I’m starting from a rather different baseline in formals, but I got my tailor to make me a tux the other year. I dislike events that require it and avoid them if reasonably practicable, but owning the outfit takes all the stress out of everything except actually having to be there. (It also means I have to stay roughly the same size for the next 30 years…)

🙂

Mine is well worn. Got it when I was 18 and it still fits!

Don’t have much occasion for it these days. When I do get it out most people seem to go for dark/ black suits a suitable shirt and bow tie. No one cares. The only comments are normally at uni reunions when we try to work out how many suits are older than the current students.

I’d say black suit and bow tie. Suit is useful to own in my experience.

Black tie is brilliant. Simple yet elegant. Shame that we don’t require/use it more.

How close are you folks to a ‘standard fit’? British suits tend to have a six inch drop from chest to waist, Italians an eight inch.

That makes off the peg impossible for me without mixing. What kind of drop do folks have?

Simple… Nay Sir.

Just when I thought I was happy in my midnight blue tux. The good lady bought me a midnight blue velvet blazer with dress lapels….. So now I don’t know which shade of grey trouser to wear with it ??

Another vote for Matalan here

I’m a 6 inch drop so off the shelf works perfectly for me, I’m also tall and a Long suit fits as long as the trousers are 34 inch inside leg

My first tux is from just after Uni. I was a 42L back then. I’m now a 38L. Think my tux was given to a charity shop. I’ve been to 2 black tie events in the last 3 or so years (i.e. not very much) so have got away with a black suit, nice white shirt, cummerbund and bow tie (hand tied one). I the lighting of most black tie dos its very hard to see the difference

Have you decided what you’re going to do OP? Really glad I’m not in your shoes. Time is short as it is without being forced in to attending a function that you don’t want to. Unless there is free food and / or drink.

I thought this was going to be a review of another crap Bowie album.

Best. Post. Ever.

got mine from Slaters. Relatively inexpensive (think mine was about £65 for jacket and trousers) Shirt another £20, already had a proper tie. They tailor it for free which is good if your an unusual shape. They can be a bit pushy on the sale though which can turn some folk off.

Have you decided what you’re going to do OP?

Chib Stoner with my trusty fish knife.

Unless there is free food and / or drink.

There’ll be plenty of that. Its the free drink that’s putting me off wearing my (smart, dark grey) kilt as there’ll only be so many remarks from posh English lawyer pricks I could tolerate.

The idea of a dark suit with bow tie probably appeals most. Can you get away with that? Dinner jacket just seems pointless (hopefully not making a habit of this) but a cheap dinner jacket’s probably going to be less grim than a cheap suit, no?

A dress would be way simpler. I don’t have the tits for it though.

The idea of a dark suit with bow tie probably appeals most. Can you get away with that? Dinner jacket just seems pointless (hopefully not making a habit of this) but a cheap dinner jacket’s probably going to be less grim than a cheap suit, no?

You might get away with it, but in my experience, the guy in a lounge suit stands out like a sore thumb at a black tie do. And as per my earlier post, even a ‘good’ dress suit is relatively cheap compared to a good lounge suit. So a cheap one from Matallan won’t look out of place – it might do if it’s been worn 4 times a year for a couple of decades, but for occasional use it’ll look great if it fits!

If the hosts have specified black tie, it’s poor form to turn up in anything else.

Maybe try embracing it – it’s actually quite nice to get dressed up in a sharp suit, with a heavily starched dress shirt with stud buttons and a proper bow tie. Get involved, enjoy the occasion, enjoy how good you’ll look, and most of all, enjoy striking the James Bond pose in front of the mirror before you head off out!