https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1809744435061878959
To understand why black tie requires you to cover your waist, it helps to know a little about the history of men’s dress.
Contrary to popular belief, black tie is not formalwear; it’s semi-formalwear. True formalwear is full evening dress, also known as “white tie.” That involves a long black tailcoat, a white dress shirt with a starched or pique bib, a white pique waistcoat, and a white bow tie.
In the late 1800s, American elites who gathered around NYC’s Tuxedo Park wanted a more comfortable alternative to white tie. So they ordered a shorter jacket from Henry Poole called the dinner jacket (because it was worn to dinner). Also known as the tuxedo bc of its origins.
Early versions of this dinner suit (a.k.a. tuxedo) was worn with a full dress set, including the white dress shirt with a starched or pique bib, the white pique waistcoat, and white bow tie. Basically, they were wearing white tie but with a shorter jacket.
Later, it evolved into the variations we know today: white dress shirt with a pleated or fly front, black bow tie made from same material as jacket’s facings, and some waist covering (a formal waistcoat made from barathea or grosgrain, or cummerbund in same material as bow tie)
There are two important contexts here. First, it should be noted that a lot of men’s dress during this period was getting shorter (and more casual). The more formal frock coat eventually got overtaken by the suit (which has a shorter jacket).
Second, men’s dress during this period was governed by TPO (time, place, and occasion). Clothes were designed to be worn according to certain activities and times, hence names like morning dress, dinner jacket, business suit, hunting suit, etc.
A reasonable person may say that we are now just undergoing another wave of change. Just as NYC elites around Tuxedo Park sought a more comfortable, casual alternative to white tie, men today are doing the same.
I would argue that this transformation is less intentional. A more accurate description is that men don’t know what they’re doing, and thus getting the language wrong. One reason to wear a waist covering is to cover the bottom of the bib.
I’m also not neutral about aesthetics. I think Yves Saint Laurent here looks better than Australian politician David Littleproud. For me, this is not a question about etiquette or “rules.” It’s about how to create a better look.
What we’re currently seeing is a flattening of men’s formal attire into one look: dark worsted suit, long dark tie, white dress shirt. Often no waist covering. Can’t tell if the wearer is celebrating an occasion, burying a family member, or closing a business deal.
Compare these outfits from this year’s White House Correspondence Dinner. John Quinones looks great! He’s here to celebrate. But I can’t tell if Wolf Blitzer is attending a party, funeral, or meeting.
If Quinones showed up like this at a funeral, you know it was for his enemy
Many of my threads take a position on what looks better and tries to explain why this is so. Piers’ outfit here is discordant. Black suit jacket is too formal for jean. But Jason looks great bc a tweed sport coat is more casual than a black suit jacket. It’s about language.
Similarly, these are too confusing in terms of formality. Long black tie (instead of black bow tie), white dress shirts (instead of formal shirt), no waist covering, and sometimes things like visible belts or overly casual shoes. Chaotic.
IMO, many people understand these things even if they can’t articulate why. Few people have seen white tie. Yet, many knew there was something off about Trump’s ensemble (his vest is too long).
A reasonable person will say there has to be room for self-expression. I agree! Black tie is often party clothes, so there should be room for creative expression. I can’t do a whole thread on how to do so, but there are many ways you can play with this language.
However, the fundamental spirit should be to look elegant. This sticks to the spirit of these being evening clothes, often worn for dinner or at parties. Not business meetings. IMO, covering your waist improves the elegance of these types of outfits.
Here’s a solution: wear a waist covering. If people at the event ask about the weird thing around your waist, say: “Are you on Twitter? No? Well there’s this account known as the menswear guy, who did a thread. In the late 1800s, Americans around Tuxedo Park wanted a more comf—”
Who Looks Better in a Suit: George Hamilton or Matt Gaetz?
https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1800417251948122399
Check out these photos and ask yourself: who looks better? Set aside how you may feel about the person underneath the clothes and only look at the outfit. Who looks better and why?
IMO, George Hamilton looks better. There are numerous reasons, but here is one.
Here is a photo of him getting outfitted in a suit in 1966 with Bill Bixby at his side. This photo is somewhat rare because you don’t often see a suit in this stage of making. Notice something?
One of the distinguishing points of this suit is the extended shoulder. You don’t often get to see a suit like this because the effect is hidden once the sleeve is attached. But see how far the shoulder extends from his physical shoulder bone. There’s also a bit of padding.
When men try on suits today, they often feel the shoulder to see if it sits on their shoulder bone. This is wrong. Suits are sized according to your chest (38, 40, 42, etc.), not your shoulder. A jacket can be cut with narrow or extended shoulders.
In fact, the insistence on a narrow shoulder is the reason why you so often see men with divots on the sleevehead. This can sometimes be the result of bad making, but it’s more often the result of a narrow upper back.
When guys see that divot, they think they should get an even narrower shoulder. This instinct is also wrong. You want to widen the shoulder line, not narrow it. See how these extremely extended shoulders have no divot at the upper sleeve.
Most men probably don’t want shoulders that extended because, at some point, they can seem like an artifice. This is especially true when you move a highly extended shoulder may look “natural” when you’re standing, but it will reveal itself when you move (esp when you hunch)
However, Hamilton looks better than Gaetz because he takes advantage of what tailoring can confer. Gaetz’s shoulders are too narrow; the jacket fits like a shirt. He would benefit from some shoulder padding and a more extended shoulder line. His jacket makes him look boyish.
Some examples of how this can look in a more modern context. Remember, the point of an outfit is to flatter your body, not necessarily recreate its lines. A shoulder seam does not always have to sit right on your shoulder bone.
