#black tie
THE SUIT FOR CELEBRATING
by David Isle
New Year’s Eve is the one night of the year when it’s OK to wear black tie, almost no matter where you’re going. Even if you’re the only person wearing a tuxedo, it’s understood to be part of an atmosphere of festivity, and no more ridiculous than the guy wearing the HAPPY NEW YEAR glittered plastic top hat.
Whereas in Britain the tuxedo began as a more informal way of dressing for dinner at home or at your club (hence the term “dinner suit,” used in England instead of “tuxedo”), in the United States the tuxedo has always been a celebratory garment. It’s a uniform for merry making.
But even if black tie is not bowling, it’s certainly not ‘Nam, so there are rules. The first is that you must wear a black bow tie. Do not try to “mix it up” with some cyan nonsense or “have some fun” with some paisley confection. And heaven help you if you wear a long tie.
The second rule is that you wear a white shirt.
Finally, you must wear black shoes.
This is the bare minimum, the sine qua non of black tie.
But every further detail that distinguishes your outfit from the look of a normal business suit is one that will bring out the tuxedo’s fun-loving character. For example, instead of your usual white shirt, wear a dress shirt that has either a bib or pleated front, and closes with studs instead of buttons. The studs help break up the expanse of white between your bow tie and your waist.
And that waist should be covered. It used to be that men would always cover their waist. Either they would wear a three-piece single-breasted suit or a double-breasted suit. While two-piece single-breasted business suits are now common, a waist covering remains standard for black tie. Either an evening waistcoat – cut low, to show the shirt studs – or a cummerbund will do.
Evening pumps are as elegant as men’s shoes get. But if you feel funny wearing shoes with bows, or if you don’t want to buy an expensive pair of shoes you’ll rarely wear, at least give your black oxfords an extra shine before putting them on with your tux.
If your shoes end up a little too shiny for the first few work days of 2014, they will reflect the final revels of 2013.
Post link
Sean Connery on the set of “Diamonds are forever” (1971)
ICONIC — Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in
“The Godfather” (1972)
‘LOVE IS IN THE HAIR!’
So… I got my jigsaw and acrylics out…:-)
To find out more about how I found the perfect Rouge for my lips, you can follow the photo link to my blog…
Post link
Portrait of Augusto Carlos de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun, 1st Count of Almoster (1821–1845) — Unidentified artist, 19th century (private collection)
Post link
Portrait of businessman Manuel Cardoso Coutinho de Abreu (?– 1867) — Francisco José Resende, 19th century (private collection)
Post link
