Black tie

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Black tie is the men’s dress code term for formal evening dress composed of a dinner jacket suit comprising a coat and matching trousers, tuxedo in Canada and the U.S. Currently, black tie is worn to many types of social functions; women's corresponding evening dress ranges from the short cocktail dress to the long evening gown determined per current fashion, local custom, and the occasion's time.

[edit] The elements of black tie

Unlike with white tie, a man has sartorial options in choosing his dinner jacket and accessories. The British and the American interpretations of what constitutes black tie are stylistically very different. Most men, especially the English, consider only the traditional garments to be correct. The elements of a black-tie ensemble are:

• Short black coat with grosgrain- or satin-faced lapels
• Black trousers with silk braids matching the lapels
• A black cummerbund or a low-cut waistcoat
• A white dress shirt with either a marcella or a pleated front
• A black silk bow tie
• Black silk socks
• Black patent leather shoes

[edit] Coat

The black-tie coat is single-breasted, ventless, constructed of black or midnight blue wool, and faced with either grosgrain (ribbed silk) or satin. The most tradtional lapel type is the peaked lapel, derived from its tailcoat predecessor; the shawl collar (with rounded lapels) is used also. Currently, both styles can be either single- or double-breasted. A third lapel style, the notched lapel, is an American innovation, and is not universally considered correct. The traditional single-breasted coat has a single-button closure, with two-button variants sometimes seen; jackets incorporating more buttons are fashion fads. (Also see: smoking jacket)

The colour black has a green hue in artificial light, if aesthetically unacceptable to the man, midnight blue (introduced by the Prince of Wales) is the acceptable alternative colour; other colours are fads.

In warm climes, the white dinner suit coat is worn beyond the British Isles. The American colour exceptions are its use in the celebratory high school graduation promenade dance, The Prom, and concert conductors, i.e. the Last Night. In the U.S. and Canada a white dinner coat is traditionally worn only from Memorial Day in the spring to Labor Day in the autumn, this rule applies also to white summer clothes (shoes, suits, et cetera).

Stylistically, it is bad form (ill-mannered) for a man to take off his coat during a black-tie social event; but when hot weather and humidity dictate, the ranking man (of the royal family, the guest of honour) may give men permission by noticeably taking off his coat. In anticipated hot weather Red Sea rig is specified in the invitation, although this dress is esoteric in civilian circles, and is particular to certain communities.

[edit] Trousers

Black-tie suit trousers have no turn-ups (cuffs) or belt loops. The outer leg seams are decorated with a single, inch-wide silk braid matching the lapel facing. Customarily, braces (suspenders in the U.S.) hold up the trousers; they are hidden either by the waistcoat, which may be backless, or by the coat: hence it is bad social form for a man to take off his coat. Recently, flat-front, pleatless trousers feature in some styles of dinner dress; like all innovations in formal wear the feature's appropriateness is debated.

[edit] Waistcoat and Cummerbund

The waist is dressed in either a waistcoat (vest) or a cummerbund (not both) when wearing a single-breasted coat. Usually, the waistcoat is low-cut, has a three-button stance, and matches the lapel's finish; though it once shared the suit's cloth. The cummerbund sash (from military dress uniform in British India) is worn pleats up, and is of the same cloth as the bow tie and lapels.

White waistcoats with black tie are a rare alternative. Once, there existed such a tradition, derived from white tie dress, for when the women present were in long dresses; it is now extinct.

[edit] Shirt

The Shirt is conventionally white or off-white (cotton, linen, silk) and its front either is cotton marcella (as in white tie) or pleated.

Before World War II, stiff shirts with separate wing collars were the norm. Today, semi-stiff shirts with attached wing collars are the U.S. norm; a shirt with a fold-down collar is the U.K. norm. The original, and most formal, version of the dress shirt usually fastens with matching shirt studs and cuff links. In lieu of studs, a buttoned shirt with either a fly-front placket or a French front (sans placket) is worn. Soft shirts have French cuffs, stiff shirts (as in white tie) have single cuffs fastened with cuff links.

[edit] Bow Tie

The Bow Tie: usually is made of silk barathea or satin and is knotted by hand. It is poor form and déclassé to wear a commercially pre-knotted bow tie, especially when the hook-and-buckle fastener shows. Yet, for most black tie occasions, such an artificial bow tie is common, given that most black tie clothes are hired, not owned; the stigma of appearing the boy-dressed-as-a-man is lessened. Moreover, in the proletarian 1980s and 1990s, the proper, manually tied and knotted bow tie has almost vanished beyond the bespoke stratum in the U.S. Americans generally ascribe no stigma of inelegance to the commercial, pre-knotted bow tie, and would require instruction to tying and knotting a properly formal bow tie.

[edit] Footwear

Traditionally, the most formal shoes are patent-leather opera pumps (court shoes) decorated with a ribbed silk bow, as worn with white tie; they are uncommon today. A popular, formal alternative is the black leather lace-up Oxford shoe, often in patent leather, but without a toe cap or decorative brogueing. Too-informal for black tie are shoes with open lacing, i.e. "Derbies" in the U.K., "bluchers" in the U.S. An exceedingly rare alternative is the black button boot.

Hosiery should be black, knee-high, ribbed silk socks.

[edit] Accessories

Handkerchief and Boutonniere: A white handkerchief (cotton, linen or silk) and/or a boutonniere (a white flower) may be worn on the coat.

Outerwear: In cold weather a conservatively-colored overcoat, black gloves, and a white silk scarf are worn.

Hat: Black tie has no standard hat. If one is worn, it usually is a black homburg or trilby in winter; in summer, a straw boater is acceptable. Top hats are worn only with white tie and morning dress.

Timepiece: If worn, a wristwatch must be slender, plain, and elegant; alternatively, a pocket watch may be worn on the waistcoat. Traditionally, however, timepieces are not worn with formal (white tie) and semi-formal (black tie) evening dress, because said social occasions are timeless.

Decorations/Orders: Military, civil, and organisational decorations usually worn only to formal events of State or other sovereign organisation. These orders and awards are miniature versions of medals, neck badges, breast stars, and sashes, the wearing of which is governed by country-specific regulations.

[edit] Black-Tie Social Occasions

Black tie is worn to private and public dinners, dances, and parties. At the formal end of the social spectrum, it replaced white tie where it once was de rigueur dress (e.g. for orchestra conductors). Yet, court dress remains the only appropriate clothing at formal events.

Black tie is evening dress, worn only after six o'clock in the evening. Black tie's daytime equivalent is the stroller, to be worn at semi-formal day events.

[edit] Black Tie in public perception

• Given the nature of black tie social dress, the dinner jacket is considered somewhat exclusive; ownership is a statement of class and caste.
• Some Americans deride dinner jackets as "penguin suits," connoting conformism.

[edit] Corresponding forms of dress

[edit] Mess dress

In dining out formally, the armed forces officer and non-commissioned officer normally wears a mess uniform equivalent to the civilian black tie and evening dress. Stylistically, the mess uniform varies according to the wearer's regiment or corps, but usually comprises a short Eton-style coat reaching to the waist. Some include white shirts, black bow ties, and low-cut waistcoats, while others feature high collars that fasten around the neck and corresponding high-gorge waistcoats. Usually, mess uniforms are brightly-coloured (in the British Army scarlet is most common) and ornamented with gold and lace and gilt buttons, all corresponding to the colours of the regiment or corps of the wearer.

In the Royal Navy there is a distinction between "mess dress", which is worn at white tie events, and "mess undress", which is worn at black tie events. Both are worn with a black bow tie, however mess dress is worn with a white waistcoat instead of the usual colour, and may be worn with a stiff shirt and wing collar. The stiff shirt and wing collar were abolished for mess undress in the 1960s, and were made optional for mess dress in the 1990s.

[edit] Red Sea rig

In tropical areas, primarily in Western diplomatic and expatriate communities, the jacket is sometimes omitted and a cummerbund substituted. This form of black tie is known as Red Sea rig.

[edit] West Coast Black Tie

West Coast Black Tie is an American formal social occasion where a wide variety of formal evening dress colours and suit styles is acceptable. Likely originating in the Hollywood movie business, it currently is used broadly throughout the U.S. to accommodate the stylistic and chromatic variations of black tie and white tie evening dress once considered un-traditional, declassé, and faddish. In this style of evening dress, besides the bow tie, the four-in-hand-knotted long necktie is appropriate evening wear.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Scottish Highland dress

Scottish Highland dress is often worn to black- and white tie occasions, especially at Scottish reels and céilidhs; the black tie version is more common, even at white tie occasions. Traditionally, black tie Scots Highland dress comprises:

• Black jacket — Prince Charlie, Duke of Montrose, Sheriffmuir, and Argyll are suitable
• Black waistcoat
• Kilt
• White shirt
• Black bow tie
• Black Ghillie brogues
• Kilt hose (monochrome, diced, tartan) - white is deplored
• Flashes
• Sporran
• Skean dubh
• Dirk

Traditional black tie Lowland dress comprises: black tie variant of the normal black tie, with trews worn with a normal dinner jacket or a Prince Charlie jacket; trews are often worn in summer and warm climes.

The white tie equivalent is a white bow tie or a lace jabot over a collarless shirt. Regulation Doublets, Prince Charlie, Duke of Montrose, Sheriffmuir, and Argyll jackets are suitable.

[edit] See also

• Clothing
• Formal wear and Semi-formal
• White tie
• Red Sea rig
• Morning dress
• Mess dress (Mess kit)

[edit] External links

• The Essential Black Tie Guide provides extensive background and references for most topics in this articlede:Smoking

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