The Black Tie dress code – it’s the typically the most formal option most people will wear.
Basically, the Black Tie code is the less rigorous version of the White Tie style – which is the standard of supreme elegance. Today, it is rarely seen at Nobel Prize ceremonies, invitations to the Royal Court or the Viennese Ball.
Traditionally, in England, gentlemen wore White Ties to grand dinners, but – out of a desire for increased comfort – the new generation of nobility made the transition to Smoking or Black Tie.
The transformations consisted in modifying and reducing the tailcoat – resulting in the tuxedo jacket, the white bow tie was replaced with the black one, and the wing-collar of the shirt was replaced with a standard collar variant.
In order to keep the formal character, however, the satin was kept on the lapels, the tuxedo having in this way a special prestige.
Black tie is a dress code for events that take place during the evening, after 6pm. In other words, it is an outfit suitable for the awards ceremonies, anniversary parties, grand weddings and prestigious balls, theater or opera premieres. Such events specified on the invitation: Dress code – Black tie.
What does the Black Tie attire means
The Black Tie attire consists of a special outfit: a suit, usually made of solid black (the chromatic alternative being navy blue) worsted wool or mohair. It is also known as “Smoking” or “Tuxedo”.
It should be mentioned that only the jacket can have a different color, the Black Tie pants are always black.
The jacket specific to this type of suit has silk-faced lapels and, in most cases, has a single button closure (but can be also in the double-breasted version). For Black Tie events, the lapels should be peaked or shawl-type. The first option is preferred by men who adopt a modern style, and the shawl lapel is suitable for people who prefer the classic look.
A particularity for the Black Tie code is that during the summer, due to high temperatures, the black jacket can be replaced with a white or ivory one (so called colonial tuxedo).
Pants – it is recommended that they are made of the same fabric as the jacket and are always black (regardless of the color of the jacket). Cuffs are not suitable for these types of events. Also, a very important detail: the belt does not match. Thus, the waist of the pants is simple-round (without belt-loops), or there is the option of side-adjusters. Suspenders / braces are another option, when needed. As a last detail, some tuxedo pants may have vertical stripe along outside seam (also called a “galon”).
Shirt – it is necessary to opt-in for a white shirt (made of Egyptian cotton) in case of Black Tie events. However, not every shirt is suitable, the recommendation of the Consiglieri specialists is to wear a pleated-model.
You can opt-in for a shirt with a hidden placket, in which only one button is visible, or a shirt model with black studs, visible.
The cuffs of the shirt are mandatory double, with cufflink openings (there is also the variant of single cuffs, but also with cufflink openings).
Accessories – an essential aspect is that the outfit requires to wear a bow tie, made of black silk (not a tie). Also, in the breast pocket of the jacket, in a place of great honor should be the handkerchief, in this case simple-white (preferably made of the same cotton as the shirt). The suspenders can also be mentioned for the accessories (the belt is never worn with the Black Tie outfit) – they will be made of black or white silk.
The cufflinks for the shirt can be: black, gold or mother-of- pearl.
Black Tie shoes should be black, glossy or black patent leather, plain Oxford model, worn with black silk or Filo di Scozia cotton socks, knee-length.
Although it may seem a little rigid, originally the purpose of this dress code was to make dress choices easier for an event. Thus, if the guests all wore the same outfit, there would be no risk of someone being improperly dressed.
For more style advices and explanation of other dress code rules, we invite you to book an appointment with a Consiglieri expert: https://consiglieri.ro/showrooms
Showroom:
7A Aleea Alexandru,
Bucharest
Phone appointments:
(+4) 0786.22.88.11
www.Consiglieri.ro
