Thursday, November 8, 2012

lady tuxedo?


Hi there, ESB,

I am traveling to New Orleans for a funky NYE wedding at this lovely industrial space full of decadence and decay, and I got it in my head that it might be fun to wear a lady tuxedo.

I've seen one only in pictures: a cigarette pant with a cropped jacket that somehow manages to contain more than a few ounces of femininity. Tell me, 1. Does such a thing exist outside of Vogue?, and 2. Am I insane to pursue this nonsense?

Thank you, thank you!

*****

Clearly you were not around for #PANTSWEEK. I am very pro lady tuxedo. Very.

Rag & Bone is making my favorite tux jackets for ladies right now.



(Pale pink, $535 at American Rag)



(Metallic brocade, $895 at Shopbop)



(Metallic shawl-collar, $595 at Neiman Marcus)

But you can find em a lot cheaper at Zara or even Banana Republic.

Image at top: Karlie Kloss for Mango, Winter 2012

11 comments:

  1. These are all pretty awesome.

    But I have a question: can the lady tuxedo work on fat ladies?

    I would love to wear one for an upcoming wedding; but, I wear a size 16 or so. And, I have yet to see a fat-lady tuxedo that doesn't come across as butch. It seems to me that the thinness of the people wearing the tuxedos is such an integral part of *the look* that I might not be able to pull this off...but I would love to be wrong!

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    1. Personally I would agree that full on tuxedo doesn't work but I reckon tuxedo jacket or trousers can work.

      It's not even a butch thing but suits are not designed for curves in men or women, they always look dreadful.

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    2. What about a cropped tux jacket over a dress or with trousers? I feel like this would work well with a curvy body. Too bad this particular one sold, but you could search for something similar.

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    3. like you, i don't consider butch my style, but i have to consider it in re more androgynous looks, as i have pixie-short hair. i wore a fitted black ladytuxedo (i think it was bcbg) to a wedding several years ago and took it back in a femme direction by wearing a lace-trimmed black cami instead of a shirt underneath, pairing it with heels, and wearing weapon-grade makeup (though i tend to do that anyway).

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    4. if i'm going to keep up the keith richards hairdo, i really ought to experiment with lipstick.

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    5. It's doable; it's all about the styling. If it is appropriate to rock a lot of cleavage, do so. (I'm not sure the classic tuxedo shirt would work, though.) Glammier makeup and hair, a good pair of heels... tailored would be better than boxy.
      I can't tell you where to *buy* that, mind you, but I've seen it done.

      (Tailcoats over a good pencil/short skirt can be seriously awesome in a very femme way, if you don't want to go full tux.)

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    6. As a fat lady myself, I think the key is the loooong skinny legs with ankle showing and a killer shoe. That same proportion doesn't happen on chubbier folk.

      The pale pink one is bangin' though

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    7. I like this look: Queen Latifah.

      I think big, chunky jewelry looks great on curvier/heavier girls and agree with others that heels and a girlier top help the other structured pieces look feminine.

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  2. I should add: not that "butch" is inherently bad or anyhting. It works on plenty of my friends. It's just not my style.

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  3. i picked one up i LOVE at madewell for under a hundred bones

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