zac posen knows best

"Men in Black Tie"
By Zac Posen in Rachel Zoe's Style: A to Zoe

Why should a guy concern himself with how he dresses? For his own amusement, of course. I enjoy dressing up. Personally, I draw inspiration by linking the avant-garde with the chic conservative. There’s so much frivolity in men’s dress historically. So in these times of high casualness, it’s good for all men to dress up. It’s vital for straight men to catch the eye of a lady.

I don’t believe in the chic banal. Risk taking in dress is very important. That means mixing high luxury classics like Turnball & Asser with the more forward Dior Homme. Mixing black and navy. Or go with a Chinoiserie smoking jackets, like those found in vintage stores. Or an opera cape!

I take every opportunity to don a tuxedo. I have so many, some forty-five and counting. Let’s start with the lapels of a tuxedo. Satin lapels are only for fall through winter. Grosgrain or Faille is best for fall. For spring to summer, go with self-finished self lapels. Wide lapels are romantic, but on most guys they can look goofy. And the notch of the lapel should always be high, a visual device that can balance a lot of men’s poor posture. A single-button, shawl-collar jacket is always soft and elegant. Men about 5-foot-9 can get away with double-breasted jackets; men below that height are better sticking to a nondouble-breasted shorter jacket. If there’s more than a single button on the jackets, wear only one of them – the center one – buttoned. Never completely button up a tuxedo or any suit.

I’m a big believer in cummerbunds. It lends a bit more security while providing a beautiful elegance, an international sophistication, to a look. It should always be faille, not satin. Pleats up, never down. Only don a vest if you’re slim – it’s not a girdle; otherwise go with a cummerbund.

I like a real bow tie. If you can’t tie it, have it tied in advance and sew it in place so that it never comes undone. A great way to go is to wear a white faille bow tie with a shawl collar (though it you do it with a double-breasted look, you’ll end up looking like a waiter). A pink bow tie is a great option, too. When the dress code calls for black tie, it’s also possible to go with a necktie worn with a loose knot, like a half cravat, tucked into the shirt.

Dress shirts look best with a French cuff. After all, cuff links are a great talking point for women. On a budget? Enamel cuff links are beautiful. If you don’t have cufflinks and are in a bind, simply take the extra sleeve buttons form the jackets and sew them back to back. I love a pleated shirt, or one with a standing collar with the points. But never do too wide a collar. The skinnier the collar is, the longer your neck looks.

It’s very polite to have a handkerchief. Fold it into a four-point napkin. Here’s an opportunity as with the cuff links, to be more frivolous with pattern or colour, matching the bow tie and hankie. Satin is okay if it’s a black shirt with a black tux. But nothing beats a nice white linen napkin with a white shirt. This is also a great place for a hidden gesture like a monogram.

Insofar as the pants, I’m not a fan of partial-front pleats. They come off looking too penguin. A full pleat down the leg or a clan flat line is a great way to go. A cuff is also fantastic. The side stripe should be a clean satin or faille. A break in a pant leg is most important. A skinny leg is fine for jeans, but for evening, a wider leg, even a bootleg, is more attractive on a man. See your tailor.

The chicest thing in the world is a man is dress slippers—black patent or velvet—with a tuxedo. Something very Gaucho Club, very louche. Just don’t forget to score the bottoms or you’ll inevitably slip on some marble floor. Don’t overlook the hosiery either. Slip on a thin silk sock in papal pink, dusty cypress green, or black or white. Lastly, there are the extras that are in no way superfluous. Keep with what you will really need. Leather gloves are nice. A watch is important. The pins are fantastic, as are matching sets of shirt studs and cuff links. They’re all a great way to inject an accent of colour. I love turquoise on white, or matte Aztec gold.

Jewelry has to be very masculine and not too highly decorative, although I have worn a long strand of pearls to great effect: underneath the jacket and just peeking out a bit. Very Coco. A very small corsage, especially a carnation in two-tone or purple, is very chic. A single tuberose with a long stem or, in winter, a sprig of a yew tree or pine is also nice. Put them through the buttonhole instead of pinning them flat.

Don’t forget a thin pen, slipped into an inside pocket. A man should always carry a pen. I love to in case I want to sketch something. But it’s also imperative for jotting down an important phone number. Leave the PDA at home! Making it a part of your black-tie ensemble is terribly uncouth.

Seen above at red carpet events: Robert Pattinson, Johnny Depp, Ed Westwick, Chase Crawford, and Ashton Kutcher (with wife Demi Moore and Moore's daughter, Rumor Willis).

I cannot object, in any sense, to what Posen has to say in his article. I absolutely love mens fashion, and if you're going to go all out for an event, these are some seriously good guidelines to be following. But if you're ever attending an event that is maybe not quite as done up - one that you may look a little too out of place at in a red carpet look - keep in mind the same guidelines women have - you can tone down a look by doing a dark denim on the bottom, but dress up your top half. Or, on the opposite side, go for a fitted trouser and a much more casual fitted v-neck T. Outfit both looks with plenty of extras - hats and scarves are my personal favourites. And, of course, great footwear - preferably loafers, please.

Much love,

s.

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