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A Gentleman’s Glossary:
Formal wear

black tie: A suit consisting of a black wool jacket with black satin lapels and matching trousers with a black satin stripe down the outside of the pants leg. Traditionally worn with a black satin bow tie and waistcoat or cummerbund to match. Formally known as “dinner clothes.” See “tuxedo.”

cummerbund: A wide, pleated sash worn around a gentleman’s waistband as part of formal wear.

dinner jacket: A short coat, worn on formal occasions, usually tailored of solid-black worsted wool with either a shawl collar, notched lapels, or peaked lapels in dull black satin. Dinner jackets tailored in cream or off-white worsted are sometimes seen in the southern United States or in resort areas, during the summer months. No matter what the jacket’s color, it is traditionally worn with black worsted wool trousers ornamented by a black satin stripe running up the outside of the pants legs. Together, the dinner jacket and its trousers are known as “dinner clothes” or, more colloquially, as a “tuxedo.”

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morning suit: A suit consisting of a gray morning coat and striped trousers, the daytime equivalent of white tie, usually seen at only the most formal prenoon weddings.

soft collar: A formal shirt with a straight point collar, similar to a daytime business dress shirt.

stroller (or “boulevard”): A suit consisting of a short gray coat and striped or light gray trousers, usually seen at extremely formal afternoon weddings.

studs: Removable decorative buttons, sometimes made with precious metals or gems, worn with a gentleman’s formal shirt.

tailcoat: A formal coat with black satin lapels. The coat is cut short in the front, but long in back, with gently curved “tails” reaching to the break in the gentleman’s knee.

tuxedo: Colloquial for a gentleman’s black-tie suit.

waistcoat: The traditional term for a gentleman’s formal vest. When shopping for a suit of any kind in Great Britain, a gentleman would never ask for a “vest,” a term which, in the British Isles, refers to a sleeveless undershirt.

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white tie: A suit consisting of a black wool tailcoat and matching trousers with a black satin stripe down the outside of the pants leg. Traditionally worn with white cotton, linen, or satin bow tie and matching waistcoat.

wing collar: A formal shirt with a band collar, the ends of the band cut in points to resemble “wings.”