So it's pretty much the party season already, I've got a black tie client do tonight, which I look forward too, the way Salman Rushdie would look forward to a book signing in Kabul! Anyway the point of this post is this, does black tie always mean a dickie bow? Before people start getting lairy, obviously for official/client events I'm going to don my dickie. But, for less torturously dull events, it there a less boring option? Is there such a thing as 'trendy' tux/DJ? I'm not talking pink, with ruffled shirt, but smart AND cool must be possible, right?

I attended a black-tie do on Saturday and 1 fellow was wering a red dickie bow with a blue pin stripe. Looked very cool - helped by the fact he clearly couldn't care less. Isn't that the definition of cool?

Dress shirt (not winged) with a skinny black tie (get the ones which match the material of bowties)...with the usual DJ...still a clean, professional look but it's a bit different...overall awesome look i think :)Found an image on the net of guys who donned this dress - tho I have to say they don't help my argument much...look like scruffs. But I'm sure you can pull it off?!http://meetschmitt.typepad.com/schmittblog/images/skinny_tie_actors.jpg

Dress shirt (not winged) with a skinny black tie (get the ones which match the material of bowties)...with the usual DJ...still a clean, professional look but it's a bit different...overall awesome look i think :)Found an image on the net of guys who donned this dress - tho I have to say they don't help my argument much...look like scruffs. But I'm sure you can pull it off?!http://meetschmitt.typepad.com/schmittblog/images/skinny_tie_actors.jpg

JStone, that advice is straight from the sartorial topdrawer! I like that look a lot, gonna need a smarter dinner jacket though, mine's a little mundane.

Good advice on the simple skinny black tie; another option is to simply hang an untied dickie around your neck and arrive late to get an effortless look of casual cool.

>Is there such a thing as 'trendy' tux/DJ?If you have to ask........

Village IdiotI'm just a humble country boy, trying to scrape by, in the the big cold city ... I can't help it if i'm confused, by all this fancy city clothing!! Where i'm from Tuxedos' was a nightclub, and DJ's roam the land, carrying their mobile discos, in vaxhall astras ...

The Tuxedo Princess?