Your black tie accessories are the finishing touches to your evening wear outfit comprising of bow tie, cummerbund, cuff links, shirt studs, pocket squares and socks. Black Tie accoutrements can make or break an entire outfit. They give you scope to prove to your peers that you scrub up a treat, know the rules and how far to push them.

Throughout our Black Tie Tailoring campaign, we paired bow ties, cummerbunds, shirt studs and cuff links to complement each outfit. Below are highlights of those black tie accessories to help you plan for your next black tie outfit. 

Bow Ties

The eye candy of Black tie accessories

We’re confident in saying that we make the best bow ties out there – other brands come to us to make their bow ties. That said, there’s no excuse in wearing a mediocre bow tie when you can have the best.

The bow tie is centrepiece of your black tie ensemble and should be treated with equal attention to detail. Our range of bow ties has expanded over the years to cater for all sorts of taste, from bold and contemporary, to classic and effortless. For example, with a classic dinner suit, match your bow tie with the same fabric as your jacket lapel – silk satin, or silk grosgrain. For alternative coloured jackets, stick with a silk satin.

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Shirt Studs & Cuff Links

Shirt studs and cufflinks often come as a matching set. Generally speaking, we think it’s best to wear them as a set. Try not to mix and match your cufflinks and shirt studs as your outfit may start to have too much going on.

The classic choice of shirt studs is black onyx for a high-contrast effect, or white mother-of-pearl for a slightly more elegant touch.

Cufflinks can be attached to your shirt cuffs via a number of systems. A T-bar toggle is the most popular, functional, and easy to put on. Whale toggles are an elegant variation of the T-bar toggle. The ‘shank’ of this cufflink is gently rounded to follow the natural curvature of your wrist.

Double-sided cufflinks are a strong choice because they ensure that both sides of the cuff in unison. They’re a favourite black tie accessory in classic menswear geeks, and we love them just as much.

• Cufflinks by Deakin & Francis

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Cummerbunds

Cummerbunds are a wonderful and very fashionable way to cover your waistband. They are usually pleated, and made of silk satin or grosgrain (it’s worth making sure it matched your lapels and bow tie). They’re slightly underrated black tie accessories, but its one that will keep the whole outfit together.

The height of a cummerbund should be proportionate to the length of your frame, and adjustable at the waist via an elasticated band at the back. We’re strong supporters of the cummerbund and lionize its potential to modernise the black-tie dress code whenever we can.

Remember, the pleats on your cummerbund always face up.

Socks

Often an afterthought as a black tie accessory, socks for evening wear should be anything but. They need to be mulled over until you’re certain they match the overall look of your outfit. Just as a dinner suit should show you at your best, the socks should be the best a pair you can find. 

If you want to keep your socks up, and your shirt tucked in, we’d recommend shirt stays. They do two things at once, while ensuring your outfit stays in fine fettle throughout the evening.

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