Men’s Custom Tuxedo
The original dinner jackets were made without vents then later offered with side vents. While side vents provide easier access to trouser pockets and are more comfortable to sit in, they can also make the jacket less slimming and somewhat compromise the intended formality of the tuxedo.
The center (aka single) vent is unacceptable not only because of its sporty pedigree (it is a horseback adaptation much less refined than the tailcoat’s) but also because it opens up when a man reaches into his trouser pockets thus exposing the seat of his pants and often a white patch of shirt to boot. Despite its inappropriateness, the single vent is becoming more common on dinner jackets as mainstream manufacturers save money by patterning their tuxedo on standard suit styles. Fortunately, a good tailor can convert these jackets into ventless models by closing the vent.
Besides its natural association with night, the deliberate use of black for traditional evening wear has two distinct aesthetic advantages. First, it imbues the wearer with an aura of dominance and power. Second, when worn with a white shirt and accessories the juxtaposition of black’s complete lack of color against white’s complete spectrum of color creates the greatest contrast possible. “If the topic was printing rather than formal dress,” observed the author of The Aesthetics of the Tuxedo, “classic black tie would be the equivalent of putting words in bold.”
