A tux for breakfast

"Fashions fade, style is eternal". Decades have passed since designer Yves Saint Laurent turned this phrase into a luxury mantra, and although elegance goes beyond the clothes that dress us, the tuxedo is without a doubt the graphic and immutable manifestation of this proclamation. The iconic tuxedo is one of the few pieces of clothing that have remained unchanged over time.

Since his birth in the 19th century, after the Prince of Wales, Edward VII, asked his tailors to design him an elegant suit for his large private dinners (hence its name in English, dinner jacket). Through his arrival in United States thanks to James Potter, who, advised by Edward VII, wore it at the Tuxedo Park Club, an event from which the tuxedo received its name in America, to this day. Reserved for the most important events of high society, the tuxedo is above fashion. If you look at archival images from one of the first editions of the Oscars and compare them with some recent ones, you will see that the tuxedo is exactly the same. It is a timeless piece that goes beyond trends.

Marlene Dietrich stripped the tuxedo of its gender by wearing it in the film Morocco (1932) and, after setting a precedent, it was the aforementioned Yves Saint Laurent who brought it to the women's dressing room in his 1966 collection. Whether for him or her, the classic tuxedo is a piece of clothing that elevates the person who wears it. Brad Pitt, Adam Driver or Jon Kortajarena are just some of the current celebrities who know how to wear it best on the red carpet. However, younger faces like Harry Styles or Timothe Chalamet wear it with style and dare to transform it, adapted to the so-called new masculinity. The British singer gave a feminine touch to the traditional tuxedo at the 2022 edition of the Brit Awards by giving it volume with flared trousers, a rigid jacket and a large silk rosette at the neck. Chalamet, for his part, in Venice opted for a modern version in an elegant pearl grey, and the actor Alejandro Speitzer captured all eyes on the same red carpet by wearing a personalised pink design by Hugo Boss.

However, in the case of the tuxedo, the classic and traditional are a guaranteed success and only men who know how to wear it have allowed themselves small licenses, such as combining it with a black shirt or a tie instead of a bow tie. But what should be clear is that the more relaxed dress codes we experience today with prêt-à-porter don’t affect the tuxedo as it is such an exceptional piece that it has remained as it was created.

I am wearing a slightly oversized tuxedo-looking blazer in mauve colour. You can’t not love its rounded lapel in two tones all the way down the garment and the red lining for some contrast. The sleeves are rolled up for a city-casual look in the same way that I did with the ivory jumper. An overall loosen and flattering piece tucked in the matching ivory trousers. I added some colour by wearing red socks and navy shoes with some details in multi-colour. A one of a kind pair of shoes as the design of the right shoe and the left one are the same but some colours vary making them rather unique. The pouch marries smoothly with its yellow print and the funky sunnies add an unceremonious touch.