Tag Archives: Dinner Jacket

how to wear a dinner jacket at every age feature image

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
Item Of The Week

Gotstyle’s private label burgundy tuxedo jacket is ultra accomplished in its level of Bond-esque cool. The contrasting shawl collar, lean profile, four button detail at cuff, front flap pockets and fine wool fabrication allude to luxury. The graphic hues are very noteworthy and sartorial forward.

How To Style It

Tuxedo jackets often come with baggage, meaning that there are a lot of pre-conceived notions on how, where and when you can wear it. Most of these predispositions revolve around formal occasions like galas and black-tie affairs and though this may be mostly true we’re here to spice things up. Here’s our take on how you could re-invent the classic tuxedo look with a few choice variations.

Key Features

  • Start with a mirco-print shirt vs a classic white tuxedo shirt. It’s an easy way to add character and depth while still maintaining a polished look. Not to mention, micro prints are one of the biggest trends this season.
  • Pair that with a self-tie bow tie because quite frankly no self-respecting man should buy a ready-made bow tie. Trust us, when you learn how to tie one you’ll never go back.
  • You can thank Kanye for this one, but seriously leather pants are all the rage this season and the perfect accent to this modern tuxedo. This pair by Zanerobe offers the perfect balance between streetstyle edge and sophisticated fun.
  • Complete your modern tuxedo look with a timeless classic- patent leather shoes because they are always appropriate.
Style Tips

The red carpet style competition is notoriously stiff. Full time teams dedicated to the “look”, relationships with the most acclaimed designers, back-up attire for every event- it seems impossible for anyone (who isn’t an A-lister) to keep up. Except for us. We have every affair attended to, day to night, power lunches to black tie soirees. Slim fit suiting, creative details, trends and formalwear covered- for slickly understated attire to coolly stand apart from the crowd.

Photography by: Ishmil Waterman
Styling by: Sharad Mohan
Video by: Chris Carter

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Style Guide

Ah, the mysteries of formal wear, to wear a tux or to not wear a tux, that is the question? Before we endeavour to answer that we have to ask a more pertinent question, what is the event?  The key to dressing successfully for any formal event is to identify the occasion, are you attending a high-profile charity gala, TIFF movie premiere, MMVA’s…? Each event comes with it’s own set of rules outlining what is acceptable and what isn’t and knowing those rules is key. Clearly the flexibility in what you’d wear to the MMVA’s is not the same as a black-tie charity dinner where your company has bought a $20,000 table. As such we’ve put together a modern style guide offering everything from a classic shawl-collar tuxedos to dinner jacket combos to help guide you on your style journey. These looks are guaranteed to keep you up to code not matter the formality of your event and remember, “you can never be too overdressed or overeducated” of any occasion.

Upcoming events:
  • Thrill Of Ascot supporting Best Buddies Charity June 7 at Woodbine Race Track 
  • Scrubs In The City in support of Sick Kids hospital present Soiree Under The Stars (Into The Night Dressed In White) June 10 at Evergreen Brick Works
  • MMVA’s June 16 at Much Music Headquarters
Photographer: Ishmil Waterman
Stylist: Sharad Mohan
Model: Carlton (Elmer Olsen)

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