DO YOU REALLY NEED A TUXEDO?

As the most rigidly defined dress code in use today, ‘ black tie’ entails a staid commitment Calum Marsh

The other day I was asked to attend a dinner at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City and was briefly puzzled by a command in fine print on the bottom of the invitation: Dress Code – Modern Black Tie.

Now, I have graced plenty of events at hotels and fine- dining restaurants where formality was obliged and glamour was demanded, and I am well used to indulging the kinds of “contemporary” dress codes that have come to replace the old- fashioned full dress and white tie models, such as “modern cocktail” or “smart casual” – nearly all of which seem to amount to the same basic combination of sportcoat, dress shirt and oxfords. But modern black tie? It’s hard to imagine what’s changed by that modifier.

Black tie is the most rigidly defined dress code still in common use today – indeed it’s a vestige of an era when etiquette was inviolable and decorum a universal requirement among respectable society. It’s as a consequence of this rigour that black tie has fallen out of favour in recent years: most people under 35 never have occasion to don evening wear in a given calendar year, and even modern weddings, the long- enduring domain of the tuxedo, tend to forgo black tie proper in lieu of a reasonable call for semi-formal attire. Short of box seats at the opera, stately local fundraising galas and the red carpet at Cannes, opportunities to wear a tuxedo are increasingly scarce. Even those that specify black tie these days will forgive a suit instead.

It turns out “modern” black tie is intended to denote a certain relaxation of traditional standards: it’s your permission to wear the black suit in your wardrobe rather than having to worry about a trip to the tailor. Still, a tuxedo is not without its appeal – and some of us like to dress up.

Fortunately there are a number of alternatives to the antiquated ritual of renting a mediocre one for the weekend – rentals always look like rentals. Perhaps with so few excuses to wear a tux it doesn’t seem worth an investment in the sort of designer name that might be a mainstay of your suit collection. But for little more than an ordinary rental price one can find a modern-looking piece at H&M – and for a little more than that, still surprisingly cheap, one can have a tux made to measure at boutique suit shops like Suitsupply and Indochino.

Just remember that “black tie,” modern or otherwise, entails more than just a simple dinner jacket and trousers. You will need a pleated formal shirt with a turn- down collar, a waistcoat or cummerbund, a pair of black silk socks and a pair of polished court shoes, also known as opera pumps. Your formal shirt will probably have French cuffs, which means you’ll need elegant cufflinks; you may find for the sake of the ensemble you need a white silk pocket square or (for the truly committed) a silk scarf. And of course it would not be black tie without the black tie itself.

With so many elements it is plain that full black tie is a commitment. So consider seriously whether it’s worth it – and whether you can dream up some more pretexts to wear the tuxedo more often if you do go with one.