The short answer - no. The long answer reveals a brief history of Old English etiquette and the geographical transience of dress.
--
The origins and evolution of the tuxedo style challenges the image that comes to mind in modern times. Today, most would regard the tuxedo as the height of formality, a suit reserved for black tie weddings, galas and the red carpet. We may picture an outfit composed of a fully black suit trimmed with satin. However, the tuxedo began as a more humble garment to be worn for informal dinners - and the earliest example of the tuxedo’s ancestor was actually blue.
In the late 1800s, the sartorial codes of British high society faced a problem. In the hierarchy of dress, every occasion had a mandated outfit requirement, except one. What was appropriate for an informal dinner?
This was a dilemma that the then Prince of Wales (yes, the same Prince with the eponymous check design) sought to solve. Working with renowned Savile Row tailor Henry Poole, the Prince commissioned something that did away with the cumbersome tailcoats of evening functions, yet still more elevated than the robe-like smoking jackets worn for post-dinner tobacco indulgence. Combining the shorter length of daytime wear with the finer materials and trims used in formal evening attire, the resulting garment was a cropped jacket from celestial blue silk, with matching trousers. Thus, in England 1865, the first known dinner suit was born.
By the late 1880s, the new jacket cut had become the norm amongst nobles and socialites for informal evening occasions. While matching black and navy wool suits remained the standard for evening attire throughout the Victorian era, ivories and creams emerged in the dinner jacket style in latter years, usually contrasted with black trousers.
British whisky advertisement circa 1890 - 1910 demonstrating a fashionable cropped ivory jacket, ivory waistcoat and black trousers with a yellow stripe finish. Source: V&A Collections.At this stage, it had not yet picked up the ‘dinner suit’ moniker. In the UK, the ‘tailless dress coat’ could go by the name of ‘dress sack’ (the sack coat being the standard outerwear garment for formal day wear), or ‘Cowes coat’, following the Prince of Wales championing the cut in the British yachting town of Cowes.
Nearing the close of the 19th century, the dinner suit made its way across the Atlantic. While there are several theories on who and how the dinner suit was brought over to the US, all accounts overlap at the same location: New York’s Tuxedo Park. A small enclave of wealthy families hosting regular soirees, the upscale location soon became synonymous with this mode of dress, bequeathing an American name to the British silhouette. So really, the answer to the question “Tuxedo or Dinner Suit?” is just a matter of location.
American tobacco advertisement 1888 demonstrating a teal 3-piece 'Tuxedo'. Source: The Met Collection.
With periods of war and social change throughout the 20th century, class structures across the US and the UK flattened, etiquette relaxed, and the rise of mass manufacturing and synthetic fibres paved the way for ready-to-wear fashion. Eventually, tailored suits and coats were phased out of being the norm for everyday wear, and black was no longer the only option for formality. From the 1950s to the 80s, tuxedos were seen in every colour imaginable, before returning to black as a standard in the 90s.
'After Six' advertisement 1958 showcasing the Tuxedo jacket in various colours with black pants. Source: The Vintage Dancer.
Tracing the evolution of the labels "dinner jacket" to "tuxedo", we can see how the once informal tuxedo style climbed the hierarchy of decorum to become the gold standard for black tie evening attire today.
--
At Renkhoe Jordan, our interpretation of the tuxedo or dinner suit goes beyond the standard black with satin trims as we pay homage to the various stages of evolution of suiting history.
Grounded with a base of a white tuxedo shirt, bowtie, and cummerbund or waistcoat, we curate your tuxedo look to suit the event and your unique tastes. Ranging from the classic black dinner suit with satin trimmed lapels, to eye-catching velvets and checks, we provide limitless options to make your vision for your wedding or special occasion come to life.
Left: Emerald & Navy plaid suit circa 1860-70. Right: Renkhoe Jordan plaid tuxedo jacket with shawl lapel.