Best Tuxedo for Men 2025: 13 Excellent Black-Tie Suits

A classic old-school tux is identifiable by its peak or shawl-collar jacket with satin trim and is traditionally worn with a cummerbund and a pleated shirt with silver studs in place of buttons. If you want to mix it up, though, an old Hollywood tux makes the perfect contrast to a white tee and loafers instead of the more traditional dress shirt and patent-leather Oxfords.

Best New Hollywood Tuxedo: Tom Ford O’Connor Stretch Wool Tuxedo

After launching his namesake brand in 2006, Tom Ford single-handedly made men’s tailoring sexy again, created a catalog of blockbuster fragrances, and (lest we forget) directed a pair of Oscar-nominated movies. Ford has since retired, but his signature silhouette retains all of the power, magnetism, and—of course—sexiness it has always had.

For Ford, it was all about the silhouette: the jacket’s strong shoulders that taper down to a fitted waist, creating a line that accentuates the natural ‘V’ of the torso. It’s a look that helped launch the modern menswear era, and made Daniel Craig the best-dressed Bond of all time. As long as Ford’s namesake label keeps making ‘em like that, movie stars (and deep-pocketed dudes working to channel a similar level of charisma and mystique) will know exactly who to get in touch with.

Best Tuxedo for Fashion Guys: Saint Laurent Grain De Poudre Tuxedo

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Tuxedo

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Pros

• You’re looking at a bona fide piece of fashion history, folks
• Swaggering, retro-tinged double-breasted silhouette
• Bragging rights

Cons

• It belongs on the dance floor, not a museum gallery—but it’s priced like a blue-chip masterpiece

It’s hard to overstate the impact Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking suit had on the fashion consciousness when it hit the runway in the mid-’60s. In the decades since the French designer’s legendary riff on the classic tuxedo has been remixed plenty, but Anthony Vaccarello’s version—strong shoulders, brash peak lapels, and straight, wide trousers—feels particularly true to the source material. (The Maison that Yves built sells a single-breasted option, too, and you can buy no less than four varieties of matching pants in the same luxurious black barathea cloth.)

It’ll look great with the usual trappings of black tie dress, but right now, we’re itching to wear it exactly as its original designer intended: shirtless, with nothing but a simple gold chain.

Best Tuxedo for Tailoring Nerds: Factor’s Double Gabardine Brocade Tuxedo

Factor’s

Double Gabardine Brocade Tuxedo

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Pros

• Impeccable craftsmanship
• Naturally conducive to wearing as separates
• Not a single other soul will be rocking it, regardless of the shindig

Cons

• The embroidered brocade might not be your cup of tea, and that’s totally OK

Matt Lambert spent more than a decade learning the traditional tailoring game under the watchful eye of Atlanta menswear legend Sid Mashburn before setting out to make his mark with Factor’s. The result is a brand that blends an expert understanding of fabric and fit with a decidedly freaky sensibility (Lambert was also the frontman of an experimental shoegaze band during his Mashburn days, and his designs retain some of that psychedelic sensibility.)

That gives Lambert’s creations an emphasis on provenance, a decidedly rock and roll swagger, and (in the case of this tuxedo included) a line of tone-on-tone hand-sewn embroidery brocade along the edges of the notch lapels. Unlike traditional stiff, roped-shouldered silhouettes, Lambert’s take on formalwear is soft-shouldered, with a boxier fit and a substantial drape thanks to its hefty double gabardine wool fabric. If a standard tux is Frank Sinatra, this one is Frank Zappa.

More Tuxedos We Love

J.Crew

Crosby Italian Wool Tuxedo

Weddings are supposed to be fun, but there’s nothing fun about sweating through your jacket on the dance floor. You can loosen your tie and unbutton a couple of buttons if you want, but at the end of the day, there’s no substitute for a suit made with a little more breathing room. Slouchier than the slim Ludlow and narrower than the more outre Kenmare, the Crosby is the Goldilocks member of the J.Crew suiting squad, with a slim-but-not-skinny fit that’s ideal for cutting a rug.

Sid Mashburn

Kincaid No. 3 Peak Lapel Tuxedo

Forget Naples or some tony address on Savile Row: Some of the best suits on the planet come straight from Atlanta, home to modern-day haberdasher Sid Mashburn. The details on Mashburn’s all-American tailoring are consistently excellent, down to the natural shoulders, full canvas construction, and 3-roll-2 lapel—plus plenty of the kind of sartorial fixings that make tailoring heads drool. Mashburn bills his Kincaid tux as “Italian-leaning,” with a natural shoulder, a shorter, darted body, and flat-front trousers. Molto bene.

Suitsupply

Havana Linen Tuxedo

When Suitsupply brought its vision of affordable tailoring stateside over a decade ago, it kickstarted a revolution, helping introduce sneaker-obsessed fellas to terms like “pick-stitching” and “functional buttonholes” in the process. The Dutch suiting whizzes have a penchant for flashy bells and whistles, but the Havana represents what they do best: a classic peak-lapel tux (in 100% linen sourced from the family-run Rogna fabric mill in Biella) for way cheaper than it would be anywhere else.

Ralph Lauren Purple Label

Gregory Wool Barathea Tuxedo

When Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez tied the knot in Vegas in 2023, the Dunkin’ spokesman repurposed a suit he already owned for the festivities. But when the happy couple celebrated their union with a larger ceremony a month later, Affleck called in a favor from Ralph Lauren, who equipped the doting groom with a cream-colored dinner jacket befitting the enormity of the occasion. Affleck, of course, is no fool: Like scores of other leading men before him, he realized Ralph Lauren’s take on the black-tie power suit makes him the guy to have in your Rolodex when you need a tux. Unlike Bennifer 2.0, which was sadly too good to last, a sleek Purple Label tux remains a solid bet to stand the test of time.

Giuliva Heritage

Tonino Smoking Tuxedo

When you want to imbue your black tie events with a jolt of old-school Neapolitan cool, your first stop should be Giuliva Heritage, the upstart Roman label that specializes in braggadocious suiting beloved by a new guard of press-junket regulars. (Chris Pine, Matt Bomer, and Joe Keery are fans.) The jackets are swooping and double-breasted, the trousers are louche and high-waisted, and both look just as swaggering worn as separates when you don’t have a single formal occasion on the calendar.

The “e” is not silent in Bode. We bring this up not to be pedantic, but because you will likely be fielding a few questions about the provenance of this whimsical-yet-decadent tux—both from fellow fashion nerds and admiring newbs—whenever you wear it. As in, ‘Oh this? It’s Bode.” (Rhymes with Capote.) As with everything in the oeuvre of Emily Adams Bode Aujla, this tux is rooted in mid-20th-century Americana, with a hefty dose of Wes Anderson-esque whimsy. Pair it with one of Bode’s classic camp shirts and a pair of mules for maximum clout.

Your Tuxedo FAQ, Answered

Wait, what’s the difference between a suit and a tuxedo?

Not much, actually. But before we get to that, gather around the virtual hearth for a brief, and relatively painless, lesson in menswear history.

The tuxedo in its earliest form was introduced in the mid 1800s by Edward VIII, then the Prince of Wales, who was looking for a casual alternative to the tailcoat. As it happens, our dear friend Ed had the benefit of palling around with the master tailors at Savile Row institution Henry Poole & Co.—and when he tasked them with dreaming up a newfangled “dinner jacket” to help him unwind in style they knew exactly what he needed.

The tuxedo as we know it today was only popularized stateside decades later, thanks to the efforts of, as menswear apocrypha has it, the well-heeled fellas of Tuxedo Park, NY. At that point, tuxedos were already distinguished by two crucial factors: a jacket with satin lapels, typically peak or shawl, and trousers with a matching satin stripe running down the exterior side. Today, those details remain the biggest difference between a tux and a regular ol’ suit, and if you see either on a two-piece rig it usually means it’s intended for formal wear. Which brings us to our next point of business…

When (and where) am I going to wear this thing?

In 2025, the answer to that question is no longer as straightforward (or boring) as it used to be. Yes, tuxedos are still largely the preserve of weddings, galas, and the type of sinister poker nights James Bond gets roped into with disturbing regularity. (When you see “Black Tie Required” appended to the bottom of an RSVP, it’s usually code for “dust off the tux”.)

Here’s the thing, though: If you already own a tuxedo, or are shopping around for a new one, don’t let it get dusty! Sure, you can wear it with the conventional trappings of black tie attire—starched bib-front shirt, silk bowtie, glossy evening pumps—but good god, man, live a little. Your skeeviest uncle only gets married once every few years, and the time between his second and third wedding is a terrific opportunity to make like Marc Jacobs and pair your tuxedo jacket with a crisp white tee, faded jeans, and low-slung ballet flats. So if the mood to break out a tux (or its constituent pieces) strikes, carpe the chance every time.

Sure, but what should I wear it with at said weddings and galas?

You’re absolutely right to ask—even if you heed our plea, your tuxedo will probably see the most action on special occasions. Formal attire has come a long way since the buttoned-up days of our old friend Edward VIII, but the basic idea hasn’t changed all that much. You’re going to want three things: a crisp white dress shirt (pleats, bibs, and studs are optional; a hidden placket is not); a black silk bow tie (it’s worth learning to tie your own); and black patent leather dress shoes, the daintier the better. Can you get away with ditching one of the above in a pinch, or in the name of exuberant, no-holds-barred personal expression? By all means. But experiment with caution; it’s not your shindig, after all, and you don’t need the ruffled shirt, velvet bow tie, and croc-embossed cowboy boots—one is plenty.

How We Test and Review Products

Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.

Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.

How We Make These Picks

We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.

To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.

We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.

Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.

Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there’s bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ’s testing process here.)