The Suit that Never Goes out of Style

There are garments that are born to follow a trend and there are garments that, on the contrary, create a universal language of elegance. The tuxedo belongs to this second, exclusive and precious category. It is a symbol of rigor and refinement, a silent companion for the most important evenings, an unwritten code that crosses centuries without losing its charm.

Wearing a tuxedo doesn’t simply mean dressing for an occasion: it means declaring respect for oneself and for those around us. It is a ritual of elegance that transforms the man who wears it, making him the protagonist of a moment that will remain etched in memory.

At Litrico Fashion House, after the tailcoat, the tuxedo has always held a place of honor. Not only because it represents the peaks of masculine sartorial art, but because it tells better than any other garment the union between tradition and modernity, between sobriety and personality. It is the ground where the technical perfection of the cut meets the poetry of detail.

The Origins: from Victorian England to the Halls of New York

The word “smoking” was born in England in the second half of the nineteenth century. At the time, during the endless formal dinners of Victorian society, men who were dressed in tailcoats would change their attire and retire to private rooms to smoke cigars or pipes. To avoid impregnating their evening wear with the smell of tobacco, they wore a special smoking jacket — the smoking jacket. Made of velvet, with silk lapels and a waist belt, it was an informal garment, designed for domestic intimacy.

In reality, the tuxedo is considered an evening simplification and less formal than the tailcoat, which is instead the quintessential suit for court and afternoon events. The simplification consists in eliminating the jacket tails and eliminating the white piqué vest and bow tie, which are replaced by a simpler black or burgundy silk bow tie, opting for a more comfortable but equally elegant suit for formal dinners. While the tailcoat is reserved for the most formal and highest-level occasions, such as state dinners and royal receptions, the tuxedo is instead the ideal choice, one must say obligatory, for “black tie” events and gala evenings less rigid than those of court or state.

It was the evolution of this jacket that gave birth to the modern tuxedo. Leading the change was the Prince of Wales, future King Edward VII, famous for his impeccable style. Tired of the rigidity of tailcoats (tailcoats with tails), he had a more comfortable and short jacket made, designed for dinner but still elegant.

In 1886, aristocrat James Potter brought this novelty to the United States, wearing it to the prestigious Tuxedo Park Club in New York. There the jacket was an immediate success and took the name by which it is still known overseas today: Tuxedo.

Thus, a garment born as relaxation clothing for smokers became, within a few years, the symbol of formal masculine evening wear.

The Distinctive Elements of the Tuxedo

If its history fascinates, it is in the sartorial details that the tuxedo reveals its true soul. Every element is designed to tell the story of the man who wears it, to emphasize his charisma without ever slipping into ostentation.

The Jacket: Sobriety and Authority

The fabric of the tuxedo is a fundamental ingredient for an excellent tuxedo, and must be in Super Barathea or Kid Mohair.
The jacket, traditionally single-breasted and with a single button, is designed to confer balance and composure. The structured shoulders, the clean line, the calibrated length transform the bearing of the wearer.

The lapels are the distinctive feature, always and rigorously in silk satin.

• Shawl, soft and continuous, evoke a classic and intimate elegance, ideal for more reserved evenings.
• Peak, pointed and decisive, give theatricality and authority, perfect for those who want to express stage presence.

Both versions create a contrast that captures light and defines elegance.

The Color: Black, Blue and Beyond

For decades, the tuxedo has been synonymous with absolute black, the color that best represents sobriety and rigor. But midnight blue soon became a prestigious alternative: softer in photographs and artificial lights, it gives depth to the face and modernity to the figure.

Throughout the twentieth century there was no shortage of more daring variants: white tuxedos for summer dinners or by the sea, velvets in burgundy or forest green tones for social contexts, up to contemporary interpretations that dare with brocade or jacquard fabrics.
But one rule remains unchanged: the tuxedo must always convey harmony and measure.

The Trousers: Elegant Discretion

Often undervalued, the tuxedo trousers are instead essential.
Without belt loops, they have their most distinctive characteristic in the silk side stripe that runs along the leg, in continuity with the jacket lapels, and are supported by suspenders or by the cummerbund sash (to be worn with pleats facing up, because they originally served to collect tobacco while preparing pipes).

The fit must be impeccable: trim but not restrictive, capable of accompanying movements with naturalness. Perfect trousers are not noticed, but leave an impression of instinctive elegance.

The Shirt: Architecture of Rigor

Under the tuxedo, the shirt is always white.
Not just any shirt, but a garment designed to dialogue with the evening jacket:

• Wing collar.
• Stiff front (bib), always embellished with hidden buttons or studs.
• French cuffs, to be completed with elegant cufflinks

The preferred fabric is the highest quality cotton, which gives luminosity and structure.
The tuxedo shirt is not a simple background, but the canvas on which the suit paints its elegance.

The Accessories: Small Details, Great Style

The bow tie is the undisputed protagonist: always black and, in its most authentic form, to be tied by hand. To complete the look, patent leather shoes, discreet but precious cufflinks, white pocket square in the breast pocket, silk or Bemberg lining.

Every accessory has a function: not to add weight, but to elevate the ensemble with coherence.

Black Tie: the Code that Speaks of Respect

Wearing a tuxedo doesn’t just mean choosing an elegant garment: it means respecting a precise code, known worldwide as Black Tie.
Literally “black tie,” it is actually a form of etiquette that marks access to gala evenings, film premieres, evening weddings, institutional receptions.

Those who embrace this code don’t just demonstrate personal taste: they express aesthetic education, culture, and measure. The Black Tie is an invitation to feel part of a community that recognizes the value of sobriety as the highest form of elegance.

The Tuxedo Today: Tradition and Creative Freedom

Throughout the twentieth century and the new millennium, the tuxedo has seen ever-new interpretations.
Cinema icons — from Humphrey Bogart to James Bond — have made it a symbol of timeless charm. But in recent decades, the garment has also managed to adapt to modernity:

• alternative colors like burgundy or forest green,
• precious fabrics like smooth velvet,
• personalized details that express the individuality of the wearer.

These evolutions don’t betray the original spirit of the tuxedo. On the contrary, they keep it alive. They remind us that elegance is never static: it’s a language that evolves with those who speak it.

The Bespoke Tuxedo: the Litrico Experience

For the Litrico Fashion House, the tuxedo represents much more than an evening garment: it is an act of awareness.
Those who choose to have it custom-made aren’t just seeking an impeccable suit. They seek the experience of being listened to, understood, translated into needle and thread, and the purpose of being unique.

Every Litrico signature tuxedo is the result of a unique journey:

• the selection of the finest fabrics,
• the utmost attention to exquisite detail,
• the cut modeled on the body,
• the slow construction, stitch by stitch, by expert hands.

The result isn’t just any suit: it’s a personal symbol of style and identity.
A companion for unforgettable evenings, a garment that transforms every gesture into a language of timeless elegance.

A Suit that Spans Life

Today, wearing a bespoke tailored tuxedo is a true statement of intent.
It means still believing in the beauty of things well made, in the value of dedicated time, in the art passed down from generation to generation.

In a frantic and noisy world, the tuxedo remains silent and powerful. It’s an invitation to sobriety, respect, and memory.
And that’s precisely why, in the hands of the Litrico Fashion House, it continues to live as an eternal classic, ready to tell the story of every man who chooses to wear it.

Book your Bespoke Experience

Every tuxedo signed by Litrico Fashion House is born from listening and care.
If you wish to experience the unique journey of a suit created exclusively for you, come visit us in our Rome Atelier.

We will guide you step by step in creating your bespoke tuxedo, a companion of elegance that will accompany you in life’s most important moments.

📍 Litrico Fashion House – Pinciano District, Rome – By Appointment Only.
📞 +39 06 88923619
🌐 www.sartorialitrico.it