When the Oscars saw a tux-gown hybrid and a beanie hat in 2019, the news was all but confirmed: men's black tie had changed. The sack-like suits and puddling sleeves of the late nineties were gone. Nor, crucially, did everyone look identical. Instead, Hollywood's finest had reset the rules of the red carpet: some went white, some relaxed, some headed far left-field.
This liberation of the stuffiest of dress codes doesn't start and end with Tinseltown, either. It's open to all of us. Whether it's a particularly posh wedding, a banquet with the boss or your industry's own version of the Oscars, there are more ways to explore and experiment and, hopefully, find something that chimes with your own taste.
We've compiled the most stylish ways to enjoy the newfound wriggle room. Maybe leave the knitwear to Mr Jonas, though.
The Classic Tux
There is, and always will be, a place for the classic tux. Unlike the shapeless blobs of decade past, however, your penguin suit should be sharper, more fitted, but still very much on the James Bond end of the spectrum.
Mix things up with your front. While a shawl collar is an easy win, peak lapels – the bigger, the better – are an eighties power move back in vogue. Feel free to try a three-piece, too.
Marks & Spencer
A good tuxedo needn't cost the world. Opt for M&S, and you've enough left over to pay for the all-important alteration: that's what'll take you from mediocre to money.
£89, marksandspencer.com
Hugo
Cut to a body-skimming silhouette, Hugo is every bit the engineering beauty we've come to expect from the German brand.
£389, hugoboss.com
Paul Smith
Nobody does 'smart' like a Brit. And nobody does black tie like its national stalwarts, with Paul Smith producing a luxury, fail-safe take on the classic tux.
£730, mrporter.com
Tom Ford
Italian-made, stretch-infused wool and lined in silk; this Tom Ford number has ticked all the boxes of a trend-defying tuxedo.
£3,920, selfridges.com
The Blue Tux
The midnight blue tux – so dark it's almost black – is an easy but impactful way to start to do things a little differently. A shade of blue is a subtle way to stand out from the all-black crowd.
Brooks Brothers
When in doubt, a classic two-button, notched lapel suit will always be a failsafe. And this Brooks Brothers design will continue to defy trends season after season.
£513, brooksbrothers.eu
Tom Ford
When it comes to impactful tailoring, look no further than the maestro that is Tom Ford. The Shelton suit is an example of such; made in Italy, its stretch-infused wool is topped with three external flap pockets for evening-event essentials.
£2,275, luisaviaroma.com
Emporio Armani
If blue is too big a step, know that Emporio Armani's tux is so dark it's almost black: a subtle way to deviate from the dress code, but one that won't ruffle any feathers.
£1,251, selfridges.com
Suitsupply
If heading into the blue wasn't enough, Suitsupply's three-piece design adds another layer to differentiate from other guests at the wedding/dinner/Bond villain lair opening.
£717, suitsupply.com
The Colourful Tux
A bold move, yes, but fortune favours it for a reason: the colourful tux is a standout style move. With Calvin Klein and Tom Ford but two advocates of black tie in candyland, a safer option lies in a vibrant jacket anchored with simple monochrome elsewhere. The future's bright. Or pastel, at the very least.
Gucci
Red may seem like a statement move (that's because it is), but confine the hue to a retro silhouette and it's a muted way to wear the trend. Cue: this double-breasted style from Gucci.
£2,200, farfetch.com
Bottega Veneta
In all its forms, blue is the safest colour, and that extends to Bottega Veneta's pastel tux: an easy way to wear vibrancy.
£2,060, mrporter.com
Oswald Boateng
The best destination for out of the box tailoring? Ozwald Boateng; the British tailor whose fans include Jamie Foxx, Regé-Jean Page and Idris Elba – to name a few.
£3,497, farfetch.com
The Showman Tux
A cut above blocks of colour, the showman tux does exactly what it says on the tin: bright, usually metallic, and as bold as it gets. Paul Dano did it at the Oscars. Barry Keoghan did it at the MET Gala. And, with multiple ways to break into the trend, you've a green light to follow suit – just expect to pay a little extra.
Dolce & Gabbana
Thanks to another punchy collection from Dolce & Gabbana, head-to-toe peacockery has been embraced with open arms. Pair this jacquard three-piece with a slickback and much gesticulation.
£1,650, farfetch.com
Favourbrook
If metallic lustre isn't quite your thing, head for printed pieces instead by Favourbrook. Same volume, less of a need for sunglasses.
£1,190, mrporter.com
Celine
Celine took metallic jackets back from the brink of gameshow host territory. Then, they upgraded it, sharpened it, and made it the shell of choice of Hollywood denizens ever since.
£2,950, mrporter.com
Gucci
Logomania may seem at odds with black tie. Yet Gucci has achieved the impossible in the guise of a jacquard dinner jacket monogrammed with the house's signature horsebit.
£2,550, mrporter.com
Giorgio Armani
All that glisters is not gold. Unless you're wearing Giorgio Armani's shantung tux, and by proxy, occupying top spot on the black tie podium.
£1,282, farfetch.com
The White Jacket
The white dinner jacket, once the battle armour of club pianists disdainful of the cheap seats at the back, is now fair game. This year's Oscars saw a slew of famous men turn to all white, and it's slowly become a sharp way to mix-up black tie.
All of the same rules still apply: ensure you keep things fitted, and avoid head-to-white. You're not in residency at Ronnie Scott's.
Suitsupply
Channel Jay Gatsby with this Suitsupply number, as this off-white, notched-lapel silhouette wouldn't look out of place at a 1920s no-expense-spared party.
£299, suitsupply.com
Zegna
Sometimes, less is more. That's certainly the case for this Zegna blazer, which has been moulded classically into a single-breast silhouette with shawl lapels. Bellissimo.
£3,273, farfetch.com
N. Peal
Since opening shop in 1936, N. Peal has become known (from the average joe to the upper echelons of Hollywood) for its perfectly-spun cashmere – and that quality doesn't stop at its wool products. Check this single-breasted blazer as evidence.
£950, farfetch.com
Brioni
With over seven decades worth of tailoring prowess behind them, Brioni's precision-first approach to its suiting is hard to beat. Just look to the subtle diamond jacquard of this blazer for proof.
£3,130, mrporter.com
Alexander McQueen
As with all Alexander McQueen pieces, the devil is in the details of this grain de poule wool suit jacket. You can expect a few compliments to come your way for its unique asymmetric peak lapels.
£2,350, mrporter.com
The Relaxed Tux
Get comfortable: there are ways to dial down on the rigidity of the classic tux. Opt for the air tie – that enduring move that gets rid of neckwear in its entirety – and you've successfully upgraded formalwear. Or simply sub in a printed shirt, rollneck, Mandarin collar, or something a lot like the below.
Bode
If the event is on the cooler side, amp up the tux with some decorative detail to the shirt à la Bode. Once you're all fastened up, it'll be just a glimpse of colour.
£1,425, mrporter.com
Undercover
Just a touch of Undercover's individuality to the collar is enough to launch this dress shirt into cooler waters. You can expect your tux to follow.
£485, selfridges.com
Reiss
Take your tux to Miami via Reiss's Cuban-collar, striped shirt. Simply layer-up over your favourite white T-shirt, and complete with gold jewellery.
£128, selfridges.com
The Kooples
Mandarin collars have been welcomed into tailored looks with open arms. Not only do they avoid the need for a tie entirely, but pairing with black tie has been endorsed across the Hollywood board.
£99, selfridges.com
John Smedley
If you're loathe to experiment too much, a rollneck – especially when crafted by wardrobe classicists John Smedley – is an easy substitute to a dress shirt.
£210, mrporter.com
