


As Russell Smith points out, “If the words ‘black-tie optional’ on an invitation hit a panic button for most men, the words ‘creative black tie’ are even worse.
NIGHTCODE DRESS BLACK CODE
However, the details are largely irrelevant because the code should be avoided by hosts out of consideration for their guests. GQ’s Style Guy describes it as “Dressing like the fashion victims you see on the Oscars. This designation is defined by Emily Post’s Etiquette as a “tuxedo combined with trendy or whimsical items” (usually related to the party’s theme) which most experts suggest be limited to the shirt, tie or accessories. Tartan Shawl Collar Dinner Jacket What “Creative Black Tie” Means For Hosts – Don’t Confuse People As for the sensitive men who feel that owning a dinner jacket would be vaguely decadent? “Well, if they are opposed to decadent glamour,” says Smith, “then they shouldn’t want to attend the party at all.” Secondly, the “optional” aspect will be gleefully seized upon by the Jethro Tull brigade (described by Smith “rock music critics or Canadian novelists”) as permission to show up in their comfy sweaters thus guaranteeing a motley party instead of the swank affair envisioned by the host. Firstly, no guest in this day and age will honestly expect to be barred from a Black Tie party if he can only afford a dark suit. Smith advises party planners that such anxieties are illogical. Conversely, if the majority shows up in suits then the minority will likely feel put out. If the large majority of men decide to wear dinner jackets then the minority who dress in suits may appear inconsiderate and classless. Sven Raphael’s go-to suit when travelling Clarity is King: Keep Dress Codes Simple & PreciseĬonsequently, these hesitant hosts deprive men of the reassurance and clarity they seek from a precise dress code, forcing them instead to partake in a no-win guessing game. What if we are excluding those without resources to own a dinner jacket? What if we are insulting the men with beards and Jethro Tull albums who don’t believe in such elitist dress and who may refuse on principle to come to such a stuffy affair? And so they wrote “Black Tie” on the invitations – and then immediately had doubts. It means that the planners of the party began by envisioning a glittering formal affair, with neatly groomed men in stark black and white as sober backdrops for the dramatic color and flashes of flesh of the women. As Canadian fashion columnist Russell Smith explains in Men’s Style, it is frequently a cop-out employed by insecure hosts: The reality, though, is that this dress code is basically the formal equivalent of “ business casual”: an attempt to please everyone that ultimately benefits no-one. An Attempt To Please Everyone Benefits No-one This code is often employed in the context of large gatherings of civic or business groups, such as a dinner sponsored by a chamber of commerce. To do otherwise is boorish as it tells the organizers in no uncertain terms that their preferences are irrelevant.īottle green velvet is a popular material for dinner jackets What “ Black Tie Optional” Means Don’t Be An Insecure Host – Avoid Black Tie Optionalīlack Tie Optional (or Black Tie Invited) allows hosts to suggest that men wear tuxedos but not to insist on it. Guests that own or can easily afford a dinner jacket but cannot be bothered to wear one should politely decline the invitation. Invited guests genuinely unable to meet the expense of buying or even renting a dinner jacket may wear a dark suit and tie instead. For Guests – Respect The Wishes of The Host If You Can This terminology is used by those who want to host a very formal party but do not want to exclude guests that cannot afford a tuxedo. You might think you’re sending up the self-serious but you’re really just being rude.” What “Black Tie Preferred” or “Black Tie Requested” Means For Hosts – Use It For A Formal Event Grow up or don’t show up.”Īnd if you’re tempted to make an ironic statement, carefully consider the advice of Details Men’s Style Manual: “Don’t try to bring back lost styles. Perhaps kids think it’s too much trouble to rent or buy a black tie. “Some guys,” observed The National Post, “especially younger fellows who feel they’re really successful, take pride in flouting dress codes and showing up in business suits, often not dark, and without a tie. Alain Delon with middle part, one stuf shirt front and black cuff links with wing collar
