Issue #27 | A Night at The Plaza
Crashing the Viennese Opera Ball, American Giant, Kevin Costner, Mr. Fliks, and a new longform story (by me)
Hello readers,
Welcome back to Front of Book. Hope you all had a good week. Leading the newsletter this week: getting dressed to the nines for a ball at The Plaza.
Enjoy.
Crashing the Viennese Opera Ball
A few weeks ago an unusual message appeared in my inbox. “INVITATION: You Are Invited to The 68th Viennese Opera Ball - Friday, May 10th, 2024,” the subject line read. It went on:
Under the gracious patronage of
The president of the Republic of Austria
H.E. Alexander Van der Bellen
The Viennese Opera Ball
requests the pleasure of your company at the
68th Viennese Opera Ball
This was interesting. How did I get invited to this? I wasn’t sure, but I guessed it had something to do with the guide to black tie I wrote a few weeks ago for GQ. I figured they needed to fill the room and were looking for people who might have the correct attire, which, in fact, I didn’t. The dress code was white tie and white tie decorations (more on that in a second). It was at The Plaza Hotel, with a cocktail reception, a formal dinner, performances, and a late night DJ.
I’ve been invited to a lot of events during my time in media. But I’ve never been invited to an event as formal and opulent as this. I mentioned it to Miss Front of Book (a.k.a. my girlfriend, Nikita), and we both agreed it was too cool to pass up. We only had a week to find an outfit, though, so we had to get moving.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that most the formal attire for an event—even more formal than black tie—is white tie or white tie decorations, but added “those are usually only for royal or state events.” Now here I was invited to a white tie event. So what the hell is white tie anyway?
White tie, for men, requires a black coat with tails and peak lapels with matching pants; a white evening shirt with folded cuffs, a wing collar, and studs instead of buttons; a white evening waistcoat (something like a vest with lapels); black patent leather shoes; cuff links; a white bow tie; and an optional top hat.
If you ever find yourself invited to a white tie event and have to procure a last-minute outfit that meets the requirements above… well, then, all I have to say is good luck to you, sir. It’s impossible. These kinds of events are so rare most tuxedo rental shops don’t even carry white tie. Larger menswear brands like Men’s Warehouse and Jos. A. Bank have white tie ensembles available to rent, but appointments have to be booked weeks in advance.
All was not lost. I scrolled through photos from past events, and although they were in the minority, many men were wearing straightforward black tie—so, a tux, a tuxedo shirt, black dress shoes, and a bow tie. With just a week’s notice, I figured that would have to do.
As luck would have it, I publicist working with the brand The Black Tux had recently contacted me. I emailed her and asked if the shop would outfit me for the ball, and they agreed. All I had to do was pick my outfit and they would send it right to my door.
The Black Tux was founded in 2013 by Andrew Blackman, who when looking for a tux for a wedding found the rental options to be bleak—bad fits, boxy, cheap materials, a terrible shopping experience. He and his his longtime friend Patrick Coyne set out to fill that hole in the market, and to make it easier by moving the rental process online using a proprietary algorithm to determine fit. I was a little skeptical of this last part, since it’s always tough for me to find suits that fit off-the-rack because of my height and proportions, let alone one selected online and shipped in a box.
I browsed through the site’s black tie options and chose a black tux with peak lapels; a tuxedo shirt with a placard (hidden buttons) and folded cuffs; mother of pearl cufflinks; black patent leather shoes; and a white bow tie. I answered few questions about fit, body type, and style preference, and the very next day the entire ensemble arrived at my door.
I tried it on that and night and I have to say, I was impressed. For an outfit that came out of a box it fit exceptionally well. The jacket (size 42L) was pretty much perfect for me. The pants were a little slim for my taste, but not terribly, and that’s just a personal preference. The shoes were brand new, and the cufflinks were gorgeous. My only gripe was that the bow tie was pre-tied; it would have been nice to tie it myself.
I see the point about tuxes: I felt great wearing it. It felt special, rare, an occasion. It gave me a little extra confidence. Now I want one of my own.
The day of the event, there was a slight hiccup. I’ll spare the details, but there was a certain miscommunication and our invitation was rescinded that morning due to capacity issues. But I was determined to go to this damn ball, and after a few exchanges over email and phone, we were back on the list. We would have to miss the actual dinner because there were no seats left, but otherwise we could attend.
Nikita and I both love getting dressed up, so that alone was enough for us. And it turned into a great night regardless. We showed up at The Plaza right on time, walked the red carpet and posed for a gaggle of photographers. We mingled and sipped on martinis and champagne. When the time came for dinner, we walked a few blocks away to a delightful little French restaurant called La Goulue for a relaxing meal of roasted pork shoulder, rack of lamb, and fries.
After dinner, we waltzed back into The Plaza, where guests were engaged in… a waltz. The party was in full swing by this point, so we ordered a few more drinks, mingled with other guests, and hit the dance floor (a rarity for me, but this was a special occasion.)
We didn’t get home till around 2:30 a.m. with no regrets. It was one of those exceedingly rare New York high society events that you think only exists in movies. It was a blast.
Now, time to start looking for a tux for the next time…
A Few Other Things on My Mind This Week
American Giant Ts: We have a new contestant in the longstanding quest for the Perfect White T. American Giant sent me one of their Premium White Crew Tees* to sample and I can recommend it without hesitation. It ticks all the boxes: fit, quality, and comfort. The textured slub cotton is both durable and soft, and it’s thickness gives the shirt a great drape. It has a nice tight neckline and has retained its shape after two washes. I’d rank this T higher than the Velva Sheen rolled t-shirt, which has been my staple T-shirt for years. $50, american-giant.com
(*A quick note on product reviews: Brands have started sending me garments to review from time-to-time. My policy for these is that I’ll only review the items that I both wear regularly and would buy myself, so you know that you’re getting an honest recommendation.)
Kevin Costner’s GQ shoot: Not sure how Costner’s epic western Horizon is going to turn out, but he and GQ nailed it with the photo shoot for the magazine’s recent cover profile. The inspiration here seems to be ’90s J. Crew catalogue combined with an Italian coastal flair: relaxed knitwear, buttery soft crewnecks, vintage khakis, and the sweet white summer suit by Brunello Cucinelli below. There’s nothing in this shoot I wouldn’t wear myself. I hope he got to keep those clothes too since he’s got $38 million (!) tied up in Horizon.
Mr. Fliks: I love this whole look, but it’s those U.S. Navy-inspired Mr. Fliks deck shoes that tie it together. I heard about the brand because it’s sold by the Italian store Fortela. Mr. Fliks website says it comes from Redondo Beach, California, inspired by WWII-era American military style, but I think the brand is actually Italian. Regardless, the shoes are classic.
The Feature Well
Around 3:00 a.m. on April 29, 2007, a truck carrying 8,600 gallons of gasoline crashed on the MacArthur Maze freeway in Oakland. After the driver crawled from the overturned cab as gas poured onto the pavement, the truck exploded, causing a massive fireball that lit up the night sky around the Bay Area. The fire grew so intense that it literally melted the overpass above until it collapsed.
It was a nightmare scenario: Commuting was going to be a mess and the wreckage was going to cost the region’s economy $5 million a day. Luckily, the State of California, led by governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, had just the man for the job.
Last week, a story I’ve been working on for (literally) years was published in a collaboration between Epic Magazine and Popular Mechanics. It’s the tale of a legendary California construction boss named C.C. Myers and his all-star team of engineers, carpenters, foremen, iron workers, and other subcontractors that rebuilt the overpass in just 17 days—one of the fastest, riskiest, most high-stakes reconstruction jobs in U.S. history.
As you can probably tell after reading a story about wearing a tux to an opera ball, this piece was a bit of a departure for me (although longform journalism is still where my heart is). I learned a ton while writing it and developed an immense respect for the men and women who create and maintain our built environments, which most of us take for granted.
C.C. Myers passed away at age 85 right before the story was published. I’m sure he’s busy submitting bids at the big construction site in the sky. RIP.
Read the story here: “Rebuilding the Maze”
Question? Comment? Suggestion? Caught a typo? Email me at mitch.moxley@gmail.com
