Well let’s start from the beginning. You tend to have a number of terms on an invitation enabling you to correctly tailor your outfit to the situation and they are …

‘Black tie’

When the invite simply says black tie you know that the affair is going to be an upmarket formal affair so you are going to have to wear a dinner jacket. There are people who interpret ‘black tie’ to simply mean formal, more fool them. Once they’ve arrived and can see how they stand out in the crowd they willl wish they had undertaken the necessary research.

‘Black tie prefered’

This term tends to be used for formal occasions and avoids guests who are unable to afford a tuxedo. Invited guests genuinely unable to meet the expense of buying or even renting a dinner suit can get away with wearing a dark suit and tie instead. However the cost of a dinner suit has come down considerably (Marks and Spencer dinner suit – £49.50) so most people will make the effort to come dressed in a similar attire to the majority.

‘Black tie optional’

The term enables the host of the event to suggest that men wear tuxedos but not to insist on it. This term is commonly found with business groups and large corporate dinners. In reality black tie optional is basically the same as saying ‘business casual’. If you happen to be a recipient of the dilemma wether to wear black tie or business attire you should contact the organisers to find out how men have dressed for the event in the past.

Here’s some words of wisdom from the black tie guide:

* if a man enjoys any opportunity to wear his tuxedo he should do so.
* if a man fears being mistaken for the wait staff he should opt for a dark suit.
* if a man refuses to play this no-win guessing game he should steer clear of the event altogether.

Black tie dates from around 1865, when Mr H Poole created a short ‘smoking jacket’ for royalty to wear at informal dinner parties. Legend has it that one day a prince asked a rich New York business man to tea. The man asked the prince for a dress recommendation and the prince told him to get down to Henry Poole’s shop. When the man returned to New York dressed in black tie the trend took hold and the dinner suit craze soon swept across America. Now the dinner suit or tuxedo is an integral part of any formal evening event and is synonymous with sophistication and elegance. Hey if it’s good enough for James Bond who are we to argue.

When it comes to the components that go into men’s evening wear (aka tuxedo) they include a dinner jacket, dress trousers with silk braids, a white dress shirt, a cummerbund, a black bow tie, smart black shoes and a variety of accessories including cufflinks.

When the words black tie appear on an invitation it is an indication that you are expected to wear formal evening dress. Black tie tends to appear on invitations for weddings and other formal occasions. Once you’ve bought or hired your dinner suit a white dress shirt should be chosen along with a choice of collar style, either wing or standard collar. Although black tie tends to mean a black dinner jacket for summer events or where the weather is more tropical a white dinner jacket can be worn in place of the black one.

White tie should only be worn at the most glamorous and romantic evening events including state banquets. White tie consists of a black evening tailcoat, black dress trousers with a double braid down the outer seam, and a stiff-fronted shirt fastened with mother of pearl or gold studs and cufflinks.

Finally, morning dress otherwise known as top hat and tails tends to be worn by members of a wedding party ie groom and ushers. Morning wear dress can also be worn at formal social events such as Royal Ascot, Trooping of the Colour etc. A morning suit consists of a black or grey tailcoat worn with striped or matching plain trousers. A waistcoat or vestshould be worn over a plain white shirt. In most cases either a tie or a cravat is acceptable.

When it comes to the question of wearing a tie over a cravat during a wedding there are a couple of things to bear in mind. Firstly cravats tend to be won at more formal weddings and are usually more expensive which is worth bearing in mind if you are on a tight budget. Most cravats used for formal occasions, such as weddings, are worn with wing collar shirts, though normal shirts can also be used so don’t be concerned if you can’t find a wing collar shirt.

Ties for weddings

If you want a classic look then a paisley or floral design tie is the perfect look for a wedding. They are historically representative of the occasion and when selected in subtle tones they manage to work easily and effectively. The Dinner-suit team can recommend TM Lewin who have a fantastic selection of wedding ties. We have picked out some of our favourites below.

Thanks to TM Lewins blog for the available info.

However handkerchiefs can be tricky to fold and tie correctly. The idea is to show a flash of white just above the breast pocket, it’s a subtle style that can easily be worn in the office. The following instructions should be followed to obtain a perfect square.

Tying a handkerchief

1/ Cut a thin cardboard template matching the width of your pocket, sitting a quarter of an inch taller.
2/ Fold your handkerchief in half.
3/ Lay your template in the middle of your handkerchief, about half an inch from the top.
4/ Fold the handkerchief neatly around the cardboard template and slot into the pocket.

Thanks to TM Lewins blog for the available info.