Issue #25 | The Black Tie Report
Head-to-toe black tie, ‘Magnum, P.I.,’ style, exclusive watches from Japan, a martini tour of New York, and more
Welcome back to Front of Book. Here’s a little of what’s happening this week in the world of style, menswear, and culture.
1. The Essentials of Black Tie
Did you know: The term for the tuxedo comes from a little gated community just outside New York City called Tuxedo Park. I have a friend whose family owns a place there, and during the early months of the pandemic a group of us went up there regularly to wait it out, drink gallons of Vesper martinis, and go for morning jogs around the postcard-perfect lake to sweat them off.
The story behind the tuxedo (the outfit) goes like this: In 1885, King Edward VI of England did something sartorially unthinkable: he had his tailor lop off the tails from a traditional dinner jacket and make him a dark blue smoking jacket with matching trousers instead. It was a near scandal, but he was the king, after all, and even the era’s more conservative dressers had to admit the new suit looked pretty cool.
Edward’s outfit was made by Henry Poole & Co., a Savile Row tailor that also had fans at the exclusive private club in Tuxedo Park (which still exists today, and makes excellent chicken tenders at the poolside snack bar). Club members had their own tail-free jackets made, and the trend spread across WASP-y parts of the U.S. The tuxedo was born.
I’ve never actually worn black tie, of which the tuxedo is the foundational garment. Which is a shame, because I love dressing up, fancy parties, and open bars. I’ve been to black tie optional events, but have only ever worn a suit.
So when I got the chance to write a head-to-toe guide to black tie for GQ, which was published this week, it was a valuable learning experience for me. Here are some of the things I picked up that might come in handy if you ever get a black tie invite:
Black tie means black tie. If that’s what the invite says, it means you have to wear a tux, a tuxedo shirt, a bow tie, and black dress shoes (there are other rules and traditions, but that’s the basic black tie outfit). It doesn’t mean you can just wear a dark suit and regular necktie and call it a day—that’s black tie optional, which is different. This image of John Slattery in Mad Men is a classic black tie outfit:
Black tie tuxedos must be black or, interestingly, midnight blue (like Edward’s), which actually appears darker than black under artificial light
You can’t just wear a regular white office shirt for black tie. There are a number of tuxedo shirt options—including those with covered buttons, regular bibs, or pleated bibs—and they should have french cuffs and be worn with cufflinks.
Acceptable shoes include polished black cap-toes, patent leather opera pumps, or black slippers like Belgian loafers
Black tie isn’t actually the most formal type of attire: White tie and white tie decorations are considered more formal categories, but those are usually only for royal or state events
Don’t try to be smart by wearing a different color tux to a black tie event; that’s okay for black tie creative events, but not black tie
The reason being: The purpose of black tie is for the evening to be a shared occasion, usually in celebration of something or somebody, and so everybody is meant look alike
For black tie creative events, however, the sky is the limit: You can have a lot of fun with color, shape, fabrics, and accessories
Here are a couple black tie creative outfits:
And remember, if you get the chance to go to a black tie event, tie the bow tie yourself.
2. Front of Book Endorses: The Magnum, P.I., Look Book
This recommendation comes via the style newsletter Sprezza: a newly launched Magnum, P.I., look book on Instagram. I absolutely loved this show as a kid and Magnum has been a reliable Halloween costume for me over the years. To this day I still own a Detroit Tigers hat because of the show.
Volumes could be written about the supreme excellence of Tom Selleck’s mustache, but Magnum’s style has been heretofore unheralded. No longer. Crotch cradling jeans? He owned it. Hawaiian shirt with a classic navy blazer? Didn’t think twice. Pink band collar button down tucked into short shorts? Yes, Higgins! (If you know, you know.)
I know it sounds like I’m being facetious, and some of these looks do seem a little silly today, but there are genuine menswear gems here, all worn with a swagger we could all use. The vintage Levi’s; the Tigers hat made of actual wool; the Barracuda jacket; the cable knit V-necks; the Western shirts; the classic watches. And the dimples, my god, the dimples! It’s ’80s style at its very best.
3. Naoya Hida & Co., a Watch Brand That Chooses Its Own Customers
This week I went up to The Armoury shop in the Upper East Side to have a look at a selection of watches by the boutique Japanese brand Naoya Hida & Co., which is having a trunk show at the store this weekend. Mr. Hida showed me the watches himself, along with his engraver, Keisuke Kano.
These watches are gorgeous creations, designed by Naoya, who had a long career with elite watch brands before going out on his own, and hand engraved in the Toyko workshop by Keisuke, who came from Tiffany. Each piece is made from a combination of traditional watchmaking and modern technology, and aesthetically inspired by what Naoya calls the “golden age” of mechanical watches, between the 1930s and ’60s.
The brand only makes 100 pieces per year, and customers have to apply through the website to buy one. Applications are open this year from May 13-16, and each applicant is vetted by the team before they select who gets one. Nothing is guaranteed.
I loved each of the pieces shown, but my favorite was the NH TYPE 5A (pictured at top), with the rectangular case and diamond shaped hands. Now I just need to polish up my watch bonafides before applying…
4. Buck Mason x J. Mueser Collab
This week I also stopped by Buck Mason’s 5th Ave. location for an event to celebrate the launch of a collaboration with New York tailor J. Mueser. As regulars of this newsletter know, I’m a fan of both brands. The collab is a selection of Ivy inspired tailoring, including a sharp navy linen jacket and pants, and a brown, double breasted linen suit jacket made in Naples. Buck Mason is starting made-to-order appointments for the collection today. A good place to pick up a well-made summer suit at a reasonable price.
5. The Feature Well
I’m still buzzing from a pair of recent articles by one of my favorite writers, the novelist Gary Shteyngart. The first was the latest addition to the writer-on-a-cruise ship genre in The Atlantic, about Gary’s voyage aboard the Icon of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship ever, which he describes as making “no sense on sea, or on land, or in outer space. It looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies, like Istanbul had it been designed by idiots.”
But it was the second essay that really touched my heart (and liver)—Gary’s tour of the best martinis in the city for The New Yorker. He’s such a funny, insightful writer, and his bottomless passion for martinis has long been appreciated by this reader. “I remember seeing myself in the bathroom mirror and wondering if I could somehow prove myself to be at least a little bit suave,” Gary describes his first martini drinking experience in college. “I remember lifting up my V-shaped glass back at the table and knowing that it would accompany me through the rest of my life.”
Cheers to that.
Lastly, if you’re in town on May 16, join me and my collaborator David Gauvey Herbert at The Night Editor, an event we co-host of stories, readings, and interviews at Odd Sister in Soho. This time we’re featuring bestselling author Robert Kolker and other special guests. The events is always a blast and we’d love to see you there.
Until then, have a great weekend.
Mitch
Question? Comment? Suggestion? Caught a typo? Email me at mitch.moxley@gmail.com