Day 50: First Tux

Anyone who knows me, knows that I like to keep it fancy. Since I was a wee one, I have been pretty comfortable in a formal get up. In 6th grade (roughly), I even let myself get talked into taking a cotillion class (mostly so that I could dance with pretty girls in fancy dresses).

When Ellaine and I first met, she quickly picked up on my aspiring daperness, but also recognized that, without proper guidance, I would never actually be a fancy pants. So she dressed me up and picked up three suit jackets with a full suit so that I could wear them to our myriad of weddings and professionally. She took it a step further a few months later and bought me my first bow tie. I did not even know how to tie one, but soon enough I learned and it has since become a signature of mine.

So when we got an invitation to the Silvano-Leva wedding that said it was "Black Tie Optional", we saw an opportunity. The only tuxedo I have ever worn was for my senior prom. As I'm no longer expecting to grow, coupled with the fact that I'm a little more forgiving to my clothing now, we went shopping for a deal. We found that tux rentals go from $120 - $190 depending on the outfit, shoes, and how modern it is. So when we spotted a Jos A Bank special for less than 2x this, it was a done deal. I don't know when I will wear the outfit again, but I have one on the books and will keep my eyes peeled for the next affair.

I am grateful that Ellaine could hunt out such a deal for us, and to Jos A Bank (the same group that helped us out with the wedding suits) for being so easy to work with.  Their advice helped me to pull the whole outfit together and I am happy to say that I am officially a proud owner of my very own tuxedo.