The premium menswear purveyor The Black Tux has launched a new collection of sweater-knit polos and tees. Crafted from 100% wool, the shirts are designed to look sharp beneath a sport coat or as standalone pieces. They’re available in smart colors like olive, black, and beige, with prices starting at $75. The new release reminded me why I hold this brand in such high esteem.
Andrew Blackmon and Patrick Coyne founded The Black Tux to demystify and democratize Black Tie. With a flagship showroom in Brooklyn, locations across the country, and a robust online operation, the company rents and sells formalwear ranging from classic tuxedos to velvet dinner jackets. Even if you don’t know your measurements, The Black Tux’s sizing algorithm makes ordering online remarkably painless. And if something doesn’t fit quite right, exchanges are quick and easy.
The Joys of Black Tie
Let me tell you, lads: owning a good tuxedo is worth the splurge.
Before buying a tux around my thirtieth birthday, I rented one several times a year for the odd fraternity formal, wedding, or fancy Christmas party. It was always an ordeal. First, schlepping out to a fusty shop in Boston that smelled like a high school theater department’s costume closet. Then, fumbling with an ill-fitting jacket and trousers sprayed with some sort of noxious disinfectant that the FDA probably should have banned. Wearing a rented tux didn’t make me feel like James Bond—more like a victim of an elaborate humiliation ritual.
After eventually investing in a proper tuxedo—including a shirt from The Black Tux—formal events became much more fun. Wearing a tuxedo crafted from gorgeous fabric, a garment that fits your frame like a second skin, is one of manhood’s dearest delights. Black Tie events are also a wonderful excuse to wear two of my most sentimental accoutrements: a dress watch from my father and a set of cufflinks from my grandfather. I keep a pair of Cohibas in the inner jacket pocket, as Black Tie events cry out for a good smoke at the end of the evening. Like sartorial voodoo, a good tuxedo makes you stand taller, speak more confidently, and feel as though you’ve got life by the balls.
