Credit Cards

Tuxedos: Do They Really Belong in Every Man's Wardrobe?

Does every fashionable man need to own a tux in his wardrobe? Not quite. Here, we breakdown exactly how you should think about whether you need to make a purchase, and how to make this more affordable without compromising your style.

Tuxedos have become somewhat of a romantic anachronism. In fact, suits and even business casual wears have been replacing tuxedos as the go-to option for many men as their "dress to impress" attire at special events. Recently, however, tuxedos has been coming back into fashion as prominence of casual wears have actually made it fun to do "black-tie" events for parties, events and weddings. In fact, some might say it's "cool," "suave" or "sexy" to show up to a special event fully decked out in a tux and a bow tie. But does this mean every self-respecting, stylish man needs to own a set in his wardrobe?

To Buy or Not to Buy: Will You Need It More than 4 Times in the Next 3-5 Years?

Tuxedo's bravado come at a steep price. A typical tailored tuxedo will easily cost S$500 to S$1,000, while branded ones could cost significantly more. With this high price tag, the fact that there aren't that many occasions to wear them exacerbates the situation for a prospective tux buyer.

Instead, tuxedo rentals can be a great alternative for those who suddenly find themselves needing to attend a black-tie event soon, but can't or don't want to invest so much money for clothing that he doesn't know if he'll wear again. There are services like La Belle Coutures, My Singapore Tailor, Ron Master Tailors that will rent out tuxedos for about S$150 (sometimes as low as S$89) so that you don't have to shell out a thousand dollars to just attend a wedding.

cost of tuxedo rentals in Singapore

Given the price differential between purchase and rental, we generally advise men to defer to renting unless they know they will need a tuxedo more than 3-4 times in the next few years. Because rentals cost about S$150 for each time, it takes about 3-4 rentals for your cost to add up to the price of owning a full tuxedo. Not only that, this also provides the flexibility in both style and size. Renting allows you to try out different styles for each time you don the formal wear. Furthermore, it also gives you more "wiggle room" around your waist line since tuxedo pants also tend to fit quite tightly because they aren't normally worn with belts, meaning you can also save money on occasional tailoring should your weight change meaningfully over the years.

Then Why Buy Tuxedos At All?

That doesn't mean there's no benefit to owning your own tuxedo. Often, these will fit way better than rentals because they are tailored to you only, so long as you stay in shape. You can also get the exact style that you want with all the specifications to your liking since it's tailored. Furthermore, you may also find that rentals may be tad bit lower in quality since they are used and often cheaper than ones that are sold. For those who see enough reasons to invest in a tuxedo, here are some tips to make it more economically and fashionably viable.

tuxedos

If You Want to Buy One, Go for a Classic Style and Diversify Your Bow Ties & Pocket Squares

When you are shopping for a tuxedo, fashion magazines, shop clerks and tailors may recommend the latest and the trendiest styles that are all the rage right now. However, when it comes to a piece like tuxedo that you will have to wear a few times across a relatively long period of time, "timeless" and "classic" are they keywords you want to remember. Invest in a simple, classic piece that will never go out of style, and you will always look good no matter what year it is. Then how would you spice up your outfit? Mixing up your shirts, bow ties and pocket squares to go with your suit is a more economic way of staying classy, young or trendy, whatever you feel like that day. If you stay in shape, you might be able to utilise your new wardrobe ensemble forever.

bow ties

Utilise Credit Card Benefits

Credit cards offer couple major benefits that could be leveraged to alleviate the financial burden of a tuxedo purchase. First and foremost, most credit cards in Singapore offer great rewards in the form of cashback or miles, which have monetary value that can offset your expenditure. Depending on where you are getting your suit, you may want to use Best Shopping Credit Cards in Singapore that provides especially high benefits on purchase of fashion goods, like Citi Rewards Cards or OCBC Titanium Card that provide 4 miles per S$1 spent on fashion spend.

Another credit card benefit that is worth highlighting is 0% interest installment plan. This function allows credit card holders to make a relatively large purchase, and then spread out the card repayment for that purchase over several months without incurring any interest. A classic example is OCBC Cashflo Card that provides 1% cashback on all purchase made on such payment plan. While rewards may not be as high for purchases made this way, it still is a better option for people who may resort to paying for a suit they can't readily afford than racking up a card balance that will inevitably incur very high interest charges.

shopping credit cards in singapore
Duckju Kang

Duckju (DJ) is the founder and CEO of ValueChampion. He covers the financial services industry, consumer finance products, budgeting and investing. He previously worked at hedge funds such as Tiger Asia and Cadian Capital. He graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with honors, Magna Cum Laude. His work has been featured on major international media such as CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, the Straits Times, Today and more.

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