A Black Tie Night

It was opening night at the San Francisco Symphony a few days ago, an occasion calling for evening clothes. I wore the heavier of my jackets - a DB of H. Lesser's 12 ounce/360 gram midnight blue barathea that is blacker than black even in daylight. On close examination there is just the faintest hint of blue, and personally I prefer a faint hint to cloth that is too obviously blue in natural light early in the evening.

If a man has two dinner jackets, it just makes sense that one should be single breasted and vested and the other a DB. The DB is the less formal of the two and can be worn correctly without a vest or cummerbund. The weight of the heavier jacket is too much for cavorting on a dance floor but just right for walking a couple of blocks outdoors on a cool evening.

The original dinner jacket was of course single breasted and worn with a vest. A man's other jacket should probably be made from lighter cloth, such as a 10 ounce/300 gram mohair and wool combination, for over-heated rooms. On warmer days, a cummerbund can replace the waistcoat.

A choice of evening clothes should also mean a choice of evening shoes. Black patent oxfords are the more useful alternative as there is less chance of losing one on the dance floor, and they look especially nice with wide silk grosgrain laces. Less secure on the feet but better looking overall are highly polished opera pumps of black calf, though the bows on these do require a certain amount of self-confidence.

Since there would be no dancing at the after party, out came the pumps. For the rest, maroon silk hose, a silk pocket hank, pleated shirt with turndown collar and a sized Charvet bow made from silk grosgrain that is a bit shinier than my lapels.