First of all, congratulations—you’ve made the cut—you’ve been very carefully selected to be a special somebody’s Plus One. Whether it’s through email, text, or in person, the invitation to become somebody’s “Plus One” is one that goes beyond being a regular seat filler at a wedding, black tie, or birthday event. You’re not one of a group of 150, you’re the one who has been chosen to represent yourself as a partner and extension of an individual, whether it be your mate, date, or potential love interest. So, before silly season hits, we’ve got the low-down on how to not get too silly, to be the best dressed gentleman, and the perfect Plus One—play your cards right, and you may go from mate to date within one well dressed evening, and a few smooth dance moves.

First off, let’s give you some pointers on how to dress…

Black Tie Events

Put on a tuxedo that is tailored to you, and your Plus One score will elevate to almost the highest level. Whether it’s a black tie wedding, or a charity ball, to get the tuxedo right, we recommend a tuxedo with a peak lapel, a dinner shirt with a wing-tip collar if you wish to play it safe, a band collar if you wish to play it trendy, a neatly worn silk bow tie, and of course, well-shined shoes. As you are the Plus One, we recommend that your suit remains relatively subtle, so avoid the brighter coloured tuxedos that you may see on the red carpet—if you want a bit of edge, midnight blue is a very suave alternative.
 

Outdoor Weddings

With the ocean air nearby, or the closing of the day with a farmyard sunset, there’s no denying that love is being stirred in the (fresh) air, as you find yourself as the Plus One for an outdoor wedding. Dress smart, simple, and well-suited, and we guarantee you that the romance levels will be elevated. There’s a high chance that your outdoor wedding will be held in Spring or Summer, in which humidity and heat may be unavoidable. Avoid being the sweaty date by going for a custom, tailored linen suit—a fabric with more open weave. Pastel hues such as your baby blues are a great option for your shirt, especially in the team of a beach wedding, pair this up with a cream linen suit for an almost no-fail outfit. Although outdoor weddings may be more casual than a Gatsby styled gala, avoid sneakers and sandals at all costs—the ultimate step in the wrong direction.

Cocktail Events

If you’ve received an invite to be the Plus One of a Spring Racing cocktail event, a semi-formal/cocktail style wedding, or an end of year office cocktail party, this is where you’ve got the most room to play with. For a wedding, tailor your outfit to the time of day—go dark for the evening, and lighter with linens, pastels, creams and seersuckers for the daytime. For cocktail events, we recommend a two piece custom tailored suit with a peak or notch lapel and slim fit. The cocktail suit is to remain anything but boardroom style—you don’t want to look like you just rushed out of the office in peak hour traffic, so avoid the traditional navy and charcoal suits and go for more saturated blues, or earth like hues—pinstripe, windowpane or plaid suits are also a great option for the cocktail party. As the Plus One, you should always remain stylish, but never show-stealing, so opt in for a demure print or block coloured shirt—leave the spicy Hawaiian prints for the next gig, or preferably, never at all.

Now that you’ve got the outfit downpat, we’ve got a few pointers on the most important thing to bring with you—your Plus One etiquette—leave this at home, and your gentlemanly efforts to dress well will be nothing but a well-masked waste.

A Few Plus One Pointers...

• Communicate with your date: You’ve busted your best moves and arrive looking sharp at your date’s door, dressed in a tailored windowpane suit—the only problem is that she’s wearing a bright polka dot dress. To avoid clashing, and to ensure that you are on the pathway to being the best plus-one, coordinate and communicate your planned outfits.

• Balance the booze: Although it sounds like common sense, don’t be the binge-drinking date. With hours of small talk ahead of you, dozens of new names to remember, and the need to impress, it may be easy to drown your nerves with some shots of tequila. Go easy though, you don’t want to be the Plus One that nobody wants to take credit for.

• Do some research: The best way to way to impress is to get clued up on the event you’ve been invited to. Prior to a wedding event, find out more about the Bride and Groom’s story so that you can know who you’re celebrating, if it’s a work event, find out about the company and industry—the perfect Plus One, is always a clued up gent.

There you have it, that’s the support we have to give—like a proud father, we’re sending you off, and hoping for the best. With our pointers in your pocket, it’s now up to you to dress smart, act smart, and be the most exemplary gentleman possible. Good luck, have fun, and be sure to let us know about your success story...we’d love to hear from you, and your now, new beau.