HOW TO - Wear a Tuxedo

Its prom night and you’re all set to go; reservations for dinner are confirmed, you have your parents’ car for the night and you are headed to pick up your date in an hour. Only thing is you still need to get dressed. Wearing a tux would seem simple enough, you throw on a shirt and some sort of coat and you’re all set, right? Not quite. There are a few things to remember when wearing a tux that are different from your casual, every day wardrobe of jeans and a t-shirt.

To begin, wearing a tux correctly starts when you get fitted. You booked your tux a couple of weeks ago after a bunch of measurements and decisions on colors and styles. Pick up your tux at least 2 days in advance so any adjustments can be made. At this time a consultant will help you into your coat and assure the proper fit and look of everything. If you have any questions on how something is fitting, or you are not comfortable, speak up. Consultants can only see what you look like, not how you feel and we all want you to be as comfortable as possible.

Now that we’re back to prom night, let’s get you dressed!

It’s often a good idea to wear a plain white undershirt under the tux shirt. The tux shirts are stiff and uncomfortable and the added barrier of a nice cotton layer will make the night more pleasant.

Your tux shirt should be completely buttoned, including the annoying little collar button, which you may need some help getting buttoned. Make sure your shirt is tucked into your pants!

Pants are worn at your real waist. Do not sag tuxedo pants, they are not made to wear low and will make you look unkempt if you do. When shoes are on, the pants should be about ½ to 1 inch off the ground, or hitting the top of the sole of your shoe. They should not drag on the ground. On the flip side, they should not be so short that your socks show when you stand.

Be sure you wear black socks if you have black tuxedo pants, or white socks if you have white pants!

If you need to tie a tie, make sure you know how before the big night so you’re not fumbling at the last minute. Many rental ties or bow ties are pre-tied so you just need to adjust the size. The tie is worn tucked inside the vest. If you’re wearing a bow tie, a nice detail is to wear the studs, a special removable button, instead of the white buttons that come on the shirt. Ask your tux consultant how to use these if you don’t know.

Now for the coat. When you have a tux coat on, it should fit well on the shoulders, meaning the shoulders should not make you look like a linebacker, unless you are one, and they also shouldn’t be stretching or puckering. The sleeves of the tux coat should hit your wrist when your arm hangs straight down and ideally the shirt sleeve will show a little beyond.

When buttoning the jacket never button the bottom button. Same with the buttons on the vest, button everything except for the bottom button.

Finally, check your pocket square and make sure it’s still folded nicely in your pocket.

Comb your hair, grab the corsage for your date, keys, money and you’re set to go!

Make sure the full tuxedo is worn for grand march and any pictures. During dinner and dancing, feel free to remove the coat for comfort and ease of movement. Be sure though at the end of the night you take the correct tux coat so there are no mix ups when trying to return the rental!

Ladies, don’t be afraid to take a good look at how your date is dressed and make sure everything is tucked in where it should be and he’s up to your standards!

If all else fails, take your style cues from Rob Pattinson: