Perfect Your Black Tie (Tuxedo) - Menswear Experts' 11 Tips

[@gecfes]

I've noticed that Raphael seems more relaxed with the rules in this video. I feel like 5 years ago he might not encourage some of this black tie exploration, and it's nice to see him take a no-pressure approach to an otherwise stiff dress code. Can we get a White tie equivalent video soon? I imagine that it's going to be easier to shoot now that Preston has completed his white tie kit after seeing the Belvedere Bash photos. 🥂

[@Chernochegger]

He also specified that he was referring to creative black tie

[@gecfes]

​@@Chernochegger Yes, he does go into the creative side, but even during the regular Black tie segments he seems more lenient.

[@Theo-ul8qm]

I don't think he's more relaxed, I honestly think he trusts his audience more. Black tie has always been 'bendable' like this, and I'm sure Raphael knew it when he started GG. It's just that, I think, he wanted to keep things simple for a while and now he thinks that the audience is ready for more advanced concepts like this.

[@thegentlemansstyle]

Always love the black tie videos. Without a doubt some of my favourite ones

[@craft-o-matic399]

Love all these looks, but velvet is my favorite! As a matter of fact, I love velvet in general! The velvet bow ties and velvet millinery flower style boutonnieres are stunning! Thank you for the eye candy! Lisa

[@Greggory1987]

I love wearing a tuxedo! I have several of them collected over the years. I spice them up by changing out the shirt/jacket and pumps.

[@nedflandersmustache]

Have an orchestra concert coming up for school, I'm probably going to be the only one with shirt studs and a pocket square

[@nedflandersmustache]

Also the uniforms have notch lapels and poor fit so its still going to be pretty bad

[@nickporter9264]

Another great black tie video. I ordered a grosgrain bow tie and shoelaces to match my tuxedo for my wedding, and I was very impressed with how they looked. I always enjoy pulling it out for the big gala at my work every year. Will definitely order from Fort Belvedere again if I want to change things up.

[@siegfriedo]

I don't own a black tie ensemble, but if I ever decide to get one, it'll most likely be one with a midnight blue single breasted shawl collar jacket. ❤️‍🔥

[@kletts42]

Great information. Now I need to go to an event where these will be good. Maybe get into a gala dinner.

[@sholemepstein]

Frank Sinatra loved orange pocket squares with his Dinner Jacket. When it comes to boutonnieres I go with real flowers. There are always cut flowers on my dinner table and I choose the flowers with an eye to having them do double duty as boutonnieres.

[@SonnySanVista]

AHHHH, I was hoping to see my Orange Dinner Jacket that I wore to the Belvedere-Bash in this video! Especially for the segment about unusual colors! Still great video, and I really appreciate that you talked about how it is okay to wear unusual colors! I was really worried that my outfit had been inappropriate for the event. Thank you, Mr. Schneider!

[@kovarilaszlo3146]

Absolutely great advice here! I'm not sure about changing up the pants, it seems te defeat the code somehow... although I'm not sure, why. I would really enjoy if you did a video on modern alternatives to eveningwear. Over the course of the 20th century there clearly has been a distinction between morningwear and eveningwear, and not just of formality. I'm curious, how can one keep up this tradition in today's world at formal occasions (like classical concerts and such) where there is no clear dress code, yet you are expected to be dressed somewhat formal. Black tie alternatives definetely seem a good starting point, but I feel there is more to this topic :)

[@a1085123]

I am new to the sartorial world and have had an exponential increase in knowledge with the detailed videos! Keep it up. You have a great team Raphael … I hope to learn more and apply this to my wardrobe but in the interim I hope you have reward your team with their favourite Fort Belvedere accessories this Xmas!

[@mackellar829]

I upgrade my formal wear in many ways. 1.) Black patent pumps with grosgrain bow (no longer available by Allen-Edmonds), 2.) high end studs and cufflinks in onyx and mother of pearl. 3.) For winter/holidays a black velvet Ralph Lauren Purple jacket and of course, always...4.) a subtle contrasting pocket square and '5.) fun' stockings. 6,( a stunning solitaire diamond ring. CHEERS!

[@newoleets6519]

Thank you so much Gentleman's Gazette, you have truly inspired me for around a year now! As a youngin' I have successfully worked in classic style in a world of disgusting clothes. Now i do have a bit of an issue i need help with, I'm going to a formal event and i need a good vintage tuxedo that doesn't exceed my budget of around 250$ anyone have any ideas? I've been using etsy, but i dont know if there are any others. I very much like the tuxedo worn by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. Thank you sincerely

[@williamwehrs9921]

In those bar shots, I'm really getting a rat pack vibe!

[@lukaszkielek_leasing]

I really needed that video a year ago :D. I wasn't really sure what to wear but according to that video, I did quite well

[@maxine2798]

The red military “dinner jackets” are surely mess jackets. Also the jackets with kilts are called Princess Charlie jackets

[@jorisvanoeffel4721]

I have a vintage boutaniaire which is cut out of Mediterranean red coral. Looks awesome.

[@maguslascivious4980]

I've become a fan of the royal blue or silver jackets. The one you have in this video is amazing.

[@Pilzmaxe]

I just discovered that my tuxedo anctually has a linked button closure added to the normal button. I alwas wondered what this strange configuration was for. Thanks to your video and article, now i know...

[@Pilzmaxe]

A lot of the combinations shown in this video border on the clownish and are more at home in a 70s disco night or Bonnie M. reenactment band...

[@ЛукаТ-э3э]

Like what

[@bobvanbutselaar]

Great shop reference by the way. I have some shirts from Hockerty. They fit perfectly.

[@Charlie-zh7yd]

You can never go wrong with a party shirt. In military tradition they look just like a tuxedo shirt should, everywhere that is exposed, but the back and sleeves are covered with the most bold and brash patterns imaginable. Alma Mater logos, dogs, peacock feathers…. All out of sight out of mind

[@nickporter9264]

I remember being very perplexed the first time I saw a bunch of guys sporting those shirts at a gala. It’s truly the mullet of shirts: business in the front, party in the back.

[@Chernochegger]

7:00 In the Royal Canadian Navy at least, they use tails. Its the army and RCAF who don't. For mess jackets

[@Catinasuit233]

I have a red velvet dinner jacket that was gifted to me by my dad who wore it for his wedding, Now it has notched lapels and but i still wear it for my black tie events just because of the sentimental value so i think it could be an exception to the rules in menswear

[@Qwerty-8644]

I have a black dinner jacket and I wear it with grey tuxedo pants with a single galon, I think it looks great!

[@alejandromalave6781]

I really Love the black tie videos ❤❤ I would like to make a question, what do you think about using a white marcella waistcoat with a dinner suit, thank you very much and I really appreciate your videos and the passion you all put into 🎉

[@gentlemansgazette]

We're fond of this look for a nod to the turn-of-the-century style! We've got lots of information on this specifically, here: www.gentlemansgazette.com/tuxedo-black-tie-guide/black-tie-tuxedo-history/edwardian-tuxedo-black-tie/?

[@Jeanisteal]

​@@gentlemansgazettePlease do an analysis on the original Frasier tv show. It's my favorite series.

[@LiamColeman-Halla-yq2jl]

​@@gentlemansgazettewhere can I buy suits under $40 in Indianapolis?

[@Sally237-s4w]

As a lady: I love that jacket your wearing burgundy velvet .

[@Dakota-d4n]

I got a vintage after six midnight blue tuxedo for 4 bucks a thrift store in my town

[@kaiko79]

Hi Raphael. Love your videos. Very useful and interesting information indeed and, as so often with Gentleman's Gazette videos, truly inspirational. However, there is one thing that I am struggling to understand. Why do you like Creed's "Green Irish Tweed" so much? The scent is strikingly similar to Davidoff's "Cool Water" which was popular during my teenage years in Germany in the 1990s. When I tested Green Irish Tweed that effect was so strong that I had flashbacks to that time and had to wash it off after a while. Anyway, keep the good content coming.

[@machoprotegido5607]

9:29 that's not a mess jacket, that's a prince charlie jacket. The backs are very different.

[@gentlemansgazette]

Good spot! Thanks for clarifying 🙂

[@bill99208]

I wear a tuxedo quite a bit. My usual is to try changing my bowtie and cummerbund color, my shirt studs and cufflinks and if I can find one, a different type of dress shirt. I’d like to get a different style of eyeglass frame to up the game. I love Jack’s frames but can’t seem to find them. Can you help me out with this, perhaps? In any case, I’m usually complimented on my formal look and this tells me that I am on the right track. Formal wear is fun and doing it this way, makes it look like it should but allows for a more varied look. Which is what it’s really all about.

[@thegodsiegeneeds1917]

8:43 Ah yes the german Hä?! A classic

[@dylankoerselman5146]

What was the name of the website around the 4:40 mark that allowed you to make a jacket?

[@HarmlessDilettante]

Just FYI: the colored jackets from the equestrian tradition aren’t just red. Traditionally, you wear them at hunt balls in the hunt colors. If you aren’t a member of the hunt, you wear black, much like your riding jacket or boots when you are a guest at a foxhunt. Also, midnight blue tuxedos are considered quite correct. They often appear more black than black under artificial light.

[@XavierPorter-im6jz]

What is the best tie to wear with just a waistcoat. And how can you wear a double breasted waistcoat in a formal dress code . Also I love this Chanel

[@RobertJonesWightpaint]

I don't have a dinner suit currently: because I have no occasion to wear one - I do wish I had, though: I miss dressing for dinner.

[@vinuvarghese91]

awesome video.... oh first to comment

[@Chernochegger]

An you do a video on Highland formal eveningwear?

[@Hindustan04]

Kamarbandh is Indian word 👌👍

[@florisvandenbrink1512]

One should never wear a watch with either black or white tie. Because the evening when it is worn is timeless. I have not been able to shoot many holes in the Gazette's posts; this is a major one....

[@msilverz]

Does anyone know what Eton called that style of tuxedo shirt? I'm intrigued, but I can't find a proper photo of it anywhere.

[@chikitoborroko6597]

how about pocket watch and tuxedo with cumberband

[@mohamedel-kilany6259]

I just received an invitation with black and white attire dress code, what does it mean ?

[@Oldsmobile69]

Please do a winter wear episode on *extreme* cold weather.

[@thomas-f9o]

how should you buy shirts because as a late teenager who loves shirts and ties I can't find any shirts which fit my build and accommodate for my muscles without it having an enormous bulge around the belly any tips?

[@Pilzmaxe]

I'm not a big fan of "creative" black tie. Black tie was meant to be a dresscode so that everyone would look more or less the same so that people could focus on the event and let their personality shine through what they have to say in a conversation.

[@pablovogel6986]

No because woman don’t dress the same, remember they exist also. A better theory is that black tie was invented to let the woman stand out, while men all look the same.

[@Pilzmaxe]

@@pablovogel6986 correct. the same rules dont apply to women in this scenario.

[@jamestremblett1875]

Yes Black Tie was developed so women would shine. And Creative Black Tie is an occasion for men to shine rather than just blend in. Both dress codes have valid reasons and goals. There's nothing wrong with men trying to have fun with their clothes sometimes.

[@pedrogarciarobleto]

Hey! It's interesting you featured Hockerty, is it a good place to buy?

[@teekue]

Noooo, it is absolutely terrible. Online mtm is bad on its own but me and my friends had some suits done there and mine was the only one that fitted half decently. The fabrics are also trash, construction is on the same level as fast fashion suits. Don't buy at Hockerty! If you don't have the money get a second hand suit.

[@rafaelcastillo3834]

While I've been doing alternative, bolder black tie looks for years, I enjoyed this video. I think more gentlemen need to step out of the box of the classic black formal wear look.

[@becomingunhuman2106]

How did the Belvedere bash go? I’d love to see more footage and pictures from the event.

[@gentlemansgazette]

it was a great event - you'll certainly see more coverage in future videos!

[@neil5568]

No white dinner jackets North of Alexandria!

[@kolerenwick2274]

Great video, but there is a major faux pas here - the scarlet colour example is a UK or Commonwealth Officer’s mess dress uniform with regimental and rank insignia. If Preston is not currently a Captain in this regiment, he’s essentially wearing a costume and impersonating a soldier while wearing insignia he is not entitled to. Regulation uniforms should never be worn by civilians, unless they are attending a military event as past service members and given permission to wear uniform or accoutrement by current Commanding Officers.

[@gentlemansgazette]

In the UK we agree, that would be a faux pas. In Italy or outside the UK men wear regimental ties and military coats, and it's no problem because nobody recognizes the British regiment it is associated with.

[@stanleyalexandrowicz6074]

Sometimes a tin-foil hat lends a very elegant touch!

[@Aestheticaye]

Is it de rigueur to keep the double-breasted dinner jacket always buttoned? I see most single-breasted dinner jackets unbuttoned. P.S. Preston as a 19th century officer sporting a moustache is the best thing ever!

[@GreenSpacebug]

Is it just me or do I feel like Sven has gotten a little more loose with Black Tie rules in his recent videos? Either way I'm all for it since I like how his main videos explain the classic rules and the follow up ones explain how to tastefully break them

[@Chernochegger]

4:25 thats a captains mess kit, I highly recommend that you do not wear it

[@oliver-ec9mv]

This has nothing to do with the current video is it okay to wear button suspenders on trousers that have belt loops

[@rogerr.8507]

3:43 They adamit black and white simple color pallete looks good, I dont know why they hate on black suits and and on the black shirts. I think they just want to sell accesories, and black doesnt need that much

[@gentlemansgazette]

It's all about context. Our thoughts on why black is (generally speaking) overrated are outlined here, alongside why we love it for eveningwear: www.gentlemansgazette.com/the-most-overrated-color-black/?

[@Mamaki1987]

Are there whole tuxedos in other colours? Like in brown, green, burgundy or creme? Because black and a crips white really isn't for everyone.

[@gentlemansgazette]

Midnight blue is a good non-black alternative, but full dinner suits in other colors, unfortunately, tend to look like a gimmick or costume - think of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in 1994's 'Dumb and Dumber'!

[@peter1234930]

Prototype shoes? Please make them a reality!

[@ShlbyEditz]

I miss the old intro 😭

[@ٴۥٴٴٴ]

i hated it, thank god they got rid of it

[@ShlbyEditz]

Why did you hate it? I loved it, It sounded very classic.

[@guldenaydin9918]

💝

[@ABC-rh7zc]

Anything tartan is just not black tie, sorry. Same goes for many of the other suggestions. This video seems more aimed at a fancy dress party than a black tie event.

[@SomeNot]

Tartan trews are entirely acceptable in Scotland, if not the rest of Britain. Americans’ attitudes to tartan are perplexing

[@aaronspringborn34]

Great video now Rafael I have a question for you as much as you preach formality aren’t you kind of being a bit of a hypocrite by wearing dinner jackets and and changing some things up in “”classic black tide? Now those things are fine like dinner jackets for creative black tie, but not classic black tie equals black tie please don’t wear dinner jackets ever for any traditional black tie.

[@RaymondButler-h4x]

Great vid but the red tie in a black tie even? You lost me there.

[@ajswital]

A watch with black tie? Absolutely not.

[@gentlemansgazette]

Some love it, others don't, and that's okay 🙂

[@vascomanata]

fun fact: Green carnations are a victorian symbol of homosexuality!

[@gentlemansgazette]

Interesting! If you haven't already seen it, you'll probably be interested in this video: www.gentlemansgazette.com/boutonniere-flowers-true-meanings/?

[@hendrikjanriesebos1293]

A watch? Oh dear...

[@joshhansan-999]

AskOkey full cut trousers and Dinner jacket 🧥