Five of the worst formalwear mistakes
From belts to buttons, these are the cardinal sartorial sins
Words: Jonathan Wells
A man never looks smarter than when he pulls on his finest formalwear for a prestigious event. But, despite our best dinner jacket intentions and tuxedo efforts, there are certain sartorial pitfalls many of us find ourselves tripping over every time we tie our ties.
But worry not. We’ve identified the five worst black tie transgressions and are on hand to help you sidestep – in your impeccably polished shoes – any fashion faux pas you may unwittingly be committing.
There’s nothing worse than a perfectly tailored pair of trousers that sit well on the hips and are cut just right around the legs gathering at the ankles. Many people get the waist measurement right, but then forget about length – opting for the ‘close enough’ approach.
Don’t do this, gentlemen – you’re better than that. Even if you can’t find a pair of trousers in your perfect length, get them taken up. This will cost next to nothing, but will save you social embarrassment in the long term. Bunching at the ankle is never a good look, and will make you look shorter than you are.
Ideally, you’re looking for a ‘quarter break’ in this department – which is where you have around half an inch of fabric very slightly creased around the ankle – not too much, not too little. The contemporary look is to go for ‘no break’, where the trouser hem just brushes the top of the shoes – but go in for that daring cut and you run the risk of showing too much sock.
We accept that the days of wide ties are behind us – for now, at least – but there is such a thing as going too skinny. Remember, your tie is still an accessory you want people to notice, so buy one the width of a piece of string and it’ll be easily missed.
Instead, when it comes to formalwear, the middle ground is the best place to be. Like the trouser cut, aim for somewhere comfortably between the two extremes, and – if you’re looking for skinny – go for a tie around 2.75 inches wide.
The cardinal sin of dressing up, the horrendous partnership of belt and braces is often used as a metaphor for being overprepared. What it should be used to represent, however, is sartorial stupidity.
Nothing looks worse than too much going on. And, with multiple clips, buckles and straps criss-crossing your body, you’ll likely look as if you’ve just parachuted into the party, or have stumbled upon the soiree during your escape from an insane asylum.
Follow this simple rule. Everyday suit – belt. Black tie – braces. You’ll never go wrong.
Sometimes, there is no logic or sense to traditions – but we follow them to prove that we’re in the know, and that we respect conventions that have come before us. One such rule, that we should all still blindly follow – if simply for the sake of quirkiness – is that the bottom button on a waistcoat should always be left unbuttoned.
Theories behind the origins of this custom range from comfort during riding to Edward VII becoming so fat that he couldn’t button up his own waistcoat. But, whatever its beginnings, we’re not yet ready to see its ending. Get unbuttoning.
A new suit is, of course, one of the best things a gentleman can buy. Alongside a new car or watch, nothing feels quite as good as debuting a fresh tuxedo or pristine three-piece. But before you take your suit to the streets, there’s some housekeeping to be done.
Firstly, men who leave the designer label on the cuff are ostentatious and gauche. Get it off – people aren’t going to be impressed that you spent so much more on your suit than they did, and those who will be don’t need the help of a label to know how much it costs.
Secondly, make sure you snip the threads holding any vents together, and unpick your pockets – there’s nothing worse than having to awkwardly tear open a pocket when somebody hands you their business card.
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