Once a black tie invitation has been received, it’s not unusual for panicked questions to spring to mind once the initial excitement has faded. Do I need a cummerbund? What kind of socks should I wear? How do I wear my hair? What even is a cummerbund?

Black tie events are all about following the rules, after all. But played right they are also prime opportunities for you to look the best you ever will. The combination of slim-cut black suit, box-fresh white shirt and perfectly tied bow tie is eternally chic and so simple that even the most style illiterate would struggle to get it wrong.

The key, as with most things, is in the details, from the style of bow tie round your neck to the shine of the shoes on your feet. So take our (be-gloved) hand and let us guide you through your next black tie event, from the jolly RSVP to the bleary-eyed ride home.

What is a black tie event?

In addition to denoting one of the few remaining formal dress codes, what it really implies is importance: awards ceremonies, a milestone birthday party, a grandiose wedding, a prestigious ball. Some of these events will be reflected on as among the greatest memories of your life. Which means there’s no cutting corners.

What does black tie dress code mean?

Ironically, the birth of black tie in about 1885 signalled a loosening of ties, so to speak, among the well-to-do. Edward VII swapped his tailcoat for a blue silk smoking jacket with matching trousers, made by Henry Poole & Co of Savile Row. It provided the monarch with a more comfortable alternative to the formality of evening tails.

This black tie suit style was then adopted by members of the Tuxedo Club in New York, several of whom were Poole customers (tuxedo = Americanism). It was Edward VII’s inspired loosening that eventually morphed into black tie, clinging on to some of the formal accoutrements of tails, such as the black tie shirt’s winged collar and the bow tie, which itself is a descendant of Beau Brummell’s early 19th-century cravat.

Read more: What to do when you don’t read the dress code

What to wear to a black tie event

Now we get to the crux of the matter. What should you be looking for in a dinner suit? From your dinner jacket to a waistcoat and cufflinks, here's the lowdown on everything you need from a black tie suit.

The dinner jacket: The silk-lapelled jacket maketh the black tie outfit. There are three different types of lapels: the notch lapel, the peak lapel and the shawl lapel, the V increasingly deepening through the list, ending with the shawl lapel, which is commonly found on the tuxedo suit and is the most traditional and arguably the smartest. “Traditionally the dinner jacket was in silk but wool barathea is the order of today” says Simon Cundey, the director of Henry Poole & Co. However, the velvet jacket is just as acceptable and, in some cases, chicer.

Here’s a little spanner thrown into the works: traditional black tie isn’t even black. Kaboom! It was midnight blue, which actually looks darker than black in artificial lighting. So, to create the classic monochrome contrast, go for midnight blue.

The jury is out for the white tuxedo. It’s tricky, but it can be pulled off. If you want to step out in a white dinner jacket, our advice is to go off-white with black lapels. Black or white trousers? The answer is always black.

If you plan on experimenting, look to Donald Glover’s brown Gucci tuxedo and David Gandy’s grey dinner jacket for good examples of “not-so-black” black tie in velvet. Equally, the double-breasted jacket is a smart option, but again not traditional. Its versatility means it can be used with other outfits.

Really looking to impress your youthful modernity on the place? Henry Golding in a metallic Tom Ford jacket is how to veer from tradition in ostentatious style.

The trousers: So long as the trousers are dark, fitted, match the jacket and don’t end up legless during the ceremonies, you’ll be safe. One tip from the lord of black tie, Simon Cundey: the trousers should have braces to “give you that comfort zone to indulge yourself”. That’s what we like to hear. Whether you opt for a break at the hem is up to you, but no more than one gentlemen, please. Oh, and avoid anything that clings, amywhere, at all costs.

The shirt: A black tie shirt is otherwise known as a dress shirt, one that's traditionally pleated, with a winged collar and holes for cufflinks on the sleeve. If you are going cummerbund (we’ll get to that), it is suggested you go with black buttons to break up the white space; if going waistcoat, white buttons are fine.

“Shirtless?” you gasp. Yes, but not topless. Caleb McLaughlin and, more recently, Oliver Cheshire show you how to don a turtleneck in black tie.

Shoes: Do not keep your black office shoes on. The look needs to be a step up from the smart everyday. This is evening formal wear, after all. Something black and patent is classic and comes off well against the formality of the suit. Velvet slippers are fine too. But suede is not advised (suede looks dusty under artificial light).

Socks: Two things to bear in mind: an “evening sock” is considered a requirement and flashing your leg flesh is uncouth. However, because of the thin material of an evening sock it can almost look like flesh if the trouser leg strays upwards. So you can go a little heavier than the standard evening sock, just make sure your shoe still fits and always go black – unless you’re a black tie badass and can handle the controversy that comes with wearing a coloured sock.

Bow tie: All stipulations made for the dinner jacket apply to the bow tie. Colour deviation is accepted, if it works. Never can it be white: unsurprisingly, this is saved for the white-tie event, which is among the loftiest of dress codes.

It should absolutely be hand-tied, so give yourself an extra half an hour preparation time, get on YouTube and get those digits working.

“But I saw Timothée Chalamet wear no tie?” Yes, good observation, this is known as the “air tie”. Is it a reduction too much? Well, you need to make sure the rest of your outfit is perfectly balanced and impeccably smart if you’re going for it. You also might need to look like Chalamet, but that’s another story.

Cummerbund: It’s not a staple, but it does show you respect the dress code and have done your research.

Simon Crompton argues the forgotten most important rule of black tie is hiding the waist, which leads to the construction of “a powerful V at the chest, shooting up towards the shoulders, framed by silk, peaked lapels… your figure is flattered; you look good”.

Waistcoat: A cummerbund is not the only solution, as Henry Poole suggests that a waistcoat keeps things sophisticated while providing the same service. Perhaps opt for a deeper, U-shaped waistcoat to keep the aristocratic air about the suit.

What black tie accessories do you need?

Watch: Ideally you should have a dress watch (slim, gold ideally, and on a black alligator strap) reserved for these occasions. Look to Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Patek Philippe for the best.

Cufflinks: Obviously. Nothing fancy, the simpler the better.

Pocket square: Optional. Again, keep it simple. No personality pocket squares, please.

Hair: Off the face and cleaner than you’d normally wear it (ie, swept back or to the side). Need a little more guidance? Check out our guide to black tie hairstyles.

Aftershave: Of course, no gentleman is fully besuited without his eau de toilette of choice. Our guide of scents to wear at your formal event will see you right here.

© Getty Images

What effect does seasonality have on your black tie suit?

In colder months go for a classic black or charcoal-grey overcoat (ideally a Chesterfield style with velvet collar). Feeling powerful? Go without a coat, suggesting that your high-class body will never come into contact with the chill, elegantly gliding from the chauffeur ride into the event.

And in the summer? Go three-piece, so you can remove your jacket, let your body breathe and remain looking impeccable.

Read more: How to do black tie in summer

What about black tie suit hire?

A fitted suit is always, always, always (and will continue to repeat into eternity) the way to go. This is something you miss out on when you hire a suit. The fit can be close, but you’ll never look as sharp as tailored.

If cost is an issue, GQ’s Nick Carvell points out that once you’ve bought the suit you can “wear the trousers with a denim jacket, throw the jacket over your T-shirt at the weekend, or wear the whole thing with a button-down chambray shirt and white trainers for a date after hours”.

Not enough time for all that? There are some fantastic services offered by Moss Bros, Debenhams and Burtons, which can be ordered online and couriered right to your (office) door. If you’re looking for something more upmarket, then Yardsmen allows the hire of individual pieces of an outfit selected to your exact measurements.

What does “black tie optional” mean?

A non-committal code such as this makes everyone ill at ease and results in a strange convergence of wedding and office party looks. Not good.

If you do receive the “black tie optional” invitation, go all out. Partly just to spite you invitees and partly because you’ll look better than those that don’t bother.

Black tie etiquette explained

In terms of etiquette, never refer to your jacket as a “DJ”. Calling a DJ a DJ is bad enough. And please don’t make jokes about your dinner jacket having excellent music taste.

Keep in mind that it is a formal event and a certain amount of formal behaviour is required. Don’t shout drunken expletives at the host during speeches and don’t throw the wedding cake on the floor just because. Be cool. Don’t be arrogant, smile and be kind.

Sathnam Sanghera from the Times argues that “the worst type [at a black tie event] is the bloke who takes it all too seriously”. So we hope this guide has afforded a few variants on what is traditionally a strict dress code. It is just a guide, after all. And, let’s be honest, the point of all of these events is to have a bit of fun.

Who wears black tie well?

© Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

Timothée Chalamet

Black tie, black shirt, black blazer, black trousers, black shoes. When unsure, take the colour signifier in the dress code excessively literally. Although his getup is technically unconventional (normally he would wear a white pleated dress shirt) it’s not going to ruffle too many feathers and looks stealthily cool.

© Neilson Barnard

Donald Glover

The amazing thing about Donald Glover is that he can do traditional black tie and look perfectly measured. On the flip side, when straying from the norm he looks just as debonair. That takes sartorial skill (professional help) and charisma to pull off. Here he changes out the jacket for something a little more colourful and patterned, while retaining the formality of the dress code.

© Dia Dipasupil

Roger Federer

The thirty-eight year old tennis player is a man of high class, silky smoothness and effortless style. Pictured below is a wild Roger Federer in his natural environment, very at ease, casually donning his pristine black tie outfit. No qualms. No troubles. This is immaculate black tie, sticking to the rulebook and executed perfectly. He absolutely aces it. Nope, I didn’t just say that. You did.

© Steve Granitz

David Oyelowo

If you’ve seen a sharper white dinner jacket, please let us know. Genuinely. We love the black peak lapel detail as it brings a subtle consistency to what is a bold black tie jacket choice. The 43 year old actor, most famous for his role in Selma as Martin Luther King, matches it with a patent leather slipper.

© Kevin Winter

James Cordon

The silver-white sheen of Cordon’s jacket here is a 50/50 split of attention grabbing and suave. Cordon proves you don’t need to have the metabolism of a rake nor a hollywood personal trainer to give you incredible style when attending black tie.

How does James Bond wear Black Tie?

A few things are imperative in a Bond film and the cameo appearance of an immaculate black tie suit is one of them. While suited up, he must give into his OCD and order a very specific martini, mansplaining to the barman on the details (a joke, DW). Then, he must chirps a satin-clad beauty and conduct some salient spywork. All the while, tension is bubbles between the bad guys and Bond and in the name of some frankly negligent, charade they’ll pretend not to care and land witty one-liners on each other. Then, inevitably, the shit hits proverbial fan. The one constant throughout? James Bond’s perfect black tie outfit.

Classic James Bond has to be Sean Connery in Dr No. Black dickie bow, shawl lapel jacket in midnight blue, with midnight blue satin detailing. Bellissimo. And after 25 films of Bond, it looks like they are taking it back to the original. From the No Time To Die poster we can see a midnight blue shawl lapel dinner jacket with exaggerated stitching. It’s vintage black tie. It’s vintage Bond.