# Tux shirts Studs or Buttons



## Galt (Oct 4, 2008)

What are your thoughts on wearing plain buttons with a tux?

I have never been a fan of tux shirts or studs. They make me feel like I'm wearing a costume rather than fromal attire. I ditched the studs several years ago and would just wear the tux shirt with the string of buttons. I have the Brooks flat front bib tux shirt.

I went to a black tie event last Saturday, and for the first time I ditched the tux shirt for a regular Brooks shirt (white, non-iron pinpoint, ainsley collar, french cuff, no pocket)

I felt great. I wore my JAB tux (want to upgrade to Brooks shaw collar), black bow-tie and cumberbunD, Brooks white braces, Brooks shirt, linen PS, highly shined AE park Ave's. My confidence was confirmed when one of my friends (who was also well dressed) asked where I found a tux shirt with regular buttons.

For record, I feel like tux attire has really declined for the massess due to tux rentals... polyester, wing collars, plastic studs, and plastic shoes seem to be the norm.


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## Jake1990 (Jan 5, 2009)

I think studs are the most appropriate icing for the black tie cake. I always wear them, they're part of the look, but I wouldn't go to war over it.


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## David V (Sep 19, 2005)

Why bother with buttons or studs at all...There's always the "tux" t-shirt.

For me ,however, it's studs


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## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*If you really want to low-key it*

It's like wearing two buttons sewn back to back as cuff links. It's tolerable, functional. Not preferred.

The ones that came with my shirt seem to be black mother of pearl. They'd do if in a pinch, but they lack that finishing touch of studs.


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## gtsecc (Mar 25, 2008)

Yes, wear the studs.
The point is in someways "to not do anything different."
No one woiuld ask if they could sew their ribbons and stripes on their military uniform differently.


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## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

I've seen men wear plain point shirts with buttons with semiformal, but they were always English. Must be more common over there. I always picked up a "I can't be bothered" vibe from those guys.

Scott


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## gtsecc (Mar 25, 2008)

If you can pull it off, you can GTH your dinner attire, but you need a certain personality to do that or it will look like you rented and have no idea what you are doing.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

gtsecc said:


> No one woiuld ask if they could sew their ribbons and stripes on their military uniform differently.


Please, a tuxedo is not a military uniform. Not even close.

I too like the simplicity of a plain white dress shirt (with French cuffs) with a tuxedo. I have a pleated shirt with studs but it has been moved to the back of the closet and might not ever be worn again. The simplicity of the plain shirt actually gives it an elegance by removing the somewhat costumey look of the pleated shirt. I arrived at this conclusion after seeing James Bond in one of the movies wearing a plain white dress shirt.

Cruiser


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## Jake1990 (Jan 5, 2009)

Cruiser said:


> Please, a tuxedo is not a military uniform. Not even close.


He never said it was. It was an analogy of uniformity.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

Jake1990 said:


> He never said it was. It was an analogy of uniformity.


I know what it was, and it was a very bad one. The "uniformity" of the military uniform is prescribed by laws and regulations, and very little is optional on the part of the wearer.

While a military person is not free to sew his/her stripes or ribbons on differently, the tuxedo wearer has a wide range of options in everything from lapels, shirts, shoes, etc.. I get the feeling that more than a few here would like for government to step in and regulate the wearing of a tuxedo (as long as the regulations prescribe what they like, of course), but thankfully that hasn't happened and guys who want to wear notch lapels, non-patent leather shoes, and plain white dress shirts can still do so without fear of fines or reprimands from the government AND with the full acceptance of all but a few clothing hobbyists. :icon_smile:

Cruiser


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## Jake1990 (Jan 5, 2009)

I don't think it was a particularly bad analogy. No it's not legally enforced, but it can still be used as a comparison. As my first post confirms, I'm at odds with the sentiment, as I have no business ordering people to wear this or that. However, if you want to wear what is considered to be classic black tie, then you have to stick within very narrow boundaries with little choice; pumps or balmorals, peak or roll, cummerbund or waistcoat, arguably wing or turndown, etc. Of course it's not enforced by anyone, but if one wants to embody it then one has very little room for manoeuvre.


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## Galt (Oct 4, 2008)

Cruiser said:


> Please, a tuxedo is not a military uniform. Not even close.
> 
> I too like the simplicity of a plain white dress shirt (with French cuffs) with a tuxedo. I have a pleated shirt with studs but it has been moved to the back of the closet and might not ever be worn again. The simplicity of the plain shirt actually gives it an elegance by removing the somewhat costumey look of the pleated shirt. I arrived at this conclusion after seeing James Bond in one of the movies wearing a plain white dress shirt.
> 
> Cruiser


Cruiser... you nailed my sentiment. I think my adversion to studs is one part the costumey look, and one part because I don't like jewlrey (was never a fan of bit loafers).

I'm going to stick with the look, but I think I need to upgrade my tux to fully pull it off. My JAB notch collar tux just isn't cutting it (pitiful actually). Once I raise the cash, I'm going to get the Brooks shaw collar.

I think it will work better if everything else is top notch (linen PS, Shaw tux, AE Park Ave's, intialed sterling cuff links, brooks all white braces)


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## Jake1990 (Jan 5, 2009)

I hate to be pedantic, but it's shawl, not shaw.


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## Dingo McPhee (Aug 13, 2009)

Galt said:


> I have never been a fan of tux shirts or studs. They make me feel like I'm wearing a costume rather than formal attire.


This kind of statement always makes me smile a little. How is formal attire _not_ a costume?


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## PolieCat (Dec 14, 2007)

Go with the studs.


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## Coleman (Mar 18, 2009)

I don't have a black tie outfit, but I would go with studs.


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## Reds & Tops (Feb 20, 2009)

If it's a very formal occasion, I think studs are mandatory. Most of the time, however, I wear a plain white spread collar shirt with turn up cuffs. Depending on the mood, I'll either wear a gross grain bow or satin long tie. 

I think as with any type of dress (other than military, of course), you need to impart a little bit of your personality. It's only a uniform if you treat it like a uniform.


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## Luis-F-S (Apr 6, 2009)

Studs, no if ands or butts. I have at least 5 pairs and am always looking for more.


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## Sean1982 (Sep 7, 2009)

The OP seems very happy with wearing his plain shirt with black tie, so why ask the question?!

I'd never wear a plain shirt with evening wear, and would always wear studs. Another option is to get a fly fronted evening shirt, so no button issues at all. But it wouldn't be my choice.


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## GreenManalishi (Nov 15, 2014)

After reading The Guide and various forum posts here and there, I ended up with the impression that:

1) Studs are the correct choice for stiff or semi-stiff front shirts (wing collar, full dress shirt -or- marcella shirt), 
2) Mother-of-pearl buttons are the preferred choice for pleated (soft) front shirts, but studs are common too.

I think the rationale behind point #2 above might be that: A) The soft shirt front is more prone to "collapse" under the weight of the studs (especially if -say- they are made of 14k gold), and B) The pleated shirt is less formal anyway, so why not?

The first evening shirt I ordered was a marcella shirt with fly front (I liked the modern look, and I wasn't sure I would secure a set of studs in time).

The second (and last) one is another marcella shirt, this time taking studs. Because studs tend to be more conspicuous than regular buttons, I asked that they be placed 2cm further apart from each other than usual. The results is a sober bib with only three studs visible above the low-cut waistcoat.

I plan to get a pleated-front shirt too in the near future (turn-down collar, of course), but not sure if I'll go with fixed MOP buttons or stud holes and a detachable button strip.

I don't think I would wear a dinner jacket with a run-of-the-mill white shirt with french cuffs. The textured cotton (piqué) adds a richness that makes the shirt look more sophisticated, but definitely _not_ theatrical at all. I can take the broadcloth collar of the pleated front shirt, but at the very least the bib should be of a thicker (and therefore, whiter/less translucent) cotton than that of a business shirt. This can be achieved either with piqué or pleats.

But that's my preference.


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## efdll (Sep 11, 2008)

It was my understanding that a pleated shirt was proper with a tux and pique with white tie. Am I wrong?


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## GreenManalishi (Nov 15, 2014)

efdll said:


> It was my understanding that a pleated shirt was proper with a tux and pique with white tie. Am I wrong?


According to the Guide, and most other sources I've seen,

1. The pleated, turn down collar shirt is appropriate for black tie.
2. The pleated, attached wing collar is a modern invention (popular in the US and Japan, unseen in the UK).
3. The piqué (or layered, thick plain cotton) bib, detachable wing collar shirt is the traditional white tie shirt.
4. The turn down collar piqué (marcella) shirt was introduced in the 1930's by the Duke of Windsor (if I'm not mistaken) as a relaxed alternative to the stiff, full dress shirt (3). It is popular with black tie in the UK.

EDIT:
Actually, it seems the DOW introduced the pleated turn-down collar shirt; the marcella shirt is a further variation on that.


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## Yodan731 (Jan 23, 2011)

The last black tie event I went to (earlier this summer) was for an evening wedding with about 50 male guests. Most guests did not wear rentals, or the rentals were very good and I couldn't tell they if they were or not. It was a very hot day and every single man took off his jacket. Only one man in braces. Only two or three men in patent leather. I didn't see anyone wearing shirt studs. Probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the shirts were plain dress shirts, a few were regular barrel cuffs.

If you don't want to wear studs then don't wear them. If it makes you more comfortable and confident then do it. No one cares about such things anymore.


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