Does anyone here own a monkey suit?

[roadman65]

I was wondering if anyone here owns a tux?  I am asking is because one group I want to join makes it mandatory to wear a tux to be its member, like the average man out there owns a tux.  Most people I know go to the local rental place and rent one for whatever the event is.  Tuxes come in a variety of colors and depending on what the happy couple at a wedding want, it is not right just to buy a light blue jacket to wear once and never again as the next wedding may want white or red as their colors.

Personally I do not mind wearing a tux, if I had one, but nix the cumberbun (or ever how its spelled) and the fact you have to wear suspenders instead of a belt because tux designers won't put belt loops on the pants.  That and making the pants look like gym sweats with that stripe on the side is not a favorite.  Just make it plain like dress suits are supposed to be and do not have special socks called a tuxedo sock as you cannot see what the design is up close.  If you wore ordinary black socks no one would notice.  Oh yeah, and tuxedos also have a special shoe design that you must go to the store that sells (or rents) monkey suits as regular shoe stores do not carry them.

Anyway, I was just curious do men generally own a tux or is that something that rich people who always attend formal events on regular basis actually own for themselves? 

[PHLBOS]

If you don't mind my asking; what kind of group are you joining that mandates wearing a tux... as opposed to a conventional suit?  The former seems very extreme to me.

That said, the number of times I've worn a tux over the years; I can count with just less than 10 fingers.

Short answer to your question: I rent when needed.

[roadman65]

The Knights of Columbus is the group.   If you take the Fourth Degree, the highest level of entry to the fraternal men's organization, you have to own a tuxedo.  To be a Knight of Columbus you do not need a tuxedo, but for the honors of the 4th you do.   Not mandatory to own it, but they require you to have it for installations and special events that happen quite regularally.  Plus the Color Corps, that is the outfit you see associated with them, where they wear a plumed hat, a chest banner that they like to call a baldric as it supports a fake sword that they mount, and are not allowed to smile at all when wearing need it for a base.

[jeffandnicole]

I've heard that you can buy used ones fairly cheap.  I don't know the best place to do that, but that's one option that won't cost you hundreds of dollars.

[roadman65]

I've heard that you can buy used ones fairly cheap.  I don't know the best place to do that, but that's one option that won't cost you hundreds of dollars.

It is not the money that bothers me.  It is the fact that such an organization would make a garment that is not an ordinary household item its uniform when the average Joe cannot afford one.  I am a proud Knights of Columbus man, and am not knocking anything they do as we do great things for the community! 

In actuality, the whole Fourth Degree is optional as it is part of the order, but not part of the main stream section.  It was created in 1900 years after the Knights was founded to allow some members to gather and show patriotism to their country.  Even though the Knights of Columbus always were proud Americans, they never actually had something for it,  so later the Supreme Council added another degree to the order and decided to make Patriotism one of its virtues.

Why the tux was chosen, is the big question.  Yes it does look nice, but the average man does not (and still does not) wear it often in culture.  Plus if we are Christians we need to realize that many people are indeed poor in one way or another, so that is conflict of interest I would assume.  To actually make that its uniform, to me, seems like the organization is being snobbish.

[kkt]

They used to be worn more often than they are now.  Before WW II, it was typical wear for the well-off at formal dinners or evenings out.  Presumably in your Knights of Columbus the people who already own theirs would be the ones voting on whether to eliminate the tux requirement, so they don't see a pressing need to do so.

Black is the only color for tuxedos.  The colored ones should go back to 1930s musicals where they belong.

Note, also, that tuxedos are not to be worn during the daytime or during the summer.  The cummerbund is an alternative to a vest or waistcoat, worn during hot weather.  Suspenders let the fabric flow more nicely instead of bunching up at the waist, and they should be more comfortable.  The stripe should be fairly subtle -- black silk stripe on black wool fabric.  Compared to the flashy evening dresses the ladies are wearing, the stripe is very restrained.  That's why the men have a prescribed, fairly basic, uniform, to be a background to the evening dresses worn by the women.

[english si]

I was wondering if anyone here owns a tux?

I do - it's an old dinner jacket of my father's that doesn't fit him anymore (about 15 years old) and my old (from when I was 15/16) black school trousers (and a dress shirt and cufflinks and bowtie that are mine). I ought to replace the trousers as they are getting tight - ditto on my morning wear (which are 10 years old).

I think my dad's most recent replacement (that enlarging girth of middle age) didn't set him back much - £150, IIRC, for a brand new one a couple of years ago (he's worn it a good few times).

Tuxes come in a variety of colors

Isn't Tux short for Tuxedo, ie evening formal wear for Black Tie functions? They come in two colours (midnight blue being an acceptable alternative to black), and anything else is an aberration that would see you surely kicked out of an organisation which demands you own a Tux - or at least told to change!

depending on what the happy couple at a wedding want, it is not right just to buy a light blue jacket to wear once and never again as the next wedding may want white or red as their colors.

1) Weddings demand what colour you should wear at them unless part of the bridal party/groomsmen?
2) A wedding having people other than the bride wearing anything white?
3) Are American weddings after 6? You should wear morning dress (and if part of the groom's party/close male relation of the bride you might hire more formal morning dress - with tails and vests and cravats - for that one wedding, though everyone else would wear a semi formal morning suit, shirt and tie when going to a wedding - normally their own, unless they own the formal attire, in which case they'd wear that) as Tuxedos are evening wear.
4) It's never right to buy a light blue jacket, even for semi-formal morning attire, or work clothes - you might be able to pull it off as a middle-aged female realtor, but even so it's not right!
5) These things above show that Americans are just philistines!

You ought to be able to get a tux for not much more than a work suit and surely it can't be that cheap to rent one all the time? The formal accessories will add, obviously, but this stuff lasts a long time (especially if you go cummerband, rather than waistcoat and get a bit more outward expansion adaptation room). Even if you use your tux quarterly at this group and the tux lasts about 2 years (which is surely a worst-case) then that's worth investing in anyway, is it not. Or have I grossly overestimated the cost of renting one?

Black is the only color for tuxedos.

Or midnight blue, apparently (though I've never seen one) - I guess it gets away with it as it's too dark in evening to notice the difference.

The colored ones should go back to 1930s musicals where they belong.

Amen! Though I think the 70s are the issue, ditto with over-frilly dress shirts, which should have a subtle pattern of excess material down the middle, but not too much.

Note, also, that tuxedos are not to be worn during the daytime or during the summer.

You can wear it in the summer. Though if it's hot, I'd imagine that they wouldn't demand black tie.

The cummerbund is an alternative to a vest or waistcoat, worn during hot weather.

And neither are needed unless going full-on-formal. You can wear it in cooler weather too, though it won't help keep you warm.

Suspenders let the fabric flow more nicely instead of bunching up at the waist, and they should be more comfortable.

Definitely not needed, but agreed over a belt to deal with badly fitting trousers (something that ought not happen with a tux). As something that won't be seen like the socks (a totally ridiculous prescription, so long as you have black socks) unless you look hard. A belt, however, is something visible.

That's why the men have a prescribed, fairly basic, uniform, to be a background to the evening dresses worn by the women.

Indeed, though I'd argue that the cummerbund/waistcoat is perhaps a bit of flash too far.

Individuality comes through cufflinks and maybe a 'kerchief and perhaps, if standards are lax, the bowtie. You probably will be able to get away with a slightly off-white shirt (ivory, cream, magnolia, etc).

[roadman]

You only need to wear a tuxedo at a wedding if you're part of the wedding party (i.e. best man or usher).  Otherwise, a standard suit is perfectly acceptable.

[hotdogPi]

I think "penguin suit" would be more accurate than "monkey suit".

[roadman]

Speaking of tux rental places (and roads), when I was a kid in the early 1970s, there was a tux rental place called Mr. Tux on MA 60 in Revere (MA).  MA 60 was (and still is) a major commuter route into Boston (via MA 1A and the Sumner/Williams Tunnels).  Mr. Tux decided to take advantage of this fact by posting on their sign "Last Tuxedo Before Tunnel."

[agentsteel53]

Speaking of tux rental places (and roads), when I was a kid in the early 1970s, there was a tux rental place called Mr. Tux on MA 60 in Revere (MA).  MA 60 was (and still is) a major commuter route into Boston (via MA 1A and the Sumner/Williams Tunnels).  Mr. Tux decided to take advantage of this fact by posting on their sign "Last Tuxedo Before Tunnel."

there was a Mr. Tux around in the 80s and 90s.  I can't remember where it was.  I want to say VFW Parkway (still signed as US1, knowing MassDOT) in Dedham or something, but it may very well have been 60.

ETA: a brief Google search shows that there is one to this day in Norwood, on US 1/VFW Parkway/Providence Hwy/whatever you want to call it.  looks like it's a chain.

[Scott5114]

5) These things above show that Americans are just philistines!

You'd love the last wedding I went to. The bride wore cowboy boots with her dress, and the preacher wore blue jeans, a button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and a Stetson. (As I was the only one in attendance in an actual suit the preacher joked that I would have to conduct the ceremony by default.) The wedding site was atop a mesa-like geographical feature, which guests were ferried to by means of a flatbed trailer towed by a tractor. Seating was atop hay bales. The reception was held in the barn afterward.

No, I swear I am not making any of this up. It took place at the groom's farm in rural Caddo County, Oklahoma (near Minco specifically) if you were wondering. I remain unsure if they were playing the rural farm theme up or if they just flat-out found the setting the most appropriate. Whatever, it was their wedding; hopefully they enjoyed it.

I was wondering if anyone here owns a tux?  I am asking is because one group I want to join makes it mandatory to wear a tux to be its member, like the average man out there owns a tux.  Most people I know go to the local rental place and rent one for whatever the event is.  Tuxes come in a variety of colors and depending on what the happy couple at a wedding want, it is not right just to buy a light blue jacket to wear once and never again as the next wedding may want white or red as their colors.

Personally I do not mind wearing a tux, if I had one, but nix the cumberbun (or ever how its spelled) and the fact you have to wear suspenders instead of a belt because tux designers won't put belt loops on the pants.  That and making the pants look like gym sweats with that stripe on the side is not a favorite.  Just make it plain like dress suits are supposed to be and do not have special socks called a tuxedo sock as you cannot see what the design is up close.  If you wore ordinary black socks no one would notice.  Oh yeah, and tuxedos also have a special shoe design that you must go to the store that sells (or rents) monkey suits as regular shoe stores do not carry them.

Anyway, I was just curious do men generally own a tux or is that something that rich people who always attend formal events on regular basis actually own for themselves? 

I don't own a tux, and have only ever worn one once, which was to my high school prom. I opted for a vest instead of a cummerbund. It was a rental, which is good because I doubt it would fit today.

If you are going to be wearing one with any regularity it would probably be more economic to buy your own (perhaps rent until you can judge the expense that renting with run you and the frequency of tux events). If the group wants to require a tux, they can require a tux–nobody is forcing you to join the group, after all!

[roadman65]

You only need to wear a tuxedo at a wedding if you're part of the wedding party (i.e. best man or usher).  Otherwise, a standard suit is perfectly acceptable.

That is what I mean.  The bridal party usually wears tuxedo jackets to match the brides maids dresses.

[PHLBOS]

ETA: a brief Google search shows that there is one to this day in Norwood, on US 1/VFW Parkway/Providence Hwy/whatever you want to call it.  looks like it's a chain.

IIRC, it is/was a chain.  BTW, in Norwood, that stretch of road is US 1/Boston-Providence Turnpike.

5) These things above show that Americans are just philistines!

One wedding I attended; the groom & groomsmen all wore Hawaiian shirts.  No, the wedding was not in Hawaii.

[pianocello]

To answer the OP, yes. A common dress code for orchestras (including my high school and university orchestras) is to wear a tux, so I've had it for a few years. It's come in handy sometimes, saving a lot of money on prom rentals.

[The Nature Boy]

I can honestly say that I've NEVER worn a tux.

[Pete from Boston]

[vdeane]

I don't own a monkey suit or a tuxedo or Tux.  I don't own the female equivalents either.  The only thing I own that's more dressy than business casual is a lovely fuschia dress from Forever 21 that I've been dying to find an occasion to wear.  I really don't have many circumstances where I need to get dressed up.

But when you get your tuxedo, make sure you become a superhero and attack with roses.

[english si]

You only need to wear a tuxedo at a wedding if you're part of the wedding party (i.e. best man or usher) and the wedding is after 6 or the bride and the groom are clueless about what is appropriate attire.

FIFY

5) These things above show that Americans are just philistines!

One wedding I attended; the groom & groomsmen all wore Hawaiian shirts.  No, the wedding was not in Hawaii.

Fine, totally ignoring the rules is much better than thinking you are obeying them and getting them amazingly wrong.

That is what I mean.  The bridal party usually wears tuxedo jackets to match the brides maids dresses.

Jackets - I'm guessing trousers as well to avoid looking even worse? Why not just the vests/bowties (you'll note that I'm grudingly accepting tuxes here)?  You can throw in accented socks and suspenders if you so desire. Cheaper to rent than a whole outfit, nowhere near as expensive to buy, and not silly to purchase a black tux.

You moan about the club you are a part of demanding a 'uniform' at formal functions for higher levels of the club (though you were surely going to have to rent a tux for at least some of these function anyway, weren't you?), but make a key argument against it the lack of uniformity in formal wedding attire (if you are close enough to be a groomsman, then you are close enough to push for black tuxes with colored accents rather than colored tuxes!). If you remove the 'uniform' for formal functions then you end up like the weddings - you'd have got/rented one suit for x event, another one for event y, etc.

As much as I disliked it (especially that it needed to be neat whenever I was wearing it), I feel that having to wear a school uniform was really helpful - no thinking about what to wear and trying to be cool by clothing choice, and, as one of the poorer kids at my secondary school, no blatant standing out for being poor (as well as no blatant standing out for being nerdy). Formal dress codes aim to do similar - yes you can have gold and diamond cufflinks, medals, etc, etc that show some status, and some cuts are trendier than others, but you put a bunch of guys in penguin suits and they are all almost equals and need to stand out more by the content of their character and conversation than by their wealth, status, trendiness, etc. When you complicate it with coloured tuxes then you've undone that reason for tuxes (and the one mentioned above about allowing the ladies to stand out in their dresses).

[realjd]

Can confirm, us Americans have no idea what morning dress is. I had to google it. Of course I'm from Florida where suits without a tie is perfectly acceptable attire for any formal event like a wedding.

[kkt]

Can confirm, us Americans have no idea what morning dress is.

Well, I do, but I think Miss Manners and I are the only ones.

I really don't like modifications to evening dress, even colored handkerchiefs and ties that match among the groomsmen.  The color is to be provided by the ladies.  If you don't want to follow the rules for a formal wedding, by all means make it informal and wear colorful lounge suits or swim trunks or whatever and I won't complain at all.  Just don't have colorful accents and still think you're having a formal dress wedding.

[english si]

Can confirm, us Americans have no idea what morning dress is.

Semi-formally, it would be a non-black non-tux (with its satin bits) suit (a suit you'd wear for work would typically do - though you don't want to look as if you are going to work), necktie (not bow), shirt (preferably a dress shirt of some form, with cufflinks). The shirt can be coloured, and perhaps ought to be if not wearing a vest (if wearing a vest, then white).

Formally it will be tails (which might be black, but not with black trousers. If you want a black look, go with charcoal grey), trousers (that don't have to match, and perhaps ought not to), white shirt, vest (which replaces the shirt for colour) and cravat - what Mr Darcy wears during the day kind of thing, though the Top Hat is usually ignored

I really don't like modifications to evening dress, even colored handkerchiefs and ties that match among the groomsmen.  The color is to be provided by the ladies.  If you don't want to follow the rules for a formal wedding, by all means make it informal and wear colorful lounge suits or swim trunks or whatever and I won't complain at all.  Just don't have colorful accents and still think you're having a formal dress wedding.

This is my bugbear, and tux at American weddings seems like it comes from trying to make it more formal and then they go and ruin it by totally ignoring evening dress rules.

[Laura]

I don't own one obviously, and neither does Mike. When we were looking at semi-formal clothing options for our wedding, I suggested that the men all get together on one of those "buy one suit get two free" deals at Joseph A Bank, thinking that if they picked out a nice basic black suit and accessories that totaled six hundred dollars (for one), they could divide it by three and pay two hundred each for a suit they could keep for other functions. Conveniently, there were six groomsmen. But when I mentioned it, the men complained because the majority of them don't have a need for suits ever (even in office jobs), and that tuxes are the only appropriate wedding attire for groomsmen. So Mike picked out a blue "tuxedo" suit rental, which ended up costing each guy about $200 anyway and they had to return it.

And then my father in law had this awesome brown suit to wear but my mother in law vetoed it saying he had to match everyone else. Which was silly because he actually didn't need to match anyone else - he didn't need to match the groomsmen and there were no other fathers or grandfathers that he needed to match because they're deceased.

Here I was trying to make it easy for everyone by making it semi-formal and they made it difficult anyway!! >_<


iPhone

[hbelkins]

This is my bugbear, and tux at American weddings seems like it comes from trying to make it more formal and then they go and ruin it by totally ignoring evening dress rules.

The fact that there are so-called "rules" for apparel is just one more reason I'm convinced the world is not only going to hell, but it's 7/8ths of the way there already.

[english si]

I don't own one obviously, and neither does Mike. When we were looking at semi-formal clothing options for our wedding, I suggested that the men all get together on one of those "buy one suit get two free" deals at Joseph A Bank, thinking that if they picked out a nice basic black suit and accessories that totaled six hundred dollars (for one), they could divide it by three and pay two hundred each for a suit they could keep for other functions. Conveniently, there were six groomsmen. But when I mentioned it, the men complained because the majority of them don't have a need for suits ever (even in office jobs), and that tuxes are the only appropriate wedding attire for groomsmen. So Mike picked out a blue "tuxedo" suit rental, which ended up costing each guy about $200 anyway and they had to return it.

You were in the right there (and black makes the suits funeral-friendly, increasing usage). Especially as tuxes are not appropriate wedding attire for anyone, especially groomsmen - if you are going to go formal, do it properly!

This is my bugbear, and tux at American weddings seems like it comes from trying to make it more formal and then they go and ruin it by totally ignoring evening dress rules.

The fact that there are so-called "rules" for apparel is just one more reason I'm convinced the world is not only going to hell, but it's 7/8ths of the way there already.

Way to miss my point, which was that if you are going to impose a formal dress code, even if it is the wrong one, do it properly.

I have no problem with semi-formal weddings, or with nudist weddings, or with hawaiian shirt weddings. It's the pretend attempts at black tie weddings without actually following black tie.