# Is there a male equivalent of the little black dress? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 25, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075 "2012-12-25T00:20:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/1 "2012-12-25T00:20:12Z")
Something that all men supposedly look good in? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/2 "2012-12-25T00:22:24Z")
Button down long sleeve shirt and khakis? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/3 "2012-12-25T00:25:09Z")
Most guys look good in a tuxedo - no, not that powder blue one you wore to the prom - the regular black tuxedo. Helps if it is fitted correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/4 "2012-12-25T00:47:11Z")
Definitely, tux - it’s used for the same situations too, so it’s a perfect choice. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/5 "2012-12-25T01:08:20Z")
As the LBD can be worn to more casual events (part of the beauty of the thing) then I would say that blue or black jeans and a black or white T shirt is the male equivalent for those occasions. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/6 "2012-12-25T01:44:13Z")
A [service uniform](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniforms_of_the_United_States_Marine_Corps#Service_uniform)? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/7 "2012-12-25T01:46:04Z")
Speedos and a mesh tank top. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/8 "2012-12-25T01:51:23Z")
Bespoke suit. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/9 "2012-12-25T01:52:02Z")
Tuxedo shirt & blue jeans. Or so I’ve been told… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/10 "2012-12-25T02:02:22Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Most guys look good in a tuxedo - no, not that powder blue one you wore to the prom - the regular black tuxedo. Helps if it is fitted correctly. I was going to say black or navy suit, but tuxedo works, too. > [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Speedos and a mesh tank top. What would it take to get an invitation to _your_ fancy parties? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/11 "2012-12-25T05:47:37Z")
Black turtleneck with a charcoal jacket. Can be worn with dress pants or jeans, depending. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/12 "2012-12-25T06:04:40Z")
Dark suit or tuxedo. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/13 "2012-12-25T06:09:25Z")
Nice jeans and a long-sleeved white cotton shirt, with the sleeves rolled up a bit. Well, it looked good in the 50’s. Alan Harper looked good once in jeans and a dark blazer. I think that’s a nice casual look that would work for a lot of guys. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/14 "2012-12-25T06:33:55Z")
Black leather motorcycle jacket and a Vincent. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/15 "2012-12-25T08:03:59Z")
The thing about the little black dress is not that all women look good in it, it’s that it’s a basic, versatile clothing item. With the proper accessories, an LBD is appropriate for everything but very casual or very formal occasions. I’d say the closest male equivalent to this is a basic dark suit and white dress shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/16 "2012-12-25T09:24:17Z")
My thought is the classic blue blazer with gray wool slacks. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/17 "2012-12-25T09:28:25Z")
A dark (black or navy) blazer/sportcoat is probably the closest thing, as far as being very common and adaptable to different situations. It can look very casual with jeans and a tshirt, more businesslike with khakis, a nice shirt, and a tie, and–in a pinch–more formal with nicer slacks/shirt/tie. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/18 "2012-12-25T14:35:59Z")
navy blue suit ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/19 "2012-12-25T14:38:42Z")
Another vote for denim jeans and a fitted white shirt. Although, like the little black dress, it’s not every man/woman that looks good in it. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075/20 "2012-12-25T15:16:49Z")
I’m partial to the gray pin-striped suit, which can be made more or less formal based on the shirt and tie chosen. A dark blazer / gray trousers combination is also remarkably versatile. (I do tend to overdress for occasions.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-male-equivalent-of-the-little-black-dress/645075.md?page=2)