Tailored For You: Going Beyond the Traditional Tuxedo

To state the obvious, this option fully takes the inverted approach to a formal getup. Ideal for summer occasions, or if you’re keen on being a beacon of neutral-toned sartorial chic in a sea of dark suits — a beige or cream colored look takes the formal blueprint and gives it a more relaxed and approachable air. By softening the more severe, darker tones, you open yourself up to softening elsewhere in your look, too. Try slipper-style shoes instead of formal lace-ups, open-collar shirts, and statement sunglasses that embrace the retro-feeling aesthetic of your suit.

A hallmark of a tuxedo is the straight or relaxed leg shape and peaked lapels on a double-breasted jacket; keeping these elements in your look will bridge the gap between the traditional and your more head-turning vision in beige.

Something for those times where you can be sure a more relaxed approach won’t raise an eyebrow (think laid back wedding), a suit that relies on the style signifiers of workwear can elegantly blend formal silhouettes with casual fabrics — and vice versa. Workwear jacket shapes tend to be full buttoned (like a chore coat or overshirt) and shorter in length, much like a more traditional tuxedo, and trousers fuller in shape will bring a lot of volume and drape to your suit.

This meeting of worlds — the formal and the functional — has long been a recipe for success in menswear, where garments designed for military use routinely find themselves becoming part of everyday dressing. You can be sure to find the same success when it comes to your tailoring, too.

Splitting up your outfit into contrasting halves may break the uniformity and clean, cohesive feeling of a suit, but it’s also an effective way to break out of the rigidity of a suit.

Separates make room for playing with less-conventional footwear choices, more interesting and patterned tie options, and the space to accessorize with cufflinks, adding personality to an otherwise fairly cookie-cutter method of dressing. Opting for a black and white base for your look is what we’d recommend, as it creates a clear distinction between your separates, avoiding awkward near-matches that can look accidental rather than intentional.

Think of this as the ‘if it ain’t broke, enhance it’ approach. Though typically cut from wool with satin or grosgrain lapels, tuxedos don’t have to stick to the rules. Opting for a more luxurious fabrication, something with depth and texture can take a tuxedo from something that ticks the dress code box to something that goes above and beyond.

Velvet textures are inherently festive (in the celebratory sense, not December exclusive), which makes it ideal for events that require you to be at your most impressive. The shifting surface of the fabric catches the light in dynamic ways, making a subtle statement hard to find in more traditional tuxes.

The more interesting material choice opens up to additional options for shirting details and equally interesting accessories — the tuxedo look you’re familiar with, but dialled up a notch.

‘Statement’ can mean a lot of things in the context of tailoring — just take a look at the dandyism on display at the Met Gala. It can be anything from simple textures on an unstructured silhouette to an oversized, brocade-laden and floral-lined style. We suggest the former option as a first port of call. Swapping textures and opting for a looser silhouette may sacrifice some formality, but it can often result in an equally elegant and drapy outfit without feeling too stuffy.

A more relaxed look opens the door to playful accessories and footwear choices — a bolo tie and low-profile leather slipper take a tuxedo and make it feel more like something you’ll want to wear day in, day out.