Black tie, blue sky - a guide to summer eveningwear

One often thinks of eveningwear as something we don to events primarily held in the winter. Awards season in the US runs from November to February each year, with the Oscars being the high point of red carpet style. End of year galas, Christmas balls - it all points to black tie occasions in the coldest months of the year. But what of the summer occasions when black tie is a requirement? Summer balls and wild wedding parties often require formal eveningwear, but should your ensemble change for the seasons? Black tie is black tie after all - what would need to change?

MIDNIGHT HAMPTON BARATHEA WOOL DINNER JACKET

BLACK HAMPTON BARATHEA WOOL FLAT FRONT DRESS TROUSER

BLACK TWILL GROSGRAIN SILK BOW TIE

It's a valid question and one with no definitive answer. That's because if you intend on wearing traditional black tie, then nothing really changes. The classic black dinner jacket and requisite satin-stripe trousers you would wear in December will generally be lightweight enough for summer evenings, particularly if they have been constructed from a silk blend. You may wish to opt for a lighter weight Marcella cotton shirt if anything.

So far, so traditional. But if you broaden your eveningwear horizons, that's when your formal party ensembles become a lot more interesting. Favourbrook have long crafted contemporary alternatives to the classics that we also produce, and summer events provide the perfect opportunity to wear the more avant garde pieces in our collections. 

NAVY PETERSHAM LINEN EMBROIDERED DINNER JACKET

NAVY BELVOIR SILK/WOOL DINNER JACKET

OLIVE CHATSWORTH SILK DINNER JACKET

We have a number of silk styles that feature ornate floral embroidery, providing flamboyant flashes of colour. Other silk styles consist of intricate geometric prints that really come to life in natural light and will be certain to turn heads. Alternatively, we have also created dinner jackets in summer-perfect linen, a fabric that features a wonderfully textural handle, and is breathable, lightweight and sustainable too.

STONE BRESSINGHAM LINEN NEWPORT JACKET

IVORY THEOBOLD COTTON DINNER JACKET

IVORY POPLIN COTTON PLEATED PINTUCK DRESS SHIRT

One other consideration to make is one's dress shirt. Traditionally but not exclusively white or cream, we have cut some alternative pleated-front dress shirts in pink, burnt orange and indigo, providing a pop of rich colour to offset against your dinner jacket. So you see, one can still conform to the rules of eveningwear engagement, all the while bending them a little. 

Click here to shop all of Favourbrook's eveningwear collection.