The Black Tie Fashion Essentials Every Man Needs

And there it is. The festive dinner party invite you knew was coming, that you knew would involve dressing smarter than you’ve ever dressed before, and that you knew would end in a last-minute dash to the shops to pull out a tuxedo or the closest thing they’ve got left on their severely depleted rails. We sometimes wonder why you do this to yourself, chap. We really do.

Which is why, in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the panic-stricken “where’s my left dress shoe? It was here. It’s been here the whole year and now it’s not. Lord please help me!” game, we’ve done this. We’ve pulled out a big and beautiful pile of smart-as-heck garments that’ll see you grab a hold of that black tie dress code, throw it up in the air and bat it clear out of the park.

From designer to high street, we’ve trawled through the lot, pulling only the finest, swankiest, sharpest-looking pieces off the rails and placing them neatly into your eye line. We’ve seen Tom Ford and selected one of his top-drawer double-cuff poplin shirts. We’ve hit up John Lobb for an extra special pair of shiny black leather dress shoes. And we’ve gone to your favourite street-level retailers, such as Reiss and Jigsaw, for dinner jackets, blazers and trousers that are a little easier on the wallet but no less brilliant than the rest.

Pick out your favourites, throw them on, step into that party and seriously turn some heads.