The Tuxedo is Dead, Long Live the Dress Shirt!

The Tuxedo, once the go-to suit for any occasion, has fallen from its lofty status over the last thirty years. The first major blow to the tuxedo came in 1993 when Clint Eastwood wore a black dress shirt and leather tie on Oscar night. In 2005 Robert Redford showed up at the Oscars with an ascot tucked into his waistcoat.

A year ago, Hugh Jackman was again at an awards show in a blue plaid jacket and no tie, which he claimed showed off a side of him casual fans had never seen before because he never goes around "looking like this." 

In fact, the entire "dress shirt as dress" movement has taken over Hollywood and America at large. Celebrities everywhere are dropping their ties and wearing slacks or suits.

On a recent occasion, I was digging through my wardrobe for something clean to wear to a wedding and found myself completely unprepared for the event. In my closet, I found dozens of tuxedos, some clean and pressed and others thrown into a box along with other items such as flower leis, and business cards. All untouched for more than a decade. I suddenly realized it was time to make the switch and stock dress shirts ASAP.