Why Every Man Should Own a Tuxedo

A gentleman should own a tuxedo because black tie invitations arrive without warning and the time to prepare is always shorter than you expect. With a well-fitting suit already hanging in the wardrobe, you can accept in an afternoon instead of rushing to hire one, trying it on, and hoping a stock size happens to match your build. And a good tuxedo, properly kept, stays with you through many years and many occasions.

Nobody is obliged to buy. A man who attends a single gala a year may be better served by hiring. But if your calendar holds weddings, galas, award ceremonies, openings, year-end conferences or evenings at the theatre, three reasons are worth weighing.

Ready for any invitation

A black tie invitation seldom comes with months of notice. A friend asks you to stand as a groomsman, a partner invites you to an award ceremony, a company event suddenly settles on formal dress. When the suit is already in your wardrobe, you only need to have it pressed and checked, not plan from nothing. Preparing early also leaves time for light alterations, instead of settling for whatever is left on the rack.

It helps most if you meet people often: businessmen, diplomats, members of associations and societies with formalities. A tuxedo is worn rarely, but when it is needed it has to be there. If you are unsure what the dress code on a card means, the black tie dress code explains each level.

A better fit than hire

A hire suit is cut to a standard size, adjusted in a hurry for the person hiring it, and has been through many hands. Even with a nip at the hem and sleeve, the shoulder, chest and body belong to an average shape. A made-to-measure suit is the opposite: the measurements are yours, the shoulder sits on your shoulder point, and the body follows the way you stand, sit and raise your arm.

Fit is not only a matter of looks. It is comfort across a long evening: no pinch at the armhole when you lift a glass, no tugging the jacket down each time you stand. A suit with the right line makes its wearer more assured, and others feel it even if they cannot say why. Hiring is still the right choice when you need a suit once, and Mon Amie has a hire service at thuevest.vn, with fittings at the showroom, alterations to fit and cleaning included; hire prices depend on the model, so ask a specialist. Hire or make a tuxedo sets the two options side by side.

One suit, many years

The tuxedo is one of the few garments that changes very slowly. Shawl or peak lapel, black satin, trousers with a stripe: these have barely moved in decades. A Classic Black Peak Lapel Tuxedo, solid black from matte body cloth to glossy satin lapel, or a broad satin shawl lapel like TUX-001, will not go out of fashion after a single season.

What matters more is that the life of the suit depends on its care. Worn a few times a year, hung to air, stored in a cloth bag and cleaned at the right moment, it lasts far longer than a jacket worn daily. If your weight changes, a made-to-measure suit has seam allowance to alter; weight change: how much can a tuxedo be altered shows where the limit lies. And when you divide the cost by the number of wears over many years, the sum no longer looks as large as it did on the invoice. That arithmetic is set out in the cost of each wear of a tuxedo.

An investment in your image

No need to overstate it: a tuxedo does not make the man. But how a man dresses for a formal occasion shows how seriously he takes his hosts and the evening. At weddings, meetings with partners or award ceremonies, the picture you leave in photographs and in other people's memory outlasts the party.

A suit of your own also gives you the choice of colour, lapel, cloth and accessories to match your character, rather than choosing from what is left on the rail. The Essential line starts at 4,800,000 VND, Signature from 10,000,000 VND and Heritage above 20,000,000 VND; the final price depends on cloth and details such as satin or velvet lapels, a waistcoat or a pleated shirt. See the price guide for what each line includes.

If you decide to own one

For a first suit, most gentlemen should start with black or midnight blue with satin lapels: correct for every occasion and slow to date. More daring choices, such as velvet, ivory or burgundy, can come later once the wardrobe has a foundation. You can browse every model in the collection, or learn the process on the made-to-measure tuxedo page.

Meet a tailor before you decide

The simplest way to know whether a tuxedo suits you is to visit a showroom, try a few cuts, and hear a specialist advise by build, occasion and budget. Making time depends on the model and the fitting schedule, so book well ahead of any event. Book a visit to a Mon Amie showroom to begin.