how to wear a dinner jacket at every age feature image

How To Wear A Dinner Jacket At Every Age

July 27, 2016

A dinner jacket exemplifies class and refinement. A well fitting dinner jacket steps any man up from feeling like Seinfeld to Don Draper.

Watching Downton Abbey you can’t help but marvel at how men used to dress for dinner. Full tuxedo’s, tails and white dinner jackets, showed respect for the company they were keeping and the meal placed before them. Though we will never get back to that level of elegance, a dinner jacket should still be an important part of every man’s well-dressed wardrobe. Wearing a dinner jacket with a tuxedo shirt and black pants is a given, but for every age, it can add new life to your evening out. Dinner Jackets communicate elegance and panache, we styled four looks to inspire how you dress for your evening events:

In your 20’s

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y night, it’s game night! You’ve got 3 hours to mingle, get a number or maybe even a date home. If you want to make it easier for yourself, throw on a dinner jacket with your jeans and shirt, then sit back.

Shawl collar tuxedo Jacket

Gotstyle Shawl Collar Blue Tuxedo Jacket $795 / Selected Homme Band Collar Shirt $85 / Zanerobe Scrambler Pant $200. / A. Christensen Printed Pocket Square $45 / Gotstyle Blue Suede Shoes $295

In your 30’s

It seems like every week there is a new charity function to attend, but you relish working the room both for business and pleasure. The ladies always up their game at these events and you aim to match. Stand apart from the other guys all dressed in black with a bold color tuxedo jacket paired with a printed shirt and pants (because you can).

Burgundy peak lapel dinner jacket outfit

NYFS Tuxedo Jacket $775 / Sand Circles Shirt $225 / Hiltl Floral Painted Pants $259 / Gotstyle Double Monk Strap Shoe $295

In your 40’S

This year you’re doing the big European trip, unlike your 20’s, no hostels, only high-end boutique hotels. You’ve worked hard and you’ve earned this luxury vacation. Don’t come off as a bad tourist, look like a local and pack a dinner jacket. Chic casual is instantly achieved. Wear a sneaker to stay modern and comfortable on your trip.

Navy Blue dinner jacket outfit with sneakers.

Sand Contrast Trim Evening Jacket $850 / Sand Solid Polo Shirt $150 / Haspel White Seersucker Pant $195 Anderson Belt $175 / Garment Project Sneakers $257
In your 50’s

In your 50’s good habits are hard to break, this o.g. knows he’ll never go wrong with classic style. He’s comfortable knowing he’ll be the best-dressed guy in the room. But adds some fun with his shoe game.

Off-white shawl collar dinner jacket outfit

Gotstyle White Tuxedo Jacket $795/ Stenstroms White Tuxedo Shirt $265 / Strellson Black Pants $228 Black Bowtie $55 / Black Pocket Square $35 / The Carry-On Cocktail Kit / Tiger of Sweden Dress Slippers / Anderson’s Pebbled leather belt $160