Dinner Jackets/tuxedos, Lapels, shirts? Options

[all ears]

Son came home with a flyer for black-tie formal wear in his university enrolment pack. Teachers have already told him to have kit ready for short-notice work, as well as university performances. Unfortunately, I know that the brand they offer does not fit gorilla-arms Viohazard, especially when playing an instrument. The flyer depicts a rather odd get-up (wing collar shirt seems too formal for a shawl collar jacket to me).

I haven't been to a black tie event outside Japan for decades, so please tell: what black tie outfits are forumite men wearing (and their appreciative female colleagues observing)?

Viohazard himself wants a peaked lapel in grosgrain, and this is what my non-Japanese relatives have, but the standard here is shawl-collar...maybe more US in style, or maybe that's more common everywhere now???

And are people really wearing wing collars with all black-tie jackets?

[Halka]

We're not really a black tie event kind of family. However, 18 year old son has been to a couple of such events recently and has certainly worn wing collar shirts to both. At the first he borrowed his dad's, and at the time I thought it was a bit of a giggle, but on the second occasion we hired a dinner suit which came with a shirt and that, also, was wing collar. But I'm wondering if there's a distinction between dinners and performances (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) .

[Violin Hero]

I personally don't wear wing collar shirts with my tuxedo but some people I know do.

Also I don't think people wear shawl collar jackets for performances, at least I havn't anyone that has. I t may be different in Japan but here in England I don't think shawl collar jackets are very popular.

[TSax]

I was playing at a black tie event last night - all the men in the band were wearing normal collar shirts and standard collar jackets.

[Tenor Viol]

Shawl collars seem to have had a slight revival (60s nostalgia?) recently as both are currently available. I prefer notched lapel - youngsters seem to like peak lapels....

You need to be tall to get away with a double-breasted jacket, ergo I can't!

Personally, on the shirt front I prefer a standard two part collar (i.e. "normal") with a classic Marcella bib front.

Although I have a wing collar shirt, I tend to think they go better with tails than DJ. Choir dress soesn't currently run to tails (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[Halka]

The flyer depicts a rather odd get-up (wing collar shirt seems too formal for a shawl collar jacket to me).

Not being expert on these things I've just checked out the "jacket lapels" page of Wikipedia! I agree that would look strange. To my mind the shawl collar looks like a dressing gown, so certainly wouldn't look good with wing collar. Son's hire suit had what seems to be described as "pointed" lapel on the website, and the pointy character of the wing collar suits the pointy nature of the lapel ok, I think.

[all ears]

Thank you all very much! Very informative. I would actually sew him a soft-front shirt if I had the time, but he would be toothless and I in my grave before it got finished.

[Arundodonuts]

Not being expert on these things I've just checked out the "jacket lapels" page of Wikipedia!

I'm glad someone had to. This is all double dutch to me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[STRINGMUM]

Sometimes in orchestra my son wears a standard collar DJ, a white dress shirt with a normal collar and bow tie. At other time they wear black shirts and DJs. All thansks to Marks and Spencer who do a washable DJ.

[Hedgehog]

Sometimes in orchestra my son wears a standard collar DJ, a white dress shirt with a normal collar and bow tie. At other time they wear black shirts and DJs. All thansks to Marks and Spencer who do a washable DJ.

Oooh yes. We have one of those. Very useful for teenage boys. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[stetenorve]

Much of the above went completely over my head - and I've been wearing DJs on and off since 1974!

[Tenor Viol]

Not being expert on these things I've just checked out the "jacket lapels" page of Wikipedia!

I'm glad someone had to. This is all double dutch to me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

My mother trained as a seamstress - so I've been told these things.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) It also means I can't get away with wearing a badly made jacket as the sleeves will get close scrutiny, and the body length, and the sleeve length.... and the way it sits... and the fit across the shoulders.....

Just buy properly made, made in Britain, jacket and you're usually OK and to be fair if you know where to look, it can be no more expensive the M&S

EDIT: fix typos

[all ears]

Made in Britain might be a struggle from Japan, but I agree that custom-made is not always more expensive. Viohazard is not really tall, but he has ridiculously long arms. Getting a suit custom-made meant I could ask for a tiny bit more ease to be added in across the upper back - not enough to wrinkle, but it makes a difference when he has his arms forward playing piano etc. It also meant I could get a second pair of trousers, something that seems to have disappeared from the ready to wear suit.

By the way, one more question: vents. I know that a DJ really shouldn't have a vent, but considering how much time musicians spend sitting down, I wonder...do any of you prefer to have a back vent, and if so, do you go for one in the centre, or two at the sides?

I inherited some of my mother in law's sewing equipment, but sadly not her skills - she MADE my husband's first suits, and they were beautifully done.

P.S. I'm sure you'd like to know that in Japanese, a shirt with a stiff white bib front is called a "squid" shirt!

[Tenor Viol]

OK - tailor made definitely solves all issues (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) The "no vents" thing is a bit daft since it makes sitting down poor and musicians need to move around. Personally, I'd always go for double vents where feasible.

[all ears]

Oh good, that's the answer I wanted to hear (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

Computerized pattern-drafting has made it much faster and easier to alter a few measurements, so no reason why custom-made should be too expensive when the whole pattern is not drafted fresh by a skilled cutter.