The days of attending cocktail parties in a full tuxedo with bow tie and cummerbund are long over, and the last thing you want is to show up overdressed or woefully undressed. That old navy blue sport coat and khakis won’t cut it, but the bow tie and ruffled shirt will be just as bad. When you’re looking into a tux rental, what options do you have? The good news is that the formal wear and tuxedo rental business are well in touch with the times, providing some excellent tuxedo and suit options that will ensure you can find the perfect outfit for your next cocktail party or special event.
The Setting Dictates Style
Before you plan what you’ll wear to a cocktail party, keep in mind that every piece of advice you take needs to be adapted to a context. For example, a cocktail party on or near a beach will have different rules compared to a high rise event in a big city. Sandals and an open-collared shirt could be the perfect look on a beach for a stylish and slightly dressed down outfit. On the other hand, a cocktail party in the evening in a big city will call for a neck tie at the very least along with polished black shoes. Every piece of advice that follows needs to be coordinated with the location of your cocktail party.
Two Buttons and the Classic Cocktail Party Look
While taller men can easily pull off the three button look in a suit jacket or tuxedo jacket, the two-button style provides a more classic cocktail party look. It’s especially important to pick a two-button jacket with a low-button stance that helps elongate your body. This will help present a slim appearance rather than the bulky look of a double-breasted jacket.
If you need to bulk yourself up a little bit, opt for shoulder pads over a double-breasted jacket. It’s also important to make sure you don’t have lots of extra fabric, which is why a close fitting two button jacket is so important in today’s formal trends.
Simplicity Wins
If anything, men’s formal wear fashion has dressed down slightly when compared with past styles. While tuxedos are still quite popular, the more modern tuxedo tends to look more like a suit than previous tuxedos. You’ll find that a more traditional collar and skinny tie are quite common in modern tuxedos that often forego satin lapels. While the modern tuxedo is undeniably formal and elegant, it provides a much more modest step up in style than would typically be expected in the past.
Flat Fronted Pants
Pleated pants provide a bulkier look that most modern tuxedo styles have been passing over in favor of a more simplified, slim look. Just as skinny jeans have taken hold for most men, slim, flat-fronted tuxedo pants are quite standard for men seeking a tux rental for a formal occasion. Whether you’re slim and husky, pleats are generally viewed as unnecessary and even more of a liability in terms of style.
For all of the options available in formal cocktail party attire and tuxedo rentals for special events, most men will be delighted to find that the current trend is toward a simple, understated style that will feel relaxed and familiar. The next time you attend a cocktail party, you can attend in a stylish modern tuxedo or in a more casual suit, if appropriate, without having to worry about being underdressed.
Ed Quinn wrote this article to save men the embarrassing circumstance of out-dated fashion at fasionable/cocktail events.