Black or Midnight Blue Tuxedo: Which Should You Choose?

If you are having one tuxedo made and want it to work at every black tie event, choose black. If you already own a black dinner suit, or you want something equally correct with more depth under evening light, midnight blue is well worth considering. Both are orthodox black tie colours, not passing fashion choices.

The two original colours of evening dress

Under the conventions of black tie, the dinner jacket (what Americans call the tuxedo) comes in two foundational colours: black and midnight blue. Everything else, from ivory to burgundy to bottle green, is a variation with its own time and place.

Midnight blue gained favour in evening wear around the 1920s and 1930s and is often associated with the Prince of Wales, later the Duke of Windsor, a man who gave evening clothes a great deal of thought. Since then it has stood alongside black as a classic rather than a trend.

Why midnight blue can look blacker than black

Tailors often repeat a familiar observation: under warm artificial light, black cloth can look flat, sometimes greyish or faintly green. Midnight blue, in the same light, reads just as dark and deep, while keeping the play of light and shadow across the folds, the shoulder line and the lapels.

That is why black satin facings on a midnight blue jacket create the subtlest of contrasts, the kind only a sharp eye will notice. On a black jacket the facings and body share a colour, and the difference lies mainly in the sheen of silk against matte wool.

In daylight or under strong camera flash, midnight blue will show clearly as blue. Look at swatches under both warm and white light before you decide.

Midnight blue versus navy

Midnight blue is considerably darker than navy and, in a dining room, is almost indistinguishable from black. Navy is lighter and unmistakably blue, which brings it closer to the spirit of a business suit than of evening dress.

A simple test: lay the blue swatch next to a black one under warm light. If you struggle to tell them apart, that is true midnight blue. If the blue jumps out at once, it is navy, better suited to weddings and less formal evenings than to a strict black tie dinner.

At Mon Amie both shades sit in the Midnight Blue & Navy collection, which is a good way to see the difference for yourself.

At a glance

	Black	Midnight blue
Formality	The black tie standard	Equal; also an original colour
Under warm evening light	Flat black, sometimes greyish	Deep and dark, holds its shape
Daylight, flash	Still black	Shows as blue
Lapel facings	Black satin or grosgrain	Black satin or matching midnight satin
Ease of wear	Suits every occasion and every man	Asks for a little more confidence
Ideal as	Your first tuxedo	Your second, or a quiet point of difference

Styling: change the jacket, keep everything else

Choosing midnight blue does not mean rethinking your accessories. The rules of black tie still apply:

• Trousers: cut from the same cloth as the jacket, with a satin or grosgrain braid down the outside leg. A midnight blue jacket takes midnight blue trousers in the classic manner.
• Lapels: shawl, peak or notch, faced in satin or grosgrain, either black or tone-on-tone.
• Shirt: white, with a pleated or marcella (piqué) bib, shirt studs and cufflinks.
• Bow tie: a black self-tie bow is correct with either colour. With midnight blue, a bow tie in the same silk as the facings also looks very good.
• Cummerbund or low-cut waistcoat: black, or matching the jacket.
• Shoes: black patent oxfords or opera pumps, with black silk socks.

For the detail on each piece, see our guide to tuxedo styling rules.

Choosing by occasion and by wardrobe

• Your first tuxedo, to be worn for years: black. You will never be off-key at an evening event.
• You already own black: midnight blue is a natural second dinner suit, because it is every bit as formal.
• Grooms: midnight blue sets you apart from a room of black jackets in your wedding photographs without losing any solemnity. Groomsmen in black make a good backdrop. See our wedding tuxedo page for more.
• Outdoor parties or lots of daytime photography: think carefully, as midnight blue will photograph as clearly blue.

The cloth decides whether the colour is right

With midnight blue, the cloth matters more than the cut. Two bolts may both be sold as midnight blue and differ noticeably in depth, warmth and lustre. Tightly woven wools such as barathea and grain de poudre, or wool and mohair blends, hold a deep colour and take on a gentle sheen under lights, which is exactly what evening wear wants.

Black varies too: some blacks are deep and true, others lean brown or grey. When you come in to be measured, our consultants will lay swatches side by side under different lighting so you can judge for yourself.

A few real models to help you picture it:

• Classic Black Peak Lapel Tuxedo (TUX-041): pure black, satin peak lapels, one button.
• Midnight Navy One-Button Tuxedo (TUX-018): deep midnight tone, black satin peak lapels, one button at the waist.
• Midnight Blue Three-Piece Tuxedo (TUX-005): midnight blue with a black waistcoat beneath.

How Mon Amie can help

At any of Mon Amie's five showrooms in Ho Chi Minh City you can see black and midnight blue cloths side by side under evening light, then decide on lapels, trousers and accessories with a consultant. Making time depends on the model and your fitting schedule, and your consultant will give you specifics at measuring, so it is wise to book well ahead of your wedding or event. Book a showroom consultation.