for the boys: the do's and don'ts of formalwear

i came across a vintage GQ magazine recently and thought this was worthy of being passed along...

1.  do buy a tuxedo.  shelling out $100 for a sad-sack rental each time you attend a black tie event makes no sense.
2. don't buy a three-button tux.  stick with the classics: a one- or two-button model will never go out of style.
3. do wear a shirt with a conventional, straight lay-down collar.  and make sure it has french cuffs.
4. don't ever wear a banded collar (those priestlike ones favored by country singers and nfl players).  ever.
5. do learn how to tie a bow tie. (refer to our previous post on this.)
6. don't ever buy one of those matching, patterned cummerbund-and-bow-tie sets.
7. do wear a black bow tie or straight tie.  and skip the cummerbund - you'll achieve a cleaner, more modern look without one.
8. don't stress out over finding cool studs.  a well-made formalwear shirt will have nice, sturdy buttons.  or avoid the issue of the bejeweled button substitutes altogether and go with one of those hidden-button placket-front shirts.
9. do wear a peak-lapel tux jacket if you insist on wearing a wing-collar shirt.  and make sure the wings are tucked behind your bow tie, not peeking out above it.
10. don't muck it up.  keep the outfit simple and keep it black and white.  the cleaner the better.