Mens Dinner Jacket
When you receive an invitation to an event that mentions black tie or evening wear then you are obliged to go dressed in the black tie attire which is the jacket. The jackets or the tuxedos are considered to be the most formal clothing that you can dress on for the strictly formal events. While these events where you are required to dress in jackets to look appropriate are rare it is best to have one handy in your wardrobe. In this article we discuss the
mens dinner jackets and some of the best ways in which you can style the garment.
The jackets are mostly confused with the
tuxedos and if you are confused about the two terms then we are here to help you. In reality the tuxedo and jacket is one and the same in terms of clothing but this confusion is based on the place where they originated. Both these terms refer to a single article of clothing which is the formal jacket that is usually used for dressing to the black tie ensemble which is appropriate for the formal and semi formal events. These jackets resemble the usual
suit jackets but the lapels of this jacket comes faced with silk or satin. This special garment is known by the two names and this distinction mostly depends on the place at which you are asking about the garment. For example the term tuxedos are mainly used in the North American region especially in the United States and Canada. Also when you talk about jacket in North America people would instantly assume that you are referring to the white evening jacket. But in United Kingdom this formal garment is usually known as jackets.
As for the origin of the mens jackets whether you know it as a tuxedo or a jacket the design first started with the United Kingdom. The jackets was first designed by the Royal tailors for the royalty to wear for the formal evening events where it might be too dressy to wear a
tailcoat. Soon the style spread all through America and later all through the world. Now the jacket is the most formal style that you can get in menswear. As this is a formal garment there might be some rules involved with the styling of the men's jackets.
When you style the mens jackets for the formal event which mentions black tie in the dress code then it means that you must go properly dressed for it. The traditional jacket style would be to go with a black one. Black jackets are the norm but nowadays many events permit you to go with other dark colored options like the charcoal gray jacket or the white jacket. Even the most strictly formal events would now allow you to go with the midnight blue jackets or the Navy jackets. The
white mens dinner jackets are best for the most formal events mostly the Royal events.
The black jackets were the standard choice for a long time in history but there was a time when the midnight blue jackets were preferred more by the men than the black jackets. This was because of the fact that the black jackets at that time were restricted to evening events but when they were worn to the morning events they looked dull in the natural light unless they were brand new. On the contrary the midnight blue jackets because of their deep and dark shade made the fabric look blacker than black under the artificial light of the evening events and also looked refreshing in the natural light for the morning events. This versatility of the midnight blue mens jackets caught the attention of many and thus dominated the formal menswear market for quite some time before the black jackets regained their place.
For a formal and authentic look you can choose to go with the black jackets and then pair them with the staple combining garments. When you style the garment for the black tie event you can choose to pair the black jacket with a white dress shirt, black dress trousers and a black bow tie. As for the footwear you can choose to add with the outfit a pair ofleather patent Oxford
black shoes and a pair of black socks. When you want to further accentuate the look of the garment you can add with it cuff links, Pocket square and shirt studs. This all black jacket look would give you a dressed up look which you can style for any type of formal event. If you are the groom and opting to go with a formal church wedding then this black tie jacket look would be a great pick.
While this the standard look for the formal events these rules might intimidate the person a little especially if you are a casual dresser most of the time. But going with the jacket does not mean that you will always have to abide by the rules. The lines have been blurred with time and thus you can choose to style the jacket in different ways like the smart casual and the casual attires and then can choose the one which would best suit your style.
The jackets are usually more expensive when compared to the usual suits. Most men would deter in buying the jackets because of this reason and also the point that the formal events are rare for which you need to be dressed in jackets still remains. But in recent times the jackets are being used by the fashion forward men in different styles making them a versatile addition to your house wardrobe. For making this style your own you will need to know the different ways in which you can style the jackets. Here we give you some of the tips which would help you style the mens jacket in unique ways.
If you are styling the jacket for a formal event but if it is still less formal to go dressed in a black tie attire then you can choose to dress down the formal jacket. For these types of events you can style the formal mens jacket with a white dress shirt, a pair of black trousers but you can forget the bow tie. Instead of the bow tie you can go with wrapping a silk scarf around your neck. To complete the look you can add with the outfit a pair of black leather derby shoes with a pair of black socks. By going with this styling of the jackets you can lose some of the seriousness of the black tie attire and you also have the choice of adding colors and patterns to your otherwise monochromatic outfit. For a simple and classy look it would be best to go with subtly patterned ones like the prince of Wales scarf or the glen check scarf.
When you are styling the jacket for the formal events where you want to look dressed up like for the evening parties then it would be a great choice to go with the all black jacket look. For this look you can choose to go with the black jacket and then pair it with a black roll neck. This would give you a posh and comfortable look which would be great for the christmas parties and such. This all black jacket style is also easy to put together and you do not have to struggle with the dress shirts and accessories like the bow ties and pocket squares. To complete the look you can add with this all black mens jacket with a pair of fancy velvet slippers.
Once you are comfortable with styling the jackets in different styles other than the black tie it might be time for you to experiment it with a more casual look. For this style of the casual look you can style the jacket with the lightweight knitwear and complete the look with a pair of chinos and Chelsea boots. For these casual jackets you can choose to go with the notch lapel jackets that have the lapels in the material that is the same as the material of the rest of the jacket. This usual style of jacket will be less formal then the ones that come with the silk lapels. For a formal look go with peak lapel jackets while for a dressier look shawl lapel dinner jackets are most recommended.
If you are a person who likes to go with the vintage styling then you can choose to go with the bold styling of the mens jackets. This can be done by keeping the old school details intact while going with the refreshing style of the dinner jacket. While the black jacket is the basic norm you can choose to go with the bold colors of jackets like the burgundy dinner jackets and emerald jackets. Other than this you can also go with the unconventional styles like the red jackets and pink jackets. If you consider the solid jackets to be the usual style then you can try out the patterned ones or the textured ones that would give you an interesting look. For a dressy look you can go with the rich styles like the Paisley jackets or the floral jackets.
We have still now mentioned the possible styles that you can wear with the jackets but there are some that would be best to avoid pairing with the dinner jackets. The jackets are a formal style nonetheless and thus it would be appropriate to avoid the most casual garments to be worn with it. For example the satin faced lapels on the jackets would not match well with the casual look of the trainers or the sneakers. But if you feel comfortable with the look then you can still try out the sneakers with the jackets look since it would be possible that you might create a new trend.
The fabric from which the jackets are made also greatly influences the look of the garment. Wool jackets are the best when you need a formal look which would suit the black tie events and the semi formal events as such. When you need a more interesting look you can choose to go with the textured ones. If you love the formal look of the garment but would require a light weight style then you can go with the cotton jackets. This lightweight style would give you a breathable garment that would save you from the sweat even on the hot days.
Most of the time the jackets are used for the most formal events and these events require the man to be dressed up perfectly from head to toe. Luxurious styles of jackets would be a great look for these kind of events since they happen once or twice in a year. Cashmere jackets would be a great style when you require a soft and comfortable look. Silk jackets and velvet jackets are the ones that are recommended for the events where you want the attention to be on you. For a cheaper style you can go with synthetic ones like the polyester dinner jackets and rayon jackets.
As mentioned before the jackets are itself expensive and if you go with the custom made jackets or designer jackets then it would exceed most people's budgets. For a cheaper style try going with off the rack options like the slim fit jackets and classic fit jackets whichever would suit your body type.