School Formals

School formals and graduation parties are the first time that many young people get an opportunity to wear black tie and it can be an exciting, confusing and expensive initiation into formal dress if you're not careful. There are a number of things to take into account before you fit your son or daughter (or yourself!) out in formal wear. Does it make more sense to look into tuxedo rental for the evening, or should you bite the bullet and buy a dinner jacket for the occasion? What are the fashion concerns of the young people going to the formal – do they want to wear strictly black tie clothing, or express their individuality in some way? What kind of budget do you have to work with? How much use do you think you'll get out if the formal wear in the long term? All these issues should be considered before you take the plunge and buy as expensive an outfit as a dinner suit or prom dress.

Rent or Buy?

A good tuxedo isn't cheap. It should be made to measure, with the cut chosen to flatter the frame of the wearer. Given this, you need to think carefully about whether or not it is worth spending a large amount of money on such a specialized piece of clothing. Things to consider include:

• Has is the person that the formal clothes are for stopped growing? Paying lots of money for a tailored suit or evening dress when the recipient hasn't yet reached their full adult size might be too rich for some bank accounts.

• How much use will the tuxedo or cocktail dress get? Will it be worn for the high school formal only, or will the young person concerned attend other functions where black tie attire is acceptable?

• What are the fashion trends that you need to take into account? Although black tie is obviously formal wear and so there are limits to how flexible dinner suits and prom dresses can be, there is still a lot of scope for individual style and personal expression. That's fine, but beware of buying a tuxedo that your son thinks is incredibly cool now, but will probably think is daggy in 6 months time, if you want them to get some use out of it. Remember, a Gothic obsessed teenager might think that a frock coat style dinner jacket looks awesome, but they might not agree when they are in banking 5 years later. Classic black tie is usually best.

Of course, formal wear is more than just a posh dinner jacket, and this is wear you can be smart and mix and match. It might be wise to investigate tuxedo rental, but also to have a quality formal shirt made to go with it as it can always be worn on other occasions. In contrast, you may prefer to buy a good dinner jacket and hire a stylish shirt. Black tie accessories like a bow tie, cummerbund and silk handkerchief for the breast pocket can all be hired, thus saving money and also allowing you to chop and change at later dates by renting different items. Dinner suit pants can also be rented, but again, it is important to make sure that black tie trousers fit well and look smart. Also, check out whether or not contemporaries will be wearing a waistcoat or vest that matches the dinner suit. Chances are that for a school formal, this is unlikely.

Formal Dresses

Whilst young men might be happy to rent parts of their black tie outfit, it's not very likely that many young ladies would be happy to do so. To be fair, formal wear for women and men has slightly differing ground rules. Men can wear the same good dinner suit again and again, perhaps sprucing it up with a new tie or formal shirt, if they wish. Sadly, women have no such option, with people (especially other women) quick to note what you're wearing and even quicker to comment if you're seen out and about in the same cocktail outfit again. So for ladies, there is little choice but to buy a new dress.

As with men's black tie, it is better to go for a classic dress design, so that you can get as much wear out of it as possible (maybe with a few alterations) in the coming years. Make sure you know exactly what the formal dress requirements are for the ladies. It is the kind of school formal where cocktail dresses are acceptable or will only evening dresses be OK? What are the current styles, colours and hem lengths for prom dresses? Which accessories are the must-haves? Should formal shoes be made from the same material as the prom dress? Are heels or flats the current fashion? Is a simple silk wrap or pashmina fine to cover the ladies dress or should they have an elegant coat, jacket or cape? Formal jewelry is also important as a young lady needs to strike the perfect balance between wearing a striking necklace which complements her formal outfit perfectly, or looking just a little bit too showy and taking the gleam off of her sophisticated appearance.

School formals are a minefield of black tie etiquette and rules and it's important that this introduction to formal attire is a positive one for a young person. As ever, do your research before you buy a dinner suit, splash out on a prom dress or commit to tuxedo rental. Compare prices and think about how often your son or daughter will actually go out in their black suit or cocktail dress. Is buying new the best option? Should you look into secondhand formal wear or even black tie clothing at a quality charity shop? Or does it make most sense for you to hire some, or all, of the formal outfit and put the money saved towards hiring a limousine to take your children and their friends to the formal instead?