Black tie dress advice needed

[gavintc]

Try and borrow one. You will also need a white shirt as well as the bow tie. As others have said, options are; cheap one, rent one, charity shop.

 

[ttcycle]

I'd second foodie on Moss Bros - they can have some ok ones - just keep it simple and classic.

 

[screenman]

Try ringing around the charity shops, both of my sons 35 and 30 and myself have bought some top quality dress suits from these places, they do not always have them on show so you have to ask. I would say I have bought 3 over the years and none of them have been worn more than once by the previous owner, come to think of it or by me, something to do with the cupboard that magically shrinks clothes when you leave them in there too long.

 

[jimboalee]

I just hired one from a local tailor's shop. Worth it if you can't find one in a charridy shop.

If you don't own a Dinner Suit, and think this will be the one and only time, yes, hire one.

A Std white shirt will do BUT, and it's a big BUT, the bow tie HAS to be a SELF TIE.

Expect aching arms after an hour getting to grips with the procedure.
Then, once you've got it, expect to repeat it three times until you've got a decent, equal bow.

In Great Britain, it is BAD FORM to wear a PRE TIED...
When the others see you have cheated, they will expect a round of drinks immediately.

Start your bow tie an hour before you leave home.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

You can get some decent quality rentals...

The place I hired mine from was great - he took no measurements, just looked at me and then handed me a suit. It was a perfect fit, I don't think it was his first day in the job!

 

[Arch]

There's that place that does wedding dresses, next to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, on the same road as the main post office, comes out opposite the Museum Gardens (can't for the life of me remember the name of it - Lendal?). They might do suit hire....

 

[jimboalee]

Oh, and the good thing about a SELF TIE is at the end of the evening, or when you sit at the roulette table, you can untie it and let it dangle like James Bond,,

 

[gavintc]

Self tie bow ties are really not that difficult, but as jimbo has stated you just need a bit of practice. I propose if you do go down this route, practice tieing the tie on your leg - much easier to see what you are doing. Then move to the neck.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Was about to hire last year after deciding i could no loonger be only bloke @ village ball in a lounge suit. Turned out M&S had some very good deals IIRC around £60 for jacket and trousers.

 

[Greedo]

I'll hire you mine for a small fee. Failing that

Is there a Slaters menswear near you? You'll get one for about £70 and although you say you''ll never wear one again, you just never know

 

[jimboalee]

Self tie bow ties are really not that difficult, but as jimbo has stated you just need a bit of practice. I propose if you do go down this route, practice tieing the tie on your leg - much easier to see what you are doing. Then move to the neck.

Nah.. go straight for the throat...

 

[threebikesmcginty]

There's that place that does wedding dresses, next to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, on the same road as the main post office, comes out opposite the Museum Gardens (can't for the life of me remember the name of it - Lendal?). They might do suit hire....

Or he go in a lovely frock if they don't!!

 

[Greedo]

Oh, and the good thing about a SELF TIE is at the end of the evening, or when you sit at the roulette table, you can untie it and let it dangle like James Bond,,

That reminds me. Years ago when I worked in recruitment we had a table at a dinner and 3 of us invited clients. One of the girls invited this tosser from Nat West as I think she really wanted to pump him as he had absolutley no recruitment hiring authority, so no chance of further business from him.

Anyway. I'm sitting 2 down from him and he clearly had on a kid on bowtie as you could see the clasp. After the dinner and awards he disappears to the toilet and comes back with a real bow tie hanging round his neck. The knobend had went into the toilet and swapped them over because he thought it made him look cool. Dick!!

 

[Danny]

There's that place that does wedding dresses, next to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, on the same road as the main post office, comes out opposite the Museum Gardens (can't for the life of me remember the name of it - Lendal?). They might do suit hire....

Failing that I could definitely raise some eyebrows by turning up in a dress - I think that would suit me better than a kilt.

 

[Danny]

In Great Britain, it is BAD FORM to wear a PRE TIED...
When the others see you have cheated, they will expect a round of drinks immediately.

Start your bow tie an hour before you leave home.

I need instructions!