Black tie
If you regularly attend black tie events, it’s worth investing in a dinner suit. No hired suit can compare with the fit, refinement and individuality of your own evening attire.
At Parker & Co. we have one of Australia’s most extensive collections of fine gentlemen’s evening dress by Ermenegildo Zegna, Brioni and other European designer labels. Our collection of dinner suits and dress shirts is complemented by a full range of accoutrements like bow ties, scarves, braces, cummerbunds, cufflinks, shirt studs, handkerchiefs, silk evening hose and evening shoes, including lace-ups and loafers. For customised fit and fabric, we also offer a made-to-measure service in collaboration with Zegna and Brioni. (For details, see Made-to-Measure.)
Black tie or white?
When an invitation specifies "Black Tie", it refers to a dinner suit. This means the familiar black jacket and trousers, worn with a white dress shirt and black bow tie. Occasionally a dinner suit may be midnight blue, and bow ties may vary in colour. As an alternative, the jacket may be white for the summer season or a cruise. An invitation specifying "White Tie" refers to the traditional formal garb of English society: black tails worn with a winged collar and white bow tie. Today this form of dress is only rarely worn, usually on official ceremonial occasions. A white bow tie should never be worn with a black dinner jacket, only with tails. The origins of the dinner jacket are credited to Prince Edward, later Edward VII, who sought a more comfortable alternative to tails when hosting dinner parties in the 19th century. An American socialite called Griswald Lorillard wore a version of Prince Edward’s new-style jacket to a ball at Tuxedo Park, New York, from which it gained its American name.
Cocktail parties, weddings and other occasions
If an invitation says "Black Tie", there’s no mistaking its meaning. But what if it says "Lounge Suit", "Semi-formal", "Formal" or "Cocktail"? In each of these cases, a dark-coloured business suit is appropriate. Luxury, refined fabrics (for details, see Fabrics), and a dressier shirt and tie than you may normally wear for business will help give your suit a sense of occasion. If the event has an artistic edge, you may consider substituting your shirt and tie with a piece of high-necked fine knitwear worn underneath your jacket. "Creative Black Tie" suggests a more imaginative interpretation of classic black tie. Be advised by a Parker & Co consultant as to the current season trends.
Fascinating facts about black tie dressing
- A dinner jacket has either a shawl collar or peaked lapels. A fine quality dinner jacket usually has a hand-sewn lapel buttonhole for a boutonnière or flower.
- Dinner jackets are either single-breasted or double-breasted. Single-breasted jackets can be worn with either a waistcoat, braces or a cummerbund, but never with a belt. Double-breasted jackets are worn without a waistcoat or cummerbund and are buttoned except when the wearer is seated.
- Cummerbunds are worn with the pleats facing upwards, as gentlemen traditionally placed theatre tickets in the folds. Many cummerbunds carry on this tradition with a small pocket tucked in the folds.
- Dinner suit trousers are trimmed with braid in silk or grosgrain.
- Dress shirts have French cuffs, which require cufflinks. Some dress shirts do not have any buttons and need studs. Parker & Co. has an exquisite range of dress shirt studs and cufflinks.
At Parker & Co. we are happy to offer you the benefit of our experience with advice on what to wear for any special occasion.