New Options for a New Era in Black Tie
By 2010, the internet had helped black tie enthusiasts to find the information they needed to put together stellar black tie outfits. At the same time, direct-to-consumer made-to-measure suiting brands were starting to offer a wider range of dinner jackets, including off-white ones, midnight blue or non-traditional ones.
Companies like Indochino and suitsupply helped to make customized black tie outfits accessible to the mass market, and many other companies followed suit.
Established brands like Ralph Lauren continued to issued 1930s inspired dinner jackets and tuxedos. Overall, tuxedos in the 2010s were styled more like the classics than the ones from the 1990s or 2000s. Black was of course the most popular color but midnight blue or even dark navy became more popular as well. Velvet, and non-traditional dinner jackets also experienced a boom in popularity, although those were still just a small fraction of all black tie outfits sold.
Creative Black Tie Evolution
Stylistically, the double-breasted dinner jacket in all its facets became more popular than in previous decades even though the single-breasted, peaked lapel tuxedo remained the king. Fortunately, notched lapel tuxedos while still present were on the decline.
Interestingly the Ralph founder himself got more creative in his black tie approach by adding casual elements to an otherwise formal outfit. Note the peaked label 6×1 tuxedo with a pleated shirt front and white pearl studs. The bow tie is narrow and stubby and while all of that is still within the realm of classic black tie, the cowboy boots really add a unique feel to the outfit
Neckwear: Restoration of the Traditional Black Bow Tie
In regard to neckwear, the black bow tie regained some ground and was now undisputedly the number one choice for black tie events, whereas the black necktie as only rarely spotted at the 2018 Oscars.
Classics Revived
Overall the 2010s were a good decade for black tie as more and more millennials invested in a tuxedo and the styles were much closer to the golden age classic style tuxedos than in previous decades.
Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, and so you also saw very fashion forward tuxedos such as this one in green.
Explore this chapter: 3 Black Tie & Tuxedo History
- 3.1 Regency Origins of Black Tie – 1800s
- 3.2 Regency Evolution (1800 – ’30s) – Colorful Tailcoat & Cravat
- 3.3 Early Victorian Men’s Clothing: Black Dominates 1840s – 1880s
- 3.4 Late Victorian Dinner Jacket Debut – 1880s
- 3.5 Full & Informal Evening Dress 1890s
- 3.6 Edwardian Tuxedos & Black Tie – 1900s – 1910s
- 3.7 Jazz Age Tuxedo -1920s
- 3.8 Depression Era Black Tie – 1930s Golden Age of Tuxedos
- 3.9 Postwar Tuxedos & Black Tie – Late 1940s – Early 1950s
- 3.10 Jet Age Tuxedos – Late 1950s – 1960s
- 3.11 Counterculture Black Tie Tuxedo 1960s – 1970s
- 3.12 Tuxedo Rebirth – The Yuppie Years – 1970s
- 3.13 Tuxedo Redux – The 1980s & 1990s
- 3.14 Millennial Era Black Tie – 1990s – 2000s
- 3.15 Tuxedos in 2010s
- 3.16 Future of Tuxedos & Black Tie