Tuxedo jacket lapels may be smooth, notched or peaked; I *think* the smooth ones are called "satin" regardless of what they're made of (though usually it's satin). Those are pretty standard in my mind, but once you're actually shopping for one, it's amazing how many relics of the 70s you come across.
(No, wait, I'm wrong. It's a "shawl" lapel... and notched lapels are properly business wear, while peaked lapels are formal. Go figure.)
In the Deep South (and possibly in Northeastern metropoles), if you run in the right circles, you might get invited to a "White Tie" event, which is a level above "Black Tie" and sounds a bit like what y'all are calling "subfusc."
The tie is white, the shirt is studded... but the jacket is longer. Tail coats OK. Color black. The shirt is plain, but the collars tend to be winged (in the States, those are really popular). White gloves OK.
In my private universe, spats are OK too.
If it's daytime, it won't be "White Tie" it'll be "Morning Suit," with cravats and vests under long grey jackets, grey pants with thick stripes.
Formal wear filecard: 100 years ago or so, the tuxedo was considered *casual wear*. It was what you changed into to go and hang out in the club. As such, appropriate footwear was considered to be tuxedo slippers. There was a movement to revive slippers in the late 1980s, but I don't know that anything came of it. Velvet things, looked comfortable.
This site, "Tuxedo 101," calls them "opera slippers," and has a nice story about the origin of the tuxedo. Ooo, and a nice survey of collar styles.
Also, I dislike cummerbunds (call 'em "crumb-catchers," because the folds go *up* for whatever reason), but don't own a proper formal vest. I've read that black braces are an adequate substitute, but that seems fishy. What's the consensus on that? |