Tux 101 for Cinderfellas: A Complicated Course

Rare is the man who doesn’t look sensational in a tux. There’s something about that contrast of black and white, that elegant, clean line from top to bottom, that transforms a guy from Pigpen to 007. It’s a Cinderfella story in black wool.

“Almost all men look good in them. It’s one of the few outfits that guarantee elegance for those who put it on,” said Alan Flusser, one of America’s foremost menswear designers and a men’s clothing historian. “If you get something that passes the criteria, you’re going to end up wearing something that will make you look more elegant than you ever thought you could look.”

Great, but those criteria are the awful stumbling blocks. Most men hear tux, and they run the other way: too many things to worry about, too much to know. They’re right. The tuxedo is a uniform, and as such, it is governed by a set of rules. The good news is that those rules have changed little over the years. So once you learn them, you’re practically set for life.

*

With party season upon us, Tux 101 is important. So we turned to Flusser--whose writings on men’s style and clothing (“Clothes and the Man” and “Style and the Man”) are fashion bibles--for some shorthand on black tie.

First, the inevitable question: Rent or buy? Most rental stores also sell tuxes, so their knowledge of the uniform and the ceremony is vast. Tux rental stores usually bend over backward to help customers with the entire tux ritual. Basically, you’re in good hands.

Jamie Angeloni, manager of Squire Tux at Westfarms mall in Hartford, Conn., said there’s no need to worry about a black-tie shortage. There are plenty of tuxes available for New Year’s Eve.

A basic overnight rental (jacket, pants and shirt) begins at about $60, she said, but averages about $130 and can be as high as $175, depending on the tux style and accessories.

Even though most men wait until the last minute, it is best to give your rental store at least a week to work on your order.

Angeloni agrees with style arbiter Flusser: If you’re going to wear black tie more than two or three times a year, buying the suit makes the most sense. “If it’s made properly, it’s one of the few things you can wear for 25 years,” Flusser said.

*

In their book “Men’s Wardrobe,” authors Jeff Stone and Kim Johnson Gross agree: “A classic dinner jacket is one of the best wardrobe investments a man can make. Go for an enduring look, with perfectly matched accessories, and you will never have anything to fear.”

How much you spend depends on your wallet and your taste. Calvin Klein is showing a wool two-button tux with notched collar for $1,250. Off the rack, Brooks Brothers sells a tux jacket for $420, with matching pleated trousers for $178. In its catalog, Jos. A. Bank has tuxedo jackets for $280 and trousers for $115. Bachrach sells a double-breasted tux jacket for $195 and tuxedo pants for $95. Things start to add up, however, if you don’t already own a dress shirt, bow tie and cummerbund. Tux shirts usually sell for $55 to $95, bow ties $20 to $25 and cummerbunds $25 to $60.