It's after 6. What am I, a farmer?

October 7, 2015 7:43 AM

I need a tuxedo. For a very special occasion, my partner and I are taking an extended European vacation, taking the QM2 to and fro. Of those 14 nights on the ship, 6 are black tie formal.

Not wanting to rent a tux from home for the whole trip, and assuming Cunard's tux rental isn't likely to be cost effective, where's the best bang for the buck tux (Chicago) that won't look out of place? I don't do formal well, so the tux has got to make the look.

posted by hwyengr to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

Best answer: We used Nordstrom for my husband's tuxedo for our wedding a few years ago. They range in price based on the core suit/brand you select, however they will do "factory shell customization" to fit you better. Essentially, they measure you for a suit and customize the factory shell pieces of the tuxedo prior to fabrication to have it fit you better. Not quite the same as a custom made suit, but it cost about $600 for a tuxedo and included free alterations (they had a sale, which brought the price down a bit).

You can select lapel design, how many buttons, etc etc. We also got the tuxedo jewelry and shirt from Nordstrom as well. The guy we worked with was extremely helpful and it worked out great. It took abut six weeks from when we got measured to the final product.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 7:59 AM on October 7, 2015

Formal:
Evening wear consists of .... A tuxedo, dinner jacket or dark suit with appropriate neck wear for men or you may wear formal national dress and army uniform.

from ask.cunard.com

You could check thrift/resale shops for a second-hand tux. Wedding formal places also sell stock from time to time but watch out for that polyester sheen. If you go this route, have it tailored to fit.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:00 AM on October 7, 2015

Best answer: How soon? I actually own a Macy's tuxedo from when I played music in college, but Indochino's really reasonable full custom jobs weirdly make me want another.
posted by supercres at 8:01 AM on October 7, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Yes I whole heartedly recommend indochino as well. Beautiful and cost effective formal wear including tuxedos.
posted by chasles at 8:08 AM on October 7, 2015

I had pretty good luck grabbing one on ebay for an out of town black tie wedding a few years ago. After it arrived, I took it to a local tailor for alterations. Glad I had it for the occasion, and also glad I didn't spring for anything fancier b/c I haven't worn it since then, despite the romanticizing that comes along with owning your own tux.
posted by eelgrassman at 8:39 AM on October 7, 2015

I bought a tux for a destination wedding a couple years ago (where long term or local rental was either a no-go or cost more than buying), and really really wish i had gotten a dark blue one instead of black.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 8:39 AM on October 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

Something to consider is do you need/want the tux on the land portion of the trip? Perhaps you can purchase pants and shirts, and hire the jacket onboard. It does look like this would be an option
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 9:15 AM on October 7, 2015

Thirding Indochino. Their suits can be hit or miss, but their basic tuxedo with shirt (you should probably get a couple of shirts to be on the safe side) is absolutely worth every penny.
posted by saladin at 10:36 AM on October 7, 2015

So, I think you should totally get a tuxedo for your cruise if you want to (and people love to say that once you own a tux, occasions to wear one will find you) but from my cruise experience very few people actually wear tuxedos on the "black tie nights". Depending on the demographics of your ship, I would guess most will be wearing suits, with many men not wearing anything even close to that.

So don't stress over it, nor spend extra to expedite.
posted by danny the boy at 10:40 AM on October 7, 2015

Popped up on a deal site - Jos A Bank has the Signature Gold Notch Lapel Tuxedo w/ Plain Front Trousers on sale for $99
posted by achrise at 1:09 PM on October 7, 2015