The short answer
Black tie optional means the host prefers a dinner jacket (tuxedo) but welcomes a dark suit. You can wear a suit: choose navy or charcoal, with a white shirt, a dark silk tie and polished black oxfords. If you own a dinner suit, wear it. Light suits, brown shoes and an open collar fall below the code.
- A dinner suit is the preferred choice; a dark suit and tie is the accepted alternative.
- Choose navy or charcoal, plain or with a barely visible pattern.
- Wear a white shirt, a dark silk long tie and black oxfords with the suit.
- Skip the bow tie with a business suit: it reads as an imitation tuxedo.
- If you get a black tie or black tie optional invitation once a year or more, buy a dinner suit.
In this guide
- What does black tie optional mean?
- Should you wear a tuxedo or a suit?
- What color suit for black tie optional?
- Which tie should you wear with a suit?
- Shirt, shoes and accessories with a suit
- If you choose the dinner jacket
- Is black tie optional the same as formal?
- Black tie optional weddings
- The tailor's view: making a suit work at black tie optional
- Questions people ask
Yes, you can wear a suit to a black tie optional event. The suit should be dark navy or charcoal, worn with a white shirt, a dark silk tie and black oxfords. Black tie optional means the host would like to see dinner jackets but does not want to exclude guests who don't own one. If you do own a dinner suit, wear it: the host has told you what they hope for.
Where most men go wrong is in treating "optional" as permission to dress down. The option is between two formal outfits, the dinner suit and the dark suit and tie, not between formal and casual. Everything below follows from that.
Black tie optional at a glance
- Preferred
- Full black tie: dinner jacket, white dress shirt, black self-tie bow tie
- Accepted
- Dark suit, white shirt, dark silk tie, black oxfords
- Suit colors
- Navy or charcoal first; black acceptable but less deliberate
- Tie
- Long silk tie in black, navy, burgundy or silver-gray
- Shoes
- Black oxfords, polished; patent with a dinner suit
- Below the code
- Light or patterned suits, brown shoes, no tie, sport coats
What does black tie optional mean?
Black tie optional is an evening dress code that sits between black tie and cocktail attire on the ladder of men's dress codes. It tells guests that the host and many of the guests will wear dinner jackets, and that a dark suit and tie is the acceptable alternative. It is common on wedding invitations, charity dinners and corporate galas, where hosts want a formal room without asking every guest to buy or hire eveningwear.
Two variations push harder toward the dinner jacket. "Black tie preferred" and "black tie invited" mean a suit is still accepted but the host really would like a dinner jacket. "Black tie" with no qualifier means a dinner jacket is expected, and the rules in our black tie guide apply in full.
Dinner suit
Preferred
- Black or midnight blue dinner jacket, lapels faced in satin or grosgrain
- Matching trousers with a single side braid
- White dress shirt, studs, French cuffs
- Black self-tie bow tie
- Cummerbund or low-cut waistcoat
- Black patent or highly polished plain oxfords
Dark suit
Accepted
- Navy or charcoal suit, plain or nearly plain
- Matching suit trousers, slight break or none
- White shirt, ideally with French cuffs
- Dark silk long tie
- Optional matching waistcoat
- Black oxfords, highly polished
Should you wear a tuxedo or a suit?
Wear the dinner suit if you own one that fits, or if your role at the event puts you in front of the room. Wear the dark suit if you would have to hire for a single evening and the event is relaxed. The table sets out the common situations.
| Your situation | Wear | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You own a dinner suit that fits | Dinner suit | It is what the host hopes for, and you will not be underdressed |
| You are in the wedding party, hosting, speaking or receiving an award | Dinner suit, or whatever the host asks | You are in photographs and on display; match the most formal guests |
| Your partner is wearing a full-length evening gown | Dinner suit | A long gown beside a business suit looks mismatched |
| Evening event at a grand venue: ballroom, opera house, formal club | Dinner suit if possible | Most men in the room will be in dinner jackets |
| You would have to hire, and the event is a friend's party or a relaxed wedding | Dark suit and tie | This is exactly the guest the 'optional' is for |
| The event starts in daylight and is outdoors | Dark suit and tie | A dinner jacket is evening wear; a suit is more comfortable and still correct |
| You are not sure | Ask the host, or wear the dinner suit | Dressing at the top of the range is never wrong here |
What color suit for black tie optional?
Navy or charcoal. These are the darkest suits most men own, they look formal in evening light, and they sit comfortably next to dinner jackets. A very dark navy, close to midnight blue, is the best choice of all, because it echoes the classic dinner jacket color without imitating the jacket itself. A black suit is acceptable but looks less deliberate than navy or charcoal, and beside real dinner jackets it can read as an attempt at one.
The suit should be plain or have a pattern so faint it disappears at a distance: a fine herringbone or a shadow stripe is fine, a chalk stripe or windowpane check is too much like the office. Mid-gray, light blue, tan, linen and tweed suits are below the code for an evening event. See navy suit combinations and gray suit combinations for shirt and tie pairings.
Classic
Dark navy suit, black tie
Dark navy
Suit
White
Shirt
Black silk
Tie
White linen
Pocket square
Black oxford
Shoes
Classic
Charcoal suit, burgundy tie
Charcoal
Suit
White
Shirt
Burgundy silk
Tie
White linen
Pocket square
Black oxford
Shoes
Works
Charcoal suit, silver-gray tie
Charcoal
Suit
White
Shirt
Silver-gray silk
Tie
Black oxford
Shoes
Works
Black suit, dark tie
Acceptable, but navy or charcoal look more deliberate.
Black
Suit
White
Shirt
Dark navy silk
Tie
Black oxford
Shoes
Avoid
Mid-gray suit, brown shoes
A daytime business outfit, below the code for a formal evening.
Mid-gray
Suit
Light blue
Shirt
Patterned blue
Tie
Brown
Shoes
Which tie should you wear with a suit?
Wear a long silk tie in a dark, solid or nearly solid color: black, dark navy, burgundy or silver-gray. A tie with a slight sheen, such as a silk satin or a fine grenadine, looks more like evening dress than a matte woven tie with a bold pattern. Tie it in a four-in-hand or half Windsor, with the tip reaching the waistband. Our guide to matching a tie to your shirt and suit covers color pairing in more detail.
Can you wear a bow tie with a suit?
It is not wrong, but it is rarely the best choice. A black bow tie with a business suit looks like an attempt at a dinner jacket that fell short, because the plain lapels, flap pockets and ordinary buttons are still visible. A long tie makes it clear you have chosen the accepted alternative, which is a stronger position than looking like an incomplete version of the preferred one.
Shirt, shoes and accessories with a suit
- Shirt: white, with a spread or point collar. French cuffs and simple cufflinks add a note of evening formality. Avoid button-down collars and patterns.
- Shoes: black oxfords, plain or cap toe, polished to a high shine. No brown shoes, brogues or loafers.
- Socks: black or dark navy, over the calf.
- Belt or braces: a slim black leather belt with a plain buckle, or braces if your trousers have brace buttons.
- Pocket square: white linen or silk, simply folded, is the cleanest choice. See how to fold a pocket square.
- Waistcoat: a matching waistcoat from a three-piece suit adds formality and keeps the waist tidy.
If you choose the dinner jacket
If you wear a dinner suit, wear it correctly. Black tie optional does not loosen the rules for the dinner jacket itself: a black or midnight blue jacket with silk-faced lapels, matching trousers with a braid, a white dress shirt with studs, a black self-tie bow tie, a cummerbund or waistcoat and black patent or polished plain oxfords. The only latitude is that a velvet jacket or a slightly more personal touch reads as well judged rather than out of place, because the room is a little less strict. Our tuxedo vs suit guide sets out the details that make a dinner jacket what it is.
Is black tie optional the same as formal?
Nearly. On American invitations, "formal" is usually used to mean black tie optional: dinner jackets welcome, dark suits and ties accepted. The difference is that "black tie optional" names the preferred outfit, while "formal" leaves it to you. In both cases the floor is a dark suit and tie, and in both cases a dinner suit is never wrong for an evening event.
Black tie optional weddings
At a black tie optional wedding, guests follow the same rules: a dinner suit or a dark suit and tie. Men in the wedding party should wear whatever the couple asks, which at a black tie optional wedding is usually a dinner suit. The groom sets the top of the range, so guests should not try to outdress him with a white dinner jacket or a showpiece velvet jacket unless the couple has encouraged it. Our guides to wedding guest attire and wedding suits for grooms cover the rest.
The tailor's view: making a suit work at black tie optional
A suit at black tie optional is standing next to dinner jackets, so fit and finish show more than they do at the office. A well-pressed, well-fitted navy suit holds its own; a tired one with sagging trousers does not. A tailor would check the points below, most of which can be fixed in a week.
What a good tailor checks before a formal evening
- The jacket collar sits against the shirt collar with no gap at the back of the neck.
- The sleeves show ¼ to ½ inch (6 to 13 mm) of shirt cuff.
- The trousers have a slight break or none, with no bunching at the shoe.
- The jacket button closes without pulling into an X across the front.
- The suit has been pressed, not just steamed, so the trouser creases are sharp.
- The shirt collar fits with one finger's room, so the tie knot sits up properly.
If you are buying a new suit with evening events in mind, ask for a very dark navy in a fine worsted with a slight surface sheen. It works at black tie optional, at cocktail events and at the office. If the invitations keep coming, the next purchase should be a dinner suit; our guide to how a suit should fit covers what to check whichever you buy.
Questions people ask
Can I wear a suit to a black tie optional wedding?
Yes. A dark navy or charcoal suit with a white shirt, a dark silk tie and black oxfords is the accepted alternative to a dinner suit. If you own a dinner suit, wear it, and if you are in the wedding party, follow the couple's instructions.
What color suit for black tie optional?
Navy or charcoal, ideally plain and as dark as you own. A very dark navy is the best choice because it echoes the midnight blue of a classic dinner jacket. Black is acceptable but less deliberate, and mid-gray, light blue or tan suits fall below the code for an evening event.
Is black tie optional the same as formal?
Nearly. On American invitations, formal usually means the same thing: dinner jackets welcome, dark suits and ties accepted. Black tie optional simply names the preferred outfit, while formal leaves the choice more open.
Can I wear a bow tie with a regular suit?
You can, but a long silk tie is the better choice. A black bow tie with a business suit looks like an imitation dinner jacket, because the plain lapels and flap pockets remain. A dark long tie makes it clear you chose the accepted alternative.
Do I need a tie for black tie optional?
Yes. Both acceptable outfits include a tie: a black bow tie with a dinner jacket, or a dark silk long tie with a suit. An open collar is below the code and will leave you visibly underdressed.
Can I wear brown shoes to a black tie optional event?
No. Wear black oxfords, polished to a high shine, with a dark suit, and black patent or polished plain oxfords with a dinner suit. Brown shoes belong to daytime and business dress.
Can I wear a black suit to a black tie optional event?
Yes, a black suit with a white shirt and a dark long tie is acceptable. Navy and charcoal tend to look more deliberate, because beside dinner jackets a black business suit can look like an imitation of one. Do not add a bow tie to a black suit.
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