Black tie in Toronto this season: the two Saturdays, and when to order the tuxedo
Updated October 2026 · Sam’s Menswear editorial team
Most Toronto evenings no longer have a dress code. The opera and the ballet do not ask for one, and neither do most charity dinners. This November, two Saturdays still do, and both are close enough that the order date is in October.
The season, with dress codes
| Date | Evening | What it asks for | Order a tuxedo by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 14 Nov, 8 pm | The Lit Gala, a Diwali charity gala | ”Formal Indian party wear or black tie / coat and tie” | Fri 16 Oct |
| Sat 21 Nov, 6 pm | St. Andrew’s Charity Ball | Black tie; gowns, tartans and tuxedos | Fri 23 Oct |
| 5 to 31 Dec | The Nutcracker, National Ballet of Canada | No dress code | Not needed |
| Thu 31 Dec | New Year’s Eve | Your host decides | Thu 3 Dec |
The dress codes are quoted from the organisers’ own pages. The St. Andrew’s Society describes its ball as one of the few remaining black-tie events in the city. It has been held at the Royal York since November 1929, and dinner tickets stop selling on 14 November.
The arithmetic
A custom tuxedo takes three to four weeks from the first appointment, with one fitting on the finished garment.
- For 14 November: order by Friday 16 October for the full four weeks, or Friday 23 October at the latest.
- For 21 November: order by Friday 23 October, or Friday 30 October at the latest.
- After that, it is a rush. Twelve days is possible only if the cloth is in stock, and it is a favour rather than a plan: Monday 2 November for the 14th, Monday 9 November for the 21st.
Both evenings are Saturdays, the one day the studio is closed. Plan the fitting for the week before, on a weekday evening or the Sunday. Sam can also come to your office or your home for the first appointment and the fitting.
What black tie means, briefly
- The jacket: a dinner jacket, black or midnight navy, with silk facings (satin or grosgrain) on a peak lapel or a shawl collar.
- The trousers: the same cloth, with a braid down the outside seam, worn with braces rather than a belt.
- The shirt and tie: a white dress shirt and a black bow tie, ideally one you tie yourself.
- The shoes: black, either patent or very well polished.
Black tie decoded → · Notch, peak or shawl →
Two notes for these evenings in particular:
- The Lit Gala accepts “coat and tie”. A dark suit, well cut, is within its dress code, so a tuxedo is a choice rather than an obligation. Formal Indian party wear is the other option it names.
- At the St. Andrew’s Ball, tartan sits alongside black tie. The organisers mention tartans as well as tuxedos. A man without a family tartan wears the dinner jacket and is entirely correct.
Rent, or own one
If this is the only black-tie night in your diary, renting is reasonable. If a wedding, a gala and a New Year’s Eve are coming in the next few years, a few rentals add up to a good part of what a made tuxedo costs. A made one is cut to you, and it is yours for the next one. The custom tuxedo →
Every other date in the season, from the coat to Pesach, is in the fall and winter order-by calendar →