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Men's formal wear Black tie, white tie, protocol and accessories Return to articles index | The groom's role | Groom's checklist The Tuxedo was first worn in 1886, the invention af a New York dandy, and its use has evolved until it is now worn for special afternoon as well as evening events. Its distinguishing features are the satin lapels and the outside stripe on the trousers, and the most popular colors are black and varying shades of gray. At contemporary weddings and parties, men often sport cummerbunds and bow ties in colors and sometimes metallic or iridescent fabrics.
Black full dress is the most formal of evening wear, although sometimes it is worn in daytime weddings in colors or white. The collar is very formal, with a white tie, and the vest should never be seen below the edge of the coat. On all formal wear, studs with an inset stone are used instead of buttons. The shirt also requires cuff links, often a gift from the groom. Since the trousers are worn high above the waist, suspenders are another necessity as well as black dress shoes. Some guidelines for choosing the groom’s wedding attire:
Definitions: There are several classifications of traditional formal attire: white tie, white tie and tails, black tie and morning coat or daytime. White tie: The most formal way of dressing. The gentlemen of the wedding party wear black tails and matching black pants, white pique front, wing collar, shiny, white pique vest and bow tie, and studs with white stones. (Pique refers to a pattern of small bumps running across thr front vest or tie.) Today's standards allow some variation of this and you may use a shirt, vest and tie that is not pique. "White tie and tails" is traditional for evening weddings and receptions. However, contemporary standards accept this attire for grooms at any time of the day and allow it to be used along with black tie formal wear for groomsmen to distinguish the groom from the rest of the party. Black tie: This can best be described as "party wear" or "evening wear." Tuxedos fall into this category. Tailcoats are not, properly speaking, tuxedos. A tuxedo is a suit that consists of a standard-length coat with some dressy trim and a pair of matching pants. The term "black tie" can be confusing because it was adopted when black was the only color in which formal ties were available. Today, the term merely means that a gentleman may wear his tuxedo or dinner jacket with any color tie and cummerbund set. Tuxedos and dinner jackets come in many colors and styles, making it easy to coordinate with the colors chosen by the bride. Morning coat: Daytime formal attire is referred to as a "morning coat." Although it was originally designed for daytime wear, it now is acceptable for evening weddings as well. The morning coat attire gives the men in your party a turn-of-the-century appearance and is a popular choice. It comprises either a black or gray coat with matching gray and black striped pants, a pearl gray or light gray vest, gray-and-black striped four-in-hand tie (standard necktie) or ascot tie, and either a collared or wing collar shirt. The coat is designed as either a "cutaway" with tails or a "stroller" without tails. Your formal wear specialist will be able to guide you in choosing the formal attire that best represents the mood you want to create. Remember, the groom and his groomsmen's attire set the degree of formality of the wedding. Return to articles index |
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