Tuxedo Tidings

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Packing your tuxedo and bringing it with you to your destination wedding is an important task to get right. 

You don’t want to damage it on the way—especially since you may not be able to replace it in time for the ceremony at a destination so far away from home. 

It takes time to arrange for the perfectly fitted tux. And once you get it, you certainly don’t want anything to happen to it. 

But how do you travel with your tuxedo without wrinkling it beyond repair, and/or damaging it en route to your destination?

These are great questions. 

Let’s break it down. 

The Best Way To Travel With Your Tuxedo Is With A Garment Bag

A protective garment bag, coupled with a dry cleaning bag, that will cover your tuxedo with a layer of fabric and plastic, is going to be the perfect option for keeping your tuxedo protected while you travel. 

And honestly, this is a much better approach than trying to pack these precious garments into a suitcase. 

Here’s what you need to know.  

1. Buy The Proper Garment Bag

It’s important that you buy the right garment bag for your tuxedo. 

For best results, buy a bag that’s large enough to hold your entire outfit—and make sure that you can close/seal it for maximum protection. 

2. Keep The Tux In A Protective Dry-Cleaning Bag

As a general rule, you’re not supposed to leave clothes in plastic dry-cleaning bags for a prolonged period of time (it can lead to mold and mildew due to a lack of ventilation). 

However, while traveling to your destination wedding, it’s perfectly safe (and actually a good idea) to leave your tuxedo in the dry cleaning bag—even while it’s stored within the garment bag. 

3. If You’re Flying, Try To Carry It Onto The Flight

If you can, try to carry on your tuxedo to avoid having it packed in with the luggage. 

You can imagine how having dozens of other bags stacked on top of your tuxedo will probably result in damage. 

At the very least, it’ll result in wrinkles—and this could prove problematic once you reach your destination. 

If You’re Not Using A Garment Bag

If you don’t plan on using a garment bag to transport your tuxedo (for example—if you want to pack your tuxedo into your suitcase or duffel bag), then you’ll need to figure out an alternative to the ‘garment bag’ plan. 

Here’s the next best alternative. 

1. Take The Tuxedo Off The Hanger

You never want to fold your tuxedo or pack it into a suitcase with the hanger still attached. Remove the hanger before folding, to avoid damaging the garment or causing excessive wrinkles during transport. 

2. Turn Your Tuxedo Inside-Out And Then Fold It

To fold your tuxedo, turn it inside out, place the shoulders together, and then fold it in half. This helps to protect your jacket’s exterior from excessive wrinkling and/or damage. 

3. Place The Jacket And Pants Into Protective Dry-Cleaning Bags

Once you’ve folded up your jacket and pants, place them into protective dry-cleaning bags. This will help to provide further protection, but it’ll also help to keep dust, hair, and other debris from clinging to the fabric. 

4. Keep The Bags As Flat As Possible

Pack the dry-cleaning bags (and the clothes within) into the suitcase to avoid wrinkles. 

Try to keep them as flat as possible, so as to avoid wrinkles and damage. And try to pack strategically around these key garments so as to keep them as safe as possible in transit.

Conclusion

There you have it! 

Our best tips for helping you to travel with your tuxedo while planning a destination wedding. 

We love destination weddings—and we’d also love to help you get measured for the perfect tux in the interim. 

Stop by or give us a call to get measured and ready to order the perfect tux for your big day.

And if you need some help arranging a tuxedo rental for a destination wedding, we can definitely help you with that as well.
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As it turns out, there are basically three different schools of thought regarding the question of wearing brown or tan tuxedos for a fall wedding. 

On one hand, the majority of ‘wedding experts’ will tell you that, yes—these types of colors (colors that deviate from the traditional black coat and white shirt tuxedo style) absolutely have a place in certain types of weddings. 

And a lot of people who hold this opinion will probably also maintain the ideology that you should make your wedding as personal and as unique as you want it to be—even if doing so goes a bit against ‘traditional’ black-tie standards. 

Then, there are the purists. They may warn against such color switch-ups, basically stating that any wedding done with a brown or tan tux could be made better by switching over to a traditional ‘black’ ensemble and refining the ‘elegance’ factor by a few degrees. 

And then, there are those who fall somewhere in between–and their message will be something like this:

Yes, you can definitely wear a brown or tan tux for your wedding. Just make sure that it’s done tastefully. This is your big day—a day that’ll be memorialized and eternalized with high-quality photographs and 4k videography until the end of time. So whatever you choose to do, for goodness sake—just make sure that you do it well!

Well, we’ll be honest with you. 

Our ideology here tends to fall somewhere close to:

Do what you want, and make it look as awesome as possible! 

So today, we’re going to share our 3 favorite tips for how to incorporate brown and/or tan tuxedo colors into a beautiful fall wedding. 

1. Think About The Overall Theme

Brides.com maintains that different colored tuxes work well for autumn weddings—and we tend to agree. 

Here’s exactly what they say:

“Suits in rich tones like emerald green, burgundy, brown, charcoal, navy, and black are always a fitting choice for an autumn wedding.”

But here’s the thing. 

As an isolated one-off color difference, a brown or tan tuxedo might stand out a bit if nothing else is shifting toward a ‘fall’ look. 

So make sure to think about the overall theme, and to choose a tuxedo based on the fact that it should act as one of the center points of that theme. If anything, the tux should be one of the elements that help to bring everything together. 

2. Take The ‘Formality Level’ Into Account

Sometimes, the ‘purist’ idea of an entirely formal wedding just won’t fit into your vision of how you want your special day to look. 

And it’s important to allow yourself to experiment with the idea of taking a less-formal approach (if such an idea strikes your fancy). 

For example, Bespoke Unit states that less formal colors like grey, blue, olive, and brown can work quite well as wedding attire—and they also make a point to note the ‘formality level’ of the event. 

“The beauty of a wedding is that you don’t have to wear your staid navy blue suit if you don’t want to. This is an opportunity to have a bit of fun, especially if you have a closet full of navy and grey that you wear to work.”

Now, in fairness—what they’re describing here is attire for someone attending a wedding—which is different from playing the role of the all-important groom. 

But–the idea still rings true that if you don’t want to be stuck in the ‘box’ of wearing a traditional black tuxedo—then maybe you should expand the possibilities and discuss the idea of a ‘less formal’ wedding with your bride-to-be. 

You never know—she may be secretly thinking the same thing, and may not be saying anything because she’s not sure if you’d like the idea or not. 

3. Do What Makes You Happy

As a general rule, when it comes to your own wedding, you should usually listen to your instincts. 

Hey—if a brown or tan tuxedo just seems to fit better with the idea of a fall theme—then by all means, go for it. 

Don’t let some kind of ‘purist status quo’ dictate the way you want to plan your own wedding day. 

This is a day for you and your bride—and you have the freedom to make it as unique as you want. 

So don’t shy away from at least considering the possibility of an alternative style option. 

It may turn out to be the best move!

Conclusion

We here at Karl’s Tuxedos are all about the business of helping you to choose the best tuxedo possible. 

And if that means helping you find the perfect brown or tan tux—we’d love to help. 

Feel free to contact us for any questions, or stop by to check in. 

We always love to talk about weddings and tuxes. 
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The ‘pocket square’ is basically the small handkerchief that you keep decoratively folded in the top pocket of your jacket or suit coat. 

It serves as a means for adding an extra touch of ‘flair’ to the overall look of the suit.

Even though pocket squares are legitimately made from actual handkerchiefs, they’re not actually made to be used as handkerchiefs. 

Their entire purpose is to elevate the look of your jacket. 

But where did they come from? And why do we use them today?

And which folds work best for different types of situations?

These are great questions. And actually, there are some interesting traditions associated with these little squares of fancy fabric. 

Let’s dive into it and talk about it. 

The Origin Of The Pocket Square

According to Rampley & Co, many believe that the pocket square was actually first used in ancient Egypt. 

According to legend, these small cloths were made of linen, and were dyed with a red powder. 

They were believed to be signs of wealth, and used for decorative purposes. 

The ancient Greeks also carried similar cloths. They would even scent them with perfumes. 

The Romans had a similar tradition. It was even said that the emperor would begin the gladiatorial games by ‘dropping his handkerchief!’

Of course, while these are all probably traditions that influenced the ‘pocket square’ as we know it today, it didn’t really start to take its true form until the 1400s. During these years, pocket squares were used for style and utility. 

They were sometimes embroidered with beautiful patterns, and were made of many different types of exotic fabric. 

They evolved over time—and today, we still use them—albeit more as a fashion accessory than as an actual utilitarian handkerchief. 

How To Use A Pocket Square

There are actually many different ways to fold a pocket square. 

And some of them are definitely more challenging than others. 

You can learn how to fold several of the most iconic folds in this YouTube video by Real Men Real Style. 

Let’s take just a moment to talk about the most popular types of folds, and when they’re supposed to be used. 

The Presidential Fold

This is the most ‘formal’ pocket square fold. It’s also one of the simplest to create, and one of the most elegant options. It’s perfect for job interviews, formal events, black tie events, etc. It’s typically created with a plain white handkerchief. 

The Scallop Fold

This slightly ‘flashy’ look is a bit more difficult to achieve. But don’t let the ‘fanciness’ fool you! This fold is best used in more casual settings—though you can use a handkerchief of just about any color to create it. 

The ‘Puff’ Fold

This fold is basically achieved by gathering the handkerchief at the middle, pulling the middle to a point, and folding it in half. It’s quick, easy, and casual—and you can use handkerchiefs of just about any color or style to achieve the desired look. 

The Two-Point Fold

This fold is classy and sophisticated. If you’re looking for something that’ll look a bit fancier than the presidential fold, this may be your best bet. 

The Winged Puff Fold

This fold is best used for casual occasions—but it actually looks quite fancy, and is bound to elicit some compliments! Try out this fold if you really want to stand out with a more ‘bold’ pocket square look. 

When Should You Wear A Pocket Square?

As a general rule, you’ll want to wear a pocket square whenever you’re wearing a suit coat, jacket, or tuxedo jacket that has a pocket—and you’ll always want to make use of them for formal and semi-formal events. 

As a general rule of thumb, there really isn’t a jacket-and-tie event where you wouldn’t want to wear a pocket square. 

This should be a common staple for men who regularly wear suits, jackets, coats, and tuxedos. 

For the most part—you’ll never want to leave home without it! 

Conclusion

Hopefully, this blog post has helped to provide some interesting and important information about the pocket square. 

If you need some additional information, and/or if you’re interested in securing your next tuxedo rental for your next formal event, please don’t hesitate to stop by or give us a call. 

We’d love to help you out!

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