#365

Here's a little story about CAUSE....


...and EFFECT

(Yup...I went there. Posting a horrible picture of myself for humor, and desperation.)

See, last weekend Tom and I went to the Hugo Boss store in the Time Warner Center (only Tom would feel comfortable shopping in a place like that) to try on their Cary Grant tuxedo. It seemed like a bright idea at the time as the tuxedo, while expensive, included all alterations in the price. Tom, I think, likes the idea of a owning a tuxedo because he wants to look good when he gets married (I think he looks good everyday), meaning he wants the fit to be perfect, and I think he not-so-secretly dreams of a life in which he gets to attend several parties a year where looking like Cary Grant is a must.

The interesting thing about this tuxedo was that it was so subtle, it looked like a...nice black suit. There was little contrast between the satin and the wool that it hardly screamed tuxedo, save for the notch collar lapel. Plus, Tom looks so good in every piece of formal wear he tries on that I had a hard time wrapping my head around buying a tuxedo when he could buy a suit. I went to a college where every young gentleman owned a tuxedo, but no one ever seemed to tailor their tuxedo correctly, so a tuxedo to me means a roomy, boxy fit, not at all what we would be getting with this Cary Grant. Furthermore, if Tom wore a tux, would that mean we would have to ask the groomsmen and the fathers to rent tuxes as well? I like the selection at Baldwin's Tuxedos, though my Dad likes the selection at Jack Silver where he rented a tuxedo for the 1972 Academy Awards. (Yes, my father was nominated...)

Watching Tom try on this tuxedo reminded me of wedding dress shopping and how every dress I tried on until "THE ONE" felt like a costume. I'm also not a fan of the notch collar lapel, and the peak collar was even worse. Maybe I'm a little too influenced by the zeitgeist, but the popularity of "Mad Men" has got me digging a shawl collar tuxedo.

One option would be to put Tom in a tuxedo and have everyone else in the wedding party wear a charcoal gray suit of their choosing or owning. I like this idea. But I have this obsession with Tom in a gray suit and a bowtie (I have no idea where that came from...), kind of like the groom wore to this wedding.

I also like how he changed out of the bowtie and into a nice, dark tie for the reception. It's kind of like being a two dress bride! I've definitely given up on the whole suit with vest idea because I realize I'll never win that one, but maybe I can shoot for a bowtie.

In the end, I really want nothing to do with Tom's attire, hence the picture of me defeated. Frankly, Tom has impeccable taste and looks good in everything, but he.can't.make.a.freaking.decision.to.save.his.life. Please do not seat him in the Exit Row. (*Smooches.*)