The Journal

The "Super" designation on suiting fabric is one of the most consistently misunderstood terms in men's fashion. It appears on hang tags, in fabric bunch descriptions, and in sales pitches, typically as a signal of quality — "Super 150s!" appears impressive. But what the number actually measures, and what it means for how the fabric performs, is almost never explained.

The Italian suiting tradition is built on a small number of mills whose names circulate among tailors as shorthand for quality. Fratelli Tallia Di Delfino is one of those names — less well known to the general public than some, but recognized immediately by anyone who has spent time in the tailoring trade.

New York is one of the last cities in the world where black tie remains a genuine, recurring social institution. The annual calendar of galas, charity balls, museum openings, and cultural events provides more occasions for formal dressing than any other American city — and possibly more than any other city in the Western hemisphere outside of London. For the New Yorker who has invested in the right formal wardrobe, the city provides the occasions to use it.

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.