From the designer: Tuxedo Time
Brian Spaly — February 13, 2009 @ 5:09 pm
“Black Tie Only” — Do these words excite you or strike fear into your heart? Hopefully, it’s the former. Here are some guidelines for black tie events:
Never rent a tux. If you are getting married, never make your groomsmen rent tuxes. The only thing worse than a rental tux is a rental suit. Wait, and rental electronics. While we firmly support the idea of renting rather than buying when it comes to homes (and we’ve been saying this about city living since 2005) in the case of clothing it simply doesn’t make sense.
Simple is elegant. Often the best black tie look requires nothing fancier than a clean, pressed white shirt with French cuffs, a lay down collar and no breast pockets. We don’t endorse fancy ruffles or patterns on the chest of tux shirts. They are acceptable but not essential and can be distracting, not to mention the cleaners never seem to be able to press these types of shirts correctly.
Tie a real bowtie. As for the tie and (optional) cummerbund, we suggest you stick with what works best for your outfit, and recommend a nice satin silk black bowtie. If you don’t know how to tie it, there are some great resources online. Anyway it’s just like tying shoelaces….
Slippers are transcendent. To fully achieve the appropriate evening mindset of mischief and merriment, it’s important to have the perfect pair of shoes. Bonobos men tend to wear velvet tuxedo slippers festooned with something completely ridiculous, such as cobras, gold-threaded monograms, or skulls and crossbones….
Throw in some flair. Clever and refined gentleman will have a special pair of cufflinks or perhaps a gold pocket watch reserved for special occasions that call for formal evening attire. Achieve the highest style echelon by wearing a monocle and carrying a silver-tipped, hollow cane filled with something outrageously poisonous, valuable, or perhaps of South American origin (perhaps a dinosaur-DNA slurping mosquito encased in amber?).
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You guys gonna carry some slick shoes like this?
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Great idea. I loved it! Where can I buy those really nice shoes, by the way?
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These are definitely Stubbs & Wootton. Everyone in my family has at least one pair! Their Palm Beach location is best, but they are now available in New York and Southhampton.
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I found this site that has the cool shoes:
http://www.shipton-usa.com/velvet-slippers-and-velvet-shoes-963-0.html
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While these aren’t the pair shown, Barker Black makes almost the exact same pair with their signature skull and crossbones logo that appears on all of their shoes. While pricey, the hand craftsmanship is noticeable and I’ve had mine for years. Perfect for the sartorial gentleman that wants to fit in with the establishment while giving a subtle knock to it…
http://www.barkerblack.com/collection2.html
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shipton, stubbs, barker black – these guys all make great slippers. I would also mention that Team Bonobos has found great options at Ralph Lauren’s Polo redoubts in Chicago and Manhattan, and also at the Rugby stores in same locales.
i’ve started wearing these velvet slippers out in the evenings in manhattan and find they draw pleasant compliments and also provide a great finish to non-black tie outfits.
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My entry for a new pants name–The Greenwich Lean Times.
It’s an homage to the great line, that Greenwich meridian we all learn about in grade school and from which all time starts, all longitude begins… it runs up and down the globe just like the vertical line of a good fitting pair of Bonobos cords runs up and down the well-developed legs of its wearer. It pays deference to the hedge fund capital of the world which has run into some, well, lean times. It’s about that most ineffable of concepts, time, and the small attempts of humankind to put a starting point on it, Greenwich Mean Time, much like humankind’s recent foolishness in trying to control and manage the sprawling world economy comprised of acronyms that no one, except Warren Buffet, understands… CDSs, CDOs, ARMs, TARP.
The GLTs, besides sharing many of the initials of that great sandwich, the BLT, are practical, not showy (these pocket liners have to be real humble); they acknowledge where we are but are optimistic for the future. And, at best, half your customers will either be able to pronounce Greenwich correctly or spell it correctly, but probably not both.
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If only Shipton made a porcupine, I’d place an order immediately.
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Check out Del Toro http://www.buydeltoro.com/. Based in Florida and started by two young guys (kinda like Bonobos)
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