The tuxedo: everything you need to know
Where it belongs at an Indian wedding and where it never does, the kit from collar to shoes, how it should fit, and five things that give it away.
Wedding on 11 or 12 December? Order by 27 November. Christmas? By 11 December. New Year's Eve? By 17 December.
Book a fitting
Black tie has very few rules. That is why everyone notices when you break one.
In Delhi the tuxedo turns up at receptions, cocktail nights, New Year and the occasional gala. It is the simplest thing a man can wear in the evening: black, white and one bow tie. That is exactly why every small mistake shows. Here is all of it, from where to wear one to what goes on your feet.
Where it belongs
-
Very good.
The reception.
For guests, and for plenty of grooms at their own reception.
-
Good.
The cocktail night.
Along with a dark suit or a velvet jacket, it is the natural choice, and the right one if the card says black tie.
-
Good.
New Year, galas and anything that says black tie.
Club balls, hotel parties, award nights.
-
Depends.
The sangeet.
Only if the theme asks for it. Otherwise an Indo-western, a jodhpuri or a kurta with a Nehru jacket.
-
Don't.
The baraat, jaimala and pheras.
The wedding night is for a sherwani or achkan if you are the groom; for guests, a bandhgala, jodhpuri, kurta with a Nehru jacket or a dark suit. Never a tuxedo, and never for a puja or at a gurdwara.
-
Don't.
Anything before sunset.
Black tie is evening dress. In daylight it looks like you never went home.
The kit, top to bottom
| Piece | What to wear |
|---|---|
| Jacket | Black or midnight blue. A shawl collar or peak lapels faced in satin. Single-breasted with one button, or double-breasted. |
| Trousers | Matching cloth, a satin stripe down the side, side adjusters instead of belt loops, no turn-ups. |
| Shirt | White, with a turndown collar and double cuffs for cufflinks. Plain or pleated front. |
| Bow tie | Black, to match the lapel facing. Self-tie if you can; a good pre-tied one is no crime. |
| Waist | Strictly, a black cummerbund or a low-cut waistcoat with a single-breasted jacket; many men at Indian receptions go without. With a double-breasted one, nothing: it stays buttoned. |
| Shoes and socks | Black patent or highly polished black oxfords. Black socks, long enough that no shin shows when you sit. |
| Pocket square | White linen or silk, folded flat. Or none. |
| Watch | Slim, on a black strap. Or none. |
Black, white and one bow tie. The restraint is the point.
How it should fit
The shoulder ends where yours does.No dent below the shoulder seam, no ridge across the back.
One button, closing without strain.Fastened when standing, open when you sit.
About a centimetre of shirt cuff.Showing below the sleeve with your arms at your sides.
Raise your arms at the fitting.Indian receptions involve dancing. The jacket should not ride up when you lift your arms.
More detail, from collar gap to trouser break, is in how a tuxedo should fit.
Five things that give it away
-
Don't.
A belt.
Tuxedo trousers have side adjusters. A belt buckle breaks the one clean line from shirt to shoe.
-
Don't.
A long black tie.
It turns a tuxedo into a dark suit. A bow tie is the whole idea.
-
Don't.
Brown shoes.
Black only. Polished until they look like they belong to the evening.
-
Don't.
A double-breasted jacket worn open.
Open, it flaps. Keep it buttoned all night, even when seated.
-
Don't.
Rented and pinned.
If the sleeves cover your knuckles and the trousers pool at the shoe, everyone can tell. Whatever you wear, get it fitted.
Which one
| Choose | If | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Vesper | It is your first tuxedo. Shawl collar, one button, black or midnight blue. | ₹37,500 with trousers |
| The Nocturne | You want the sharpest line and will keep it buttoned. Double-breasted, peak lapels. | ₹37,500 with trousers |
| The Velour | You already own black and the party is in a Delhi winter. Cotton velvet. | ₹39,500, jacket |
| The Midnight | You want velvet with trousers included. Double-breasted, midnight blue, satin shawl collar. | ₹39,500 with trousers |
| The Ivory | The evening is warm or the wedding is a destination. Off-white. | ₹37,500, jacket |
The Velour and the Ivory are jackets only: wear them with the Evening Line trousers. SALVE makes the Dress Shirt and the Black Tie bow tie too; the shoes are yours. For the full comparison of the four, read the cocktail night: velvet, ivory or black? For shirts, studs and shoes in more detail, see what to wear with a tuxedo.
When to order
A tuxedo takes two weeks, with a fitting about a week after the first visit. Rush delivery takes seven days. For 11 or 12 December, order by 27 November; for Christmas, 11 December, and for New Year's Eve, 17 December. For a reception between 2 and 6 December, order by 18 November. A cutter comes to your home or office in Gurugram or Delhi. Book it here.
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