Aubergine and Indigo-Violet Tuxedos: A Deep, Different Colour

Aubergine, a deep eggplant purple, is one of the few unusual colours that lets a man walk into any ballroom without being stared at. In daylight it reads clearly as a dark purple. Under evening lamps it drops to near-black and shows its purple only when you turn or raise an arm. That is the appeal: discreet, but memorable to anyone who looks closely.

Aubergine and indigo-violet

Aubergine takes its name from the eggplant: a deep purple with a slightly red-brown undertone, very dark. Indigo-violet leans bluer, cooler and a little less warm. In practice the two are close, and a tailor tells them apart mostly by turning the cloth in the light.

The important shared quality is darkness. Both are dark enough to approach black under warm lamps, yet show purple in the folds and across the shoulder when light falls at an angle. Compared with midnight blue, already familiar in black tie, deep purple is a small step further toward personality. Black or midnight blue tuxedo shows how the two dark groups differ.

Two real models: TUX-118 and TUX-132

Both are in Burgundy & jewel tones.

• TUX-118: deep aubergine, one button, black satin peak lapels and a black velvet bow tie. The quiet version: plain colour, classic structure, with purple appearing only through the light.
• TUX-132: indigo-violet woven with a geometric pattern carrying a reddish-brown sheen, black satin peak lapels and a velvet bow tie. The woven pattern adds a layer of depth to the cloth, suited to elaborate evenings. Geometric-pattern tuxedos covers that family separately.

Two routes. TUX-118 suits a man who likes an unusual colour within a traditional frame. TUX-132 is for the man ready to add pattern as well.

Deep purple that reads almost black

A deep purple jacket has two faces, depending on light.

1. Under warm lamps and party lighting: the cloth is dark, the black satin lapel almost merges, and only the sheen of the satin separates it from the cloth. The suit looks black, but a black with depth.
2. Under white light, daylight or flash: the purple comes out. You will see that this is a coloured tuxedo, not black.

So with flash photography the colour will show more than what your eye saw in the room. Prepare for that when you view the pictures, and ideally look at test photos in the showroom. If you worry the colour will show too much outdoors, choose a darker aubergine over a lighter indigo-violet.

Black bow tie, white shirt

The simplest and most effective formula:

• A hand-tied black bow tie, in velvet or satin, matching the lapel. TUX-118 and TUX-132 both use a black velvet bow.
• A white shirt with a piqué or pleated front. White beside deep purple gives a clean contrast, usually better than ivory here, since ivory's yellow cast can dull the purple.
• Cufflinks and studs in silver, onyx or pale violet. Avoid heavy gold, which with deep purple tends toward stage costume.
• Black trousers with a satin stripe and black patent shoes.
• A flat white pocket square.

If you choose a patterned version such as TUX-132, keep every accessory plain. One dark colour, one woven pattern and a black-and-white set of accessories are enough.

Arts events and other occasions

Deep purple has a language of its own around the arts: theatres, exhibitions and galleries. The suit looks educated and selective, and does not ask the viewer to decode the colour. Suitable occasions:

• Exhibition openings, arts galas and classical concerts (see also exhibition opening night).
• Year-end dinners and corporate evenings.
• A groom who wants a quiet colour, different from groomsmen in black.
• Indoor couple portraits under warm lamps.

When it does not suit: a strict black-tie invitation, or a formal outdoor ceremony in harsh sun, where the purple shows like ordinary cloth. This is a creative black-tie colour, not a base colour of the dress code. See our dress code page.

From the Mon Amie workshop

Deep purple changes more than almost any colour between lamp and sun, so look at the cloth in a showroom under at least two kinds of light. The tailor will measure you, advise whether a woven pattern or a plain cloth suits you, and give the specific making time at the fitting. Book a fitting here.