How to Wear a Tuxedo: Complete Guide to Tuxedo Styling

A tuxedo is a suited outfit for formal events such as weddings, galas, premieres, and balls. The tuxedo was popularized in nineteenth-century England as the go-to suit for formal attire and became an international fixture of menswear. Today, the critical parts of the tuxedo remain—the bow tie as a pop of black at the neck, cufflinks for cinching the wrist, cummerbunds to smooth out the shirt, and the tuxedo pants and suit jacket to go over the tuxedo shirt.

There are various ways to make your tuxedo singular through lapel types, pocket square folds, and tailcoat designs. Color can also play a role: You can wear midnight blue and white tuxedos for formal looks at black tie optional events. A black-tie dress code does necessitate black tie attire if an invitation specifies creative black tie.

As the topmost part of one's tux, the tuxedo jacket, or dinner jacket, is one of the easiest parts of this suit to diversify and personalize. Below are three lapel styles to consider when creating and tailoring your tux:

1. 1. Shawl lapels: Shawl lapels or shawl collars feature rounded, swooped edges, mirroring that of a shawl worn around one's neck. Shawl lapels have more flair and are less traditional, making them more aligned with semi-formal attire. The character James Bond often wears tuxedos with shawl collars.
2. 2. Notch lapels: Notch lapels have a "notch" where the lapel meets the collar of the suit coat. Notch lapels are a bit more casual but also highly versatile, seen on everything from sports blazers to dinner coats.
3. 3. Peak lapels: Peak lapel tuxedos have a lapel that widens like a “V” as it approaches your collar. These are seen as more formal than other lapel types and are signature elements of tuxedos with tailcoats. The “V” shape can help create the image of a tighter waist, and so this jacket can connote a slim fit.

There are several steps to putting on a tuxedo. See how to prepare for your black tie event with a classic black tie ensemble by following the steps below:

1. 1. Put on your undergarments first. Start by putting on any undergarments and socks. For a classic black tuxedo look, black dress socks will work best.
2. 2. Put on your dress shirt, studs, and cuffs. The white dress shirt, or tuxedo bib, goes underneath your jacket, and the buttonholes fasten with black studs that tie the black-and-white ensemble together. Insert cufflinks at the wrist’s buttonholes; if you wear French cuffs, the fabric will be longer, so you’ll have to fold the material back over itself before cuffing. This style of shirt is a common part of the tuxedo outfit. Finally, put on your black bow tie.
3. 3. Step into your tuxedo trousers. Your dress pants may have a black silk or satin stripe down the side with a plain front, and they may have pleats. The kind you choose offers the chance to customize your tux look. Tuck your shirt into your pants, zip up, and clasp the waist button.
4. 4. Tie your cummerbund around the waist. Tuxedo pants do not have belt loops; instead, wear a cummerbund, the black, silky sash that wraps around your navel, and ties or snaps in the back to cover your waist and smooth out the part of the shirt that may wrinkle when tucked in.
5. 5. Put on your jacket. There are many kinds of tuxedo jackets, including peak lapel, notch lapel, and shawl collar. Jackets can also be single- or double-breasted: the former have a single row of buttons where the two parts of the jacket meet at your navel, while the latter is cut to allow two rows of buttons, one on the left and one on the right. Single-breasted jackets are more modern and common, but the double-breasted jacket can stand out more and read as more stylish or formal. When purchasing your ensemble, tell the sales clerk or the tailor the occasion you need the tux for, which will dictate the kind of jacket you are buying.
6. 6. Put on your shoes. Black patent leather shoes are a classic look to accompany your tuxedo. Lace up, give the shoes a shine, and pull your socks up to your knees (or as far up as they will go). For semi-formal occasions, you can wear classy loafers.
7. 7. Personalize with other accent pieces. You can wear pocket squares for formal events. Boutonnieres are customary at proms, and you can wear suspenders to keep your pants up if they are a touch loose.

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