Retro Evening Wear

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Timeless styling is the epitome of black tie elegance, but occasionally you can derive atypical inspiration from certain novel looks that have a unique appearance that is respectfully retro and not distractingly dated. Just be wary, there is a reason these looks did not endure.

The Peacock Revolution Retro Vintage: Late ’60s – Early ’70s

The formal wear aberrations of this era – particularly the late 1960s – were limited only by designers’ hallucinations. The following examples are not only an amusing look at the past but also a pertinent caution about the present.

The era began relatively tastefully-by simply adding color to jackets
The era began relatively tastefully-by simply adding color to jackets

Unlike the powder-blue tuxedo and its mainstream ilk, these were not the products of a rental industry looking to make a buck off of naïve youngsters. Instead, they were the creations of respected menswear designers championed by leading fashion magazines. Keep that in mind the next time GQ announces the latest, greatest thing in modern formal wear.

“It was everything mod, smashing, subversive, Continental, American, queer, and camp”

Lance Richardson, author of Tommy Nutter: Rebel on the Row
1960s and 1970s Retro Vintage Craze in Evening Wear
1960s and 1970s Retro Vintage Craze in Evening Wear

Alternative Retro Vintage Formal Wear: Counterculture Couture

In the counterculture of the 1960s “formal” was a four letter word. As a result, menswear magazines began to favor “evening” and “host” as a more innocuous descriptor for the decidedly informal alternatives being offered by manufacturers. Here are some examples.

1960s bold silk horse pattern dinner jacket with shawl collar
1960s bold silk horse pattern dinner jacket with shawl collar
1960s French take on a striped tuxeowith shawl collar and cummervest, which can be buttoned in the middle
1960s French take on a striped tuxedo with shawl collar and cummervest, which can be buttoned in the middle
Herrenjournal 1966 issue
Bold colors define this Black Tie ensemble from Germany in 1966