Formal Wear Etiquette
From Top Hat and Tails to Tuxedo - What to Wear When
At Al's Formal Wear, we know how important it is to look your best on your special day, whether it be your wedding or your prom. Making sure you are dressed your best is our business and we understand that you want your wedding, special event or prom to be as perfect as you've always imagined. (At least as perfect as your bride, wife or date has always imagined!)
Compared to the challenge women have of finding the dress of their dreams out of countless options, men have it easy. The men just have to know their size, occasion, and personal preferences.
While it may seem easy for the men in the beginning, knowing what to wear when can be very daunting. With over two million men going to formal events each year, Al's Formal Wear is here to help. There are definite rules about what to wear and when. No matter the setting or tone of your special event, Al's Formal Wear provides confident styling options for the momentous occasion of your wedding or formal affair. We are committed to assisting you with the selection of formal wear and accessories, and promise to help you get it right.
For a woman, it is the daunting challenge of finding the picture-perfect, figure-flattering, hopefully affordably-priced, fantasy-inspired gown amongst a seemingly never-ending range of possibilities. For the groom, special event guest or prom date, it is usually a lot less fuss and is as simple as knowing your size and properly matching your formal wear to the occasion and your personal style -- and, of course, remembering to buy new, black socks!
Men's formal wear consists of several basic, styling essentials including jacket, pants, shirt, tie, and waistcoat (vest) or cummerbund. However, knowing which version of these basics matches what occasion is important. The following formal wear etiquette guide will help you in choosing the perfect attire for your special day. Just match up your event (Semi-Formal vs. Formal), setting (Daytime vs. Evening) and style (Traditional vs. Contemporary) to find the perfect attire for your event!
| Daytime (before 6:00 pm) |
Formal | Semi-Formal | ||
| Traditional | Contemporary | Traditional | Contemporary | |
| Jacket | Gray Cutaway | Tuxedo or Cutaway in your choice of variety of colors | Black or charcoal Tuxedo | Tuxedo or Cutaway in your choice of variety of colors |
| Pants | Gray stripe | Match jacket | Gray stripe | Match jacket |
| Shirt | White wing collar (or White laydown collar) | White formal shirt | White pleated, laydown collar shirt | White formal shirt |
| Accessories and Tie | Pearl gray waistcoat or vest and ascot (or gray-and-black striped four-in-hand tie with laydown collar shirt) | Vest or cummerbund and bow tie to match jacket and pants | Dove gray waistcoat and striped four-in-hand tie | Vest or cummerbund and bow tie to match jacket and pants |
| Shoes | Kid style black, smooth-toe | Formal, to match | Kid style black, smooth-toe | Formal, to match |
| Other | Gray gloves, Top Hat, Spats | Gray gloves | ||
| Evening (after 6:00 pm) |
Formal | Semi-Formal | ||
| Traditional | Contemporary | Traditional | Contemporary | |
| Jacket | Black Tailcoat | Tailcoat in your choice of variety of colors | Black Classic Tuxedo (winter); White Dinner Jacket (summer) | Tuxedo or Tailcoat in your choice of variety of colors |
| Pants | Black | Match jacket | Black | Match jacket |
| Shirt | White, piqué, wing-collar shirt | White formal shirt | White, pleated front or piqué shirt | White formal shirt |
| Accessories and Tie | White piqué vest or waistcoat and white bow tie | Vest (or cummerbund) and bow tie to complement jacket and pants | Black vest (or cummerbund) and bow tie | Vest (or cummerbund) and bow tie to complement jacket and pants |
| Shoes | Black patent smooth-toe | Formal, matching color | Black patent smooth-toe | Formal, matching color |
| Other | White gloves | No gloves |