Golden Globes Gentlemen (Part I)
You didn’t think I was finished with Golden Globes fashion, did you? After an eyeful of the beautiful ladies, it’s time to show off the dapper gentlemen.
As a woman, I often think that men have it easy. Be it attending a black tie event, going to an office party or attending their wedding, all they need is a well cut suit. But after doing research on choosing the right tuxedo, I have been proven wrong and glad of it.
Yes, for most occasions, a suit, a shirt and black shoes will suffice. But within this ensemble, there are subtle differences that a guy can use to differentiate himself. Especially so at a wedding. The groom need not always be dressed in a standard 2 button suit. Let’s start by familiarising ourselves with the diffrent styles.
Single Breasted One Button Tuxedo
Brad Pitt in Tom Ford
A tall, slim man will look good in any style of tuxedo. Particularly in a jacket with button high above the waistline and slightly padded shoulders.
Single Breasted Two Button Tuxedo
Leonardo Dicaprio in Armani
Suitable for the short and slender gentleman, this single breasted jacket with buttons above the natural waistline lengthens the body visually. For this gentleman, the perfect pant legs should break slightly on top of the shoe and angle downwards in the back.
Double Breasted Tuxedo
Tom Cruise in Giorgio Armani
A dinner jacket that will make Humphrey Bogart proud. This is a man exuding confidence and sophistication. Cruise is Top Gun with this classic piece.
Shawl Lapel
Jay Z in a shawl collar tux
A rounded lapel that rolls back on a tapering line, this style is perfect for the tall, muscular gentleman with broad shoulders. Length is important here. One way to gauge the perfect length is to place his arms at the sides and relax his fingers. The fingertips should top the bottom of the jacket and the shirt sleeve should extend 1/2 inch beyond the jacket opening. If your man has a thick neck, avoid skinny ties and wing tip collars.
Peak Lapel
Pierce Brosnan in a wing tip collar suit
This style of lapel has 2 points of fabric pointing upward with narrow spacing between lapel and collar.
Notch Lapel
Adrian Grenier in the classic notch lapel tux
This style boasts V-shaped cuts that meets where the collar and lapel points to each other. Note that the first button rests on the man’s natural waist, giving the torso a leaner look. This style is suitable for the short stocky guy. For him, pants should extend as low as possible on the foot to elongate the leg.
