The Journal — Menswear

New York in July is a specific challenge. The temperature on the street is 90 degrees with humidity that makes fabric stick to skin. Three blocks of walking produce enough warmth that the suit you entered the taxi in feels like a different garment by the time you arrive. And yet: the meeting is at 9am, the dinner is at 7pm, and neither context will forgive arriving visibly disheveled.

The summer suit is the most misunderstood garment in men's fashion. Most men either abandon tailoring entirely when temperatures rise — reverting to chinos and a sports coat — or suffer through the heat in a wool suit built for October. Neither is necessary. The correct summer suit, in the correct fabric, makes heat a non-issue.

Black tie gives women enormous latitude — and that latitude is where most of the confusion lives. Unlike men, who are working with a clearly defined uniform, women face a category that includes floor-length gowns, tailored pantsuits, jumpsuits, and a dozen interpretations between. The question isn't what's technically allowed. It's what the occasion demands, what the venue suggests, and what will look right in photographs that exist for the rest of your life.

A tuxedo is the most specific garment in men's fashion. The variables are narrower than in a business suit, the traditions are more clearly defined, and the consequence of getting it wrong is more visible — because everyone else in the room is wearing the same thing. This guide covers the meaningful decisions: lapel style, button configuration, fabric, and what each choice says about the man wearing it.