Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Ryan:

The good news is that you can wear just about any dark tux with a navy dress. I wouldn't, however, recommend a white or ivory tux. Men's formal wear is meant to be standard and go with everything a woman could wear. It does not change from one party to another or one date to another. No matter how many special-occasion dresses a woman has, the guy always wears the same thing he has in his closet: his trusty black tux.

But within the black tux genre you have lots of different choices: vest or cummerbund, regular tie or bow tie, band shirt or wing collared shirt, etc. So you'll have lots of fun decisions to make when you go choose your tux. You can also pick out a vest/cummerbund/tie color to match her dress, such as navy blue, or you can stick with basic black, perhaps with a brocade pattern. Just remember, the gentleman does not need to match the lady, but he should not clash with her.

Be sure to visit our PromAdvice.com website, which has lots of great tips and tricks for Prom 2002 -- check it out!

Sincerely, Fashion Girl