Tuxedo is the name for a formal suit, usually consisting of a black or dark gray jacket and pants, typically worn with a white shirt, coordinating bowtie, cummerbund and cufflinks. It is often distinguished from a suit by the fact that a tuxedo is more formal and is worn only for specific events or occasions such as weddings or white tie events. Tuxedo is also considered more stylish than a business suit and is often favored by men who wear suits for work but need something special for certain occasions.
The tuxedo originated in the 19th century from an earlier semi-formal dress coat substitute called a smoking jacket. The Prince of Wales’s tailless blue silk smoking jacket commissioned through Savile Row tailor Henry Poole and worn with matching trousers is sometimes cited as the beginning of the tuxedo. A wealthy American, James Brown Potter, who lived in the Hudson Valley enclave of Tuxedo Park brought the dinner jacket back to America after seeing it on the Crown Prince during his visit to England in 1886 and he gave the name to the outfit.
The 1980s saw a return to traditional styling and the popularity of the tuxedo surge as black tie was reintroduced as a more formal event at presidential inaugural balls and other social events. This led to a huge increase in tuxedo sales and rentals. The Mod influence of the 1960s influenced fashion rebellion and skinny fits came into fashion with flashy colors that wouldn’t normally be associated with formalwear. Loud patterned jackets, floppy bow ties and drainpipe pants that looked more like bell-bottoms were added to the mix as style icons sought to make a statement of their own. Tuxedo