The British Academy Television Awards is a real cultural casserole. To the left, the former downfall-bringer of Essex "gewls" the county over, Mark Wright. To his actual right, the darling of Merseyside in Killing Eve's Jodie Comer, and stars from It's A Sin, and oh look, there's Lorraine Kelly. There's something for everyone! And in the throng of ever-smiling daytime TV hosts and former soap stars that now interview Bulgarian drug pushers, was Joe Alwyn. He's a serious actor with serious productions under his belt. The latest is Conversations With Friends, the long-awaited adaptation of Sally Rooney's 2017 debut. That looks very serious too.

joe alwyn conversations with friends
Jeff Spicer

Despite the impressive CV, Alwyn is part of an acting new wave that actually makes an effort on the red carpet. Gone are the days of stars relying solely on straight up penguin suits because they'd rather let The Craft make the noise. Instead, it's black tie. But not the usual black tie.

In step with the ongoing, chest-building thing for Eighties power suits, the 31-year-old opted for a double-breasted jacket with fanged out lapels. So far, so good (and so very Etro, the Milanese legacy brand behind the tux). Though instead of dress shirt and an "ambassador, you're spoiling us" bow tie, a simple switch for a roll-neck keeps Alwyn abreast of the dress code, but still apart from the usual stuff. Black-on-black tailoring has a slight Soprano-adjacent menace, too. That means your black tie won't look like everyone else's.

Then there's the fit. While The Favourite star goes big up top, trousers are slimline, fitted, and a far cry from billowing Nineties tuxedos. This is how black tie can properly flatter. Factor in a pair of shiny, shiny, shiny loafers too, and there's another safe pivot from lace-up patent dress shoes (which, no matter how refined, always smack of BROOOOADWAY).

Granted, this spin isn't quite naked torso Chalamet. But it does tick all the boxes. And, in a sea of reality TV stars with biceps bigger than your head, it's a sharp way of stepping to the fore.