<p>So far I’ve only been involved in prom DRESSES!!! :)</p>
<p>But my junior son is going in a couple of weeks (I know, I know we NEED to get to the tux store fast!!!) I have no tux education!</p>
<p>Anything I should know ahead of time?
What kind of price should I expect? (I have NO idea)
I don’t see him being too complicated - he’ll probably want something basic, classic. </p>
<p>Any tips appreciated!</p>
<p>Call around. You can rent one. Just get the kid to the tux store for the measurements. Sometimes the date wants a matching vest, cumberband, tie that will go with the prom dress, in which case the girl needs to be there too. Otherwise, you just stick with the standard black and white.</p>
<p>Congratulations… Lots of fun…
Just have him ask his friends at school, he most likely will want to fit in.
Or if he’s an artistic type, all bets are off…</p>
<p>Think Duct-Tape still offers a scholarship for the best Tux made out of Duct-Tape each year…</p>
<p>If he has a date, consider a call to her, or maybe bring her along. You can help control costs by going with the budget model if you want, but she can still help decide about the color of the tie, vest, etc. Some do black jacket, blank pants, black vest, white shirt and a color tie (to match or complement the dress). Some do color tie and vest. Some have a color handkerchief in the jacket pocket. Depends on the model you rent and the company you rent from. Cummerbunds are out of style, at least in our area. The rental package will include the cuff links and shoes. You just need to show up with socks. Also if he has a date, ask if she might rather have a corsage or a wrist corsage. Some of the girls like a presentation bouquet to carry to dinner and the dance and then leave on the table so they don’t have to “wear” it. It doesn’t often stay put with the dancing. And with all the strapless dresses, there often is no room for a corsage anyway. And the presentation bouquets are often less expensive than the wrist corsages. Order them ahead.</p>
<p>Sometimes seniors go for ALL black (pants, jacket, shirt and vest) with only a color tie. But they usually don’t rent black shirts and you have to buy one (they will be glad to sell one to you.) Sometimes the guys will show up in all white. Some rent a top hat and cane. I think for a junior a classic simple look is best and easiest on the budget. He can save and go all out as a senior. Men’s Warehouse has a great tux at the lowest rental price around in my area.</p>
<p>PS, sometimes the dress will be red, and the red vest/tie/handkerchief will be red, but they are NOT EVEN CLOSE. So having a dress or a swatch helps. Red isn’t so bad, but turquoise, coral or yellow, other colors can be challenging. I will tell you that you can often go with a black jacket and vest and pants, white shirt, and then BUY a color tie at the mall major department store that will match perfectly. They have those tables of ties, all shades and colors. So don’t panic if he picks up the tux package the day before, and the color is really off. A quick trip for a rescue tie can be done quickly if you know to be prepared.</p>
<p>If she is wearing white or black, his “trim” color can be red or silver–looks nice. Lots of ideas out there and the tux rental place can help ALOT.</p>
<p>When you go to rent the tux, leave only the minimum deposit. We had an experience where a team had a state playoff game on the night of the prom and the boys who had prepaid the whole amount of their tuxes did not get their $ back even though they let the rental shop know as soon as they did. The shop owner even had the nerve to ask those who had left only the deposit to pay the rest even though they did not use the tuxes. (They did not pay!) I thought that was the whole point of a deposit…</p>
<p>Other than that - have loads of fun - parents too - it’s so nice to see the kids all spiffed up!</p>
<p>You think you are alone in this? I have been to the tux store several times, and the clueless guys who wanted to get out of there in less than 10 minutes far outnumber any other kind. The clerks are skilled at handling these guys. Trust them.</p>
<p>If there is a group of guys going to the same store, the ringleader can sometimes negotiate a discounted price. If your son is on a tight budget, this may be worth his time to call around and investigate. Oh, and if there is a serious girlfriend involved, let her take over. You are now irrelevant (just a little around the edges.)</p>
<p>We bought a tux last year for our son because it cost just about $10 more than renting one. Syms was having a big pre-prom sale; I heard J.C. Penney is another source. Syms did the alterations quickly, and he looked great. Even if he never wears the tux again, we’re glad we did it. He says he can always get part-time bartending gigs and wear it then.</p>
<p>We just went this afternoon – prom is Saturday night!</p>
<p>There used to be several (two or three) shops in town that rented tuxedos. There’s one left – and he does not have any in-stock. The deal is pick out of a catalog, get measured, try on a jacket. He’ll go back Friday for a real tryon, do the alterations as needed overnight, and then pick it up Saturday.</p>
<p>He’s at a (very) small school so that there’s not a lot of chatter about prom.</p>
<p>We purchased a tux at Syms last year for Jr. prom also. They also have tux shirts. Son choose to wear a pair of my husbands suspenders and a bow tie. Looked very cute.</p>
<p>I don’t know if the tux will fit for this year and have to have him try it on early. Otherwise we are off to the tux store. Problem has been for older son, tall and thin, jackets are too big. They showed us one brand that ran narrower and he wore that for both proms. Go early if your son will be hard to fit.</p>
<p>resale shop/vintage clothing shops can provide some interesting options for purchasing some classic tuxes. sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t!</p>
<p>Craigslist. Maybe somebody from a couple of years ago doesn’t need/want his any more. Vintage is very ‘in’…but avoid the '80’s!</p>
<p>Just picked up tux with DS2 at Mens Warehouse. DS said they should rename the place Moms and Mens Warehouse cause of all the moms in the place with their DSs.
DS1 owned a tux so we never did the warehouse gig. DS2 looks so nice in his rented number!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I had this problem. My dress was mostly black, but it had this beautiful turquoise beading. My “date” (we just went as friends) was a year older than me, so he’d already had his senior prom and wanted me to have fun with it. We had so much fun at that tux store making jokes about wearing a hot pink or baby blue vest (we’re REALLY good friends).</p>
<p>In the end, he wore a darker blue vest and tie with a lovely paisley pattern that complemented my dress but also gave a nice contrast. </p>
<p>Just an idea. Don’t be afraid of contrast.</p>
<p>Great suggestions so far!</p>
<p>His date is going to try and come with us. I believe her dress is some kind of pink with some silver or/and black? </p>
<p>Great idea about buying a tie if colors don’t seem right at the tux store.</p>
<p>We have a Mens Warehouse (I think) - there’s also a local place that alot of kids from his school go to. </p>
<p>So are we talking like $100? Less? More?</p>
<p>More…</p>
<p>I second the idea of buying if it’s close to rental - esp if your son might need to perform as a musician, bartender, usher, etc. or attend a formal event in college… Or even come back to town to take a younger friend to her prom.</p>
<p>[Buy</a> Tuxedos, tuxedo shirts and Mens formalwear at Cheap Tuxedos](<a href=“http://www.cheaptux.com%5DBuy”>http://www.cheaptux.com)</p>
<p>I’ve had nothing but wonderful service and pricing from them.</p>
<p>I think it was around $100, + or - a bit, when my son needed to wear a tux for a wedding. That included shoes, too. Men’s Wearhouse.</p>
<p>139 at mens wearhouse. We stuck with black and white at the urging of older sister who saw too many bad clashes in her years at the big dance. It looks great.</p>
<p>So DS1 has a BIG concert at college (3 hours away) on the same night as DS2 first big date to prom. Obviously I want to go to both- but can’t! I have not been able to get to any of DS1 concerts this year (except one where he played here locally). I feel just awful but I think I am going to stay home and take pix of the big date and be home for after prom supervision. That’s what all you CCrs would do…right?</p>
<p>DS2 purchased his tux off ebay. Went to a tux shop to be measured and used those measurements to order a new one from a seller. That was 5 years ago and we did order the pants a little longer and had them altered with a larger hem in order to let it down as he grew. His chest and arm length is still about the same but we had purchased the jacket with a little more room. He wore it 3-4 times a year in high school, formals and has worn it numerous times in college, at least 5 times a year (this weekend needs to wear it for 3 seperate evenings).</p>
<p>At the same time we purchased the shirt (2), tie (2 different kinds), cumberbun, and vest. Picked up shoes then at Ross Dress for Less and then last year shoes from Zappos price-matched higher end shoes for a fraction of retail (96% off).</p>
<p>He had purchased cuff links but has managed to lose those…</p>
<p>Need to find him another pair, cheap!</p>
<p>Originally we spent a little more (maybe$30-40) than renting but he has needed it so many times I think we are at under $5 per use now. He takes it in for dry cleaning and launders the shirts. Some expense there but no biggie.</p>
<p>Has worked great for him. Older son only needed a tux in high school once so we did rent that and now he has his formal military dress for functions so no tux needed.</p>
<p>Kat</p>