The new rules of black tie

From the Duke of Windsor in the Thirties to James Bond in Spectre, black tie remains the gold standard for formal attire - which means it's essential to get it right. Luckily, it's far simpler than you might think...

"Eveningwear has been essentially unchanged for many years," explains London-based tailor Ben Allen. "It evolves subtly over time, but if you stick with certain rules that will make all the difference.

"When everyone looks the same, you can always notice when someone has done it properly and someone hasn't."

How to spot a quality jacket from a rental
"The good thing about black tie is you only wear it a handful of times a year but it will last for a decade or more. So if you invest in something that is well made and fits you properly you'll always look good. With a dinner jacket, it's the small details that make the difference: the facing material on the lapels should match the braiding on the trousers and ideally the button fabric.
"Grosgrain silk, rather than satin, looks more considered and elegant.

Wear midnight blue like James Bond
"At the moment people are always asking, 'Should I be wearing midnight navy?' The midnight trend has been bubbling under for years. In low light, it gives a richness you don't get with black for some reason. It's not for everyone - you have to be comfortable with it because in anything other than low light it will look quite blue, but in the right conditions it will look really special."

What sort of shirt should you wear?
"It should always be a turn down collar - a wing collar is for white tie. The front part (the bib) should be pleated or Marcela (that textured fabric made up of little diamond shapes). With pleats, be careful to not veer down the Seventies ruffled look, but these days nice tight, neat pleats look great. We do a fly front on our shirts where a front placket covers the buttons and of course it's a double-cuff. It's worn best with some simple elegant cufflinks - silver, black or white."

How about the trousers?
"They should have plain hemmed bottoms - no turn-ups. You can have them pleated if you wish but increasingly people these days like a flat front. The current style is slightly slimmer and always has a single braid down the side. Traditionally for black tie you have a single braid, whereas for while tie or tails have a double braid. The side pockets should be in line with the braid as it looks neater - and no belt loops!"

Accessories are key
"You can wear a cummerbund, but they're not very popular at the moment. Braces are great - they ensure the trousers stay put and not slip down throughout the evening. The traditional accompaniment to a dinner suit is evening shoes - pumps with a satin or silk bow on the top. You have to be quite something to pull those off but if you can find some well-shined patent leather shoes - very simple, no broguing - that's ideal. "Wear black socks - nothing too woolly, preferably silk or cashmere. You can wear a pocket square with evening wear but it should be silk and coordinate with the rest of the outfit. Also, personally I think a nice thing to do is wear a silk scarf. It stands out as not everyone will be wearing one and is a bit more special. White is great, but why not black silk with white polka dots or something more adventurous?"

Source: GQ
Jr Trader Z Karadhzova

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