Men’s Formalwear

The standard for men’s wedding attire is the tuxedo, although for informal weddings the groom and groomsmen can wear business suits. If you choose tuxedos, book them no later than three months before the wedding. Start looking for formalwear a minimum of six months in advance to give you plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the styles. If your wedding is during the prom season, the end of March through June you will want book your tuxedos earlier to ensure availability of the style you want.

History

The notion of a man “dressing up” after the sun goes down, whether it be in top had and tails or simply in his best finery, has been with us for centuries. In fact, in the great European opera houses of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the “dress circle” meant just that, with no one allowed in unless he or she was properly attired.

However, the idea of wearing black for evening wear was, according to the English clothing historian James Laver, first introduced in the nineteenth-century.

Although for years a white tie and tails were the traditional mode of formal attire, the introduction of the dinner jacket added another viable alternative from which the well-dressed gentleman could choose. The original single- breasted model was simply a tailcoat without a tail, worn with a vest.

The dinner jacket made its debut in the United States in 1896. Apparently, society had had enough of tails, which had traditionally been worn for formal evening wear, because the jacket was immediately accepted in even the stuffiest of circles.

The tuxedo has undergone various stylistic changes, including the excesses characteristic of the decade of the sixties. And yet, fashion aside, the proper tuxedo, whether it be single-or double- breasted, still endures as the most elegant attire for any man.