Tuxedo (clothing)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A tuxedo, also sometimes shortened to tux in North American English, is a man's semi-formal evening dress, or outfit, conforming to black tie dress code in British conventions of formal dress. It consists of a dinner jacket, a white dress shirt, black trousers, a black bow tie, and either a cummerbund or a waistcoat. The word may also refer simply to the dinner jacket itself.
The jacket is normally black (midnight blue is a less popular choice, but was favoured by the Duke of Windsor, among others). In warm weather, white or cream is acceptable. Most commonly, the tuxedo closes in the front with one (or two) buttons (single or double breasted), and does not have tails. The lapels are traditionally peaked lapels, although notched or shawl lapels are now common and acceptable, and are faced with either satin or grosgrain. The trousers almost always have a stripe down the side, matching the material in the facings of the lapel. The bow tie and waistcoat also match this facing. If a watch is worn, it traditionally is supposed to be a pocket watch.
In British English the outfit is simply called a dinner jacket and matching trousers. The term 'tuxedo' for this style of dress originates in United States. [1]. Elsewhere, and in the Northeastern U.S., many people prefer the original British expressions. Its history can be traced back to 1860, when Henry Poole & Co., the founders of Savile Row, made a short evening or smoking jacket for the Prince of Wales to wear at informal dinner parties. Mr James Potter of New York visited Prince Edward VII of the United Kingdom in 1886 for a formal occasion at Sandringham. So impressed was he by the garment, he commissioned Henry Poole to tailor his own. He returned to his New York home and showed off his suit at his club, the Tuxedo Park Club. Soon, members were copying the suit and it became adopted as their informal uniform for dinners.
The term tuxedo is sometimes incorrectly used to denote any form of formal dress such as white tie, morning dress, or even day time semi-formal dress (strollers).
