Wedding Tux Survival Rules and How to Tie a Bow Tie

This week's column focuses on dinner jacket faux-pas and rules to follow if you're renting a one.

• If there's a space at the back of the neck of your jacket, it doesn't fit you.


• Try to rent one size smaller and, if that doesn't work, go for one-button jackets which are cut tighter.


• Don't wear a cummerbund - do you really need something that's described in The Oxford Concise as a loin band. If you want to simplify the point where the pants and shirt meet, wear a satin sash...on second thought, forget about it.


• Rent it if the body fits and the sleeves don't...sleeves can be adjusted.


• Never rent the shirt.


• Never show more than three buttons or studs on your shirt when your jacket is buttoned. It's supposed to be a shirt not an elevator control panel.


• Frills never, pleats not good, plain front shirts just right.


• Belts or suspenders, neither. Your pants should fit you without either. Use the side tabs for comfort as the evening goes on.


• Show an inch of cuff to flash the man bling.


• Leave your regular wallet behind.


• Bow ties are meant to be tied, long neck ties are meant to be worn at the office or with a day suit, aka business suit. A dark blue (preferable midnight blue) suit is perfect attire for a groom. Just pair it with the most elegant of ties: the Macclesfield - a tie with a repeating design of small circles.


• With dinner jackets, white ties are for waiters, collecting the Nobel, and state dinners, and members of Duran Duran, unless you're marrying into royalty, stick with the black.


• Wing collars look good on people trying to annex neighbouring countries, go with the more modern and softer turn-down.