Black Tie Etiquette (Suits You, Sir)

For all of those non-Brits who are thinking about going to The DailyDOOH GALA AWARDS ^[1] but who are, maybe, wondering what ‘Black Tie’ means, let me offer readers a little reassurance:

^[2]First of all, it’s not to be taken too literally, in the sense that you need to wear more than just a Black Tie – there’s a whole kit that comes with it, AND it’s not just any old black tie – it’s a bow tie – but more about that later…

Secondly, it doesn’t apply to the ladies, in the sense that they can get away without wearing a black tie, but they can use that as an excuse to dress up in fluffy skirts, glamorous evening gowns with revealingly low neck lines, slinky little silk numbers with… – ooh err, steady on Russ, Ed.

We all know that even the best dressed ladies “never have a thing to wear” so they’ll be quite happy to pop out to Regents Street and give a credit card a good work out.

But, as always, the men have an easier time of it. For those who don’t already have their own ‘smoking’, there’s a whole eco-system around the big night out syndrome – the solution is known as “Moss Bros ^[3]”. In English, this is the synonym for renting a penguin suit – an obligatory rite of passage for any self-respecting post adolescent male in the UK.

It used to be one style, three sizes, but now it’s become much more sophisticated AND painless. The company now offers six different styles in any size imaginable.

There are 7 branches in central London alone and the great progress is that you can reserve online and just turn up on the afternoon of the event for a final fitting – and even if you’ve been a bit optimistic about your size online, they usually have enough in stock to be able to sort you out!

And yes, they do still have that old-fashioned courtesy and tailor-speak – “suits you sir…”

 A big night out requires serious sartorial consideration.
 From classic cuts to fashion-forward styles, Moss Bros Hire has an eveningwear look to suit every occasion. A Package starts at £55 and includes dinner suit plus shirt, bow tie, and a matching cummerbund. Add a waistcoat to your package hire for an additional £5.

To find out more, click here ^[3].

Oh, yes, more about the Bow Tie ritual later…