THE EDIT · TUXEDO DRESSING
September 21, 2026 · By IndieWrist Editorial
The tuxedo is having another strong fashion moment, but the 2026 version is less about black-tie rules and more about fluid tailoring, bare skin, soft structure and a sharp little watch at the wrist.
Le Smoking, sixty years later
Saint Laurent’s fall 2026 show returned directly to the house’s most famous tailoring code: the tuxedo. This year marks sixty years since Yves Saint Laurent introduced Le Smoking, and Anthony Vaccarello used that history as a starting point for a long run of dark trouser suits with sloping shoulders, fluid construction and a deliberately sensual attitude.
The reason the idea still works is that a tuxedo is both strict and adaptable. Wear it with a white shirt and loafers and it reads classic. Wear it over bare skin with a pointed heel and it becomes eveningwear. Swap the shirt for a fine knit and it works through the day. Róhe has also leaned into tuxedo-inspired trousers and refined evening separates, proving that formal codes are moving easily into ordinary wardrobes.
The watch should be smaller than the statement
When tailoring is strong, accessories work best when they are precise. A petite square watch slips under a cuff and adds a cool metallic note without competing with the line of the jacket. Our Annie Time Square Expansion Bracelet Watch is an easy fit for this look, especially in silver or two-tone finishes.
For evening, the RENOS Crystal-Style Cushion Bracelet Watch adds more brightness, while the GUDI Open-Link Round Bracelet Watch keeps the wrist lighter and more graphic.
The modern tuxedo is powerful because it borrows formality without becoming formal.
Three ways to wear it now
Minimal: black tuxedo jacket, white silk shirt, straight trouser, black loafer, small silver watch. Evening: tuxedo jacket over a camisole or bare neckline, narrow trouser, pointed pump and crystal-style watch. Soft: charcoal tailoring, fine knit, structured bag and a two-tone bracelet watch.
Khaite and Thom Browne offer two useful contrasts around the same idea: one sharper and more sensual, the other more precise and traditional. The lesson is not to copy a house look head-to-toe, but to decide which tuxedo code suits you—clean, glamorous, relaxed or severe.
References to Saint Laurent, Róhe, Khaite and Thom Browne are independent editorial references for fashion commentary. IndieWrist is not affiliated with or endorsed by these brands.