need tux for wedding, brand rec
Should have bought one years ago instead of renting 4-5x from TheBlackTux.
Looking for a decent tux don’t want to spend a ton. This one comes to $715 after 20% sale. Any reason not to go with this brand? Any better options at this price point?
https://www.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/hart-schaffner-marx-regular-fit-tuxedo?ID=1723005&CategoryID=3864
Edit: realized this one is notch lapel, which I think I don’t want? The better looking option is peak?
23 Replies
If you're time rich and are confident in your measurements buy a second hand one.
Unfortunately not time rich… though I would have been open to 2nd hand. Didn’t find any on eBay in my size.
Notch lapel tux is meh, go for peak or shawl
How much time do you have before the wedding
Pretty sure Spier is both cheaper and better https://www.spierandmackay.com/product/black---classic-tuxedo-9011-18120-tuxnt-02-fw22-976
Black - Classic Tuxedo Suit | SPIER & MACKAY
Spier & Mackay
I have just a few weeks. After I posted that link I realized it was notch. Think I would prefer peak.
Maybe I could get rush shipping from spier.
I have the spier one and it’s great tbh, but a 40 contemporary jacket fits me perfectly. Only complaint is always the pants are a bit slim
I will mention that buying a tux is really expensive and you should only do it if you have 3 black tie events this year or two including your own wedding AND you already have a suit you like
Cause you also need (if you want nice stuff)
tuxedo shirt - $100 proper cloth
Black patent leather shoes - $300 Allen edmonds
Studs and cuff links - $100
Cumberbund - $100 J Press (this one is soooo nice, genuinely feels good)
Black silk tie - $50 - $100 Kent Wang/J Press/BB/Etc
Would call it probably $1100 all in on the tux
While I’m getting older and # of wedding I’ll have is decreasing. But I have two events this year one is black tie, other is optional. So I figured that would make it worthwhile. I already own fairly nice: two tux shirts, studs/links, two black bow ties. I would need shoes..
I already have three suits that I like.
you can get away with well-shined black oxfords if you don't want to buy patent shoes
Since you’re halfway there, I’d do it
Used AE oxfords or opera slippers are easy to find on eBay
Many folks have asked me if they should buy for myself wedding and I have gone from yes lemme send you stuff, to just rent one. But you’re way farther along
if you are in london have a look in hornets kensignton, they have a lot of gorgeous pieces in there
Im in Washington DC, but thanks!
I’ll probably buy a pair of Allen Edmonds oxfords, shine em up
I firmly rate notches in last place but they have been popular at times. I'll drop my long response when I'm at a computer
I would echo spier mackay if you are on a budget. Measure yourself and look at their measurements.
Hart Schaffner and max is pretty shit, I’d also go with Spier contemporary for
Fit*
Given the short time, found a place to rent one for $180. And then I can wait until spier has my size in stock and it’ll still end up costing less than that hart Schaffer..
Okay finally at a computer. The HSM tux is one of those things we complain about: someone took a black suit and added lapel facings. Note all the standard suit bits: notch lapels, two button stance (ie, there would usually be a second button in line with the pockets or a bit lower, they just removed it but didn't change the button stance at all), dual vents, flap pockets. Cannot tell from photos but suspect the pockets aren't right either and doubt there's buttons for braces.
Regardless of construction quality or wool quality, it's very clearly just a black suit with lapel facings. Wrong cut, wrong silhouette, wrong details. Cannot recommend
Here's a thing I wrote up. I don't claim to be an expert, but I tried to collect the myriad disparate bits and pieces that people like, including most common and some less common variations, into one beginner guide.
Reading through this now. Thank you!
I would strongly suggest looking at eBay for used ones. Tuxedos are some of the best items to buy used since they are unlikely to be heavily used.
For shoes, I got the AE Carlyle, not patent leather.
Just as good for black tie or job interview:
https://www.allenedmonds.com/product/mens-carlyle-plain-toe-oxford-dress-shoe-3022770
Very personal-opinion, but I am not a huge fan of patent oxfords. I prefer black calf, either plain toe or cap toe, shined. But if you want them, my 1c is: Ironically, patent oxfords are the one shoe where I might possibly recommend a cheaper, cemented shoe, for the following reasons:
- You are unlikely to walk much in these, so there is much less need for long term durable construction.
- A cemented sole can be significantly slimmer, which may match the elegance of the shoe and intent better.
- Patent leather is virtually all cheap plastic junky leather, so it seems almost a waste to spend money on better variants of the same crap. (In the old days, they used to make patent leather with a time-intensive process and it looked great, but I don't know a single maker offering that today, except maybe bespoke at a high price point. Everyone else just uses the plastic stuff...)
- Save yoself some money, assuming you can find a shoe that looks good and fits well.
I don't think cap-toe is well-suited for black tie.
To be clear, the one I linked is not patent leather.
Yes I saw what you linked, it's a good setup. On the first point, tons of people think cap toe is perfectly good for black tie. (To be clear, I mean people who actually go to these events regularly, own multiple tuxes, etc.) It's a point of contention and debate, which mostly tells me that you can do it and almost nobody will care except (a subset of) a subset of clothing nerds.
Regarding second-hand: I am a 36R that is reasonably easy to fit, a lot of stuff off-the-rack fits me decently well with only modest tailoring. I spent probably six months trying to find a second-hand tux on ebay and other places. Virtually everything I found was, either: wrong cut, wrong details, notch lapels (sorry), annoying fit incompatibilities, or just simply not the right size. Or occasionally perfect size and details but had damage / wear not worth trying to fix, or occasionally perfect in all ways other than being so expensive as to not make it worth it. I did find formal trousers after a few months that fit decently, and got tailored to fit better. Of course, very shortly after I committed to having one made, I got not one but two jackets in the same week. But my point here is that you have to wade through a sea of inadequate stuff to get a good one, which is pretty much always the case, but usually when shopping second-hand you're open to a great many possibilities and your odds of finding something you like within a week or a month are much better, versus wanting a very specific thing which can take a while. Other people have echoed fairly similar experiences, where they said it took months to find a good tux or separates, and then of course there's shipping, alterations, maybe a second round of alterations, and if you're unlucky it's a bust and you have to try again. In other words: budget time for it.
To me, cap-toe strikes me as business, defeating the purpose of black tie. Similar to tuxedos with notch lapels.
As for patent leather, I just cannot imagine wearing it with anything other than black tie and am reluctant to buy shoes that I can only wear for such events.