Tuxedo Shirt, Studs and Bow Tie: What Black Tie Needs Below the Jacket

Most of the attention at black tie goes to the dinner jacket, and the jacket is the easier half. What decides whether a man looks at ease is everything underneath it: the shirt, the fastenings down its front, the bow tie, the cover at the waist, the way the trousers are held up, and the shoes. For the wider rules of the evening, see what the dress code actually means in Los Angeles.

The shirt

A tuxedo shirt is a different garment from a business shirt, not a white version of one. The front is stiffened in a defined area so that it holds a clean plane behind the jacket. A bib front uses a panel of marcella, a honeycomb cotton weave, set across the chest. A pleated front uses narrow vertical pleats, usually a quarter of an inch, either side of the placket. The marcella bib is the older and quieter of the two, and the one we make most often. Pleats read more relaxed, which suits a warm evening outdoors.

The front fastens with studs rather than sewn buttons, so the placket is cut with eyelets, and the cuffs are double so that links can be worn. The collar is the one real decision. A turndown collar is correct, modern and right for almost every evening in this city. A wing collar is correct too, but stricter: it wants a proper self-tie bow behind it and a bib front rather than pleats.

We cut these as part of our custom shirts work, at $295 and two to four weeks. Order the shirt alongside the tuxedo rather than after, so the collar height can be set against the lapel and the cuff against the jacket sleeve.

Studs and cufflinks

Studs are the small fastenings that pass through the eyelets in the shirt front, and they should match the links at the cuff. Mother of pearl is the quietest and the most English. Black onyx is more formal and more visible. Plain gold or silver is correct and the easiest to live with. What matters more than material is that the set agrees with itself. The top eyelet sits behind the bow tie, which is why a set of three is as common as four.

The bow tie, tied by hand

A self-tie bow is the only one we recommend. It takes minutes to learn, sits differently on every man, and never looks manufactured. A pre-tied bow holds a uniform angle and shape, and announces itself across a room. Black tie should look worn rather than issued.

Black silk is the default: barathea for a matte finish, grosgrain for a faint rib, satin if the lapel facing is satin. The bow should match that facing in material wherever possible, and its width should answer your face and your collar rather than fashion. Butterfly is the standard shape, batwing is narrower and flatter, and a thistle sits between them. If you have not tied one before, practise in front of a mirror the week before.

The cummerbund or the waistcoat

Black tie wants the waist covered. The join between trouser and shirt should not show, and the cover gives the body a single line from collar to shoe.

A cummerbund is a pleated silk band worn with the pleats facing upward. It is light, cool, and the sensible answer for a Los Angeles evening. It should match the bow tie in material, and be wide enough to close the gap when you sit.

A low-cut evening waistcoat is the more formal of the two and the more flattering on a taller man. It is cut lower than a day waistcoat so it never shows above the jacket front, and can be single or double breasted. A three-piece tuxedo begins at $2,045 against $1,795 for two pieces. What you must not do is leave the waist uncovered and hope the jacket stays buttoned all night, because it will not.

Braces, and why not a belt

Evening trousers carry no belt loops. There is no version of black tie in which a belt is correct, and a buckle sits where the waist cover should lie flat. Trousers are held with braces, buttoned inside the waistband, which lets them sit a little higher so the cover has something to cover. The trouser carries a single braid or satin stripe down the outside seam, matched to the lapel facing, and the hem is left plain with no turn-up and very little break.

Hose and shoes

Socks, or hose, should be black, fine, and long enough that no skin appears when you cross your legs. Silk or a fine wool blend, over the calf, nothing ribbed and nothing sporting.

Shoes come down to two honest options. Patent leather, in a plain court shoe or a simple oxford, is the traditional answer. A highly polished plain black calf oxford, with no brogueing and no cap decoration, is entirely acceptable and more useful afterwards, because you can wear it with a suit. Either way the shoe should be plain, dark and quiet.

How we put it together

Every garment we make is full canvas and fully bespoke, cut to your own pattern and made by hand by Max in our atelier in Southern Brittany. A tuxedo starts at $1,795 and the evening shirt at $295. Turnaround is four to six weeks in domestic cloth and six to eight in imported, with as many fittings as the garment needs and a year of complimentary alterations. If the evening is a wedding, order six months out if you can, and wedding parties are twenty per cent off. If you are weighing this against hiring, the numbers are in renting a tuxedo or having one made, and the same questions apply for a woman's tuxedo.

The consultation is an hour and costs nothing, and you will meet either Robb or Ben. You can book a fitting on Culver Blvd, or take a time directly. Parking is free, and the detail of our custom tuxedos and black tie work is on the site.

Questions we are often asked

Can I wear a normal white dress shirt with a tuxedo?

You can, and in a plain white poplin with a turndown collar and double cuffs it will pass in most rooms. What you lose is the stiffened front that keeps the chest clean behind the jacket. If black tie comes round more than once a year, have the proper shirt made.

Turndown or wing collar for black tie?

Turndown, for almost everyone. It is correct, comfortable and asks nothing of you. A wing collar is correct as well, but it demands a hand-tied bow and a bib front, and it is less forgiving on a shorter neck.

Do I need a cummerbund if I am wearing a waistcoat?

No. They do the same job and you wear one or the other. A waistcoat is the more formal choice and a cummerbund the cooler one, which is why we fit more cummerbunds in Los Angeles.

How many studs do I need?

Four covers most shirts, and three is common because the top eyelet sits behind the bow tie. Buy them with matching cufflinks as a set, in mother of pearl or onyx, and keep them in the box with the shirt.

Does a self-tie bow tie really matter?

It does, more than almost any other detail at this price. A tied bow is slightly uneven, sits to your own collar and looks like clothing. A pre-tied bow is uniform and reads as costume.

Are patent shoes essential?

Not essential, but traditional. A plain black calf oxford polished to a high shine is correct and far more useful during the rest of the year. Avoid brogueing and decorative toe caps, and keep the sole slim.