Black tie dress code explained

Black tie is the evening dress code for dinners, balls, award nights and some weddings. It means a dinner suit — tuxedo is the American word for the same thing — with a white dress shirt and a black bow tie.

It sits one step below white tie and well above a lounge suit. The code is narrow on purpose: when every man wears much the same thing, the details left over — the fit, the knot, the quality of the silk — are the ones people notice.

The jacket is black or midnight navy, single- or double-breasted, with silk facings on the lapels. Peak and shawl lapels are the traditional shapes; a notch lapel is acceptable but less dressy.

The trousers match the jacket and carry a stripe of the same silk down each outside seam. They have no belt loops, because they are not meant for a belt. Shoes are black and polished to a shine; socks are black and long enough that no shin shows when you sit.

The shirt is white, with double cuffs for cufflinks. A pleated or marcella front is classic, and a plain front is fine. A turndown collar is the modern standard; the wing collar is more at home with white tie.

Many dress shirts take studs instead of buttons down the front. Shirt studs and cufflinks should match, and the simplest way is to buy them together: the black enamel cufflinks and matching stud set does the front and the cuffs in one box. Keep to black, silver or gold — the novelty cufflinks can wait for another night.

Black, and silk if you can. Black satin silk is the classic, because it echoes the silk on the lapels; wings of about 6cm suit most faces.

The self-tie bow is the traditional choice. It sits a little uneven, and that is the point — it shows the man wearing it tied it himself. It takes an evening to learn: see how to tie a bow tie.

A pre-tied bow is perfectly acceptable, and easier. Ours adjust to fit a 15–20 inch neck, and a good one in satin silk looks the part across any dinner table. If you wear black tie once a year, buy pre-tied; if you wear it every month, learn to tie your own.

The waistband should be covered. With a single-breasted jacket, wear either a black cummerbund, pleats facing up, or a low-cut black waistcoat — never both. A double-breasted jacket stays buttoned and needs neither.

Hold the trousers up with braces, not a belt. Dress trousers are cut to hang from the waist, and braces keep the line clean under the cummerbund. Black or white is the formal choice: leather button ends if the trousers have brace buttons, clips if not. The guide to wearing braces shows how to fit them.

A white pocket square is the classic finish — white silk or linen, folded flat in a presidential fold or with a few soft points. A plain white satin silk pocket square is made for it. Colour is not wrong, but it is no longer strict black tie.

In winter, add an evening scarf: white or black silk, worn loose under the overcoat. A black silk evening scarf with a tassel trim is the quieter of the two.

Black tie optional means the hosts will wear dinner suits and you are welcome to. A dark lounge suit — navy or charcoal — with a white shirt and a dark silk tie is also correct. If you own a dinner suit, wear it.

Creative black tie keeps the shape of black tie and loosens the details: a coloured jacket, a patterned bow tie, a brighter pocket square. A wine satin silk bow tie or a paisley self-tie bow tie is the sort of thing it invites.

Whatever the card says, the host sets the code. Check the invitation — and when in doubt, black and white is never wrong.