Okay, you don't have to be clueless to benefit from this article. But tuxedos warrant an entire dictionary of their own, which is why you
literally tend to find dictionaries at every largish tuxedo related web site.
Isn't it amusing that guys, so known for their hands-off approach to wedding planning, get thrown head-first into a world where common parlance includes "ascot, cravat, besom pockets, pique, self fabric, four-in-hand tie, cutaway" and so on? It ain't French; it ain't English; it's a curious pastiche guaranteed to make the worldliest stockbroker feel like a wee child.
That said, let's move on to some trends ... and tips, courtesty of
PA's Patriot News.Tip: Guys, expect a lot of female input on your tux. "Most of the guys who come in here, they know what they like," explains Gregory Spiese of Strictly Formals, "but they
leave it up to the bride." Trend: The big decisions facing guys today are: one-button, two-button or three-button jackets? Vest or cummerbund? Bowtie, four-in-hand, Euro style tie, or cravat?
Trend: A trendy look is
the cutaway tux. The proper accessory is a
cravat, worn with a pearl stickpin. What is a cravat? "The cravat is the new ascot," according to Spiese. More helpfully, a cravat is a wide scarf or necktie "knotted so the broad ends are laid flat upon each other."
But I thought an ascot was wide, you might say.
What's the difference? After all, on Ebay, you'll find neckwear being advertised as
a cravat/ascot. (Way to go, people.)
Basically, an ascot is more of a scarf, and a cravat is a wide tie, often pleated for that cute bunchy look around the neck. They both look rather similar when stuffed under a tux. They look so similar that vendors can't seem to tell the difference much of the time.
So let's go with pics where words fail us.
Here is a pic of an
ascot with a velcro neckband (we kid you not). Here is a
more traditional ascot, possibly indistinguishable from a cravat, and here is
a cravat. (Confused yet?)
Here is a pic of a
cutaway tux, vs. a
regular two-button tux. That one's a lot more clear.
Tip: What's the diff between a tux and a formal suit anyway?
Satin. The tuxedo has satin lapels, satin treatment on pockets, satin stripes down the pant leg.
Trend: Classic accessories: cummerbund and bowtie. Newer accessories: long four-in-hand tie, worn with the laydown collar shirt or the wing collar shirt.
What's a
four-in-hand knot? Something more familiar than it sounds.
What's a
laydown collar shirt? A shirt with a collar resembling those on your button-down oxfords. In fact, it's sometimes called a
regular collar shirt.
What's a
wing collar shirt? One with a stand-up collar ending in short triangles. You know, the perky one you always see under a bowtie.
Now that we've gotten some trends out of the way, here's a great resource for
all the tux basics: Tuxedos for Dummies.
more...Wedding Plans, Wedding InformationOriginally Posted on 6/10/2005 4:57:11 PM
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