Matzo Ball Billiards

I’m doing something super cool here, bear with me. This post documents a journey of sorts, as I navigate putting together my very first black tie ensemble. I plan to write entries on various dates as it comes together, elaborating on my progress, and when it’s finished – I’ll publish it! So, it’s a semi-live experience. I promise, it’ll be neat!

The Tale of a Tuxedo: 6/6/24

In my previous post, I yapped about eBay and how it has become instrumental to my vintage suit-collecting and clothing-buying process.

Naturally, this extends to other platforms as well, as I’ve had decent luck on Poshmark, Depop, and a few others, but eBay has spoiled me rotten most of all. I’ve found some of my favorite pieces on there for what I consider to be absolute bargains, and it is because of this that I want to formally announce my intentions to wed eBay.

Smash that glass and shout, “Mazel Tov!” because I’m only half-joking here. Recently, I scored a brilliant find on eBay that’s led me down a whole new rabbit hole of exciting menswear and has provided me with a project that, at the time of beginning this post (6/6/24, 11:01 AM EST), is in full swing!

See, a couple of week ago I was browsing eBay, searching generally for “vintage suit 36s” and similar terms as I regularly do, when something unexpected caught my eye.

It was a vintage Mani by Giorgio Armani Tuxedo in my size. Well, technically my size – it was a 36 regular, but it was double-breasted, which is my favorite type of jacket style (real Sully fans know this), and which in my opinion, looks neat when a bit longer than a single-breasted jacket.

Not only was it a beautiful 4×1 DB that made it catch my eye – but it was in near mint condition and made in Italy. The pants featured a pair of generous single pleats, a full-fitting leg, and were in my waist size (28/29, depending on whether or not I skip lunch)!

And to top it all off – it was Armani (my beloved)! Sort of. Mani by Giorgio Armani was a lower-end diffusion line launched by the designer brand in 1979 for sale in department stores and was quietly discontinued sometime in the early-to-mid 2000s.

While it was by no means a true luxury brand and some balk at the quality, in my experience, I still quite like a lot of Mani pieces. They featured the same type of classic Armani styling I love so dearly, and while the quality was certainly not on the same level as Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, or even Emporio Armani – I think a lot of their stuff ranged from adequate to still quite nice!

The tux looked to be in great condition from the listing. It was priced at $65, which didn’t seem too bad – plus the seller was accepting offers.

I thought on it for a few moments. Do I even need a tux? When and where am I going to wear it? Then again, it is Armani. Well, Mani, sure, but I like their stuff still all the same. It’s in my size and it’s a DB! A rare combo…hmmm…I should reconsider this on the toilet. I gotta go.

I pondered it for a bit longer on the porcelain throne. Then, I submitted an offer for $45. Moments later, it was accepted. I flushed.

I had bought my first tuxedo!

First Fit and My Current Style Muse: 6/6/24

It arrived several days later, and I was thrilled to try it on. It was a great fit from the get-go! The shoulders were sharp. The chest felt roomy but right. The waist sat comfortably, and though the pants needed a slight hem, that was all I could think of alteration-wise during my first impressions.

Again, the skirt on the jacket was a tad long. But not terribly so, and like I said, I prefer my DBs on the slightly longer side.

Besides, these days, I have a new style muse, who, as you’ll soon see, will prove to be a large source of inspiration during this journey.

See, often when a video of mine does well on TikTok, I tend to get a couple of celebrity and character comparisons. When I have some facial hair, I get FINNEAS a lot. And heck, I see it. Stop tagging him though, it probably pisses him off.

However, I’m usually clean shaven. And I often post videos featuring my 80s and 90s double-breasted suits. For a while, I was convinced my yuppie-core aesthetic was highly Patrick Bateman-esque.

That was until a multitude of comments on several viral videos informed me that I was in fact, apparently, giving Dr. Niles Crane from Frasier.

I’d never really seen Frasier, which was odd because I love my 90s sitcoms. But a few weeks ago, I started watching, and now I’m hooked. I’m currently on season 4 and my favorite character is easily Niles. He’s a funny little guy and literally me!!!! Sorta – in a lot of ways, at least.

Frasier is basically a show about two guys (Frasier and his brother Niles) who revel in being snobs and wearing fancy clothes, and their outfits are absolutely stellar in my opinion. I love that era of yuppie style that Niles leans into, especially. The large DBs. The striped shirts. The ties of loud, questionable taste (I’m weak for a slightly ugly tie).

To really get a good handle on the style of Frasier, I recommend reading this excellent blog post by Ethan M. Wong, who’s been a big player in the menswear game for quite some time. We recently became TikTok mutuals, which is pretty cool! He’s got great taste and I frequently enjoy his TikToks, blog posts, and podcast.

Anyway, back to the tux!

The thing is, the Crane boys are high-society nerds who frequently attend galas, award shows, and the opera – and they wear black tie attire very well, I might add. Niles almost exclusively wears double-breasted suits on the show, so it makes sense that he sports a DB tux as well.

When I spotted the Mani tux on eBay, I was around season 2 of Frasier. Seeing Niles in his DB tux certainly influenced my decision to buy the damn thing. After all, it’s fun to lean into a muse! I AM LITERALLY NILES!!! WHY, YES, I WOULD LIKE SOME SHERRY, FRASIER!

But shortly after getting my hands on the tux, some other factors began to occur to me. Even with my rudimentary understanding of black tie attire, I knew that I lacked the necessary pieces to wear alongside the tuxedo.

Down the Rabbit Hole: 6/6/24

And so began my venture into the black tie abyss. I had the tux. But what to wear it with? I began researching the rules of black tie attire to determine the specifics for myself.

The thing with black tie is that it’s a dress code with pretty strict rules. Which, on one hand, should make it relatively easy to nail. Only, there do exist variances and differences of opinion on some of these rules. Ultimately, there’s still some choices to make in terms of preference.

Do I wear a wing collar shirt or a spread? Pleated front or piqued bib? Black studs or mother of pearl? Should I get a cummerbund? Is that proper with a DB tux? I can’t really tie a bow tie all that well, but do I really want to go with a pre-tied option? What about shoes? I only own black derbies. Do I go for opera pumps or closed-lace oxfords? Is a cap toe acceptable? Does it have to be patent leather?

My head spins even now!

It can be hard to make these kinds of choices. But then I remembered – I have a muse. And so, in my quest to put together a black tie ensemble I truly enjoy, I’ve taken to studying what it is that I like about Niles’ black tie look, then mixing it with some of my own preferences.

The Shirt: 6/6/24

I own plenty of dress shirts. But a dress shirt alone is not fit for a tux. One of the outlets I used to research black tie traditions was TikTok, and while I saw some good videos, like this one by menswear creator Simon Gold, I also saw a lot of bad ones. Guys wearing skin-tight tuxes that looked like something you’d wear to prom in the 2010s paired with shitty slim dress shirts from Express. No ties in sight on some videos, and cheap polyester neckties and clip-on bow ties in others. I even saw white sneakers??? Truly the Sodom of fashion sins.

But ultimately, I circled back to determine that there are two collar styles available, and a few front options. For the collar, there’s winged and spread. While spread is more common and contemporary, I like looking like a pretentious douchebag whenever possible. One of the things I appreciate about the Crane boys’ black tie style is their use of winged collars.

Some will say that these look antiquated. But in my opinion, when black tie is called for, it can’t hurt to lean into that. I think they’re neat! So, I ran with it.

Now, regarding the shirt’s front, I’ve personally found myself drawn to pleats over the piqued bib. However, I’ve learned that the latter is often considered a bit more traditional and formal. I believe the Cranes favor them as well.

I found a vintage Nordstrom pleated front shirt on eBay, and it’s currently enroute. But I do plan on picking up a piqued bib shirt as well and trying it out in the future. Though for this first foray into Black Tie, I’ll stick to what I ordered first and review it once it arrives.

What to Do with the Waist: 6/6/24

Generally, black tie attire calls for either a matching low-cut waistcoat, or a silk-satin cummerbund. The thing is, I bought a DB tux, so I was initially a bit confused if I should get a cummerbund.

Popular opinion seems to hold that cummerbunds are at best redundant with a double-breasted tuxedo, and at worst, simply wrong. I was a bit disappointed to learn this, because I do think cummerbunds are a really intriguing piece of menswear!

However, if I had to choose between my adoration for DB jackets and my vague interest in the odd waist sash, the former would win every time.

Apparently, the whole idea is that your waist should never be exposed in black tie attire. With a classic single-breasted tux, which can be worn open, you’re supposed to either get a waistcoat or a cummerbund. DBs, however, are intended to be worn closed at all times, rendering a waist covering useless.

The thing is, I often unbutton my DB jackets when sitting down – though this is usually when wearing casual looks with more casual DB suits. I’m not opposed to doing it for fine wool business suits either, but I suppose that when going black tie, I can learn to change this habit. It’s totally possible to sit with a DB closed, I’m just not accustomed to it. And so, I’ll learn to be.

However, there remains one other waist-related item to be sorted. Tuxedos never warrant belts. In fact, they never have belt loops. Belts are considered too informal. Instead, tuxedo pants will either feature adjustable side-tabs, or you can opt for suspenders/braces.

My Mani tux doesn’t have side-tabs, but that’s just fine by me. I love an opportunity to wear suspenders, which is again, something I share in common with my good friend Niles.

There are basically only two rules with Tuxedo suspenders.

1. They can’t be those tacky clip-on types.
2. They should ideally be black, even if most will never see them.

Again, all fine by me. Except, I currently don’t own any pure black suspenders, and the pants for some reason currently don’t have suspender buttons in place.

Neither are a problem. When I go to get the pants hemmed, I’ll have the buttons added. It’s something I’ve done before.

And I’ve also ordered a nice pair of vintage black silk suspenders off eBay, due to arrive any day now. They have a nice, subtle paisley texture that adds just a tad of extra flare while still within reason of black tie decorum, I think. I’ll report more on them once I get my pants to the tailor.

Oh Yeah, it’s All Coming Together: 6/18/24

Hello again!

It’s been a couple of weeks since my first entry in this style journey-journal. I’ve been busy! For one, there was the Jewish holiday of Shavuot last week. For another, it’s taken time to source everything I need for this project. I’m being very deliberate, you see. Also, I am often teetering on broke and cannot afford to spend callously.

No matter. It’s all coming together now! Here are the latest updates.

Last Friday, I finally trekked out to a tailor to get the pants minorly hemmed by half an inch to ensure a perfect fit, as well as get some suspender buttons added. I actually went to a new tailor, as my current one has been proving a bit too expensive for me lately. ($45 for a hem! Manhattan’s economy is baffling, a times.) This is a relatively simple job, so I’m not worried about going somewhere with cheaper service.

I should get the tuxedo pants back at the end of the week and will report on them shortly thereafter.

Some good news though! The shirt and suspenders have come in, and I got some delightful tuxedo studs, as well.

The shirt fits quite well! It’s a very soft and comfortable cotton, and I’m really liking the decision to go with a wing collar. Though I don’t have my bow tie yet (more on that later), I think it already looks smart.

Could use an ironing, though. Will get to that eventually.

The suspenders are beautiful as well! They appear to be in like-new condition, and I think they’ll go elegantly with the rest of the outfit.

I also snagged this set of vintage shirt studs with matching cufflinks on eBay for about $20. They’re gold-tone and finished with a shiny black facing. Nothing fancy, but they look nice to me!

One thing to note is that, for as much as I love this tux, the pants are mid-rise at best (Uggghghgh I sound like such a menswear freak lol). I wish they came up just a bit higher. While yes, when the jacket is worn closed as intended, you can only see the top few studs, there is one lone singular plastic button that rest just above the waistline that I wish was covered. It’s not a big deal since no one else will see it once the outfit is worn properly, but as a wannabe perfectionist, I know it will slowly drive me absolutely batty. Lmao.

Now, there are only two more pivotal elements to completing the full ensemble.

No-Snooze Shoes: 6/18/24

So far, everything I’ve featured during my black tie quest has come from eBay, my beloved. But when it came to considering footwear, I found myself searching elsewhere.

See, until now, my most formal shoes have been a comfortable black pair of Johnston & Murphy derbies. They’re an acceptable business attire shoe for the most part and sharp enough to go with most suits. I’ve worn them to weddings. They’re also waterproof, which is kinda neat. I got them for free as a hand-me-down from my godfather, so can’t complain there!

The thing is, as I’ve become well aware over the course of my general menswear journey, is that derby style shoes aren’t considered all that formal. While a black pair of derbies is acceptable for most situations that skew formal, there are better options, such as oxford shoes.

And when it comes to black tie, a derby is, traditionally, not as acceptable.

The difference between an oxford and a derby comes down to their lacing system. An oxford is closet, emerging from one seam at the top of the toe box. A derby, however, has an open lacing system, resting atop the rest of the shoe, stitched on, in most cases.

So, at the very least, I found myself needing black oxford shoes to go with my black tie ensemble. But this opened up some more questions regarding ideal black tie footwear.

For the most part, black tie presents you with two options for formal shoes: oxfords or opera pumps – a sort of slipper-loafer type shoe that looks elegant, but not exactly my style.

So, I settled on wanting oxfords. But I had to do some research. I learned that cap-toe oxfords skew a bit more casual and weren’t ideal for black tie. Brogues were right out of the question, too. It seemed the simpler, the better.

That is, unless you consider patent leather shoes. Patent leather is basically just ultra-shiny leather with a high-gloss finish. I’d never really considered them before, but suddenly I found myself drawn to them for my black tie outfit.

After some searching and deliberation, I purchased a nice pair of patent leather oxford shoes from SUITSUPPLY from The RealReal.

On many fronts, this is all new for me, even beyond considering my first foray into black tie. I’ve never worn patent leather shoes. I’ve never really thought much about SUITSUPPLY either to be honest, much less their shoe options. And I’d never used The RealReal before – an online consignment platform that isn’t the easiest to use.

I had originally intended to find some decent looking Prada oxfords and just shined them vigorously. But when the SUITSUPPLY pair came across my feed, I was intrigued. Some folks on Reddit had good things to say about their shoes, and they were in great condition for only about $60. Similar new versions retail for $300.

I’ve heard rumblings that The RealReal has, ironically, had issues with counterfeit goods from time to time. But I don’t suspect anyone would make counterfeit SUITSUPPLY shoes, so I think I’m safe.

I await them eagerly and will report more on them once they arrive.

Putting a Bow on It: 6/25/24

Believe it or not, this part was tricky! I can hardly tie a bow tie for some reason, but I’ll be damned if I get a pre-tied one. While searching for a silk-satin black bow tie, I kept seeing pre-tied options from designer brands. Tom Ford, Brioni, Yves Saint Laurent. It was weird!

The problem with pre-tied options is that they tend to look a bit too perfect, and it throws things off. That, and because I’ll be wearing a wing collar, you might be able to spot a fastening hook from behind if my jacket collar doesn’t conceal it well enough.

So, I was determined to get a self-tie black bow tie. Only, it was kind of hard! I didn’t see many options on the secondhand market. I did ideally want something of good quality. Preferably a designer label and a butterfly or diamond pointed shape.

Well, it took long enough, plus a few hurdles involving a failed attempt over on Vinted, but eventually I found one I liked on eBay. A fine satin silk butterfly bow tie by Polo Ralph Lauren for only $17. It’s only just been shipped out, but by the end of this week, all the puzzle pieces should come together to form quite an elegant picture! I’m beyond excited.

This Is, Actually, My Final Form: 7/1/24

Success! Everything, I’m pleased to report, has come together splendidly. On Thursday, June 27th, I posted a video to my TikTok featuring the full ensemble in its fully realized splendor. And now, I’m sharing it with you here, the day this post is set to finally be published. After… a month basically. Lol. Lmao.

Everything fits super satisfyingly. The minor hem on the pants resulted in what I consider to be the perfect break, and the shine on the patent leather shoes catches just enough interest without permanently dragging the eye downward.

I’m also really glad I chose to go with a wing collar. I think it looks so neat! I did have to practice tying the bow tie for longer than I care to admit, however. I think I more or less got a decent result by the end (it is totally being squashed by my lapel in the pic below, though, lol).

The consistent black and gold-tone accents really keep things feeling cohesive. From the studs and matching cufflinks to my Seiko watch, it feels super uniform – something that Black Tie attire is really all about at the end of the day.

The most impressive thing, in my opinion, is that this entire outfit cost me only $170 total. Crazy! I really do love and vouch for the magic of secondhand shopping. If you get good enough at it, and stay intentional in your tastes and choices, the results can be truly wonderful.

Now, I just need to find an occasion to wear this getup! Frasier and Niles belonged to the cultural and social elite of 90s Seattle, so they had no trouble.

Me? I am a humble marketing coordinator for a non-profit and do some freelance email marketing + ghostwrite fashion content on the side. I have some way to go. Truth be told, every now and then, weddings I attend are black tie optional – so in theory I can wear this then.

But I need more fancy friends! To throw fancy cocktail parties with! Etcetera!

Anyhow, thanks for coming along for the ride. This has been a fun journey, and I’m thrilled with the results.