I was being interviewed on the history of black tie by radio host Jesse Thorne the other day and his final question was "Will, I have a dinner jacket. When do I wear it?" I mumbled something about the symphony but the question set me to thinking, and later I began wondering why any of us should have uncertainty about it. We live in an age where any man can wear anything, and, at least on the West coast of North America, he can apparently wear it anywhere. When there are thousands of men who think nothing of escorting their cocktail dressed better half to the casino wearing a work shirt and khaki trousers, as ten minutes in Las Vegas will demonstrate, why should any of us be concerned about wearing dinner clothes? Wear them for any occasion: dinner, the theater, or a Halloween party. They are certainly no more out of place than the Robin Hood garb I saw at the grocery store last week.
Of course, a followup question might be something along the lines of "But won't I look pretentious?" And in response I say that while there might have been some of that a couple of decades ago, the class distinctions associated with evening dress have essentially disappeared in this country. When the typical young man is unable to differentiate between an odd jacket and a suit, the nuances of dress that a few of us still pay attenion to are not generally relevant. So, if you are one of those that ask when to wear a dinner jacket my response is wear it any time you like. Except before six PM.
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7 comments:
I wouldn't wear it before 6PM, Will. I'm not a farmer!
This column is why I LOVE reading your blog. And listening to Jesse.
"It's after 6 o'clock Lemon. What am I, a farmer?"
Awesome article! I think the dinner jacket is talked about far too little, and it's great that you bring it up.
I think it's very true that the class distinctions associated with evening dress have disappeared.
One thing I will say is that even though that is true, I am finding there to be fewer and fewer occasions to wear a dinner jacket without looking out of place, as it just seems like a thought in the wind compared to most other outfits that can be worn for dinner in today's culture.
Sad, but just an observation.
Couldn't agree more! In fact, this philosophy is becomming more and more a necessity. I'm in my mid-30s, and live in France. If I chose to conform to the way other people were dressing, not only would I never wear a dinner jacket, but I'd never even wear a necktie!
Today, there's no point in 'conforming' in one's dress, because there is no standard to conform to. If one's dress is tasteful and looks good, it will be accepted, whether you're the only one in black tie at a fancy restaurant or not. (The trick is learning to wear it with enough elegance so as not to be mistaken for a member of staff, but that is more than anything a question of one's bearing.)
Thank you for the inspiration (again). I have been having great fun assembling my black tie ensemble, and now that I have all the parts, it's time to wear it. Thank you for helping me to remember that any time after six is black tie time—if you want it to be.
Incidentally, gentlemen, you can get black tie on a budget, if you are patient and lucky. I spent less than $40 for nearly everything—tuxedo, jewelry, and more—but had to buy socks and shoelaces new (I'm using my old plain toe shoes, buffed to a mirror shine). Alterations added a little more to the total, but it's still much less than buying it all new.
A dinner suit with a black tie instead of a bow tie is that exceptable. ??
Liam,
I assume you mean a long (four-in-hand) necktie instead of a bow tie, right?
The answer is no. Never. Absolutely not. Under no circumstances whatsoever. No matter what you see on TV or in the tabloids, no matter what a celebrity or model wears, a long tie is never, ever, an acceptable alternative to a bow tie with a dinner suit/tuxedo.
The Black Tie Guide (website) is an excellent resource.
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