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Prom Prep

The Penguin Suit

By Lori Kremen

The prom is one of your last nights as a high school student before you move on to college, take a break from school, join the military, or start your life in the real world. The prom can be an expensive night with ticket, limo, and dinner purchases. Going to the prom as young women, we seem to have all the options. Girls can wear almost anything and its okay because prom night is all about them. Well, what about you, dude? Most likely, you're paying for everything, and for what? Then, there is the tuxedo. You never understood why it's there, or why you can't just wear something cooler.

Your prom night is about you, your date, and all of your friends. For one night, you and your guy friends become the Borg. In one night you are expected to transform into who you are at this very moment and turn into a gentleman. The tuxedo is the most superficial part of your transformation from teenager into an adult.

What is a Tuxedo?
A tuxedo is considered the formal dress outfit that a man wears to a black tie event in order to conform to the fancy-dress code. Generally, a tuxedo consists of a dinner jacket (in black, blue, or white), a white dinner shirt, cummerbund or vest, and a pair of pants. Accessories often include cufflinks, shirt studs, suspenders, socks, and dinner shoes.

There are several variations of the tuxedo. The tie, waist coat, or cummerbund is now offered in several different colors, more often than not used to match the color of a date's dress. In recent years, it has become acceptable to wear a straight tie to the prom.

What are your options for a Tuxedo?
You can either rent a tuxedo or buy tuxedo, depending on your needs. If you are only going to one prom, and never need formal dress wear otherwise, renting the tuxedo is definitely the way to go. A tuxedo rental can cost anywhere from $60 to $300 dollars. Typically, as far as the price goes, you generally get what you pay for. The more you pay for a tuxedo rental, the finer quality it will be. Often, the money spent on the tuxedo rental includes accessories and alterations. Usually, you get to keep the tuxedo for one or two days, before returning it in perfect condition. If renting a tuxedo is the option you choose, be very careful not to spill anything on it, or lose any of the accessories that came with your rental, as you may be asked to pay a damage or loss penalty.

If you are going to more than one or two proms during the year, or are planning on attending several formal dress events in the future, you may want to consider buying your tuxedo. Purchasing a tuxedo can be very expensive with prices ranging anywhere from $700 to $1500 dollars depending on the quality and service accompanying your purchase. While a tuxedo rental comes with all of the accessories, purchasing a tuxedo means purchasing all of the accessories, which can be very costly on its own. However, the main advantage of buying a tuxedo is that you only have to do this once. After the prom, you don't have to rush out to return the outfit to its rightful owners, and you have to worry less about spilling anything on your tux.

Which ever option you choose, you need to make your decision well before the prom night arrives. Tuxedo alterations take time, after all.

What are the alternatives?
If you don't want to go with the traditional tuxedo, you do have other options. Sometimes, if you cannot afford or think your money could be spent elsewhere, you could instead wear a dark colored suit with a dark colored tie. This is an option and can look as smart as a tux in many situations. Just because you're a guy, doesn't mean you're not allowed to have any creativity in your prom wardrobe. If you have a particular style, don't be afraid to show it off at your prom. Don't be afraid to wear dress shorts or a skinny pant leg to your prom. There are many different colors you can choose from; the colors go from lime green to light grey.you don't have to wear the basic black look. Don't be afraid to accessorize your tux (or whatever else you wear) with a few of your everyday items to make your prom wardrobe distinctly you. If your prom is themed, you may be off the hook with the tuxedo altogether. Instead, you could wear a costume that fits the theme.

It is not unheard of for men to show up at the prom wearing a different colored suit or even just a blazer with jeans and a button-down shirt. If you decide to forget the formal dress code altogether, my only word of caution would be to discuss your choice with your date. You do need to remember that on the night of the prom your choice of clothing may reflect on her. The probability is that she spent a few hundred dollars on her prom dress, so I wouldn't expect sympathy on the matter of cost. On the other hand, she may be supportive of your decision to take an alternate dress route. The best case scenario is that your date will follow your lead and will try to match your prom enthusiasm.