Comparisons
Dinner jacket vs tuxedo: same thing or not, and what to call it
A dinner jacket is the British name for the tuxedo jacket. White and coloured dinner jackets, which name to use with your tailor, and names by country.
Mon Amie · 15/10/2026
A dinner jacket and a tuxedo are the same kind of garment under different names, depending on where you are. The British say dinner jacket; Americans say tuxedo. They are not two different designs, and when you speak to a tailor either word will do, as long as you describe the colour, lapel and cloth. Below is why there are two names, and a few cases where the words carry slightly different shades.
Why one garment has two names
The short, tailless jacket for dinner appeared in Britain in the 1860s, and the British named it for its purpose: a jacket worn at dinner. In America the style became associated with the Tuxedo Park club in New York State from 1886, and Americans took the place name as the garment's name. You can read more in the origin of the tuxedo and what the tuxedo is called around the world.
In other words, one side named it for what it does, the other for the place where it first became famous. The jacket is identical.
Usage can differ slightly
In everyday speech a few shades are common:
- In Britain, "dinner jacket" or "DJ" means the jacket, and "dinner suit" the whole outfit of jacket and trousers.
- In America, "tuxedo" or "tux" usually means the whole outfit. Some people use "dinner jacket" specifically for a white or coloured jacket worn with black trousers.
- Across much of continental Europe the garment is called "smoking" (French, Italian, German) or "esmoquin" (Spanish). The word comes from the smoking jacket, but there it names the evening jacket itself, not a house garment.
These are common usages rather than strict rules, since each region and each tailor has habits of its own.
White and coloured dinner jackets
These two phrases come up most when "dinner jacket" is used for a separate jacket, one worn with black trousers from another outfit.
The white or ivory dinner jacket: a tradition of the warm season and warm climates. It goes with black trousers carrying a satin braid, a white shirt and a black bow tie. See the white tuxedo and dinner jacket or the ivory collection.
The coloured dinner jacket: velvet, wine red, deep blue, grey or patterned. This is the variation category, suited to parties that allow a departure. An example is TUX-015, an ivory dinner jacket with black satin shawl lapels, paired with black satin-striped trousers.
Names compared
| Where | Name for the jacket | Name for the outfit |
|---|---|---|
| Britain | Dinner jacket, DJ | Dinner suit |
| America | Tuxedo jacket, dinner jacket | Tuxedo, tux |
| France, Italy, Germany | Smoking | Smoking |
| Spain | Esmoquin | Esmoquin |
| Dress code | Black tie | Black tie |
Black tie is the name of the dress code, not of the garment. Many people mix the two up; what black tie means explains it in detail.
Which name to use with a tailor
Use either; tailors understand both. What matters more is describing the whole picture:
- Colour and cloth: black, midnight blue, ivory, velvet.
- Lapel: shawl, peak or notch.
- Single or double breasted.
- Waistcoat or cummerbund, or neither.
- The occasion: wedding, gala, company dinner.
If an invitation says "dinner jacket" or "DJ", just read it as black tie. If you say "tuxedo", a tailor in Vietnam will understand at once.
Do not confuse it with the smoking jacket
The smoking jacket sounds close to the European "smoking", but in its original sense it is a house garment, different from evening dress. Tuxedo vs smoking jacket separates the two carefully.
Try it on at Mon Amie
Call the jacket whatever you are used to. At the showroom the adviser will help you pick colour, lapel, cloth and cut. Book a visit here.
