Black tie seems to make men nervous. On one hand, it’s understandable, since black tie occasions are increasingly rare in our hyper casual times. The mere prospect of wearing anything that doesn’t stretch, come with a hood or repel water (and pretty girls) is a great unknown for a whole generation of men. On the other hand, it shouldn’t baffle, since black tie is essentially very basic, with a few modifications that set it apart from regular suit and tie.
Recognition for the world's most recognizable men who didn't scream for even more attention on the night when they get more attention than ever (with one glorious exception).
In praise of the men who looked great without screaming for even more attention.
Without any attention-desperate splash of color, pattern or off-season white, Justin Timberlake asserted his place as one of the best dressed men in show business at the 89th Academy Awards last night.
How to go casual is not a problem with men. I never feel a compulsion to write about hoodies, jeans, sweatpants and sneakers because “As-Casually-As-Humanly-Possible” is a powerful and overwhelming chorus that doesn’t need another voice, no matter how many respected designers and luxury brands send them down the runway. As Bill Maher inimitably put it, our country won’t stop until we can hit the mall in Crocs and a diaper.
Put a guy in a situation like a beach, a gym or a JAY Z concert, and he can demonstrate uncanny sartorial appropriateness – even if he’s nowhere near a beach, a gym or a JAY Z concert. But send a guy an invitation to a black tie event and it’s like watching a dog walk on its hind legs.
While Alec Baldwin gives up on New York, I’m giving up on Hollywood. Movie stars are among the richest and most privileged people on the planet – with more money and resources at their disposal than almost anyone – and yet an alarming number of them still can’t get black tie right. Between the notch lapels, the neckties and other tragic experiments, Tinseltown’s prom night looked like a cross between a funeral, a chauffeur convention and a prom night in Hollywood, Florida.
In a few weeks, I have a work-related fundraising dinner to attend. It's "formal" but I'm about 90% certain I'll be in the company of men in suits, which is fine. I do have a tuxedo which rarely gets any…
Jake Gyllenhaal. J-Gyl went vintage 007 in a beautifully-tailored, midnight blue dinner jacket with a shawl lapel and turn-back cuffs.
Over the last several modern decades, men's style has established a handful of easy-to-follow standards for executing perfect black tie. Awards season red carpets invariably bring some unfortunate choices made by stars or their stylists, yielding images and footage that…
As Vesper Lynd famously said to 007 in Casino Royale: "There are dinner jackets and dinner jackets. This is the latter." While there was a whole lot of handsome at the 70th Annual Golden Globes last night, there was a…