Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette In today's video, we're going to give
you some tips and advice on how to be the best dressed one at prom.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪
There are a few events that are as prominent in high school as prom;
and whether it's the explosion of youth culture from the 1950s
onward or the lack of coming-of-age events, it's very popular today.
This is time to mark the accomplishments of this school year and to make lifelong memories with
friends. And what better way to do that than in style. Our goal with this guide is to help
you navigate your options when it comes to prom style so you have one less thing to worry about.
After all, if you're anything like me you were still looking up "how to tie a bow tie" when the
limo arrived. So, with your outfit squared away, you can focus all of your energy and attention
into making it a great evening. First and foremost,
you should be yourself. Now, this won't be maybe the most important takeaway from this video,
but you really should wear what makes you comfortable and happy with your
own personal style. And as you might expect, given our focus around classic men's style,
our suggestions are going to follow suit. These are going to be elegant,
classic suggestions that come from the realm of classic menswear;
and while we might support anyone going full White Tie, that probably won't happen. But,
if that aesthetic fits you or you actually want to go for it, we have a whole White
Tie guide here. However, we realize that not everyone's style will match ours, so just take
these as our helpful suggestions. While we feel this is a good video to help guide you,
we're not here to dictate your style, but we would recommend that whatever your personal style is,
you make prom the time to really elevate and make it look its best. This will help set the tone that
this is a special evening and make be unique. So, traditionally, prom was a Black Tie affair;
however, most prompts today are a lot looser when it comes to dress code, and usually this means
that wearing some sort of suit will be more than acceptable. And if your prom has a very
strict dress code, it's best that you follow it; however, if there's some leeway in the formality,
you just have to decide which way you want to follow. We'd also recommend that you plan
with your date the level of formality that you want to achieve so, that way,
both of your outfits are harmonious. Your options are most likely going to be:
Black Tie, Festive Black Tie, Black Tie Optional, cocktail attire, and business formal. Luckily,
we have guides for all of these dress codes here at the Gentleman's Gazette, and anything
more casual than this is likely too casual for a memorable, formal evening. Now, once you have the
formality down, you really want to stick to it. For example, if you've chosen Classic Black Tie,
our recommendation is to not mix and match or try to follow a trend because you'll look
back and realize that it didn't really look good. Some examples of trend chasing would be:
wearing a black silk bow tie with a gray suit, wearing a pleated shirt with a blazer,
or pairing a tuxedo jacket with a pair of day trousers or, even worse, jeans.
And once again, if you're lost on the different levels of formality, we have plenty of guides
to that here. Now, you might not own a full tuxedo or a suit and you're thinking, "Well,
I'm not done growing, so the best option must be to rent." Well, that's where we disagree. That's
because if you own something, you are more likely to have it fit better. You can rely on a tailor
to make minor tweaks to it and you're not just getting a run-of-the-mill tuxedo that a bunch of
other kids have rented, and you'll get the added benefit of being able to wear it for multiple
events in the future like graduation. Now, we totally understand if you don't have a budget
for this, so that's where we would recommend pre-owned or vintage garments. As quite often,
you can find them for cheaper than rent prices. Plus, if you have latitude when
it comes to formality and you have to choose between either renting a tux or wearing a suit
that you already own, we highly recommend that you wear the suit,
and that's because a well-tailored suit will always look better than a rental tuxedo.
Trust us, we tried. Plus, if you already own a suit,
it'll be far more versatile for future uses, job interviews, graduation, weddings,
and funerals. And if you're going to stick to Black Tie, we would still recommend buying
over renting as the fit will be much better and, because Black Tie is so situational,
you can find some really good, pre-owned pieces; and that means you don't have
to return it or worry about late fees. Plus, if you like the look of Black Tie,
you could end up wearing it to events over and over again rather than continuing to rent
and throw money down the drain. And after all, if you own a tuxedo, you'll find excuses to wear it.
[scene from "30 Rock"] Liz: "Why are you wearing a tux?"
Jack: "It's after six. What am I? A Farmer?"
Let's say, you find a gently-used tuxedo for four hundred dollars,
and you wear it three times, the cost-per-wear is gonna be much less than renting. Now,
you're welcome to be free and bold with your color and pattern choices if you so choose.
I mean, after all, it's your event and, hey, even Preston loves bling. But,
in all seriousness, we have a much better guide for more creative Black Tie choices here;
however, if you choose to go for a more classic aesthetic, remember that less
is more. We'd personally recommend going with jackets and trousers in a more muted charcoal,
gray, navy, or blue if you opt for a suit. These are somber, traditional suits that can be worn not
only for an event like prom but for a lot of other occasions like interviews, weddings, and funerals.
To stick with this more understated approach, we would recommend that you go with a white dress
shirt. This is the most formal option, and it will also help mirror the formality of a white
tuxedo shirt; and as oxymoronic as it might seem, the more traditional and simple the outfit is,
the more that you'll stand out in a sea of people doing crazy things at prom.
Many other attendees will go bold and wear things that they will look back on and say, "Oh! Why
did I wear that?" And you'll come across more genuinely confident as you know that your outfit
will stand up to the test of time and is classic. And as Huey Lewis said, "It is hip to be square."
[scene from "American Psycho"] Bateman: "It is hip to be square."
Bateman: "A song so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should!"
We always recommend to have your ensemble altered. 99% of the time,
tailored clothing does not fit well right off the rack. This means you'll have to set aside
some time to alter your clothes by taking them to a tailor. Now, doing this is something you
don't want to procrastinate on. Please don't drive to your tailor the night before prom. Try
and be courteous, call your local tailor shop, and ask them what the lead time is. Typically,
it's around two weeks to a month, so give yourself plenty of lead time. Keep in mind that a lot of
other people will wait until the last minute, so your local tailor will be slammed by all the other
people who decided to procrastinate. Tailoring is a game of patience, and there is a chance that,
after you get the garment back, you might even have to do a few other small changes. Also,
keep in mind that if you have an alteration that's more complex, that will take more time for your
tailor to do. And to know what your tailor can and can't alter, check out our guide on that
here. Coordinate with your date. Now, a lot of people find this to be rather cheesy - with the
most infamous example being Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears matching Canadian tuxedos.
However, there is a way to do this tastefully. We often associate this practice with a man
wearing a cummerbund and bow tie that perfectly matches your date's outfit. But, here at GG,
that approach is way too matchy-matchy for us, so we have other suggestions. These more
unique and creative approaches will allow you to spend more time planning your outfit
with your date. An easy way to do this is by picking an accessory that has a similar
color palette or design element. This could be a boutonniere, a pocket square, and so on.
And if you'd like a foolproof way to know if you and your date are coordinating nicely,
check out our guide on mastering the color wheel here. After all, it's best to complement rather
than directly match. Add personality with accessories. Speaking of accessories. It's a
great way to add some of your own personality into your own outfit and also coordinate as well. Some
accessories that would be perfect for this would be things like your pocket square, your socks,
or your neckwear. If you're looking to make a statement with a classic approach. A great
way to do this is with a black bow tie. Now, you might think, "A black bow tie? How boring!" Well,
a black bow tie can have a lot of different nuances that can completely change the feel. You
have satin, grosgrain, and even more creative choices like velvet for fabric materials.
You could also opt for a batwing or single-end bow tie instead of a more common butterfly.
And if you're wearing a suit, you can even take some approaches by adding in some collar jewelry,
and you can check out our video on that here. If you opt for a shirt that has cufflinks,
this is a great area to make yet another statement. Cufflinks come
in a near infinite variety of colors and styles,
so it's very easy to pick one that really speaks to you. Wear a boutonniere. A boutonniere is one
of the most overlooked accessories for men. Today this practice has an often forgotten historical
precedent and boutonnieres were worn by nearly every dandy back in the day. And since this is a
special event, these are an easy way to Mark the occasion. There's a number of different styles
to consider, but we'll give you a few. A red or white Carnation is the most traditional choice
for most evening events, but you can opt for whatever best fits your personality. Remember,
this is a great opportunity to coordinate with your date. If they opt to wear a corsage,
you can find a boutonniere in a complimentary color to coordinate them. You can opt for a real
flower or get one of our silk flowers that you can find in our Fort Belvedere shop. And to find out
which boutonniere best fits you, check out our guide on that here. Incorporate a theme if it's
practical. Now, it's becoming ever more common for proms to have a theme behind it. Some of the
common ones will be "A Night to Remember" or "An Evening Under the Stars." However,
there might be even more creative opportunities for you and your date to coordinate based off of
the theme. One of the easiest ways to do this is to mirror the color palette of the event;
so if it's an "Under the Sea" event, you might want to wear blues and greens,
or if it has a more vintage feel, take some outfit ideas inspired from "The Great Gatsby." But,
try not to go too far overboard with your choices. After all, prom is an event to have fun,
and it's not a costume party and it very easily can go there if you go way too far down that road.
Don't skimp on socks and shoes. Nothing will drag your outfit down more than having white,
athletic, Nike socks and crummy, fake, patent leather shoes.
[scene from "Crazy, Stupid, Love"] Jacob: "What happened to your feet?"
Cal: "What do you mean? These are my 407s."
Jacob: "Oh, they're 407s. Can I see them?"
Cal: "Woah! Come on!"
To make an outfit really stand out, you want to pick a shoe that really matches the level
of formality and dress code. Personal story aside, I have seen many friends and family members whose
kids or siblings are going on winter formals and proms this time of year wearing basketball shoes
or sandals or Yeezys or the cheap rental shoes - not a good choice. If you want help picking a pair
of great shoes that won't break the bank and will be a worthy investment for years to come, you can
check out our guide on this here. Socks are also an often neglected part of your prom ensemble.
Picking a pair that is quality and harmonizes with the rest of your outfit is really important here.
By doing this, you'll really elevate your outfit and the whole thing will really shine. Finally,
don't be afraid to have fun. After all, it's really important to remember that you're only
going to be young once. I mean, I think back to my senior prom, and it was all the way back in 2015.
If I could go back and tell young Nathan a few things. Prom isn't an event that needs to be taken
way too formally or seriously. After all, have fun and express yourself. Now is the time of your life
where you really can experiment with your style, so have fun with it. When you're a teenager,
it's okay to do wacky, unexpected, or bold details. This is also important because you
start to understand what you like or what you don't like as you become an adult.
Even if you end up picking out something that you really regret twenty years later,
you're going to end up looking back and laughing. I mean, Raphael's done this and, hey, even me. I
mean, this is for my senior prom. I wore this really poorly-fitting, light gray tuxedo. It
was just not a good look but, hey, my date was smoking hot, and I ended up marrying her,
and that's a big "I love you" to my wife. So, to wrap things up, prom is one of the very few
moments in life where you get to dress up and it's all about you. And while we feel like these tips
are going to point you in the best direction, ultimately, you need to choose what you are
comfortable in. So, go out there and how fun. Now is the time to celebrate. Are you attending
prom soon? What are you going to wear? Let us know down in the comments below. In today's video,
I am wearing a pretty casual outfit as we head into spring-summer here in Minneapolis. There's
still a bit of a chill in the air, so I am wearing a sweater. My sweater of choice is from NAADAM.
This was featured in a video we did about budget cashmere. It is their $75 cashmere
sweater. It isn't the highest quality cashmere, but I really like it because
it's warm. I'm wearing it with a university striped, Oxford cloth, button-down shirt. It's
made-to-measure from Proper Cloth. My jeans are from Brave Star in the Strongman Fit,
made of Japanese selvedge denim. My boots are a pair of brown suede
boots from TLB Mallorca. I love these,
and these get a lot of wear. My socks are from Fort Belvedere.
They are our shadow-stripe socks in Prussian blue and gray. And although I know you can't smell it
through the screen - that would be weird - I'm
wearing Creed Aventus as my cologne in this video. It was a gift for my wife,
and I love it. If you're looking for these socks or any other prom accessories like
some black silk socks or a boutonniere, check out the Fort Belvedere shop below.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪