The Black Tie Guide By Peter Marshall

http://www.blacktieguide.com/Etiquette/Etiquette_Defining_Black_Tie.htm

For those of you who know Peter Marshall's website then I don't need to tell you anything other than that the guide has been upgraded and it is worth having a look if you haven't been on the guide for 12 months.

For those of you unfamiliar to the guide, it is probably the leading online journal for etiquette and standards setting for black tie in the world. It is thorough and informative and it offers historical archives as well, to show a timeline evolution in evening wear. 

For those of you who are experimenting with smoking jackets, white dinner jackets, piping, rope, turned back quilted cuffs, velvet and silk - make sure you read this guide before you wear your next outfit. It will help you navigate a path to a more refined look.

An excerpt is below:

Defining Black Tie

Qualifying The Experts

While there is a universal understanding that black tie is a dress code, definitions of the code’s specific attire can vary widely.  The question then becomes, whose definition is correct?

Before we assess the validity of various definitions we first must place the black-tie code in context:

• • •

the code is used specifically to maximize an occasion’s formality   "formal", in turn, is defined as the maintaining of tradition  traditions evolve  (If they didn’t then the tuxedo would still be  unacceptable in mixed company)

Viewed in this perspective we can determine the qualification of a given definition's source:

• • • •

the most relevant sources are experts on conventional etiquette and menswear  because fashion experts focus on the short term their opinions are applicable only when a long-term pattern emerges sources that heavily emphasize personal flair can be dismissed altogether as they run counter to black tie’s traditional emphasis on uniformity published sources are more valid than amateur commentators as they are more likely to have legitimate credentials and to influence the population at large

The Expert Consensus

Upon examining the advice of this select group of pundits it quickly becomes apparent that the true definition of black tie lies in its details. 

Furthermore, despite the diversity of the experts sources and the century-long evolution of the dress code, the cumulated details are largely identical.  This fact completely discredits the argument that black tie is simply a matter of personal interpretation.

The Short Answer

Black Tie is a dress code that for men consists of the traditional tuxedo and accompaniments: a black dinner jacket and matching trousers, an optional black formal waistcoat or black cummerbund, a white formal shirt, a black bow tie or alternatively a black long tie, black dress socks and black formal shoes.  In hot weather a white dinner jacket may be substituted and the cummerbund is the preferred waist covering.

The Complete Answer

The simplistic summary above may be suitable for a dictionary but in a practical sense it raises more questions than it answers: What qualifies as a "dinner jacket"?  A "formal shirt"?  "Dress socks"?  Therefore, in order to actually assemble a proper black-tie outfit each of its components requires its own definition: 

1. jacket	• • • • • • •	fabric:     · black wool is the norm     · midnight blue is equally correct model can be:     · single-breasted     · double-breasted lapels can be:     · peaked lapel     · shawl collar     · notched lapel is most popular but not accepted by        traditionalists and can have:     · satin facing     · grosgrain facing no vents is most formal one button is traditional for single-breasted models but two buttons are becoming acceptable pockets should not have flaps
2. trousers	• • • •	same material as jacket single braid along outside seams to match lapel facings cut for suspenders (braces in UK) no cuffs (turnups in UK)
3. waist covering	• •	optional waist covering is traditionally either:     · black cummerbund made from silk to match jacket facings;        best suited to shawl collar jacket; not particularly popular in        Europe     · black low-cut evening waistcoat; best suited to peaked lapel        jacket either is worn with single-breasted jacket models but not with double-breasted
4. shirt	• • • • •	white fabric, turndown collar fronts can be either pleated or piqué (marcella in UK) shirt traditionally has eyelets for studs; some authorities allow for fly-fronts French cuffs (double cuffs in UK) wing collar is considered unflattering or inappropriate for black tie by most authorities; some allow it but only in its traditional white tieform
5. neckwear	• •	black self-tie silk bow tie to match lapel facings black silk four-in-hand tie (long tie) has become a popular alternative although it is rejected by traditionalists
6.  footwear	• •	black shoes can be:     · patent or highly polished leather oxfords (most popular)     · patent or highly polished leather pumps (most traditional) black silk or fine fabric hose, over-the-calf length
7. accessories	• • •	harmonizing black, gold or mother-of-pearl studs and cufflinks suspenders (braces in UK) of black or white silk   optional white silk or linen handkerchief as pocket square
outerwear	• •	chesterfield coat is most conventional but any other dark dressy coat is acceptable; rain (trench) coats are not appropriate evening dress scarf of white silk with tassels

Warm-Weather Variation

Acceptable year round in tropical climates and in summer in North America.

1. jacket	• • •	white or preferably ivory self-faced lapels all other details as per classic jacket
2. trousers	• •	black all other details as per standard black-tie trousers
3. waist covering	•	black cummerbund
4. shirt	•	as per standard black-tie shirt
5. neckwear	•	as per standard black-tie neckwear
6.  footwear	•	as per standard black-tie footwear
7. accessories	• •	optional colored silk or linen handkerchief as pocket square all other details as per standard black-tie accessories