This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/black-tie-outfits-for-men-how-to-liven-up-formalwear-chris-pine-michael-b-jordan-e4a1a85d

WHEN LUKE VACHON attended a formal wedding in Hudson, N.Y., a few months ago, he jilted the blah black tux. Instead of wearing a predictable 007-style ensemble like most male guests, the Montreal marketing director, 32, shrugged a relaxed-fit, desert-brown suit over a black linen polo. Result: In the “sea of sameness” created by the other guys’ monotonous outfits, as he put it, he introduced a newer wave without looking zany or offending the occasion’s formality. “It wasn’t my wedding, it wasn’t my moment, but I wanted to be a little different without making a scene,” he said.

If you’ve attended a dressy event lately, chances are you’ve spotted guys like Mr. Vachon, who are challenging the tedium of formal attire without going OTT. Prepandemic, tinkering with the classic black-tie formula was often considered borderline unhinged. Anyone who risked color or strayed from the standard accessories (except perhaps by flummoxing fellow guests with “daring” cuff links or a fun cummerbund) automatically became that guy: a look-at-me poser sure to elicit eye rolls from the more sensibly attired. But starved of dress-up opportunities during Covid, and uninspired by before-times conformity, more guys are thinking outside the tux. At weddings, galas and work ’dos, they’re disrupting the penguin colonies.

Continue reading your article with a WSJ subscription

Already a subscriber? Sign In

Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.