How to Wear a Tuxedo

Learn the basics of donning formal wear.

Sure, nobody wears a tuxedo as well as James Bond, but if you put your tuxedo together correctly, you might feel as sleek and sophisticated as Bond. The keys to looking elegant are simplicity and giving proper attention to details. Contrary to what many men think, formal wear does not allow for creative self-expression.

Things You'll Need

• Black or midnight blue trousers
• White shirt
• French cuffs and cuff links
• Black bow tie
• Low-cut waistcoat or cummerbund
• Black socks
• Black shoes

Instructions

1. Understand that although a tuxedo is formal, not all formal wear should be called a "tuxedo" or "tux." Full dress, or "white tie and tails," is not the same thing as a tuxedo, nor is a morning suit or "cutaway." Several years ago celebrities started wearing dark suits with weirdly cut silk lapels and four-in-hand ties to the Oscars, and soon noncelebrity men started wearing these outfits to their weddings. These are not tuxedos either.

2. Wear a tuxedo, or dinner jacket, with black or midnight blue trousers. The pants should have one black silk band down the outer seam. Hold your pants up with braces or suspenders. Cuffs on formal trousers are inappropriate.

   The jacket itself is either single- or double-breasted, with either a silk- or satin-notched or satin shawl lapel. The single-breasted tuxedo is more formal than the double-breasted one.

   A white dinner jacket is appropriate in the American South, the tropics or a sea cruise, but black or midnight blue trousers and black tie are worn.

3. Wear a white shirt with French cuffs and cuff links. The front of the shirt is either soft or starched and bib-like. Sometimes studs are worn in lieu of buttons on the shirt front. The front of the shirt is either plain or with very conservative pleating. Ruffled shirts and cuffs went out with the 1970s. Colored shirts are best left to Las Vegas casino greeters.

   A handkerchief is worn in the breast pocket of the jacket. White or possibly red are good colors, but don't go too crazy with it.

4. Use either a wing or turn-down collar.

   On formal invitations, male guests are often told to wear "black tie." This means a tuxedo. And only a black bow tie is appropriate with a tuxedo -- not a red tie, a white tie, a four-in-hand or a Western bolo with a longhorn skull. Don't get a clip-on and don't get an already-tied bow tie with hooks on the side.

5. Wear either a low-cut waistcoat or cummerbund with your tuxedo. A cummerbund is a sort of pleated sash that hides the line between the bottom of your shirt and the top of your trousers. It is worn with the pleats facing up. Black or burgundy are really the only good colors for a cummerbund.

   Cover your feet with black silk calf-length socks and black patent leather or highly polished black oxford shoes.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're a hat man, wear a black fedora or homburg with your tuxedo, but leave it in the coat check room. A top hat is inappropriate with a tuxedo, as are gloves.

• Never wear a tuxedo before 6 p.m. unless you are en route to an event that is starting after that time.

References

• ETuxedo: Tuxedos 101