Black tie has clear rules, which is good news: get a few essentials right and you'll look the part. It's for evening events such as galas, formal dinners and some weddings. If the invite says black tie optional, a dark suit and tie is acceptable, but a dinner suit is still the better choice.
What to wear, piece by piece
- Jacket
- A dinner suit (tuxedo) jacket in black or midnight navy, usually single-breasted with satin or grosgrain lapels. Peak and shawl lapels both work.
- Shirt
- A white dress shirt with a turn-down collar and a pleated or plain front. Double cuffs with cufflinks are the norm.
- Trousers
- Matching dinner suit trousers, usually with a braid down the side. No belt: side adjusters or braces instead.
- Shoes
- Black patent or highly polished black leather Oxfords, with black dress socks.
- Extras
- A black bow tie you tie yourself (ten minutes of practice; it is what the dress code expects), a white pocket square, and a dark overcoat for the journey. Optionally a cummerbund or a low-cut evening waistcoat, never both.
What to avoid
- A normal suit and long tie, unless the invite says optional.
- Brown shoes.
- A belt with dinner trousers.
- Novelty bow ties at a formal event.
Two ways to wear it
Black dinner suit with satin peak lapels, white pleated dress shirt, black silk bow tie, black patent Oxfords and a white pocket square.
Midnight navy dinner suit with shawl lapels, or a velvet dinner jacket in deep green or burgundy with black dinner trousers. Keep the shirt, bow tie and shoes classic.
Quick questions
Should I hire or buy?
If you'll go to more than a couple of black-tie events, buying is usually worth it, and a dinner suit that fits you always looks better than a hired one.
Can I wear a long tie?
Not at true black tie. The bow tie is the point.
What does creative black tie mean?
The rules relax a little: a velvet jacket, a patterned bow tie, or a black roll neck instead of the shirt and bow tie are all fair game.