C'mon, everybody, GuyverzRider has put out a call to fellow Akiba-ites!
O.K., some questions first. "Uni" as in "university"? So this isn't a high-school prom? So you and everybody else is gonna be in their early-20s?
You in the U.S., Japan, elsewhere?
You a guy? (don't laugh, my niece, she's gay, wore a black tuxedo to her graduation ball. Looked great).
Things to consider:
What are others you know who are gonna attend gonna wear? Where are they going to get their threads? This will give you an indication of what to either embrace (you want to fit in?) or avoid (you want to set yourself apart?). This probably seems painfully and, even, stupidly obvious but remember: you're likely gonna have your picture(s) taken at this ball and you'll be looking at them 10, 20, 30, 40, maybe 50 years later. What do you want Future You to see and think and feel when looking at the pictures? How do you see yourself now? And I mean really see yourself.
Is your university in a medium-size (or larger) town or city? If so, there's gotta be at least one place that is gonna be renting ball-wear to, probably, the majority of attendees. Go there, check out what they've got, ask what most are renting. They'll bullshit you possibly but, again, you'll start getting a feeling for how you want to appear. Or not.
Check out meanswear magazines or those that have menswear in them, on-line or at the newstands. You'll probably get some ideas. In the same vein, pick up some People magazine-type rag that has pictures of what kind of formal wear actors, musicians, hip-hoppers, whatever wore to the Oscars or the Grammys. You probably won't be able to find the same stuff for rent but again, it's to get some ideas. Some possibilities.
What's your body-type? Tall & thin? Medium-height & solidy built? Short & stocky? Certain cuts of suits and formal wear will accentuate body characteristics, be they flattering or otherwise. Any decent guide to men's grooming will provide good tips, even magazines like Esquire or GQ will have a section of tips (or an annual issue) on the best fit-types for different bodies.
Color(s)? It being late spring/summer (you're in the northern hemisphere, yes?) you're free to go with colors or not. Black is a classic, can't-go-wrong choice but maybe it doesn't speak to your nature. Or maybe it does; again, do some research for style- and color-combinations.
Fully black with a white tie is traditionally very formal, the stuff of opening nights at the opera and state dinners. But, hey, again, does it speak to you spirit and the way you want to present yourself? Speaking personally, I'm glad years later that there are no photographs of me in a tux that looks like one of the Beatles on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. But, hey, Hillary Clinton crams her fat ass into those robin's-egg blue pantsuits and it doesn't seem to have held her back, so what do I know?
The standard black tux with clip-on bow-tie is the safe choice but the Dick Cheney Starter Kit look is probably a bit too safe for someone your age, you know? Go black, but do what women do, accessorize. The black tux with black vest is a piss-elegant look and seems to have well-established itself in the last few years. White shirt, yes; but no button-down collar. And no goddam ruffles on the shirt.
Final thought: this is probably (and rightfully so) the furthest thing from your mind as you plan and think about the grad-ball but bear in mind that this will possibly be the last, or one of the last, times you'll ever see some of these people. How you look will matter but is nowhere near as important as the things you do and, especially, say.
I'm not talking about settling scores (save that for the reunions) or going all-emo on people but let those who've mattered to you know the value you've placed on, and the enjoyment you've gotten from, their friendship or, even, love. Everybody likes to think or hope that they've had an effect on others. For those who have, let them know. They have it coming.
Have a great fuckin' time! :cheer:
I'm outta here...
uzzled:
