Depends on the venue and the music and the crowd, just like any other party.  Overall, I find it is an improvement to the general atmosphere.

I go to probably 10-12 black or white tie/tails parties a year, either charity stuff, dinner dance, ball, or party at one of the college clubs. I generally have a great time. Things gradually become less put together as the evening wears on.  For black tie, I wear a narrow lapeled shawl with a batwing bow, turndown, pumps, mother of pearl studs and links, and a plaid (mine is a Macdonald, I think, my grandfather bought it in the Bahamas) or burgundy raw silk cummerbund. There are a few summer black tie things I go to and those with a cream colored shawl DJ, but I use the butterfly bow and burgundy  cummerbund with that. I don't wear wing collars or waistcoat with black tie, I save it for the stiff shirt white tie nights.

Overall,  I think it adds to the party. It does not make or break it, however.    While not an infallible truth, I would say I get more phone numbers in black or white tie than without. And I would also say, the highest probability is that they are gotten not AT the party, but when some of us (or even just me) go out afterwards.

So, in short I think overall it's the opposite of the author's point of view.  That said, I think you could easily achieve his point of view if you only went to black tie parties because they are black tie, hoping that will make it a good time.  Some discrimination is required; it is certainly just as easy, if not easier, to waste a lot of money attending a black tie event than it is getting cocked at your local watering hole.

Last edited by Coolidge (2016-06-28 22:08:45)

/\  +1, great post Coolio!

I like the whole get up- studs, cummerbund, patent leather shoe, etc. Bowties no biggie I use them a lot anyways.
Just the ritual of it.
Saturday at the U Pitt plastic surgery resident's graduation I saw some variations on the theme that caught my eye. The first was a "young" Graduate (they are in their early thirties when they finish) wearing white tie and spats. I liked it.
A very well known and respected surgeon was wearing really tight pants and patent leather cowboy boots. His bow tie was the old western style with droopy ends. Happy trails, I guess.
But the chairman emeritus took the cake. His tux was nothing remarkable, except it was moth-eaten severely at the pants over the left knee, and the jacket by the right pocket (the hole admitted 2 fingers). He had some elaborate black trimmed frills on his shirt and I asked him if that shirt was actually from the early seventies (given the state of his tux). He said no, the shirt was new and then proceeded to take the clip-on frills off (which WERE from the seventies) to show me. Needless to say, the tie was a clip-on too. I can't figure out wether he doesn't give a shit or it was his nice way of saying fuck you all.

Now yer learning...

Its a question of association, maybe over there it still retains associations with the soigne event, a bit Rat Pack a bit Hollywood (in its glamorous age). In Britain it doesn't really carry that, well not to me...It seems like fancy dress. If I have to wear it however (and I have) nowadays I would find it hard to resist the temptation to subvert it in some way, knock the stuffiness out of it.

As for weddings, it is considered incorrect by virtue of it being evening-wear (exception being that it is as evening reception).  A simple lounge or morning suit is far more typical of what the Brits would wear, this cuts across all social-classes. It wouldn't surprise me if a track suit has been worn somewhere though LOL.

I have actually worn white-tie, it was obligatory for my then girlfriends college May Ball.

For my wedding, I wore, as did the best man, a simple mid-grey 3 piece suit.

This is the only thread I could find regarding “BLACK TIE”

I have a black tie event for my best friends late father.

Of course I want to be the dapperest there What would an Ivy leaguer wear to a black tie event?

Does anyone have any outfit picture of yourself day a black tie event? Or does anyone have any old photos of ivy leaguers in tuxedos?

Thanks gents

If you're Miki Dora, wear whatever.

If you're George Plimpton, wear a shawl collar tuxedo, black tie, and point collar shirt.

If you're William F. Buckley, Dick Martin, or a few others, wear a tuxedo, black tie, and white OCBD.

And if you're Richard Press, wear a tuxedo, black tie, and pink OCBD.

I personally have a sack shawl-collar tuxedo, made in Princeton NJ, a black faille silk tie from R. Hanauer, and I'll happily wear a white or pink OCBD with it on the rare occasions I wear black tie. Oh, and I have a cummerbund from R. Hanauer as well. I usually wear black loafers with the whole shebang, because a) don't take life too seriously, and b) I'm not spending money on shoes (or a shirt) I'll wear once a year at most. If some opera pumps dropped into my lap, I'd wear them, but the chances of that happening are pretty slim. I do have some beautiful formal cufflinks and shirt studs I inherited from a grandfather, but chances are I'll never actually use them because I'd end up feeling like Bertie Wooster.

Why not put on a funny hat? Or are you afraid of getting noticed?

Eveybody knows that Ivy people always wore funny hats because their privileged background.