Men's Style Blog
Section: Everything Else - Blog
On the surface, tuxedos and suits look extremely similar to each other and sometimes people use the words interchangeably. However, they are distinctly different and it’s important to understand the core differences between a tuxedo and a suit.
The distinction between a suit and a tuxedo lies in the satin trim. Tuxedos feature satin accents on the lapels, buttons, and pockets, giving them a polished and unique look designed for formal settings and occasions. Suits, on the other hand, are more versatile in style and design, with a variety of fabrics suitable for different occasions.
Tuxedos are usually reserved for black tie and formal events whereas a suit can be worn to a wider variety of events and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.
All tuxedos are suits, but not all suits are tuxedos. From weddings to black-tie events and galas, a well-tailored tuxedo or suit makes you stand out and feel confident.
| Feature | Tuxedo | Suit |
| Definition | Classic black tux with black satin covering on peak lapel, buttons, and breast pocket, black satin trim on lower pockets. | More flexibility in style and fabric, ranging from light summer suits to classic dark hues. |
| Occasion | Reserved for black-tie events, weddings, and formal dinners. | Suitable for business meetings, weddings, and other semi-formal occasions. |
| Shirt Types | Wing or turndown collars, French cuffs, often with a pleated front - made in white cotton. | Broad range of collar styles, prints, and fabrics. |
| Jackets | Satin trim on lapels and buttons for added sophistication. | Vary in style, fabric, and colour, offering more options. |
| Pants | Satin stripe down each leg to match the jacket's trim. | Variety of styles, from flat-front to pleated, tailored to fit. |
| Accessories | Black silk bow tie, white silk pocket square, cufflinks, black tux studs for shirt placket, cummerbund or waistcoat. | More flexibility with ties, pocket squares, and belts. |
| Shoes | Usually black patent leather or highly polished. | Range from classic oxfords to stylish brogues in a variety of colours - black or any shade of brown from chocolate to tan.. |
| Combinations |
More structured towards traditional elements. | Allows for more creativity and personalisation in styling. |
At Montagio, we want to make sure you look your best in a well-tailored tuxedo or suit. Our stylists work closely with each client to perfectly tailor the suit to their body type, taking up to 30 measurements to ensure you get the right fit.
We are renowned for crafting personalised, impeccably fitted bespoke garments and Montagio has earned it’s place as top-tier tailors. Ready to make a statement at your next big event? Count on Montagio to keep you looking your best, styled with timeless, standout pieces that turn heads and leave a lasting impression.
Deciding whether to wear a tuxedo or a suit can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some simple guidelines to help you make the right choice:
Tuxedos are reserved for the most formal occasions. These events usually specify a dress code like black tie or a gala, so you’ll know when it’s time to bring out the tux.
Here’s a rundown:
Black Tie Events: These include galas, charity balls, Stonemason’s events, and evening weddings. If the invitation says “black tie,” a tuxedo is the way to go.
Formal Weddings: Evening weddings often suggest a tuxedo, especially if the wedding invitation specifies black tie attire.
Award Ceremonies: Think of the Oscars or any high-profile industry awards.
New Year’s Eve Parties: For those exclusive, formal celebrations ringing in the new year.
Suits offer more flexibility and can be worn in a variety of social and professional settings.
Here are some guidelines:
Business Meetings: A well-fitted suit is perfect for important business meetings, presentations, or conferences.
Weddings: A suit is normally worn for daytime or evening weddings - either as the groom, or as a guest. The style and fabric colour can differ depending on the theme of the wedding - dark colours for more formal weddings (usually in the evening), and lighter colours for less formal weddings (daytime or outdoor weddings - e.g. beach, garden, vineyard, countryside)
Cocktail Parties: Depending on the formality, a suit can be a great choice for cocktail events.
Dinner Dates: When you want to look sharp but the setting isn’t super formal, a suit can be a great option to impress your date.
Casual Fridays: Depending on your office culture, a suit can be dressed down for business-casual environments.
It’s not just the satin trim that makes the difference between a tuxedo and a suit. There are a variety of other smaller differences you need to be aware of that go into making a tux a tux.
There are key variances between tuxedo jackets and suit jackets.
The defining characteristics of a tuxedo jacket is the satin lapel, satin covered buttons and trim that accentuates its formal look.
Suits jackets, on the other hand, are more versatile in terms of style, colour, and details, making them appropriate for a wide range of celebrations and occasions.
Tuxedo jackets are designed for very formal occasions and are often worn at black-tie events.
Here are the key features:
Trim: Satin or grosgrain trim on the lapels, pockets, buttons, and other areas.
Lapels: Typically have a peak or shawl lapel style, for a formal appearance.
Button Closure: Can have two or one button closure depending on the lapel style. Can also be 4 or 6 button for double breasted jackets.
Pockets: Notch or jetted pockets with satin trim.
Buttons: Satin-covered or mother-of-pearl buttons, adding to the refined finish.
Style: Can be single or double-breasted.
Colour: Solid colours such as navy, black, white or other neutral tones. Can consider jacquard patterns for a less traditional look that makes a more unique statement.
Example: For a black-tie wedding, a classic black tuxedo jacket with satin-trimmed peak lapels and satin buttons, paired with a matching tuxedo pant, creates a sophisticated and timeless ensemble.
Suit jackets offer more versatility and are suitable for a variety of formal and semi-formal occasions.
The key features:
Style: Typically the same style and material as a regular business suit jacket, but with more flexibility. Suit jackets will not feature the satin lapel, buttons or trims that you find on a tuxedo.
Colours and Patterns: While tuxedo jackets are usually solid white, black, or other dark tones regular suit jackets come in a variety of colours and patterns. Lighter colours and patterns may be used for a wedding suit compared to conservative tones for business. Pinstripes, checks, and subtle patterns work well.
Accents: May include additional accents like a flower boutonniere or pocket square to complement the celebratory occasion.
Example: For a spring wedding, a light grey suit jacket with a subtle check pattern, unique buttons, and a tailored fit, paired with a matching trouser and a floral boutonniere, offers a modern and elegant look.
Tuxedo trousers traditionally have a satin stripe or braid down each leg, to match the satin features on the tuxedo jacket.
However suit trousers tend to be more flexible, often coming in a range of shapes and patterns to compliment the suit jacket.
Tuxedo pants are designed to complement the elegance of a tuxedo, maintaining a high level of formality. Here are the key features:
Material: Made from the same material as the tuxedo jacket, usually wool, or a blend of wool with cashmere or silk, for a consistent look.
Colour: Tuxedo pants will usually be the same colour as the jacket, unless going for a less traditional tuxedo look where the jacket is a different contrasting colour - in which case the trousers will almost always be black. E.g. white jacket with black trousers.
Trim: Feature a single or double satin stripe down the side of each leg. The stripes are usually either ½ inch (for double stripes) or ¾ inch in width (for single stripe).
Front: Flat front with no pleats or cuffs for a clean appearance.
Length: The modern tux trouser breaks slightly on the shoes and sits just at the mouth of the shoe when worn, providing a tailored sleek silhouette.
Waistband: Usually with side buckle adjusters and no belt loops for a polished look, but can also come with satin-covered waistband with side button adjusters as another option.
Hem: No turn-ups at the bottom hem, maintaining the formal style.
Example: For a black-tie event, pair your tuxedo jacket with tuxedo pants that have a satin stripe down the side, for a cohesive formal look.
Offer more versatility and are suitable for a range of formal and semi-formal occasions.
The key features:
Material: Typically made from the same fabric as the suit jacket, such as wool, for cohesiveness in the overall look.
Colour: For a more formal look match the colour of your suit pants with the jacket. For a more business casual look you can opt for a pant colour that contrasts with your jacket for a spezzato look. (Eg. A light coloured jacket with dark coloured pants, or a dark coloured jacket with light coloured pants)
Crease: May have an ironed-in crease down each leg for a sharper and more defined look.
Styles: Available in a variety of styles, including flat front, pleated, or cuffed, offering more flexibility.
Patterns: Unlike tuxedos, which typically feature solid colours and satin stripes on the sides, suit pants can come in a variety of patterns such as pinstripes, checks, or herringbone. These patterns add visual interest and versatility, allowing for a more personalised and distinctive look.
Fit: Generally tailored closely through the leg for a clean silhouette.
Waistband: Can be with belt loops if one prefers to wear belts, or can also come with buckle side adjusters for a cleaner look.
Hem: Can be left plain or have a subtle turn-up, providing options for personal preference.
Example: For a spring wedding, choose earthy tones for the suit e.g. light tan to complement the season, especially if outdoor.
Choosing the best shirt for your formal occasion can make all the difference. While tuxedo and dress shirts have some similarities, they do have distinct differences in terms of style, fabric and colours.
Tuxedo shirts are designed to complement the elegance of a tuxedo, often worn at black-tie events and weddings.
The key features:
Collar Style: Typically will have a wingtip collar, but can also come with standard turndown windsor collars. designed to accommodate a bow tie. The wingtip collar points upwards in a "V" shape. Opt for a wingtip collar if you know how to tie a bowtie. If you don’t, and are going to wear a pre-tied bowtie, beware that the clip on the side will be visible as the wingtip collar does not cover the bowtie strap. In this case, better to opt for the turndown collar to hide the pre-tied bowtie clip.
Cuffs: French cuffs with buttonholes are standard, allowing for the insertion of cufflinks. You will usually not find buttoned cuffs on a tuxedo shirt.
Placket: Typically there is a fixed collar button and fixed bottom-most button, then in-between are just buttonholes to allow for the insertion of tuxedo studs. This is what gives that black shiny button appearance on tuxedo shirts - they are not actual buttons, but rather, tuxedo studs that have been inserted into the shirt placket, similar to how you would insert cufflinks into the holes in the cuffs. The placket could also be a hidden-button style, which gives a nice clean look and allows more re-usability of the shirt, as opposed to the buttonholes for studs.
Pleats or Bib: A tuxedo shirt can have either pleats (usually ¼” width, and there can be 7 to 10 pleats), or a “bib” on either side of the placket. A bib is just a panel of textured white cotton shirt fabric that has been attached onto the front of the shirt, and provides a contrast against the smooth fabric of the rest of the shirt.
Fabric: Usually made from crisp cotton or poplin which is a woven cotton fabric with extremely fine horizontal "ribs" that produces a robust, crisp fabric with a silky, shiny finish - also known as “satin cotton”. This creates a smooth, clean appearance.
Colours: Traditionally solid white, but can experiment with black or dark burgundy for a less traditional, but still classy look.
Fit: Tailored but not overly tight around the neck and arms, ensuring comfort without compromising style.
Example: For a formal gala, a crisp white tuxedo shirt with a wing collar and French cuffs, paired with a classic black tuxedo, creates an elegant and timeless look.
Dress shirts offer more versatility and are suitable for a variety of formal and semi-formal occasions.
Here are the key features:
Collar Style: Can have a variety of turndown collar styles such as the windsor collar, cutaway collar, button-down collar, or club collar. Tuxedo shirts, by contrast, have only the wingtip or windsor collar as options.
Cuffs: More options with cuff styles including double or single button cuffs, as well as the dressier French cuff.
Prints and Patterns: May feature bolder prints or patterns like checks or stripes, or more subtle textures such as herringbone or royal oxford, offering more flexibility compared to the traditional solid colour and smooth weave of tuxedo shirts.
Fabric Choices: More options including cotton, linen, flannel, or silk. Tuxedo shirts traditionally only use crisp cotton.
Buttons: Are often made of plastic, and sometimes mother-of-pearl. Usually neutral coloured.
Fit: Tailored but can be less constricting and structured than a tuxedo shirt, this allows flexibility with neckties and bow ties, or just leaving open collared.
Example: For a wedding, a royal oxford texture white shirt with a cutaway collar and double button cuffs, paired with a midnight navy suit and burgundy grenadine woven silk tie, provides an understated yet stylish and modern look.
Overall your shirt should match the formality of the occasion while uplifting your overall appearance.
Accessories play an important supporting role in completing a polished look when wearing a tuxedo or business suit.
With a tuxedo, accessories have a slightly more formal role, compared to a suit.
For a tux:
A bow tie, cufflinks and studs are essential to achieve the black tie look.
A boutonniere may be worn for white tie events.
Socks are usually black to complement the pants.
For suits:
A leather belt should match the colour of your shoes.
A classic slim-profile dress watch, preferably with a leather strap.
Silk pocket squares can be inserted into the breast pocket to add subtle pops of colour.
Dress socks in neutral tones that compliment the outfit.
Overall, accessories for suits and tuxedos should be understated and high quality to match the formality of the overall outfit.
The right shoes complete your formal attire, adding the final touch to your polished look.
Tuxedo shoes and dress shoes worn with suits may appear similar, however they cater to different levels of formality and styles.
Tuxedo shoes are designed to complement the high elegance of a tuxedo.
Here are the key features:
Material: Typically made from patent leather or highly polished smooth calf leather, providing a shiny and formal finish.
Styles: Lace-up oxfords or slip-on loafers.
Colour: Always black.
Formality: Specifically chosen to match the formal nature of tuxedo pants and their satin stripe and detailing - you would not wear black patent shoes with a normal suit, unless wearing for your wedding.
Example: For a black-tie event, patent leather oxfords pair perfectly and complement a classic tuxedo, adding that sleek quality to top off your look.
Dress shoes offer more flexibility and are suitable for a range of formal and semi-formal occasions.
Here are the key features:
Material: Typically made from high-quality calf leather, providing a smart and stylish appearance.
Styles: Can include a variety of leather shoe styles such as brogues, derbies, or loafers, offering more versatility.
Formality: You can pair these shoes with tailored suit pants and jackets - opt to have them well polished before wearing to any formal occasion.
Example: For a cocktail party, leather brogues paired with a tailored suit add a touch of understated elegance.
For when you don’t want to be too loud, this dark navy tux has black satin trim around the edge of the notch lapel & trim across the top edges of the breast pocket & lower pockets.
With matching dark blue satin accents and dark navy fabric provides a classy yet distinctive spin on the traditional tuxedo for individuals looking for the ideal balance.
This look is perfect for gatherings when you want to stand out without strictly following black tie traditions since it keeps the formal elegance of a conventional tux while adding a touch of originality and style.
Styling advice:
Mix & Match: For a unified style, pair this dark navy tuxedo with a white dress shirt and a navy tie. Alternatively, try a patterned tie for a subtle hint of texture variation.
Accessorise: To keep a polished, put together look, go for deep brown or black shoes and simple cufflinks.
Customise: Make sure it fits perfectly; a well-tailored tux highlights your body best features and gives your appearance a great silhouette.
Nothing says formal like a black 3-piece suit with black satin trim on the edge of the lapel, & satin highlights throughout. The waistcoat has similar satin trimmings to unify the look.
This timeless look reflects a classic combination.
Styling advice:
Cohesive Detailing: To match the satin trims, wear the suit with a white dress shirt and a black satin tie or bow tie.
Footwear: To retain the suit's polished and formal look, choose black leather shoes and cufflinks.
Perfect Fit: Check that every piece, from the jacket to the waistcoat and trousers, is perfectly tailored. A precise fit amplifies the suit's elegance and helps you look your best.
Did someone say white tuxedo? This type of look features a crisp white jacket with black satin trim on the lapels and black satin buttons, creating a striking contrast. The black trousers with matching satin stripes add to the cohesive, polished appearance.
Styling Advice:
Cohesive Detailing: Complement the tuxedo with a classic white dress shirt and a black satin bow tie. The black satin trim on the jacket ties the whole look together.
Footwear: Choose black patent leather shoes to maintain the tuxedo's sleek and formal appeal.
Perfect Fit: Your jacket, trousers and shirt should be tailored to your body and silhouette, at Montagio we create everything that is made to measure.
If you're looking to make a statement and get creative, experimenting with different fabric variations is a great way to do it.
You could try a jacquard fabric featuring hints of blue for a bold look, or for something more subtle like black with textured details, top stitching, and stitching around the lapel edges or pick stitching for a refined finish.
Another striking option could be a classic black and white combo with black trims for added contrast.
Montagio's custom tailored tuxedos and suits in Sydney and Brisbane embody sophistication and style, making it easy to achieve a polished look for any formal occasion.
Whether you're updating your wardrobe for daily professional wear or preparing for a special event, Montagio ensures you'll make a lasting impression with garments that perfectly reflect your personal style.
Visit Montagio today and experience the transformative impact of personalised tailoring.
With over 20,000 satisfied clients, Montagio's distinction as the top-rated tailor in Sydney and Brisbane is no coincidence. Our success lies in our commitment to personalisation, ensuring each suit is a true reflection of the individual wearing it. Unlike others, we focus on providing unparalleled service, meticulous attention to detail, and an array of bespoke options, making every Montagio suit a testament to quality and individuality. If it lacks that personal touch, it simply isn't Montagio.
Named in GQ Magazine's "Best Tailors" list, and the highest reviewed tailor on Google, Montagio has paved the way for discerning men to get suited up with style. A truly personalised experience, we deliver perfectly fitted bespoke suits, shirts and coats for business, weddings, formal and casual events. Our showrooms are visually packed with designs that inspire and 1,000s of fabrics, making it easy for you to get the look you want. Our difference? We won't let you walk out until we've tailored your perfect garment. It's personal. To experience the same red-carpet service, book your personal appointment today.
