This comprehensive guide is… lengthy. But I’m confident you’ll still save countless hours and land on a more personal outfit versus the alternatives—Reddit, TikTok, or whatever flavor of AI you subscribe to.
Within, we’ll show you a more thoughtful, human way to approach men’s formal wear, whether you’re a modern groom looking for wedding tuxedo styles, or just interested in understanding the basics. This guide will answer every question you never knew you had about the pinnacle of men’s clothing: the tuxedo.
Table of Contents
Tuxedo Basics
Tuxedo Jacket Styles
Tuxedo Shirt Styles
Tuxedo Neckwear
Cummerbund or Vest (or Neither?)
Tuxedo Pants
Tuxedo Shoes
Tuxedo Accessories
Popular Tuxedo Styles
Renting vs. Buying
Tuxedo Basics
What makes a tuxedo a tuxedo?
Before we establish what a tuxedo is, let’s talk about what a tux is not. A tuxedo is not just a black suit worn with a bow tie. While that description misses some of the finer details of the tux, it also assumes that all tuxedos are black and white (they’re not). And while bow ties are the traditional neckwear match for a tux, they’re not your only option.
The biggest difference between suits and tuxedos is the use of silk satin in the design of the tuxedo, most prominently on the lapels. Suits are almost always made with a consistent fabric on both the jacket and pants—no special lapels, no satin leg stripes. And most tuxedos have silk-covered jacket buttons while suits have normal buttons.
The tuxedo is designed to elevate your appearance above the day-to-day suit, so should you wear one? Only you can decide whether a tuxedo is the garment you need. Look deep inside yourself, meditate, wander off into the desert on a spiritual quest. Or, take a look at the event details, its dress code (if one is provided), ask what other people you know are wearing—and dress accordingly.
Tuxedo Jacket Styles
When you’re choosing a tux jacket, the details make all the difference. Your tuxedo style is largely defined by the jacket, and while picking one might sound simple enough (um, black?), there’s a lot you need to pay attention to—like lapels, buttons, and even fabric—when putting together your look.
Tuxedo Lapel Styles
Notch Lapel Tuxedos
The standard in men’s suiting today, notch lapels are found on everything from sport coats to business suits—which also means they’re considered more casual than other lapel types. They have a “notch” where the jacket collar meets the lapel. Despite being a casual lapel type, notch lapels are versatile—you’ll find them on both suit and tuxedo jackets. Just avoid wearing them at the most formal black tie events.
Shawl Collar Tuxedos
Shawls aren’t just for little old ladies. Shawl (collars, that is) are characterized by a modern, rounded shape, and are primarily seen on tuxedos and dinner jackets. While shawl lapels are pretty much only found on black tie-appropriate garments, some would argue that they are less formal than a peak lapel. You could also argue they have more panache. Use your judgment based on the event and your personal style.
Peak Lapel Tuxedos
Peak lapels are slightly wider than notch lapels, with edges that “peak” upward toward your face. Originally seen in highly formal, highly traditional garments like tailcoats, the peak lapel has since made its way into tuxedo and suit jackets alike. It’s generally viewed as more formal than the notch lapel, and, because it’s less common, more of a statement. But don’t shy away—because they point upward, peak lapels have the effect of making you look taller and slimmer. Win, win.
Pro-tip: Elevate the notch with our tuxedo with grosgrain ribbon accents.
Double Breasted Tuxedo Jackets
Double-breasted jackets have overlapping front flaps and two to three sets of buttons. Traditionally associated with everything from ’30s gangsters to ’80s Wall Street brokers, today’s double-breasted suits feature slimmer proportions. As a suit, this look is more formal, but as a tuxedo style, the double-breasted closure leans casual and creative relative to the single-breasted alternative.
Frankly, you can wear one wherever you want: office, burger joint, wedding. We love this look, which is why we made our own double-breasted tuxedo.
Tuxedo Colors
When you think of the iconic tux, you probably think in grayscale. While we respect tradition, neither the modern nor the traditional tuxedo is always black and white.
Midnight blue tuxedos have always been an acceptable alternative to black tuxedos because their dark blue fabric would appear blacker than true black under the glow of early electric lighting. Later, tropical climates necessitated the white dinner jacket—a warm-weather take on the tux. These tuxedo color ways have turned into formal wear staples and are often worn year-round.
Unique fabric colors or patterns can also be a tempting option. Gingham, tartan, and bright fabrics make a bold, celebratory statement at less formal affairs, like holiday parties. The key to pulling off these tuxedos is knowing the dress code—you’d never wear one of these bold options to a traditional black tie event. How very dare you!
Tuxedo Materials
For many reasons, wool is the most popular fabric for suits and tuxedos. It drapes beautifully and has a sleek finish that makes for a polished look. It’s also known to be insulating, breathable, and durable—basically making it the do-it-all renaissance man of the suiting world. It’s hard to go wrong with wool.
In chilly weather, try a velvet dinner jacket for a low-key move to set your look apart. Plush velvet adds rich texture to your look and keeps you feeling and looking warm in the autumn and winter, but it’d look (and feel) out of place in warmer months. Velvet has a heavier hand feel, but when you’re wearing a velvet jacket it wears just as light as a wool jacket. That’s good news for the dance floor.
Tuxedo Button Styles
Generally, the fewer the buttons on the closure, the more formal the jacket. Think of ultra-formal tailcoats: the jacket doesn’t even close! Tailcoats usually have some buttons, but none of them are functional.
Single-button jackets are the most formal in modern menswear, and not coincidentally, most single-button jackets are tuxedos or dinner jackets. Two-button jackets are more versatile but a little more casual, too. They can be dressed up or dressed down, from a cocktail party to a black tie optional wedding. You can find modern tuxedos with two-button closures, but they’re most often used in suiting.
Three-button suit jackets are less common, and you rarely see three buttons on a tuxedo—they’re too casual. The outlier here is the double-breasted jacket. Despite having 4+ buttons, they’re generally considered more formal than a two-button jacket (and again, not all of the buttons are functional).
Now that you know the design intent behind button counts, forget it. Really. Choose a jacket that appeals to you and compliments your body type. The only reason you might consider choosing a one-button over a two-button is if you’re attending a very formal event or wedding. Even then, the odds are low you'll be noticed for making a relatively small style choice.
Tuxedo Shirt Styles
The tuxedo shirt does't get the credit it deserves. It's a blank canvas, and a carefully chosen tux shirt can connect your style with the vibe of the event you're attending. Like every other part of your tuxedo, it’s important to be intentional about the shirt you wear.
While there are endless tuxedo shirt styles, we'll keep this section light with just two aspects of tuxedo shirts you should keep in mind when putting together your full tuxedo: collars and bibs.
Tuxedo Shirt Collars
Wing Tip Collars
The wing tip gets its name from the points of the fold-out that look like wings, and it’s designed to be worn with a bow tie and tuxedo. Wing tip collars look a little strange with neckties, and completely wrong with suits. This is the shirt for you if you need a traditional tuxedo style.
Spread Collars & Fold-Down Collars
Spread collars (or fold-down collars) are the most common type of collar worn today, and the most versatile. They work with suits and tuxedos alike, and both bow ties and neckties. This shirt style is what we'd recommend for a modern look. Find a semi-spread or "regular" spread shirt collar for a timeless look.
Shirt Bibs
Some dress shirts have a rectangular panel that runs up the front of the shirt called a “bib,” which doubles your shirt’s chest fabric. This bib ensures that anything visible under your tuxedo jacket is bright white, not your skin color. Not all tuxedo shirts have bibs, but all dress shirts that have bibs are tuxedo shirts.
There are actually multiple types of bibs (of course there are), but the important thing to understand is these bibbed shirts are a more formal, traditional style. Shirts without bibs can be worn with tuxedos, and if you're worried about the x-ray effect of fine white cotton, get yourself an undershirt.
More Tuxedo Shirt Aspects to Consider
We could really go on about shirt plackets and cuffs—and we have, in a separate guide to tuxedo shirt styles.
It's a good read, but all you need to know right now about cuffs and plackets is this: be sure the shirt you buy or rent works with button studs and cufflinks (more on that below) if you'd like to wear them with your tuxedo.
Tuxedo Neckwear
Bow Tie vs. Necktie
We’ve established that a traditional tuxedo is paired with a bow tie, so if you’re attending a really formal or strict black tie event, it's an easy call. But not every event has a strict of a dress code, and modern style means a lot more wiggle room for personal expression.
So, if your event isn't strictly formal, should you wear a necktie? This isn't a question we can answer for you, but a bow tie will never look out of place or too stuffy with a tuxedo.
Colors and Fabrics
Choosing a tie based on its fabric can add texture to your look in unexpected ways and firmly place your outfit in the right season and formality level.
Silk, Satin, or Twill Ties
This is the go-to neckwear fabric for most tuxedo styles or dinner jackets. Silk’s light sheen works well with the (usually) silk satin lapels of your tuxedo or dinner jacket, further elevating your look. If you decide to dress your tux down with a necktie, this silk is the best choice.
Wool or Velvet Neckwear
In the fall and winter, we bundle up. That’s not to say a velvet or wool tie is going to actually keep you warmer than some other fabric, but visually, these rich materials lend themselves to cooler weather. If you want to try this cozier neckwear material with your tux, stick with a bow tie.
Cummerbund or Vest
One of the traditional guiding principles of a formal dress code is that all the working parts of your ensemble must be covered or dressed. While the rule has become more of a guideline, we still find the rule’s offspring in formal wear: vests and cummerbunds.
Bare (No Covering)
If you want a more modern, effortless look, consider ditching the vest or cummerbund altogether. Skipping the vest is an increasingly popular choice, and acceptable with either a tuxedo or a suit.
Cummerbund
The cummerbund was invented to cover up your waistband (and the awkward shirt bunching that tends to happen in that area). Cummerbunds have returned from tux hell in recent years—they're not something you see everywhere yet, which only adds to the mystique. If you decide to wear one, do it only with a tuxedo, and match the material of your cummerbund with the material of your lapels.
Low-Cut Vest
Like a cummerbund, you’ll usually only wear a low-cut vest—occasionally called a waistcoat—at black tie events. Low-cut vests are viewed as more formal and are cut lower in the front than a typical suit vest—hence the name—to show off your tuxedo shirt. Unlike the full-back vest, it is appropriate to button all buttons.
Tuxedo Pants
In the same way satin differentiates a tuxedo jacket from a suit jacket, the tuxedo pant rises above mere suit pants with two vertical satin stripes—one on either side of the leg—and a matching satin waistband. The stripes, a detail often seen on military uniforms, and the waistband cover the pant seams for an uninterrupted look that appears to elongate your legs, making you look taller. And obviously, A.B.T. (always be taller).
Black vs. Color
The minimalist design of the tuxedo pant makes it undeniably versatile. You can match them with just about any tuxedo or dinner jacket—tartan, gingham, pin dot, velvet, wool, black, white—and you wouldn’t have a losing look in the bunch. Nobody should ever compare formal wear to french fries, but the way they work with anything, they’re like french fries. Except instead of making you unhealthy, they make you look better.
Pro-tip: If you’re going for a modern look, show a little ankle. Your tux pants should be hemmed for “no break”—that’s just above the shoe.
Tuxedo Shoes
When it comes to pairing shoes with your tux, less is usually more. The tuxedo is designed to draw the eye up to your face, but nobody’s going to make eye contact if you’re sporting some over-the-top high-tops. But even if you’re keeping it simple, you have some decisions to make.
Patent Leather
When it comes to wearing a tux, patent leather is an easy, go-to choice. The patent shine works in harmony with the shine of a tuxedo’s lapels and pant stripes, making it an ideal match. Simple equals elegant.
Cap Toe Shoes
Wingtip shoes are a little too ornate, but a sleek cap toe shoe demands just enough attention. The matte leather combined with a patent leather accent on our pair adds subtle variety to your look while keeping the focus of your tux above the waist.
Loafers
There’s more than one way to add texture to a tux, but none of them have been proven to improve your dance moves like a loafer. Okay, so wandering eyes are more likely to pause on a pair of velvet slip-ons, but hey—maybe the groom should have worn better shoes? (Attn: Grooms. Loaf it or someone else will.) In warmer months, skip the socks and let those ankles breathe.
Tuxedo Accessories
Wearing a tuxedo should be fun, which is probably why cufflinks, pocket squares, and suspenders were invented. While the rest of your tux communicates effortless sophistication, your accessories tell the world you still know how to breakdance or throw a bullseye blindfolded. It’s you in microcosm.
Cufflinks and Studs
Cufflinks allow your personality to shine through in a formal outfit. It’s okay to have some fun with your cufflinks, but if you’re trying to show your serious side, stick to a metallic style. Or keep your look minimal with silk knots, like the ones in this shirt.
Button studs lend your outfit a more formal feel. They’re only for tuxedo shirts, and are designed to fit into the buttonholes of the shirt placket. If you’re also wearing a metallic cufflink, it’s best to match metals with your button studs—gold with gold, silver with silver.
Button studs lend your outfit a more formal feel. They’re only for tuxedo shirts, and are designed to fit into the buttonholes of the shirt placket. If you’re also wearing a metallic cufflink, it’s best to match metals with your button studs—gold with gold, silver with silver.
Pocket Squares
Nothing says sophistication like a pocket square. It ties together your look, adds personality and style, and demonstrates that you’re really, really good at folding things. A man wearing a pocket square has some seriously practical skills.
You'll get a lot of mileage out of a white pocket square when paired with black tuxedo styles or a ivory dinner jacket (and really any suit, too). Plain white just pops. A little color in your breast pocket can be a good move, too, especially for a festive dress code. But for a formal event, try to mix it up with a timeless pattern, a unique design, or even a simple shoestring detail all in black and white. Also, stick to silk, linen, cotton, or wool (anything but polyester).
Belts or Suspenders (or None)
A belt should never be worn with a tuxedo. If your tuxedo pants have belt loops on them, then they are not tuxedo pants. If you’re looking for some assistance in holding up your tuxedo pants on the dance floor, then your only option is to wear suspenders—and preferably the traditional button style (also known as braces) over clip-ons.
A belt should never be worn with a tuxedo. If your tuxedo pants have belt loops on them, then they are not tuxedo pants. If you’re looking for some assistance in holding up your tuxedo pants on the dance floor, then your only option is to wear suspenders—and preferably the traditional button style (also known as braces) over clip-ons.
Popular Tuxedo Styles and When to Wear Them
Tuxedo Lapel Choice
Peak Lapel Tuxedo
How to style it: A classic tuxedo shirt with french cuffs, black bow tie, and patent leather shoes, silk knot cufflinks and button studs.
When to wear it: The most formal events or dress codes, like a black tie wedding.
Shawl Collar Tuxedo
How to style it: Shirts with fold down collars and french cuffs, a solid black or patterned bow tie, patent leather or cap toe shoes, and silver cufflinks and button studs.
When to wear it: Formal events and black tie dress codes.
Notch Lapel Tuxedo
How to style it: Dress shirts with fold down collars, patterned bow tie or black satin necktie, loafers, and unique cufflinks.
When to wear it: Creative black tie or black tie optional events that are less formal.
White Dinner Jacket Tuxedo
How to style it: Dress or pleated shirts with fold down collars, french cuffs are a plus. Black or patterned bow tie, cap toe shoes or loafers.
When to wear it: Formal events, black tie optional and creative black tie dress codes.
Midnight Blue Tuxedo
How to style it: A wing tip or pleated shirt with french cuffs, black bow tie, and patent leather shoes, silk knot cufflinks and button studs.
When to wear it: The most formal events or dress codes, like a black tie wedding, or for creative black tie.
Solid Colorful Tuxedo
How to style it: Dress shirts with fold down collars, patterned bow tie or black satin necktie, loafers, and unique cufflinks.
When to wear it: Creative black tie or festive dress code events that are less formal.
Velvet Jacket Tuxedo
How to style it: Dress shirts with fold down collars, patterned bow tie or black satin necktie, loafers, and unique cufflinks.
When to wear it: Creative black tie or festive dress code events that are less formal.
Renting vs. Buying
Owning a tuxedo sounds like a crowning achievement—right up there with riding a prize stallion bareback or filling your personal library exclusively with leather-bound first editions. But renting a tuxedo has its benefits, too, provided the tuxedo fits.
Alterations & Tailoring
Purchasing a tux means you can tailor it to fit your body perfectly, but if your body changes, you may push your tuxedo beyond its sizing. Then there are the tailoring costs. While simple alterations like a pant hem or a sleeve adjustment are relatively minor investments, having the waist of your tuxedo jacket or pants taken in or let out can be costly.
Quality Construction
A fully-canvassed, merino wool tuxedo often costs upward of $1,200. Add in the expense of alterations, and you might have rented a lot of tuxedos for less. And if you don’t wear a tux more than once a year, your purchased tux may not get enough use to justify the expense—to say nothing of changing style trends and your own evolving taste.
Versatility & Optionality
When you rent a tuxedo, you have options. Purchasing a tux means one lapel shape, one color, one button closure style for a lot of different events. This isn’t to say you should never buy a tuxedo, but too often, renting gets a bad reputation because of cheap, poorly made rental suits. If the tux actually fits, renting can look pretty good.
But, as most of us know, renting can also be a hassle. That's why we made it simple. Whether you're interested in renting or buying, just answer a few questions to dial in your sizes, order online, and we'll deliver your tuxedo to your door—no tux shop required.
