Fashion shows: how to push your tuxedo

A fashion show is one of the few occasions where the tuxedo is allowed to leave its formula. The creative mood, where people come to look and be looked at, lets you try things a corporate gala would not. But pushing a look is not the same as improvising. A well-judged outfit has a reason behind each decision. Here are the ways a tailor finds it works.

A creative room invites experiment

The audience at a show is made up of designers, editors, models, artists and the brand's guests. Everyone chooses their clothes as a form of introduction. In that setting a standard black tuxedo still looks good but can disappear into the crowd, while one with intent leaves an impression.

Check the invitation first. If it says creative black tie or dress to impress, you have wide room to play. If it says black tie, keep the frame of black tie and change only one or two details. The levels are laid out on the dress code page.

Patterned jackets, velvet lapels, no bow tie

Three easy ways to push the look:

• A patterned jacket. Grey Prince of Wales check, a subtle stripe and geometric jacquard all belong here. TUX-132 has an indigo-violet geometric pattern with a warm brown-red cast and black peak satin lapels and a velvet bow tie, an example of a patterned jacket that still counts as evening wear. Keep the pattern to one piece, the jacket, and leave trousers and shirt plain.
• Velvet lapels or a velvet jacket. Velvet absorbs light and returns it softly, and under stage lighting it has a depth that plain wool lacks. TUX-049 in a bronze-gold with satin shawl lapels is one of the metallic shades that can hold its own in a white-lit room. More are in the Statement collection.
• No bow tie. Drop the bow, open the top button, or replace it with a fine-knit roll neck. This is covered in wearing a tuxedo without a bow tie. At a show it is a mild way to break the rules while showing you know what you are doing.

All three share a discipline: one main idea. A large pattern, a loud colour or an unusual lapel: pick one as the lead and keep the rest quiet. The principle is analysed in the statement tuxedo and one accent.

The front row and the lens

The front row sits by the runway, with light falling straight on you and a bank of photographers opposite. Outside in the foyer, street-style photographers shoot guests arriving and leaving. Dress as someone who will be photographed.

That has practical consequences:

• A clean fit. Cameras record every crease at the back and every open front. Put the jacket on, sit down, and have the tailor check the folds at shoulder, chest and back when seated.
• Clear contrast. Dark tone on tone can sink into a photograph. A dark satin lapel on a coloured jacket, or a light shirt under a dark jacket, keeps the lines legible.
• Care with shine. Satin and metallic cloth flare under flash and can lose detail. Choose a moderate sheen, or keep the metallic note to small accessories.
• Socks show when you cross your legs. Pick socks that match the trousers and are long enough.

Keep one classic anchor

A rule that keeps pushing disciplined: whatever you change, keep one classic anchor so the viewer reads it as a choice rather than a whim. Some ways:

• A patterned jacket with black satin lapels and correctly satin-braided trousers.
• A velvet jacket in an unusual colour with a white shirt, a flat pocket square and patent shoes.
• No bow tie, but good cufflinks and opera pumps.

The simple rule: the bolder the top half, the stricter the bottom half, or the reverse. Bold at both ends turns into costume.

A word from the Mon Amie workshop

When you have a suit made, you can pick a patterned cloth or velvet from the cloth library and choose lapels, buttons and lining to create your own mark instead of wearing a ready model. Tell the consultant you are going to a show so he can balance colour, pattern and how much it should stand out. You can book a visit at the showroom to try cloths before deciding.