The Designer's Note: Tuxedo
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The tuxedo: how does it differ from your suit? How to wear it?
"The tuxedo is not just a business suit working overtime. It is hard to pull off an illusion after dark by simply slapping a bow tie onto a dark business suit.
The tuxedo is a standalone garment, designed for the lights of the night. Originally, its silk-faced lapels were designed to catch the flickering glow of candles in drawing rooms. Later, under the electric lighting of ballrooms, "midnight blue" wool was invented—the only shade capable of looking blacker than black itself once the sun goes down. In my book, the tuxedo isn't meant to be locked away exclusively under the chandeliers of an opera house or a formal gala. I guarantee the neon signs of a late-night bar or the flashing lights of a club suit it just as well.
Silk rules What definitively separates the tuxedo from an everyday suit is silk. The jacket lapels are faced with satin or faille. As for the collar, you choose between a peak lapel (which broadens the shoulders) and a shawl lapel (the nonchalant heir to the dressing gown). The standard notch lapel found on your everyday suits simply doesn't work here. The same rigorous standard applies to the pockets: they are jetted, with no flaps whatsoever.
The jacket: single-breasted, double-breasted, wool, or velvet The jacket is cut single-breasted (with a single fastening button) or double-breasted. This single button creates a deep plunge that exposes the shirt bib and sculpts the silhouette. As for the back, the rules are even stricter. A traditional dinner jacket features no vents whatsoever, ensuring a perfectly tubular line. Double side vents are now tolerated so you can slip your hands into your pockets, but a single center vent is sheer heresy. While English Barathea wool remains the standard, the tuxedo works beautifully into cotton velvet. At Cinabre, we offer both cuts (single-breasted, double-breasted) and both fabrics. My personal favorite? The double-breasted in black velvet.
Which colors? Black is the benchmark, but you can take a few liberties on the subject. In the 1930s, wealthy expats wintering on the Riviera were sweltering in their dark wool. Life isn’t always easy on the Côte d’Azur... They kept the strict black trousers but switched to a much lighter, cream dinner jacket. A climate-driven workaround immortalized by Bogart in Casablanca, normally reserved for open-air evenings and cruises. Aside from this famous cream, the jacket comes in midnight blue, forest green, burgundy, or even a very striking mustard. You can find these color variations, in velvet, within our "Black Tie" category.
The trousers: black or dark blue. Period. And no leather belt for them: belt loops do not exist here. Its defining feature is the galon—the strip of silk running down the outer seam of the leg. This is a direct heir to 19th-century cavalry: the silk side stripe (or "lampasse" in military jargon) was featured on the full dress trousers of the British, French, and Prussian armies. This strip of fabric served to mask the outer seam of the trousers, which, at the time, was often unsightly and difficult to tailor cleanly on the heavy canvas of uniforms.
With or without a horse, no full tuxedo in broad daylight (unless you are walking home the morning after). However, as separate, it is allowed out anywhere, at any time. Grab one of our double-breasted velvet jackets and try it over a white T-shirt and denim. Wear the trousers differently and give them a completely different edge with heavy knitwear in the dead of winter. Ultimately, it’s a garment meant for living and partying, not for gathering dust in a garment bag."
