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Over 70 styles of tuxedos. A wide variety of shirts, vests, and ties … in a range of colors. The combination is almost limitless. These common formalwear terms will help you to make more educated selections.
4-in-hand Tie: A necktie fastened in a slipknot like a man’s regular necktie.
Ascot: A wide scarf or necktie, knotted so that its broad ends are laid flat upon each other, usually worn with a cutaway tuxedo.
Band Bow Tie: A bow tie with an adjustable band that wraps around the collar of the shirt and connects with a clasp.
Besom Pocket: A very narrow piping above the pocket slit. Can be satin besom or self besom, with flap.
Button Cover: An ornamental device worn at the neck of the shirt, clipping onto the button of the collar.
Collar: The turned-back material of the coat that falls around the back of the neck. Can be made of satin or the same material as the coat.
Crosswick (Banded Collar) Shirt: A formal shirt with banded collar only, no wings. Worn with fancy button covers and usually features a wide pleated front.
Cuff Links: Ornamental device of two parts joined by a shank, chain, or bar for passing through button holes to fasten the shirt cuffs.
Cummerbund: A broad sash worn over the waistband of the pants. Pleats are worn with the opening facing up.
Cutaway: Also known as the 'morning suit'. Usually a dark grey coat worn traditionally in the morning for weddings. The coat is tailcoat length, buttons in the front and angles to the tail. Worn with striped pants, wing collar shirt, pearl grey vest and ascot tie.
Dinner Jacket: A white or contrasting jacket worn with black trousers.
Double Besom Pocket: A pocket with two narrow pipings in satin or self besom above and below the slit, without flap.
Double Breasted Coat: A tuxedo coat that overlaps itself in the front.
Double Breasted Vest: A vest that overlaps itself in the front.
Formal Shoes: Typically a patent leather shoe with a glossy finish.
French Cuff: A wide shirt cuff that is folded back and fastened with a cufflink.
Full Back Vest: A vest which has a full back panel sewn in.
Full Dress Tails: Known as the tailcoat, a very formal coat that is short in the front and long in the back.
Gorge: Where the lapels start and the collar ends on a coat.
High Cut Vest: A vest that has more buttons on the front, and closes higher and closer to the collar.
Lapel: The turned back material between the coat collar and the front button. Can be of satin or same material as the coat.
Mandarin Collar: A formal shirt with banded collar only and no wings, usually featuring a wide pleated front.
Notch Lapel: A notch is cut out between the coat collar and the lapel.
Pique Shirt/Vest: A white shirt or vest with a waffle-like texture on the front panel and cuffs.
Shawl Collar: A coat where there is no change from the collar to the lapel. Instead, it is a rounding continuation of the collar.
Shirt: Shirts are available pleated, unpleated, with several different types of collars and cuffs, a variety of colors, and may come with or without studs. Single Breasted Coat: A coat that does not overlap in the front, and can have one, two, three, four or even a high five button front.
Straight Collar (also called laydown collar): Similar to most men’s dress shirts, a regular fold over style collar.
Stroller: Matching short coat to the cutaway. Worn with striped trousers, pearl vest, straight (also called laydown) collar shirt and 4-in-hand tie.
Studs: A small ornamental button mounted on a short post for insertion through an eyelet next to the shirt button.
Tuxedo: Specifically used to refer to a suit length coat, single or double breasted with satin lapels. Generally used to refer to all men’s formalwear.
Waist Coat: Also known as the Spencer or Eton. Resembles a full dress without the tails.
Wing Collar: Also known as stand up collar, this is a formal shirt, usually with a pleated front that has wing-like pointed appendages. |
