Photo: Solve Sundsbo

Fancy evening wear is potential style minefield

The British Fashion Awards were last Tuesday night. The dress code was black tie. I styled one of the presenters in the afternoon, Alex James, then travelled with him in a Bentley Continental to Lawrence Hall. We wanted Alex to look classic and Brit, low key and correct. Of the houses I presented, Ede & Ravenscroft was working best for him. They kitted him out very well indeed, right down to studs, cummerbund, patent lace ups and very very thin socks. Splendid work chaps, thanks. He’s tall, good looking and cuts quite a dash. A little less cheese, and the man is campaign material. What one should wear oneself is tricky when it is one’s own business. I’ve just done a whole bunch of research on dress codes, asking those that know how to conduct oneself. Being one who didn’t know, it was an education.

You lot, however, will know already that one can’t deviate from white tie at all, unless you’re Oscar Wilde or similar. Black tie is also fairly rigid. You’ve got to know your rubric before you start dismantling it, right? The black tie clue is in the title: wear a black tie. A smoking jacket in velvet is one derivation that’s acceptable. This allows you to drop a bit of colour in. Having shot some Tom Ford recently I thought I’d ask them if they’d lend me a look. They kindly agreed. My style superior at Finch’s is disparaging about the brand, feeling they are rather nouveau. As I am nouveau, Monday night in their showroom, I thought I looked pretty damn good in the ensemble. Unshaven and with swimming pool hair admittedly, but still looking OK. A velvet evening jacket with a pattern of lighter ticks, a bow fronted waistcoat, pleated dress shirt, kick flare pants with crucial single stripe. The jacket has a very strong line on shoulders and swooping generous lapels, as do all of Tom’s creations. Major styling statements came through the patent pumps with grosgrain bows and nigh on two inch heels and the giant velvet bow tie. I bantered with Adam at TF’s about being able to tie one, but preferring a quick fix these days due to time restrictions and anxiety levels. He mentioned tying it on his leg to get it right first. From this I gathered the tie was in fact real, but with a fastener/adjuster too.

Tom Ford’s menswear really goes somewhere. The wearer needs to as well in order to deliver the look properly. It’s full on. It says ‘I’m here’ quite firmly and loudly. You need balls to be wearing it. Look at the site. The images by Solve Sundsbo for winter ‘08 are very impactful. Terry Richardson shot the summer stuff, and needless to say it’s very ‘racy’. Ford has the finest Italian artisan craftsman employed creating this gear. It’s pretty fabulous if you ask me; the style, the attention to detail and the sheer indulgence. Someone’s got to take men’s style this far and in this manner, and Ford has. The accents on the cuts and finish are retro: chic like Thomas Crown, with the Seventies flamboyance of the Towering Inferno. I felt good in my get up. I planned to debut my Chaumet diamond dress cufflinks especially.

As ever, context is everything. At 3.30pm on a damp Tuesday afternoon, having shaved and washed hair, I donned the look. Oh dear. More Steve Davis, than Steve McQueen. Balls yes, but snooker not steel. Hair too nice, light too light, mood all wrong. One essential ingredient in the art direction of a Tom Ford look is stubble. Check him. Check his models. Neat stubble all round. Clean shaven, one looks too primped and poncey. I preserved to Savile Row with a chin as bare as James Harries, and styled Mr. James.

I felt less of a pillock once darkness had fallen. Black tie felt better with a glass of white too. Alex was devoured by the press on arrival, and I didn’t see him again for some time. The place was full of entertaining fashion bods to interact with, so no problem. Problems did occur much later when I attempted to give my huge bow tie a tighten up in the traditional manner. It seems the massive variety are in fact pre-tied, and managed to unravel a rather impossible volume of velvet from its gathered state. I was in a less than gathered state myself and struggled hopelessly to reconstitute this velvet bat of a tie to no avail. Go home and cut my loses? No. Go to the after party with friends and make a giant arse of yourself instead until four thirty in the morning.

Travelling home dishevelled I consoled myself with the next engagement. The Finch & Partners Annual Clay Pigeon shoot in four hours time. Another sartorial minefield for this klutz to stumble through blindfolded.

No Responses

1. mark darroch Says:
   April 12th, 2009 at 10:53 pm

   love the large bow tie look,can you please advise where i can buy? I have tried the internet for Tom Ford Black Bow ties or similar but I am having no luck

   Regards

   Mark Darroch
   Glasgow

2. Tom Stubbs Says:
   April 14th, 2009 at 10:40 am

   Dear Mark,
   Glad you like the look.
   Fords people have just informed me one should be able to get the bow ties at Harrods.
   Failing that they can be ordred by phone from the Milan store. +39 3401116774.
   let me know if need more assistance,
   keep it stylish,
   regards,
   Stubbs

Would you like to comment on this article?

You must be logged in to post a comment.