The Rules Of Modern Formal Wear

Once stuffy and overly serious, the rules of modern formal wear are no longer black-and-white.

- Aleks Cvetkovic

How is it that black-tie invitations provoke such a potent mix of apathy and angst in so many men? Despite its royal origins in the late 19th century and glamorous heyday through the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, today the tuxedo has become shorthand for stilted drinks receptions and overstarched weddings. Understandably, not everyone’s idea of fun.

But now there are many paths to eveningwear enjoyment. Luxury brands are toying with the tux’s conventions (fittingly, too, as the tuxedo was originally considered a louchely informal revolt against the tailsand-top-hat crowd), and in a world of athleisure and business casual dress codes, even the most rigid rules are ripe for the bending.