Classic Tuxedo - Formalwear, Black Tie for Weddings, Black Tie Events, Prom

In the 70’s Tuxedos were colorful & free spirited. Baby blue was the most popular-- the only thing traditional about the tuxedo was the bow tie. You could find colored ruffle shirts, big ties, velvet lapels & a rainbow of colors. The 70’s was the era of a wonder fabric called polyester and it was everywhere.

The 80’s gave way to the Regan era. Regan is credited by many historians for bringing back the black tuxedo. The black tuxedo was back worn with a wing collar shirt and a colored cummerbund you would be the quintessential usher for an 80’s wedding. Some other tuxedo fashions that saw their rise & fall in the 80’s were gray tuxedos. There were light gray, dark gray and of course striped gray. The black tuxedo with a bold pinstripe was hot in the mid to late 80’s. The 80’s also saw the introduction of designer labels to the tuxedo rental industry. There were Bill Blass, Christian Dior, & the biggest designer of the 80’s Pierre Cardin.

The 90’s saw the continuation of the black tuxedo. Somewhere in the 90’s the cummerbund gave way to the vest. People started wearing double-breasted tuxedos. Banded collars shirts became a trend. And there was oh so much paisley. Paisley was the single hottest pattern 1st on cummerbunds then on vests.

The Millennium: By the time the Millennium rolled around most backless vest became full-back vests. Black is the predominate color for tuxedos. The tuxedos of the millennium have gone higher, with more buttons on the coat. In the 80’s & 90’s the one button tuxedo was king. But for the Millennium it’s the two button, three button & even the four button tuxedo that rules the roost. The vest have gone higher as well and we are now all seeing shade of gray-- dark gray, light gray, silver platinum, these are among the hottest vest colors. Then there are shirts, for the first time in more than 15 years the lay down shirt is the predominate shirt. Worn with the newest update to the traditional tuxedo the Windsor tie. The timeless look of the tuxedo now has a new twist, once again. So who’s wedding pictures will look more timeless in thirty years. They guy from the 70’s in the baby blue tuxedos with the ruffles or the guy from the Millennium in his black three button notch tuxedo with lay down shirt, Windsor tie & dark gray vest? You decide !

###