The Origin of the Tuxedo

No, James Bond did not invent it.

Where on earth did the tuxedo come from anyway? Who created this getup, and why do guys still wear it to formal events?

Tuxedos likely got their name from Tuxedo Park, the first planned residential community in New York. Incidentally, Emily Post’s father was the architect of Tuxedo Park, and although she did not give the tuxedo its name, she did grow up spending her summers there.

The story has it that one evening Griswold Lorillard, son of the founder of Tuxedo Park, came up with the idea to wear a short black jacket without tails. The new fashion was a hit. When male guests would come and stay with families in Tuxedo Park, they were intrigued by the jackets the men wore and would return to places such as New York City and ask their tailors to make them a jacket “like the ones worn in Tuxedo.” Ironically, the tuxedo was originally considered an informal dinner jacket (because of its short tails), and yet now it is the most formal attire for men to wear.