Formal dress shirts....

[Paddy]

I have been banging my head against a wall all day on this....

I have recently purchased a new dress shirt as my old one is a little tight *ahem*. Anyway, my significant other wants me to return it as it has a proper collar and not one of those stupid flap fronted things....

Can we please have a show of hands as to the correct attire for a formal occasion?

[Wombat]

Flap fronted?

[Paddy]

click on the links in the poll answers

[Wombat]

From a friend of mine that knows his stuff. He has 6 tuxedos in his closet.

I've been too busy fighting the endangerment of the blue-speckled whapping bird to post, but I did want to chime in on the whole, " White Tie, Black Tie, Tux" thing.

1st: Ties.
The only appropriate tie to wear with a tux is a bowtie. Black and white ties are both acceptable to wear with a tux. In fact, the single breasted peak- lapeled tux was the first tux invented ( as an off- shoot of the morning coat with tails)and was first worn with a black bowtie just as the morning coat was worn. The one you choose is based on the occassion and the type of tux. Black and white bowties come in 2 shapes, rectangular and batwing.
The cravat (ascot) someone was refering to goes with a morning coat with is similar to a tux but used for very formal ocassions such as weddings and meetings with ambassadors and heads of state. If you see someone with a white tie on, it is either with a tux or with a formal coat that has "tails". Coats with tails are usually worn to the opera, the most formal of dinner engagements, coronations, etc.

Shirts:
3 types of shirts for wearing with a tux: the pointed,spread and the winged. The winged is the more formal of the three but all are appropriate. Which shirt you choose depends on which tux you are wearing, for instance, a double- breasted tux looks much more formal thus looks better with a winged collar. However, if you wore the other types, it would not be the wrong decision... just what works for you. Both the black and white ties go with all three of these shirts. The tuxedo shirt itself is more formal than the average shirt. A pointed collar tux shirt can be up to 3 or 4 times more expensive than it's regular pointed collar cousin. They all have french cuffs, bibs in front and some have a removable collar attached with buttons.

Tux:
2 types, single breasted and double- breasted. They come in the notched (peaked) lapel and shawl collar models. No tux should have vents or pocket flaps. No tux pants should have cuffs. The tux you wear depends on your mood and the message you are trying to send. You can wear a vest with any tux but wearing a dbl. breasted jacket means you can skip it if you prefer. Never wear a cummerbund and a vest together. Never wear a belt and suspenders together. Always wear a hanky in the breast pocket and always wear cufflinks.

Dinner Jacket
An off-shoot of the tux jacket that allows the wearer more choices in his formal wear color combinations. All the same rules apply as with the tux.

[mutz]

If you are going to do the Hulk thing, better just get the collars.

...and a dozen jackets.

[VJ]

Mine has such a special wing flap tip collar. You know, in stead of a regular collar two of those small "triangles" (so I voted one). But my bow-tie is more colourfull (haven't had to go to black/white tie events). However, at formal occasion (e.g. gala event of the student fraternity) I'm one of the few that is even wearing a bow tie...

Mind you, if you are of the few correctly dressed, you get a lot of nice looks from the girls ! It could be that it has to do with the-"we have to squeeze ourselves in an evening dress, so you shouldn't be too comfortable either "-factor, but I don't know that for a fact...



Jörg

[Paddy]

Cheers for the comments... esp. Wombat.

Nice to see that the majority of MURCers have some taste

[ZokesPro]

I know nothing about tuxedo's, except that I haven't seen the movie yet.

[KvHagedorn]

Originally posted by VJ
Mind you, if you are of the few correctly dressed, you get a lot of nice looks from the girls ! It could be that it has to do with the-"we have to squeeze ourselves in an evening dress, so you shouldn't be too comfortable either "-factor, but I don't know that for a fact...

No.. it has to do with the "wow he has money and style!" factor. Then, if you're thin they will probably shag you if you just ask, but if you're fat they will think you are some powerful evil dude, and the only ones who will be drawn to you will be rather pathetic with no self-esteem.

[jonnylane]

yoink...

just snatching another vote for my preferance

I am the wingmaster

[Fat Tone]

Sorry Paddy, but it has to be wings.


And please, please, please don't make me imagine you in Chippendales attire

[Paddy]

Bah!!!!!!! The lot of you have NO taste

[GNEP]

Flat collars (no. 2) - but the really important thing is that you tie your own bow-tie (and get someone else to untie it... )

[High_Jumbllama]

Originally posted by ZokesPro
I know nothing about tuxedo's, except that I haven't seen the movie yet.

Similar fopinion here: I've only worn any three times. My aunt's wedding (I was like 4), my sister's wedding and my cousin's wedding. I hate them but in defense of what little class I do have. I do tend to wear a lot of dress shirts even when not at work.

[Paddy]

Graduation day...