, the rest of your outfit should be as formal as possible, so that it almost looks like a white-tie ensemble. The jacket should have peaked lapels, not notched or shawl. The shirt should be stiff-bosomed, not pleated, and it should take a stiff, detachable wing collar.

 

[Dan D]

Useful article

Dear All,
There's a really useful article about wedding attire (itself linked to others) that some might find useful here.

Caveat: one can get lost in reading on this site for eons.

 

[Midnight Blue]

As always, Orgetorix is right on the mark. To see the migration of the white waistcoat from full dress to semi-formal dress, see the History section of www.blacktieguide.com.