By Andrew Yamato
Black tie doesn’t always have to be a uniform. As more men are rediscovering the pleasures of eveningwear, they’re moving beyond mastering the starchy do’s and don’ts of the traditional black tuxedo and embracing ivory or plaid dinner jackets, rich jewel-toned smoking jackets, and embroidered velvet slippers. The last bastion of convention is usually a crisp white formal shirt, but even here, there’s room to play.
Our exclusive black and white checked formal cotton shirting loosens up a formal look, injecting an urbane hint of the rustic. The black and white grids are slightly raised — a tactile element very much in keeping with an eveningwear aesthetic which creates depth and interest by contrasting textures: silk grosgrain, matte wool, polished calf, and this geometrically ribbed cotton.
Perhaps most importantly, the common denominator of eveningwear is simply that it isn’t day wear, and this fabric fits that bill. Its relatively large scale isn’t intended for a suit, and the black and white formality wouldn’t play well with sportcoats. It is, rather, a unique shirt specially designed for special occasions, and wearing one will definitely give you a dash of panache in a roomful of propriety.