NEW YORK — The average man owns three different tuxedos or suits, but two of them don’t fit anymore! That’s according to a new poll of 2,000 adults which finds that almost half (49%) of men own two or three suits, with another 33 percent owning four or more.
While 16 percent say that all of their suits and tuxedos fit them, the average respondent has two that don’t quite make the cut. This has led 53 percent of all respondents to experience stress because the outfit they wanted to wear to an event no longer fit.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Generation Tux, the survey also asked respondents about their ideal formal event and wedding attire. The average respondent attends five formal events per year, and as it turns out, the best occasions for a man to wear a suit or tux are their own wedding (52%) and as a guest to a wedding (50%).
Black suits are the color of choice
Twenty-seven percent lean towards the fancier side and prefer to be overdressed, compared to 19 percent who prefer to be underdressed. If you’ve ever wondered whether to choose a tie or bowtie, consider how formal your event is. According to the survey, 25 percent of respondents believe that bowties are dressier than regular neckties.
One in five believe that no color is too bright to wear to a wedding. However, others disagreed, as orange (35%) and yellow (34%) came out on top as the colors to avoid. When it comes to suit colors, black is the new black — 15 percent of respondents favor black suits for weddings. Still, colors like dark gray (13%) and navy (11%) didn’t fall far behind.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents believe that men should be able to wear white to a wedding. Regardless of what you choose to wear, 63 percent agree that it is important that the entire wedding party has at least one matching color.
Your event attire preferences may also say a lot about you, as 55 percent typically gauge someone’s personality or interests based on what they’re wearing.
“Knowing the difference between a tuxedo and a suit can be helpful when choosing the perfect attire for your event. According to the results, 58 percent correctly identified that a tuxedo usually includes shirt studs, cufflinks, typically worn with a bow tie, suspenders, and a vest,” says Matt Ramirez, SVP of Marketing at Generation Tux, in a statement. “And 21 percent were aware that matte shoes can be worn with a suit or tuxedo, but glossy shoes are commonly worn with a tuxedo. Another helpful distinguisher is that tuxedos have satin accents on the jacket lapel and striping down the side of the pants.”
Does your personality affect how you dress?
The survey also sought to uncover how certain personality traits correlate with respondents’ wedding attire and habits. Researchers asked adults if they preferred dogs or cats and if they were introverted or extroverted.
The average respondent needs about 45 minutes to get ready for a formal event such as a wedding or charity ball. Fifteen percent of those who consider themselves cat people need less than 15 minutes.
Cat people also attend fewer formal events per year than dog people, as 31 percent who prefer canines go to five to six events, compared to only 23 percent of cat lovers. Almost half (47%) of dog lovers believe bow ties are more formal than ties, and 45 percent of extroverts agree.
Extroverts were also less likely than introverts to avoid wearing the color pink when attending a wedding, (34% vs 45%).
“While it may be a bit more difficult to dress for another person’s event or wedding, it is important to remember that your wedding day is all about you,” Ramirez says. “It’s a great opportunity to show off a bit of your personal style with different suit colors, choosing a bow tie or necktie, fun accessories like socks and pocket squares, and everything in between.”
