Ok, as a total scruff bag I’ve managed to scrape my way through my career with no decent clothes. However, I have to go to a Black Tie awards ceremony on behalf of my company at the Sheraton Hotel this week. So what exactly is black tie and what’s the minimum I can get away with?

don’t go

not worth it to watch your colleagues drunkenly letching over anything that moves and loudly talking shop in the bar at 3am

seriously

they are horrible affairs 🙂

if you HAVE to go then just hire a DJ and shirt, anyone who doesn’t fit the dress code just stands out as a bit of a tool.

Hire it and claim on expenses. I do.

You can buy passable stuff from Scratalan super cheap.

So what exactly is black tie and what’s the minimum I can get away with?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuxedo#The_elements_of_black_tie

M&S do a reasonably priced dinner suit for a couple of hundred, as do TM Lewin. With accessories and a decent shirt you’ll be looking at about £300. Worth buying IMO, particularly if you’re unlikely to change size drastically over the next 5 years or so, as hiring the whole ensemble usually costs about £100 these days.

I do not have to do either black tie or morning dress very often, but I own both. It greatly reduces the stress of these things and did not cost a terrifying amount of money.

Generally, the things I’ve been to recently have de-jacketed fairly rapidly, so if you don’t want to spend too much on the business then making sure your shirt and trousers fit, having a decent cummerbund and making sure you can tie your bow are better investments than a very good jacket.

Have fun! 🙂

Dinner Jacket (which is the name for a suit)
White Shirt
Bow Tie (although a black silk normal tie looks cool)
Black Polished Shoes

Old mens clothes shops often sell them at £100-ish, and you’d be amazed how good a young athletic person can look in them.

My advice – look at James Bond. No fancy wing collars, coloured bow ties, cummerbunds, waistcoats etc. Less is more.

as it’s tomorrow and I think I’ll have to hire, haven’t got time to make any intelligent purchases, plus seems a load of money down the drain for one dinner…

A bow tie seems rather old for someone under 40?

Charity shops are your friend! Ask in posh areas as they probably won’t be on display at this time of year. Haven’t had to pay more than £25 for jacket and trousers and they’re generally in as new condition.

A tie-your own bow tie is best, but is a difficult skill to learn.

Best is to get a willing needlesmith to cut the back of the tie and velcro it. Then you can tie it wrapped round your thigh, looking at the instructions, and then when it’s OK (always leave it a little bit rough, so it’s obvious you’re not a clip-on oik) put it on your neck.

Then late in the evening (even if you’re not hot) untie it and leave it dangling, so you’ve got that Dean Martin look.

You’re more likely to be able to buy than hire on such sort notice.

So my dilemma tonight, is change the oil in my Forks for Mayhem or learn to tie a bow tie…..

The trick is to take two… a fake one for most of the night, then a real one for the Dean Martin look later on.

There is absolutely no reason why a grown man should not be able to tie a bow tie.

Of course, no-one really cares, but you presumably don’t wear a clip-on tie for normal purposes and at some point mastered at least one tie knot. 🙂

I agree with what BigJohn says above. It is a good look if you can get over it and don’t try to rebel against it or be wacky.

For a midweek do, any hire shop should have no problem sorting you out straight away from stock, unless you’re a really odd shape. Don’t forget shiny shoes too.

Clearly you should change your oil.

I’ve got a Dinner Suit you could borrow but I can’t guarantee its in a fit state to wear as I haven’t used it since Christmas.

There is absolutely no reason why a grown man should not be able to tie a bow tie.

+1

And remember, (most of) the ladies love a man in a dinner jacket…even when there’s a few hundred of you. There are less and less chances to wear Black Tie these days so make the best of your opportunity.

Tieing a bow-tie is not a great deal different from tieing shoelaces in a double bow. Once you practice, it’s quite easy.

2nd the Scratalan comment, no way I’m wasting cash on a ‘decent’ or hiring one.
Matalan provided a cheap passable version.

practice tying it on your thigh.

As a Cambridge Alumni, I think I must have worn Black tie over 30 times a year for 3 years. Learning to tie a bow tie was crucial to my education 🙂 Equally was faking “not knowing” how to tie a tie as there’d often be well brought-up fillies around to get very close and attempt the feat themselves 🙂

PS Moss Bros usually easiest for hiring.

i can only tie a bow if i do it on my neck before doing up the collar – just cant get the tension right so the bow looks good but the neck is far too big. can get it fairly close if on my bare neck then pull over the collar. its all about the untied look later in the evening tho!!

There is absolutely no reason why a grown man should not be able to tie a bow tie.

On the other hand, there’s absolutely no reason why a grown man should have to 🙂

There is absolutely no reason why a grown man should not be able to tie a bow tie.

On the other hand, there’s absolutely no reason why a grown man should have to

Couldn’t agree more. Black tie dinner? No ta.

Kilt and Charlie, particularly if you live south of the border, in the states etc (and tie yer own tie as has been mentioned earlier)

ive got me a Matalan tux and dress shirt and bowtie kit for 60 quid all in.

costs more to rent the bloody things!, and the daft matalan cut means it actually fits me 🙂

seriously, have a look, worth having for those odd occasions at that price.
you wont be james bond, but you wont be “that one bloke in a black office suit with a bowtie on”

im going to Cambridge may ball (they cant be THAT clever, they havent noticed its not may)

which one Olly?

Rights cheers for all the suggestions.

Just went out and bough this from TM Lewin.

Just need to take up the trousers and learn to tie a bow tie this evening…

Good man, very fetching. 🙂

My Father always said when I was growing up “never trus a man who can’t tie a bow tie” …. oh dear that narrowed down my choice insantly and significantly 😉

2nd hand dinner suits are better, they have a slightly “used” edge (obiviously) which suggests that you haven’t in fact hired one specially. echo other comments regarding tying a bow tie, like shoe laces is the top tip here, and it needn’t look perfect.

Big john is right about James Bond, if ever you’re tempted by something out of the ordinary, think to yourself; “would James wear it?”

Here is the end result (me) after collective STW fashion advice:

You look slightly startled 😉

You look very smart. 🙂