White bow tie with a tuxedo: why it reads as white tie

A white bow tie is not a tuxedo accessory. In the dress code ladder it belongs to white tie, the full evening dress built around a tailcoat. Wear it with an ordinary tuxedo and most people will assume you misread the invitation, and in some rooms you may even be taken for someone working the event. There are exceptions, but they are deliberate choices, not rules.

The white bow tie belongs to white tie

White tie is the most formal level of evening dress. A proper white tie outfit has a tailcoat cut away at the front, a white waistcoat, a stiff-fronted shirt with a wing collar, a white bow tie and trousers with two stripes of satin down the leg. The bow tie is usually cotton piqué, the same cloth as the waistcoat, so the two match across the chest.

Black tie is the opposite. The name says it already: a black bow tie, made in satin or grosgrain to match the lapel facings. For why the name survives even when some men wear another colour, see why it is called black tie, and for the gap between the two levels, tuxedo versus tailcoat.

Because each bow tie is tied to a level of dress, anyone who knows the codes can read at the collar which one you meant to follow.

Why it looks like a mistake on a tuxedo

Two things make the combination stand out.

• It sits between two levels. The white bow tie signals full evening dress, but the jacket below it is a tuxedo: no tails, no white piqué waistcoat, usually a turndown collar rather than a wing collar. The eye sees an outfit that belongs to neither.
• It loses the clean contrast. Black tie relies on a simple pattern: black jacket, white shirt, black bow tie. A white tie on a white shirt blurs into one pale patch and the shape of the bow disappears.

If the invitation states black tie, a white bow tie can also suggest the card was not read closely.

The staff question

This is worth saying plainly, and it is an observation, not a regulation. In many restaurants, hotels and ballrooms, the service uniform is a white shirt, a black jacket or waistcoat and a bow tie. Depending on the venue it may be black or white, and at very formal galas some organisers dress staff and musicians in white tie.

The anecdote that follows is a familiar one at parties: a guest in black, white shirt and white bow tie gets asked by a stranger to fetch a drink. It does not always happen, but it is enough to weigh before you choose the tie.

A fashion exception, with intent

Menswear today is less strict about old boundaries. Some designers and some wearers pair a white bow tie with a tuxedo on purpose to mark an exceptional night, and on a stage or red carpet it is sometimes accepted as a style statement.

In the Mon Amie range, TUX-082 shows how that can be done. It is a black three-piece tuxedo with a double-breasted waistcoat cut in a long, deep V, peak lapels faced in glossy black satin, a hand-tied white bow tie, a straight-folded white pocket square and a metal lily pin on the lapel. The whole outfit leans toward the language of full evening dress: a waistcoat layer, a white bow tie and a bright metal accent. It suits a gala, an awards night, or any evening when you are the one on stage.

If you want to go this way, keep three things in mind.

1. The whole outfit must support the white tie, from waistcoat to shirt to pocket square. A lone white bow tie on a plain tuxedo looks accidental.
2. The invitation must allow it. "Creative black tie" or a fashion event gives far more room than a traditional wedding. See our dress code page.
3. You must know you are breaking the rule. An exception works when the wearer is confident and understands the convention.

If you only want a brighter point

There are other ways to lift a tuxedo without changing the colour of the bow tie.

• Keep the bow tie black and add a white pocket square, a detail that reads well on black.
• Choose a satin lapel with a clear sheen so the neck and shoulders stand out by themselves.
• Use mother-of-pearl cufflinks or a small lapel pin, as TUX-082 does with its lily.
• If the event really is white tie, have the correct white tie outfit made rather than mixing the two.

From the Mon Amie workroom

When you are torn between a black and a white bow tie, the quickest answer is to try both in front of a mirror with the shirt and lapel you have chosen. A Mon Amie advisor will read the invitation with you, confirm the dress code and propose a combination that fits the event. You can book a fitting at a showroom and judge it in person before you decide.