The History Of The Tuxedo And Male Formalwear

The origin of the tuxedo is surrounded by two theories

, the first theory suggests that the tuxedo was invented by one Pierre Lorillard IV of New York City; this theory is however disputed by some historians who believe that the tuxedo was invented by King Edward VII of England.

Who is Pierre Lorillard?

Pierre Lorillard was a family of affluent tobacco moguls that owned extensive country property at Tuxedo Park located outside New York, Lorillard family was fond of hosting balls at their property and it's in such event held at Tuxedo Club in October 1886 that Lorillard then in his early adulthood came dressed in a novel formal wear style for men he's said to have personally designed. Lorillard named the tailless black jacket tuxedo after Tuxedo Park.

The tux grew in popularity and went on to become a fashionable formal wear for men. The tuxedo went on to establish itself as an outfit of repute and was quickly adopted by the corporate world.

The second theory suggests that the tux has British roots. This theory is was introduced and backed by the English clothing historian James Laver, according to him, the idea of wearing black outfit for evening wear was first introduced by Edward Bulwer, an English writer of the 19th century. It's said that Bulwer wrote in a 1828 article that people must be very distinguished to appear well in black.

The story further asserts that a resident of Tuxedo Park, James Brown Potter vacationed in England in the summer of 1886. Potter and his wife, Cora were introduced to the Prince of Wales who later became King Edward VII at a court ball in London. Potter asked the Prince for advice on formal dress. The Prince sent Potter to his own Saville Row tailor, Henry Poole & Co. Potter was fitted with a short black jacket and black tie that was unlike the formal tails with white tie that was worn in the United States for formal occasions.

The new tailless formal wear was said to have been designed by the Prince of Wales. The Prince and his tailor drew inspiration from the British military uniforms of the time, which used short jackets with black ties.

This is where the two origins meet. James Brown Potter took the design back to the Tuxedo Club, where Pierre Lorillard modified it, named it, and made it popular during the autumn ball. These two very interesting accounts somehow explains how the tuxedo came into existence; none maybe true in it's entirety but since people will always warp the truth to present favorable view of themselves which leaves room for speculation; at least we're able to put some framework into how the tuxedo was born and how it found it's way in to the category of formal wear that we know today.

by: Mathieu Courchesne

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