The Journal — Menswear

"Creative black tie" is the dress code instruction that appears on an invitation when the host wants the formality of black tie with the visual interest of something less uniform. It is an invitation to express yourself within the framework of formal evening dress — not an excuse to abandon the framework entirely.

White tie and black tie are the two highest rungs of the Western dress code ladder, and they are frequently confused — which matters, because arriving at a white tie event in a tuxedo is as serious a violation as arriving at a black tie event in a business suit. The difference between them is specific, the occasions for each are different, and the correct response to each invitation is not interchangeable.

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.