What is the difference between a tuxedo and a dinner jacket?
There is none: a tuxedo and a dinner jacket are the same garment. "Dinner jacket" is the British name and "tuxedo" is the American one, taken from Tuxedo Park in New York, where the short evening jacket caught on in the 1880s. In much of Europe it is called a smoking.
In everyday use, and in India especially, the two words have drifted apart a little:
- Tuxedo usually means the complete outfit: the jacket and matching trousers.
- Dinner jacket often means the jacket alone, sometimes in a different colour or cloth, such as velvet or ivory, worn with black formal trousers.
SALVE uses the words the same way. The Nocturne and The Vesper are tuxedos: jacket and trousers cut together. The Pierre and The Palace are dinner jackets, built to be worn with separate formal trousers.
What is the difference between a tuxedo and a suit?
A tuxedo is evening wear with its own set of details; a suit is daywear. Put the two side by side and the tuxedo has:
| Detail | Tuxedo | Suit |
|---|---|---|
| Lapels | Peak or shawl, faced in satin or grosgrain | Notch or peak, same cloth as the jacket |
| Buttons | Covered in the facing fabric | Horn, plastic or metal |
| Pockets | Jetted, no flaps | Usually flapped |
| Back | Traditionally ventless | Single or double vent |
| Trousers | Satin or grosgrain side stripe, side adjusters or braces, no belt loops | Belt loops, no stripe |
| Worn with | Bow tie, formal shirt, cummerbund or waistcoat with a single-breasted jacket | Necktie, day shirt |
Can I wear a black suit instead of a tuxedo?
A black suit is the usual compromise, but it reads as business wear, not evening wear. If the invitation says "black tie", wear a tuxedo. If it says "black tie optional", a dark suit is acceptable and a tuxedo is better. A notch lapel is the detail that most clearly marks a suit, so if you do wear one, keep everything else plain.
Can I wear a tuxedo jacket with jeans or other trousers?
You can wear a tuxedo jacket with dark formal trousers to a cocktail party or a dinner, where it works as a dinner jacket. With jeans it is a costume unless you are very sure of yourself. The satin lapels always read as evening, so the jacket does not work at the office.
The trousers are harder still: the side stripe makes them evening-only.
Is a tuxedo more formal than a suit?
Yes. In the Western dress codes a tuxedo (black tie) sits above a dark suit and below white tie, which is a tailcoat and is now rare outside state and a few ceremonial occasions. At an Indian wedding the reception is usually where black tie belongs; see wearing a tuxedo to an Indian wedding.
Is a smoking jacket the same as a dinner jacket?
No. A smoking jacket is a velvet or silk lounge jacket, often quilted and tied or frogged, historically worn at home. A dinner jacket is formal evening wear for going out. The confusion comes from the European word "smoking", which does mean a tuxedo.
What does a tuxedo include?
When you buy or commission a tuxedo, the jacket and matching trousers are the tuxedo. The rest of the outfit is separate:
- A white formal shirt with a turndown collar and double cuffs
- A black bow tie, ideally self-tied
- A cummerbund or low-cut waistcoat, with a single-breasted jacket only
- Black patent or highly polished plain oxford shoes
- Fine black socks
The full list, with the reasons, is in what to wear with a tuxedo. SALVE's tuxedos are sold as jacket and trousers together at ₹37,500.
Questions, answered
Yes. Dinner jacket is the British name, tuxedo the American one. In common use a dinner jacket can also mean an evening jacket worn with separate black trousers.
After Tuxedo Park, New York, where American society took up the short evening jacket in the 1880s. The British had called it a dinner jacket from the start.
Not convincingly. The facings, covered buttons, jetted pockets and striped trousers are built in from the start.
No. A tuxedo is evening wear, traditionally worn after six. For a daytime formal event, wear a dark suit.
Another British name for a tuxedo: the dinner jacket and its matching trousers together.
