Hey Hugo, definitely don’t overdo it! Prom is formal, but not black-tie. A classic notch lapel is perfectly fine. Also, no, those don’t really exist 😉

Hey Shane, we’re not big on contrasting suit lapels, that is, unless it’s a something like a blue tuxedo with black lapels. For day-to-day suits, we think that one color is the best look.

Hey there, Francis!

First, you can wear a waistcoat instead of a cummerbund, yes. A waistcoat is slightly different than a typical vest and is the choice here since you are wearing a tuxedo which calls for the utmost formality (you can read about the differences here). That leads us into point #2 — We would first recommend that you rock a bow-tie instead of a normal black tie. Since you’re wearing a black tuxedo with a shawl lapel, you’re really escalating the formality game — formality a bow-tie can match much better.

As to your second question on vertical-enhancing tips, there are several! We hate to point you to another article, but we also don’t hate that at all ;). In actuality, there’s just too much to post on a single comment, so brisking through this post will be much easier.

Hey Paul!

The thing to keep in mind here is whether or not the collar is “tall” or long enough to lay neatly under the lapel. By historical standard, one should wear one of two types of collars with any tuxedo: classic (semi-spread) or wing-tip collar. In today’s modern setting, spread collars are also acceptable. Regardless of what you choose, the main thing is to make sure there is absolutely zero, zilch, no separation between the collar and the lapel. Lastly, if you need more information, a classic collar (semi-spread) tends to look better because it points downwards as opposed to outwards, helping achieve a more symmetrical look to the shape of the shawl.

Hope this helps!

Hello, Ann!

Neapolitan Style Lapels are notorious for being extra wide, that is up to around 10.14cm (4 inches). If you want to compare that to the traditional lapels, you can read here!

Like a face tattoo, a shawl lapel suit is both extreme and permanent. Further, it will make your jacket look less formal not more. Remember, the shawl lapel is one of the signatures of the smoking jacket, a decidedly leisurely piece of clothing. So if anything, the shawl chills out a tux, rather than dressing up a suit. For a good breakdown of all the different dress codes check out Decode the Dress Code: Weddings Edition where we dig into what exactly each dress code means.

There are still plenty of ways to step up the formality in your existing suits. Try these for starters:

1. Wear a French cuff shirt and cufflinks. A little wrist bling always elevates the look
2. Keep the shirts solid and white (not all white shirts are dressy, but patterned and non-white shirts almost always ratchet down the formality.
3. Lace up. A loafer is for loafing around, a pair of derbies works, but Oxfords and whole cuts are the dressiest dress shoes. (Need a primer on what all those different kinds of shoes are? Check out our list of the Best Dress Shoes For Men.)

Finally, our most important bit of advice, subscribe to The Compass. We’ll give you a weekly dose of intel on all things personal style and serve up loads of inspiration for outfits.

There are tons of lightweight, warm weather appropriate fabrics in our collection (You can see some of our favorites in our Summer Shop). Many of them are not in season now but two of the most versatile and stylish are the Tobacco Brown and Cool Gray Linen Blend suits. These two look great on a variety of hair colors and skin tones and are some of our most popular suits for warm weather. Take a look and email us at concierge@blacklapel.com if you have any questions about how to get one of them.

Nope. 99.9% of the shawl lapels you’ll see out there are on tuxedos. They are not considered appropriate businesswear because of their association with festive affairs. Wear one to an interiew and it would only serve to distract the interviewer from focusing on why you’re so good for the job and turning his/her attention toward your clothes. Rule #1 of interview attire is nothing that attracts too much attention. A shawl lapel is just the kind of quirky thing that would attract undue attention.

Shawl lapels on tuxedos were inspired by the smoking jackets gentlemen of leisure wore in a relaxed setting. This may have been good for Hugh Hefner as he chilled by the grotto at the Playboy Mansion, but it is not appropriate for the office, so the shawl lapel is not considered business attire. That’s why you don’t see shawl lapel business suits.

If you love the look of shawl lapels, we have, on rare occassions, seen a particularly luxe sport jacket turned into a smoking jacket/sport jacket mashup by making it with shawl lapels. Pulling off this look, though, requires sure hand when it comes to style. If your friends are used to you showing up for Saturday poker night in jeans and an untucked oxford shirt, then one week you roll up in a shawl lapel sport jacket, you’ll be asked to do some explaining.

Unfortunately that’s not a true tuxedo, Bilal. That’s what we like to call a tuxedo impostor. Navy blue pants without a satin stripe are just navy blue suit pants.

The reason we don’t sell tuxedos with notch lapels is because it isn’t really OK. Notch lapels are too casual for a tuxedo, making it a faux pas. It’s almost like wearing sneakers with a tuxedo, and we wouldn’t recommend that either. We say shawl and peak lapels only for a tux.

Hey, Jake. Thanks for spelling out your concerns here. We’ll answer accordingly…

1. Satin lapels aren’t required. However, satin lapels will make the dinner jacket look more formal and is more standard of a classic black tie look. A normal, wide peak lapel is a more modern look, but is certainly still acceptable and classy. If you’re having trouble deciding, we suggest you head to Pinterest and search “mens white dinner jacket”. Tons of inspiration will pop up and this could give you a better idea of what you want to look like at the wedding. On the flip side, if you’re getting satin lapels, your jacket pockets should have satin lining as well. No satin lining is needed if you opt for normal lapels.
2. If you are wearing a dinner jacket, you must wear tuxedo pants (with the satin lining). Wearing a dinner jacket with regular black suit pants is what we like to call a tuxedo impostor. It’s a big style no-no. Even if you wear a dinner jacket without satin lapels, your tuxedo pants will still need the satin stripe down the leg.

Hope this helps. Enjoy the wedding!

We don’t recommend a vest, unless you mean a matching cummerbund to your tux. We can approve of a tie as opposed to a bow tie, but stick to a sleek black tie. This is less of a classic black-tie look, but still very dapper.

Nope. Specatator shoes are more casual. Ever since the most recent Great Gatsby movie came out there’s been a renewed interest in spectator shoes, but many guys are misunderstanding the idea. The spectator shoe was so named because it was originally created for cricket spectators to wear to games way back in 1868. Watching a game, back in the day, meant being on the field and spectators needed a shoe that was hearty enough for turf. So the design, which featured different leather types and layers, was born. They were considered sportswear (remember, this was back in the day before sneakers were widely available, when sports shoes still looked more like dress shoes).

So all of that is to say that wearing a pair of spectator shoes with a tux may not be as big of a mistake as wearing a pair of Air Jordans with black tie, but it’s headed in that direction. Steer clear of this fashion faux pas with a shoes that fits black tie, like patent leather oxfords or dress slippers.

Well, Marcel, the question of whether or not to wear a tuxedo is better answered by the groom and bride than us. We suggest you check on the dress code and then check out our article on what to wear to any wedding.

As for whether or not a shawl lapel will look good on you. Your height has nothing bearing on it. As we said above if you have an extremely round face or body we don’t recommend a shawl lapel, otherwise, it’s just a matter of your preference.

These questions and more are answered in our Black Tie 101 article, which is recommended reading for anybody looking to get their hands on a tux. To answer your questions specifically:

1. A dinner jacket (the top half of your tuxedo) should have 1 button. This is an essential tradition and a rule we never advise breaking.
2. The cuffs feature four buttons as you can see on the left arm of this gentleman here.
3. Either shirt collar type is appropriate for a black tie affair but, as you can see from how we photograph our own tuxedos, we prefer the turn down collar.

We’re a little confused here, Alzi. If you’re wondering if you can wear a blazer to prom, we wouldn’t recommend that. As for turning a blazer into a tuxedo, do you mean matching a blazer with tuxedo pants? This is sort of a black tie no-no. You could just wear a nice, full suit to your prom if you’re stressed about not having a tuxedo to wear.

There are no synonyms for lapel in English, Suresh. There are plenty of synonyms for wide. A simple Google search uncovers broad, extensive, spacious, vast and spread out. But lapels are a specific thing. That’s like asking for a synonym for cigar. To quote Freud “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”

This is impossible and would, in fact, ruin the jacket. Guess it’s time for a new jacket!

We didn’t understand the question, Josh. Can you rephrase it?

Totally, your call. Tarun, but our concierges are always ready to help you customize your Black Lapel suit however you like. But that’s more of a private conversation (not a blog comment reply), so let’s move the conversation over to email. Email us at concierge@blacklapel.com and one of our stylists will help you out.

Since this question was best answered with your specific needs in mind we hope the answer we sent via email was helpful, Carlo. Feel free to follow up for my advice from a stylist either here or via email.

If you have a 32″ chest, you should get a jacket made for a 32″ chest, not one made for some other size.

All of the tuxedos we make are made to your measurements. We make suits and tuxes for a lot of guys who are in a similar position to yours Mandeep. For guys in your shoes off-the-rack clothes don’t fit because most stores simply don’t make your size, so you’re forced to get clothes that are kind of close to fitting and end up looking off. An ill-fitting tuxedo is definitely something you want to avoid. After all, what’s the point of getting dressed up for a special event in a tuxedo if it’s not going to look good on you?

So we recommend that you get a proper set of measurements and get a tuxedo made to those measurements. Whether you get it from Black Lapel or someone else, is up to you, but we’re pretty sure you’ll look better (without spending more) in a made-to-measure tux.

Glad we were able to help you out via email, Deric. Enjoy your tuxedo & waistcoat and be sure to send us pics from the wedding!

We offer all of the options you mentioned, Mike. They are truly up to your personal preferences, so rather than have a public conversation about customizing your tux, we’ve answered your questions via email.

For the record, if anybody else out there is stuck on customization choices and reading this, feel free to email us our stylists for one-on-one advice at concierge@blacklapel.com

Sounds like you’ve got yourself a celebrity style proxy, there, Liam. What’s a celebrity style proxy? It’s a dude who looks like you and often looks fly on film. In the case of Jaden Smith, he’s a little young to be pictured in anything formal enough to wear to your prom. Instead, take a cue from his stylish dad, who cleans up nice in a shawl lapel tuxedo. The double-breasted things is a little much for the prom, but a tux isn’t.

First things first, nothing about a tuxedo should ever be normal. Tuxedos should make you feel like James Bond.

Anyway, on tuxedo peak lapels, the satin or grosgrain on the lapels should stop at the pointed edges of the lapel. The satin or grosgrain is carried around the neck when a tuxedo has a shawl lapel, which has a continuous curve without breaks or points.

Only if you want to look like as good as Ryan Gosling. Hint: Your date wants you to look as good as Ryan Gosling, or Matt Bomer or Chris Pratt or pretty much anybody you wouldn’t leave your date alone with).

In other words, yes, Zach, a shawl lapel is a great choice for the tuxedo you’re wearing to your prom.

A waistcoat is completely optional, but we love looks like this because they give you more ways to wear the suit.

As you can also see, from that suit, we do not think a white shirt is a must even for a wedding. That said, you should have a lot of white shirts. White shirts are the well-dressed man’s best friend.

Of course, Rick. As we covered in Black Tie 101, a black vest (called a “waistcoat” in formal wear circles) is the traditional alternative to a cummerbund when you’ve got on a tuxedo.

All of what you’d like to do is possible. In fact, it’s what we do at Black Lapel. We make customized suits to your exact measurements. To get one of these suits, take a look at our collection of fabrics, pick one out you like, customize it and have a friend help you enter your measurements and you can order right away.

The customization and the measurements will handle most of what you’d like in your suit. As for the satin, we handle special requests through our concierge service. Just send us a note at concierge@blacklapel.com when you’re ready to order and we’ll walk you through it.

What you’re describing is referred to as a gorge line, David. There was a time when well-dressed men used gorge lines to create proportion and balance. You won’t find many photos of the dapper 6’3″ actor Gary Cooper where the gorge line is not low.

In the 1980s Armani lead the march toward lower and lower gorge lines on everybody, regardless of height. Many designers followed suit (see the low gorge line employed by the costumers for The Wolf of Wall Street, set in the ’80s, or some of those showstoppers the wardrobe department three Don Johnson’s way back in the Miami Vice days).

If you’re particularly tall, David, you can tell everyone how you picked the suit for it’s low gorge line. That’s play well at cocktail parties…well, at least if you go to cocktail parties with a bunch of clotheshorses like us.

If you mean a pocket square, the answer is yes. We never go without pocket squares and definitely wouldn’t wear a tuxedo (the most common place you’ll see a shawl lapel) without one.

You can find slim peak lapels from one custom clothier we know of. Their name rhymes with “whack the bell” and you’re on their website right now. All of our suits and tuxes come with the choice of regular and slim peak lapels.

As for the waistcoat etiquette, we’re not really sticklers for that sort of thing, but traditionally a cummerbund is for both peak and shawl lapel but a waistcoat is only worn with a peak lapel. Are you going to get kicked out of a black tie event for wearing a waistcoat with a shawl lapel? Probably not, but at least now you’ll know, if you do it, that you are breaking with tradition.

It’s hard to picture the two items going together since they come from such different sartorial traditions. That’s not to say that it can’t be pulled off, we’ve just not seen it.

So, given that, this is kind of a shot in the dark, but we’d say match the bow tie color to the jacket. If the jacket’s black, stick with a black bow tie.

Your slimness shouldn’t really affect your choice of shawl or peak lapel. Both are appropriate for a black tie outfit regardless of your build.

What will make a difference, is how wide those lapels are. If you were to order a peak lapel from Black Lapel, we’d offer you the choice between slim and regular peak lapels. In that case, your stylist would likely recommend a slim lapel. To pick the conversation up privately, drop us a line at concierge@blacklapel.com.

Resisting the urge to call it an atrocity, we can say that lapel trim is certainly popular in fast-fashion stores these days. Call us traditionalists, but we’re sitting this trend out.

This is a tough one, Craig. The narrow ties and lapels of the late 50s and early 60s were a reaction to the wide style that were in vogue in the early 50s and 40s. The pendulum swung too far back to wide in the 70s and 80s, we evened out in the 90s and then trimmed down further in the first decade of the 21st century.

Will the pendulum swing back as drastically as it did in the 70s? We doubt it. Super-skinny has always been “out” in our book but the slim ties and lapels are too lasting to call a trend, more a preference. So we say wear you slim ties and lapels without fear of reproach.

Since you are a medium sized guy, the choice of lapel types in a tuxedo is less about width and more about your personal style. If you are getting a tux for conservative formal affairs like galas, a peak lapel might be more appropriate. On the flip side, if you’re planning to wear it for more fun-loving events like weddings and New Year’s Eve parties, a shawl lapel, with it’s slightly more Hefner-esque style might be the look for you.

The good news is, there is no right answer. Both shawl and peak lapels are perfectly acceptable for any black tie affair, so you really can’t go wrong.

You would be going against the “rules” of black tie to wear a neck tie with your tuxedo no matter what type of lapel you have. (Many guys are hesitant to go all the way with their black tie outfits and wear an actual black bow tie.)

That said, we put the word rules in quotation marks because we don’t believe in slavishly following the rules. We have even worn long neck ties with tuxedos to take the formality down a notch at “Black Tie Optional” affairs. The key to breaking that rule it is to follow the lapel width/tie width rule we suggested above. Don’t rock a super skinny tie with a regular sized shawl lapel. But if you want to wear a proportionally balanced long neck tie with the shawl lapel jacket go right ahead.

A shawl lapel is a stylish choice for an evening jacket (aka a tuxedo), Sheetal, but for everyday wear a shawl lapel suit or blazer is less appropriate. You can do it (it looks kind of fly) but know that you’ll get comments and will likely be the only one rocking a shawl lapel when not in a tuxedo and that you’re breaking with traditional menswear. Your call.

That’s what we’re here for! For more on this topic check out our story on the right shirt collar for you.

By peak collar, do you mean a wing tip shirt collar? If so, the answer is, yes, a wing tip collar is always appropriate for a black tie affair. That said, if you’re concerned about it disappearing under a fuller face, go with a white shirt with a hidden placket and a turndown collar. The hidden placket will cover the buttons so you don’t have a row of buttons showing under your bow tie and the turndown collar will give you a more modern black tie look.

The beauty of a turndown collar dress shirt for black tie events is that you can also wear it with other outfits (a wing tip collar is pretty much only appropriate for black tie). That’s why we never turn down a chance to wear a turndown.

None, in our book. The only time we ever wear a different lapel color than our jacket’s body color is when we wear a non-black tuxedo. We always keep our tuxedo lapels black to keep the whole look black tie. Otherwise, we recommend steering clear of contrasting lapel colors, Marc.

We wouldn’t suggest wearing a black suit with a shawl lapel to anything work related. It will come off looking like a half-hearted attempt at a tuxedo, which will only lead people to wonder “why did that guy wear a tuxedo to this convention?”

That is not to say the shawl lapel has no place outside of the black tie dinner jacket. We have been known to wear shawl lapel blazers around Black Lapel from time to time. Of course, we have a lot of blazers and the shawl lapel ones are not in the regular rotation. They come out every so often and we all marvel at how stylish and fashion forward the wearer is. Then they’re gone for a while. Wear one every couple of days and it’ll lose its novelty.

In summary: shawl lapels, like fine liquors, are best used in moderation.

We’ll assume you’re wondering about our favorite lapel type here, Aldrei, since you wrote “regardless of colour.” That’s like asking us which of our children do we love the most. It really comes down to what kind of wedding it is. Some weddings call for the traditional formality of a peak lapel, others call for the slightly more relaxed look of the shawl lapel.

There is one thing we can rule out and that’s a notch lapel. One rule of menswear we abide by is “Thou shalt not put a notch lapel on a dinner jacket.”

And, for the record, we’re partial to this color for weddings.

It depends on the jacket, Ramcho. Most of the time shawl lapels are found on dinner jackets as part of a tuxedo. In that case, a bow tie is necessary to complete the look. A long necktie would not be appropriate.

A shawl lapel on, say, a sport jacket is less common. When doing that a long necktie is optional. If you’re going for the laid back lounge wear look, going without a tie will put more visual emphasis on the shawl lapels (without the tie to distract people’s eyes). If you’re looking to keep the lapels understated and want to downplay them a bit, wear a bold tie with it. Either way, you’re stepping out a bit, so this is not a conservative look, but it is a stylish one.

The U-shaped lapel isn’t seen much these days, but it’s a nice touch. It’s more common to see it on a vest, but can look pretty fly on a jacket.

If you’d like a lapel like this for either your jacket or vest, email concierge@blacklapel.com and we’ll help you get this customization on your tux.

That’s a Royal Blue Tuxedo by, you guessed it, Black Lapel. It’s real and it’s spectacular!

Glad we could help, Divesh. And, assuming all goes according to plan, we’ve got you covered for wedding outfit ideas too.

Congrats!

Sorry Bobbie, what you see on the site is what we’ve got, when it comes to tuxes. While there’s not much demand for red tuxedos, the royal blue one is a stylish choice for weddings. Check out that tux here.

Great question, Eric. No, there’s no need to break out your measuring tape every time you put on a tie. The width of the lapel and the width of the tie ought to be close to keep everything in proportion but they don’t need to be exactly the same.

Of course, we offer regular width and slim lapels on all Black Lapel jackets…just sayin’.

We’ll assume you’re asking if you could order a suit with shawl lapels. In that case, yes, you could put shawl lapels on a non-tuxedo jacket, but unless you’ve got a full collection of suits with notch and/or peak lapels we don’t recommend it. Walk before you run, Eyasu. Stock up on the essentials, then explore the sartorial extremes.

Not unless you work at Black Lapel! We’re a little more adventurous than most offices, though. Since the shawl lapel is more associated with the smoking jacket/leisure suit, it’s not recommended for the office.

Sure, Sonette. Send pics to concierge@blacklapel.com and we’ll give you a hand. If it’s got to do with lapels, we consider it our business!

Who knew jackets could be so interesting? We did! Now you know too.

The shawl lapel in the photo is 2.25″ but beware of absolute measurements, Jonathan. That tuxedo was made custom for the wearer and the lapel width will vary some depending on the size of your chest. Since we make everything custom, we keep the proportions the same from suit to suit. That’s the beauty of custom: the proportions are perfect.

These are sometimes called “square lapels” and they can loop pretty sharp. If you’re interested in doing this with your tuxedo jacket, we’d suggest you email concierge@blacklapel.com when placing your order and let one of our stylists help you get this look.

We could, and will, write a whole article on how to make the most of a single suit for the guy who only wears a suit occasionally, but in the meantime, here are a couple of bits of advice from the Compass archives.

First, we would direct you to out What to Wear to an Interview story where we highlighted the benefits of the Charcoal Gray Suit. It’s a versatile choice for the guy who doesn’t suit up on the regular. Next we’ll point you to two stories that are perfect for someone who wants to get the most out of their investment. One is How to Dress Down Your Suit Jacket. The second story is How to Wear a Vest Casually. Both of these stories will give you ideas for how to get a lot of use out of one suit.

As for fit and customization choices, it’s all about getting your measurements right first, then choosing customization options work for you. We’d be happy to give you detailed, one-on-one advice to help you through this process. Just email: concierge@blacklapel.com when you’re ready to measure yourself and we’ll help you lock in the look you want.

There are not likely to be any black tie wonks hiding in the bushes wherever you wear your tux, waiting to jump out and scream “Aha! You, sir, are a perpetrator of black tie fraud. For, you have worn the improper bow tie with that shawl lapel tuxedo. Begone, you scoundrel!” And even if that guy did exist and did jump out of the bushes and say that to you, you could probably take him.

That said, a diamond bow tie is a tad bit less formal than a more traditional butterfly, just as a shawl lapel tux is a touch less formal than a peak lapel. So, technically, you’ve already taken a step down the informal road with the tux, why not keep going with a diamond bow tie? For more on the rules of black tie, check out our Black Tie 101 story. For more creative ways to break said rules, check out our Beyond Black Tie story.

Kanye has been known to rock a Band of Outsiders dinner jacket that sounds like the one you’re talking about. Band of Outsiders stuff pricey (Kanye’s jacket cost, allegedly, $1,824). If you’re looking for a more affordable off-white option, you’ll have to give up on the black shawl lapel and go with something like this.

If it doesn’t have to be off-white, we offer stylish and more versatile options: the Royal Blue and Navy tuxedos. Both of those come with black lapels and, unlike ivory-colored dinner jackets, you can wear these year round.

For more unorthodox views on Black Tie, take a look at our Beyond Black Tie story that features these two tuxedos.

We’ll assume you’re referring to the BLUE tuxedo above, not the “blur” tuxedo (we don’t have one that makes you appear blurry). That is the Solid Royal Blue Tuxedo.

Traditionally a bow tie is made with silk, however the lapels are not. The lapels on a tuxedo are made with either satin or grosgrain. That’s what makes a tuxedo lapel unique.

That depends on who you ask. Traditionally tuxedos don’t have vents.

This piece is about lapels, though. Keep an eye on The Compass, we’ve got a story on different ways to wear a tuxedo coming soon.

A peak lapel, slim or regular, can work without a tie if the suit would otherwise work without a tie, Drew. In other words, don’t try this with a tuxedo or a more business formal look like a pinstripe.

If you like a more traditional wider tie, like those from Brooks Brothers, a wider lapel is suitable (get it…that’s a little custom clothing humor for ya). Of course if you’re a big fan of Mad Men and like your ties skinnier than Mary Kate and/or Ashley, then a 4″ lapel would probably look a bit disproportional. In that case, don’t trash the suit, especially since you like the way it looks, just get a wider tie for the wedding…then (shameless plug) order a bunch of suits from Black Lapel.

Andy, there’s no reason you can’t pull off a peak lapel 3-piece suit with a slimmer build. Just keep the lapels in proportion and don’t go too wide!

Notch lapels on double-breasted suits made some appearances in the 70’s and 80’s (e.g. Eddie Murphy in 48hrs), but if you’re looking for a more timeless DB look, we’d suggest sticking with the peak lapel, regardless of the occasion.

Santino – It’s very close! Here’s a great rundown of the suit you’re referring to. That said, we think our tux is sexier. 😉

Close. 🙂 That’s our Solid Charcoal Blue Suit.

Yep, it’s a little preview of what’s to come in our spring collection! 😉

That tuxedo will be available in the Spring Collection!!!! 😀