Black tie

The late 19th century saw gradual introduction of the lounge jacket without tails as a less formal and more comfortable leisure alternative to the frock coat.

[8] The earliest record of a tailless coat being worn with evening wear is an 1865 midnight blue smoking jacket in silk with matching trousers ordered by the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII of the United Kingdom, from Savile Row tailors Henry Poole & Co.[15] The smoking jacket was tailored for use at Sandringham, the British Royal Family's informal country estate.

[8] Henry Poole never saw his design become known as a dinner jacket or cross the Atlantic and be called a tuxedo over there; he died in 1876 leaving behind a well-respected business to be run by his cousin Samuel Cundey.

[17] In the following decades of the Victorian era, the style became known as a dinner jacket: a fashionable, formal alternative for the tailcoat which men of the upper classes wore every evening.

In comparison with a full dress such as a cutaway tailcoat, etiquette guides declared dinner jacket inappropriate for wear in mixed company, meaning together with ladies.

[22] In the decades following the World War II, black tie became special occasion attire rather than standard evening wear.

The 1960s and 1970s saw the colour palette move from muted to bright day-glow and pastel, as well as ruffled-placket shirts as lapels got wider and piping was revived.

Some insist the 21st century has seen increased variation and a relaxation of previous strict standards; midnight blue once again became popular and lapel facings were sometimes reduced to wide edging.

A son of one of the community's founders, Griswold Lorillard, and his friends were widely reported in society columns for showing up at the club's first Autumn Ball in October 1886 wearing "a tailless dress coat".

[31] The earliest dinner jackets were of the same black material as the dress coat with one, two or no buttons, and a shawl collar faced in satin or ribbed silk.

[32] By World War I, the grey option had fallen out of favour but the "midnight blue" alternative became increasingly popular and rivalled black by the mid-1930s.

[38] Notch lapels returned for good in the 1980s, and in the 1990s dinner jackets increasingly took on other traits of the business suit, such as two- and three-button styling, flap pockets, and centre vents.

[45] According to the Black Tie Guide, the peaked lapel and shawl collar are equally authentic and correct, with the latter being slightly less formal.

Besom welts can be of self fabric or trimmed with the lapel's silk facing, though classic menswear scholar Nicholas Antongiavanni suggests that for the English this latter touch "is a sure sign of hired clothes".

In the United Kingdom, the 20th-century etiquette was that white dinner jackets were never worn, even on the hottest day of summer, but were reserved for wear abroad.

In anticipated hot weather, Red Sea rig is specified in the invitation, although this dress is esoteric in civilian circles, and is particular to certain expatriate communities.

Traditionally, the only neckwear appropriate is the black bow tie that is a self-tie and it always matches the lapel facing of the dinner jacket and braiding of the trouser seams.

[50] The American authority, The Emily Post Institute, considers them to be an essential component of proper black tie attire.

[56] Bright colours, such as those often worn by members of wedding parties, should be avoided[51] and the bow tie must remain black in any case.

In the early-20th century, a piqué shirt with a detachable wing collar and single cuffs such as is worn with white tie was used, and in the 1960s and 1970s ruffled bibs were popular, but have since become uncommon.

[43] Although some style authorities consider the wing collar to be an acceptable option for black tie shirts, they are not worn with double cuffs or a pleated bib,[58] and are better suited to the more formal single-breasted peak lapel jacket.

The most common, and least decorative, are the swivel bar type; whilst these are acceptable, they leave the inner side of the cuffs and mechanism exposed which is incongruous with formal dress.

Notable alternatives include the black button boot, primarily of historical interest only, and the monogrammed Albert slipper which was originally worn only at home.

[62] Although precedents for tasteful exceptions exist,[63] pocket squares are normally white,[2] and may not match the waist covering or bow tie.

[60] Women's dress for black tie occasions has varied greatly throughout the years; traditionally it was: Other fashionable evening attire may be worn.

Unlike the men's standard, the specifics of black tie for women are linked to whatever evening wear is currently in fashion.

Some described Saint Laurent's initiative as empowerment of women by giving them the option to wear clothes that were normally worn by men with influence and power.

Less popular are black tie events, such as gala fundraisers, where men typically wear more traditional dinner suits and accessories as dictated by the dress code.

Black tie dinners and debates are held through the academic year by British university Conservative associations, such as those at Oxford,[87] Cambridge,[88] York,[89] and Nottingham.

[citation needed] At more formal dinners on cruise ships the dress code will typically be black tie, although a dark lounge suit may be worn as a substitute.