Men’s Formal Wear

Ever since that first time you had to wear a necktie, whether your Aunt’s wedding or your Junior Prom, you have known that formal wear is a part of life. Special occasions call for special clothing, whether a nice suit or a tuxedo. While some men see formal wear as a hassle, many enjoy getting dressed up for special occasions and looking good. That is the number one part of finding appropriate formal wear. You want to look and feel your best in what you are wearing.

Classic Suits

The Options

Sometimes a formal dress invitation can be quite open. A lot of occasions allow a nice, classic suit. Most men would benefit from having a nice suit hanging in their closet for formal occasions such as weddings, the opera, special events and nice dinners out on the town. This suit should be relatively versatile, and if you know that you will not be wearing a suit very often, tryto get a suit that you can wear as separates as well. However, try to get the pieces dry cleaned at the same time to make sure that your suit is wearing evenly. It does not really matter if you get two-button or three-button jackets; just find a fit that works best for you. For this classic suit, you will want to shy away from true black. A charcoal black allows you more options for coordinating shirts and ties, but still gives you the polished look of a nice dark suit. Other options are navy, or either of these options with a pinstripe. Make sure when choosing your suit fabric that you are happy with how the suit looks with your hair, eyes, and skin color. Check to see if you can pair it with multiple colors of dress shirts and ties. Make sure that you find a suit fabric that works for you. Wherever you buy your suit, make sure that you get a proper fitting and tailoring. Most men are not going to look their best in a suit from right off the rack. Tailoring is an essential part of suit wearing. While it can add a slight cost to the price of a suit, a less expensive tailored suit will look infinitely better than a very expensive suit off the rack on 99% of men.

Charcoal Suits

Accessories

The next step in formal wear is making sure you have appropriate accessories: shirts, shoes and ties. Many standard oxford-style dress shirts will work with any suit, but you need to consider how the shirt collar works with the lapel of your jacket, the sleeve length, and of course the color and style. Pairing an everyday buttondown with a formal suit is not usually a success. Have a few formal shirts set aside for wearing with your suit, and have ties that coordinate. Try and keep the ties neat and clean; this is not the time for your father’s day light-up fish tie. Well-made silk or silk blend ties are going to be a fantastic compliment to any shirt. Shoes can make or break your outfit. You are going to want to make sure you have clean, well polished, and not worn shoes. Try and keep a pair of shoes around to just wear with your suit. It can be helpful to have the shoes when getting a suit tailored as most men’s shoes have a slight heel and this can affect your trouser length.

Tuxedos

For events where a suit is not formal enough; the invitation states black or white tie, or its commonly known that you should wear a tuxedo, then that is exactly what you are going to want to buy or rent. Black tie events are going to require a black tuxedo, black silk bow tie, and a black cummerbund. You are also going to want to have a Marcella, stiff or pleated front white dress shirt. While most tuxedo rental stores will have shirts, owning your own shirt for tuxedo wear can give your look a more personal and well-fitted look. There are many colors of bowties and cummerbunds available to go with a wide range of tuxedos, but if the invitation states black tie, you must stick with black. Other occasions can allow you to dabble in different colors and styles. White tie is even more formal and restricted. White tie dress includes a tailcoat with silk facings, black trousers worn with suspenders, stiff-fronted white cotton shirt, white bow tie, white waistcoat, and black leather shoes. For white tie events, try to leave as much time as possible to rent your outfit, as there is often less rental availability of these items.

Tuxedos

Things to keep in mind

Do not forget about the trimmings, such as cufflinks, handkerchiefs, socks, watches and any other accessory you may want or need. Make sure that your socks are as formal as your suit. Try and keep a pair of black or navy silk socks in your drawer for special events. If your shirt does not have buttons on the cuffs, try and find some classic cufflinks, or have fun and buy a few pairs to allow for some accessorizing. Wearing a watch if perfectly acceptable, but try and make sure that it is a dress watch and flows with the rest of the outfit. When it comes to the price of men’s formal wear, you can spend as much as you want, but most decent suits are going to be at least a couple of hundred dollars. A suit is an investment and quality and fit should be considered.