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Christopher Plummer plays Captain Von Trapp in “The Sound of Music” wearing a traditional version of the tuxedo. If perfection is in the details, the belt you wear with your suit is as integral to your overall look as the pattern of your suit fabric or the shoes you choose. Still, belts are often diminished to that strap of leather meant to hold up your pants. In this short primer, we’ll explore the basics of men’s belts in the context of suits, answering some of the most common questions including the purpose of belts, how to properly wear a belt and how to distinguish the quality of your leather belt. A Belt as an Accessory, not a Necessity The cummerbund was invented to cover up your waistband (and the awkward shirt bunching that tends to happen in that area). Cummerbunds are rapidly approaching “old-fashioned” status, and we won’t go out of our way to recommend you wear one. But if you must wear one, do it only with a tuxedo, and match the material of your cummerbund with the material of your lapels (sorry, hot pink cummerbunds). A tuxedo shirt should always be white, but you have a few shirt styles to choose from when deciding what shirt to wear with a tuxedo. A straightforward solid white shirt will work as a classic tuxedo shirt, though one with pleats or a pique bib is a sharp choice. Tuxedo dress shirts should have a semi-spread or spread collar to frame the bow tie and come equipped with French cuffs. Wing collars are an option for the old school gent, but turn down collars work just as well and you may get more wear out of the shirt outside of formal events.
A tuxedo should not be worn with belts ever. In fact, tuxedo pants shouldn’t have belt loops in them in the first place. Once you’ve found a suitable belt, you may face another problem – most tuxedo trousers don’t come with belt loops. Generation Tux highlights this in a 2018 post about how to wear tuxedo pants, along with a bold claim that you should never wear a belt with a tuxedo. But, a tux with no vest or cummerbund will look incomplete. If you thought about skipping the vest because the event is not that formal, then you’re better off wearing something casual that still looks sharp, like a peacoat. What Shoes to Wear with Tuxedo Barrel cuffs don’t require any rolling or cufflinks—instead, they are held closed by buttons. Most of your shirts probably have barrel cuffs. Unlike the typical, casual barrel cuff shirt that buttons shut, our barrel cuff dress shirts have modified buttonholes that can also accommodate cufflinks, bringing them up to tux code. According to fashion legend, the first-ever tuxedo was designed in England in the 1860s by a man named Henry Poole. He didn’t design the tux for himself. Henry Poole create the tux for the then-Prince of Wales, the man who was destined to inherit England’s throne, who would go on to become King Edward VII. And when it was designed, the tuxedo wasn’t formal wear. Actually, it was quite casual compared to the dressy evening formal attire of the times. The Second Origin StoryThe easiest way to ensure your pants stay snug is to wear them at the right height. Even better (and something we strongly advocate for) is to have your tuxedo pants custom made. This ensures that a belt is not needed to keep them up as they should fit perfectly around your natural waist. If going custom isn’t an option for you, suspenders will tag in to replace the belt and save the day. Suspenders make for an excellent choice not only functionally, but stylistically so make sure you learn how to wear suspenders the right way.
Vests are an integral part of men’s tuxedo looks and style, and they cannot be separated from each other. In other words, the answer to “should i wear a vest with my tuxedo?” is almost always yes. The best you can do is swap out the vest with a cummerbund. a boutonniere is a little flower that you see on the lapel of a suit and tuxedo, these are usually worn in weddings. Watch The bowtie and cummerbund (a waistband that goes around your waist and through your legs). The alternative to wearing a cummerbund is overlaying the front of the shirt with fabric, which looks better on guys with flat abs. The third alternative is wearing suspenders, which are for guys with big posteriors to hide behind. What Shoes Should I Wear with a Tux? Those dos and don’ts clue you into the fact that wearing a belt with a tux is a contentious issue. Some major fashion trendsetters, including GQ Magazine, even take a clear stance – belts never go with formalwear. If your pants are loose then you can wear suspenders with them but belts are a no-go. What is the tuxedo belt called?
When it comes to fabric, a regular suit will often be in wool or a wool mix in the winter, with linen a popular choice in the summer. For tuxedos look for the most luxe fabric you can afford. From silk to velvet, it's the finer details that make this look standout. There are a lot of rules that you must follow when wearing a formal outfit like a tuxedo but the problem is most men are not aware of these rules and they end up making mistakes because of that. There is a much less famous alternative to vest as well, and it is known as the cummerbund. You can think of a cummerbund as a wide band that goes on your waist, covering the line where the trouser meets the shirt. Cummerbunds found their popularity in military dinners in British India. Tuxedo Cummerbunds also offer a touch of elegance that belts often can't provide. These cummerbunds come in various materials like silk, satin, or grosgrain, allowing you to match or contrast them with your bow tie for a more cohesive look. Moreover, the upward-facing pleats of a tuxedo cummerbund have a slimming effect, drawing the eye upwards and elongating the torso, which can be a flattering addition to your tuxedo ensemble.
Instead, in the United States (and in many other countries), the custom initiated from the Second World War, daytime formal clothes like the morning coat have almost completely disappeared; in their absence, most Americans have started to consider the tuxedo as a “formal attire” for all uses, and therefore they wear tuxedo also during the day. There are also a few key differences between the two when you’re rounding out your look. This includes the kinds of shirts that are appropriate and the best (and sometimes only) accessories that are right for the tux. Wearing a Waistcoat or Cummerbund Finally, materials. Leather (or a leather substitute) is usually the best option, especially if you can get a belt with a matte texture. That texture contrasts the sheen of a tuxedo nicely, while not being so overt that it catches the eye ahead of the tux. During special events like the first of the ballets or the opening evenings of important theatrical shows, it is still common in many cities to see the best seats occupied by fans dressed in tuxedos. Events and private partiesTuxedos are the most formal piece of clothing a man can wear, they are extremely classy yet stylish. For many reasons, wool is the most popular fabric for suits and tuxedos. It drapes beautifully and has a sleek finish that makes for a polished look. It’s also known to be insulating, breathable, and durable—basically making it the do-it-all renaissance man of the suiting world. It’s hard to go wrong with wool. There is an ongoing style debate on whether belts are even necessary when wearing a suit. Why the debate? Because a belt is an accessory that should never be a necessity for achieving fit. Since it’s not a necessity of fit, it is a sartorial choice…and when it comes to sartorial choices, it’s up to the individual. Stylistically speaking, the presence of a belt breaks the vertical plane of an individual in half, which can have a visual shortening or widening effect. Thus, going without a belt means less visual interruption when looking upon an individual, which can have a heightening and slimming effect. Advocates of the sans belt look often opt to have their belt loops removed by their tailor and adjustable side tabs added* (essentially little belts made of the same suit fabric, attached on each side). cufflinks are a great accessory in a formal outfit like this where you don’t have a lot of flexibility. Ashton slipped in a little note about matching a belt to your watch there, too, and the point he’s making is that harmony is the goal with your tuxedo accessories. Color mismatches ruin that harmony. They stand out, and not in a good way, looking out of place while indicating that the wearer doesn’t have a sense of style.
It was Marlene Dietrich who got everyone to see the tuxedo in a whole new way. It was during her film “Morocco,” which was released in 1930, that she made waves in the fashion world. In the movie, Dietrich wore a tuxedo and scandalized filmgoers everywhere. She was so ahead of her time, a woman’s tuxedo didn’t appear in pop culture again for 30 years. In 1966, designer Yves Saint Laurent created Le Smoking, a tuxedo exclusively for women. Choosing a bow tie based on its fabric can add texture to your look in unexpected ways and firmly place your outfit in the right season and formality level.Starting with the simplest answer – yes, you can wear a belt with a tuxedo. It’s a stylistic choice that’s up to you, but it’s a choice that comes with some baggage. If you go for the belt, you have to get it right, and these basic dos and don’ts are a good starting point: Belts are far from the only accessories that work with a tux, and the three ideas below work better for traditionalists who agree with the notion that a tuxedo never needs a belt. Classy Suspense: Opting for Suspenders Since time immemorial, there have been rules governing the “proper” formal attire for occasions involving celebration or ritual. For as long as these rules have existed, you could find men who were stumped and clueless about how to follow them. Formalwear today is no exception, particularly when the modern incarnation of men’s formalwear, the tuxedo, has evolved to look more and more like the business suit. This can make the differences between a tuxedo vs suit blurry. So if you’re confused about the differences between tuxedos vs suits, we don’t blame you.
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