Black tie — what is correct and what is not
Black tie has rules, and the rules exist for a reason. The dinner suit should be in black or midnight blue — midnight blue reads truer black than black under artificial light, and is the more sophisticated choice. The cloth is typically barathea wool (a close, smooth twill with a slight sheen), fine doeskin, or a lightweight even-weave wool with a dull surface. No shiny fabrics, no sequins, no novelty cloths.
The lapel — shawl or peak — is faced in silk grosgrain or satin. This lapel facing is the only permissible source of sheen on the jacket. Silk grosgrain is the traditional choice for British black tie; satin is more commonly used in continental and American evening dress. The difference is subtle; both are correct.
The trouser has a single silk braid down each outer leg seam — not two braids, which is white tie — and no turn-ups. The trouser is worn with braces rather than a belt. No belt loops on a correct dinner trouser.
The shirt is white, with a plain front (no ruffles, no bib) or a pleated front. Stiff separate collar or soft turndown collar — both are acceptable. Double cuffs with cufflinks, not buttons. The bow tie is tied by hand — a pre-tied bow tie is not black tie in any meaningful sense.
How we build a dinner suit
The dinner suit jacket is built to our full-canvas standard for formal commissions of this kind — the canvas is appropriate for the weight of evening cloth and ensures the jacket holds its shape and front across a long evening. The silk lapel facing is stitched by hand at the edge to lie flat and maintain its precision.
We offer single-breasted dinner jackets with a shawl lapel (the most traditional black-tie choice), peak lapel (slightly bolder, also traditional), or notch lapel (more modern, less formally correct but widely accepted). Double-breasted dinner jackets are a correct and elegant alternative.
The trouser is cut with the silk braid applied by hand, and fitted with braces buttons rather than belt loops. We cut the trouser to the correct length for evening dress — slightly longer than a business suit trouser, with a clean small break at the shoe.