Le Smoking Style: How to Accessorize a Tuxedo

Wow. Seeing this, I did the mental equivalent of bopping myself on the forehead, because the look is so right.

If you're going to bender your gender in a tux, why not take it a notch farther with an undone vintage bow tie as accessory?

The black on white is killer in purely graphic terms, but the subliminals are also intoxicating. I see James Bond after a night at the casino . . . one of his babes playing with his neckwear . . .

. . . did you say something? Oh, right, details. Vintage silk bow ties--the self-tie variety--are available, inexpensively, with a bit of hunting. Look for one with bell curves like the one above. An undone cravat could also work.

If you've got the nerve, try it out at one of your wilder holiday parties. And report back on how you got on.

(photo above by Mark Arbeit for Vogue Australia, May 1993, part of a show highlighting 50 years of Vogue covers, from Brisbanetimes online)