Black tie is one of the few dress codes that tells you almost exactly what to wear, which is precisely why the patterned dinner jacket is so effective. When the shirt, the bow tie and the trousers have all been agreed in advance, the jacket is the only place left to say anything. The trick, as with any good after-dinner speech, is knowing how much to say.
Nene: Pattern In A Whisper
For the man who'd like to be noticed by the people standing nearest to him and no one else, start with Nene. A silk and rayon velvet, its motif is worked into the pile itself rather than printed on top, so the pattern shows in texture rather than colour. The Midnight Black Nene Wide Lapel Dinner Jacket is navy upon black, cut with a generous lapel: patterned, yet sitting squarely within black tie rather than beside it. It keeps a slim line, with grosgrain silk lapels and a midnight paisley lining, while the Green Nene Dinner Jacket sets small olive batons on a dark background, its plain-faced grosgrain silk lapel ensuring the pattern stops obligingly at the edge.
