Suit vs. Tuxedo — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 14, 2024
Suit is typically a semi-formal attire suitable for business or casual events, featuring simple design and fabrics; whereas tuxedo is a formal garment, distinguished by satin or silk lapels and accessories for evening occasions.
Difference Between Suit and Tuxedo
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Key Differences
A suit is a versatile garment worn in various settings, including workplaces and less formal gatherings. It generally consists of a jacket and trousers made from the same fabric. While a tuxedo, also a two- or three-piece ensemble, is specifically designed for formal occasions, such as weddings and galas, and features distinctive shiny satin or silk on the lapels, buttons, and side stripes on the trousers.
Suits are typically made from a variety of fabrics, including wool, cotton, and polyester, which allows for a broader range of colors and patterns. On the other hand, tuxedos are traditionally crafted from finer materials like wool or silk, emphasizing darker, more subdued colors to enhance their formal appearance.
The style of a suit is quite flexible; it can be single or double-breasted, with notched lapels being the most common. Tuxedos, however, often feature a single-breasted jacket with peaked lapels or a shawl collar, which are less common in suits, adding to the tuxedo's formal flair.
For accessories, suits are commonly paired with ties or bow ties, leather shoes, and can be worn with or without a vest. Whereas tuxedos are typically accessorized with a bow tie, cummerbund or waistcoat, and patent leather shoes, adhering to a more traditional and uniform formal dress code.
When wearing a suit, the shirt can be of any standard color or pattern, which allows for personal expression. Tuxedos require a more specific style of white dress shirt, which usually features a bibbed front and is meant to complement the overall elegance of the ensemble.
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Comparison Chart
Occasion
Semi-formal to formal
Formal to very formal
Typical Fabrics
Wool, cotton, polyester
Wool, silk
Lapel Style
Notched, sometimes peaked
Satin or silk, peaked or shawl
Accessories
Ties, optional vest
Bow tie, cummerbund or waistcoat
Shoe Type
Leather shoes
Patent leather shoes
Compare with Definitions
Suit
A set of garments made from the same cloth, typically a jacket and trousers.
He wore a navy blue suit to the interview.
Tuxedo
A formal suit for men, traditionally worn for events and parties.
He rented a tuxedo for the wedding.
Suit
Legal action against someone in a court of law.
They filed a suit against the company for negligence.
Tuxedo
To dress formally or put on a tuxedo.
He tuxedoed up for the annual gala.
Suit
To be convenient or acceptable.
The time of the meeting suits most of us.
Tuxedo
A jacket of this suit, often with silk or satin lapels.
His tuxedo jacket was tailored to fit perfectly.
Suit
A set of outer clothes made of the same fabric and designed to be worn together, typically consisting of a jacket and trousers or a jacket and skirt
A pinstriped suit
Tuxedo
Any formal attire that resembles a tuxedo.
The dress code called for a tuxedo or equivalent formal wear.
Suit
Any of the sets into which a pack of playing cards is divided (in conventional packs comprising spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs).
Tuxedo
Used to denote something as formal or elegant.
The event had a tuxedo atmosphere.
Suit
A lawsuit.
Tuxedo
A dress jacket, usually black with satin or grosgrain lapels, worn for formal or semiformal occasions. Also called dinner jacket.
Suit
The process of trying to win a woman's affection with a view to marriage
He could not compete with John in Marian's eyes and his suit came to nothing
Tuxedo
A complete outfit including this jacket, trousers usually with a silken stripe down the side, a bow tie, and often a cummerbund.
Suit
A complete set of sails required for a ship or for a set of spars
They went ashore and changed to another suit of sails
Tuxedo
A typically black formal jacket worn by men.
Suit
Be convenient for or acceptable to
The flat has two bedrooms—if it suits, you can have one of them
What time would suit you?
Tuxedo
The entire suit complementing and including this jacket.
Suit
Enhance the features, figure, or character of (someone)
The dress didn't suit her
Tuxedo
Ellipsis of tuxedo cat
Suit
Put on clothes, especially for a particular activity
I suited up and entered the water
Tuxedo
A kind of black jacket for semiformal evening dress made without tails, usually of black or dark blue color and having satin or grosgrain facing on the lapels; - so named after a fashionable country club at Tuxedo Park, New York.
Suit
A set of matching outer garments, especially one consisting of a coat with trousers or a skirt, often worn on formal occasions.
Tuxedo
The complete semiformal evening suit, including the tuxedo jacket, matching trousers, and black bow tie, and usually including a cummerbund; - the style of shirt worn with this suit varies, and the outfit may include a dickey.
Suit
(Slang)A person, especially an executive, who wears one of these garments at work.
Tuxedo
Semiformal evening dress for men
Suit
An outfit worn for a special activity
A diving suit.
A running suit.
Suit
A group of things used together; a set or collection
A suit of sails.
A suit of tools.
Suit
(Games)Any of the four sets of 13 playing cards (clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades) in a standard deck, the members of which bear the same marks.
Suit
Attendance required of a vassal at his feudal lord's court or manor.
Suit
(Law)A lawsuit.
Suit
The act or an instance of courting a woman; courtship
She was inclined to accept his suit.
Suit
To meet the requirements of; fit
This candidate does not suit our qualifications.
Suit
To make appropriate or suitable; adapt
Builders who suit the house to the owner's specifications.
Suit
To be appropriate for; befit
A color that suits you.
Suit
To please; satisfy
A choice that suits us all.
Suit
To provide with clothing; dress
The NCOs suited the recruits in green uniforms.
Suit
To be suitable or acceptable.
Suit
To be in accord; agree or match.
Suit
A set of clothes to be worn together, now especially a man's matching jacket and trousers (also business suit or lounge suit), or a similar outfit for a woman.
Nick hired a navy-blue suit for the wedding.
Suit
(by extension) A garment or set of garments suitable and/or required for a given task or activity: space suit, boiler suit, protective suit, swimsuit.
Suit
A person who wears matching jacket and trousers, especially a boss or a supervisor.
Be sure to keep your nose to the grindstone today; the suits are making a "surprise" visit to this department.
Suit
A full set of armour.
Suit
(legal) The attempt to gain an end by legal process; a process instituted in a court of law for the recovery of a right or claim; a lawsuit.
If you take my advice, you'll file a suit against him immediately.
Suit
Petition, request, entreaty.
Suit
The act of following or pursuing; pursuit, chase.
Suit
Pursuit of a love-interest; wooing, courtship.
Suit
(obsolete) The act of suing; the pursuit of a particular object or goal.
Suit
The full set of sails required for a ship.
Suit
(card games) Each of the sets of a pack of cards distinguished by color and/or specific emblems, such as the spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs of traditional Anglo, Hispanic, and French playing cards.
Suit
(obsolete) Regular order; succession.
Every five and thirty years the same kind and suit of weather comes again.
Suit
(archaic) A company of attendants or followers; a retinue.
Suit
(archaic) A group of similar or related objects or items considered as a whole; a suite (of rooms etc.)
Suit
(transitive) To make proper or suitable; to adapt or fit.
Suit
To be suitable or apt for one's image.
The ripped jeans didn't suit her elegant image.
That new top suits you. Where did you buy it?
Suit
(transitive) To be appropriate or apt for.
The nickname "Bullet" suits her, since she is a fast runner.
Suit
To dress; to clothe.
Suit
To please; to make content; to fit one's taste.
He is well suited with his place.
My new job suits me, as I work fewer hours and don't have to commute so much.
Suit
(intransitive) To agree; to be fitted; to correspond (usually followed by to, archaically also followed by with)
Suit
The act of following or pursuing, as game; pursuit.
Suit
The act of suing; the process by which one endeavors to gain an end or an object; an attempt to attain a certain result; pursuit; endeavor.
Thenceforth the suit of earthly conquest shone.
Suit
The act of wooing in love; the solicitation of a woman in marriage; courtship.
Rebate your loves, each rival suit suspend,Till this funereal web my labors end.
Suit
The attempt to gain an end by legal process; an action or process for the recovery of a right or claim; legal application to a court for justice; prosecution of right before any tribunal; as, a civil suit; a criminal suit; a suit in chancery.
I arrest thee at the suit of Count Orsino.
In England the several suits, or remedial instruments of justice, are distinguished into three kinds - actions personal, real, and mixed.
Suit
That which follows as a retinue; a company of attendants or followers; the assembly of persons who attend upon a prince, magistrate, or other person of distinction; - often written suite, and pronounced swēt.
Suit
Things that follow in a series or succession; the individual objects, collectively considered, which constitute a series, as of rooms, buildings, compositions, etc.; - often written suite, and pronounced swēt.
Suit
A number of things used together, and generally necessary to be united in order to answer their purpose; a number of things ordinarily classed or used together; a set; as, a suit of curtains; a suit of armor; a suit of clothes; a three-piece business suit.
Suit
One of the four sets of cards which constitute a pack; - each set consisting of thirteen cards bearing a particular emblem, as hearts, spades, clubs, or diamonds; also, the members of each such suit held by a player in certain games, such as bridge; as, hearts were her long suit.
To deal and shuffle, to divide and sortHer mingled suits and sequences.
Suit
Regular order; succession.
Every five and thirty years the same kind and suit of weather comes again.
Suit
Someone who dresses in a business suit, as contrasted with more informal attire;
Suit
To fit; to adapt; to make proper or suitable; as, to suit the action to the word.
Suit
To be fitted to; to accord with; to become; to befit.
Ill suits his cloth the praise of railing well.
Raise her notes to that sublime degreeWhich suits song of piety and thee.
Suit
To dress; to clothe.
So went he suited to his watery tomb.
Suit
To please; to make content; as, he is well suited with his place; to suit one's taste.
Suit
To agree; to accord; to be fitted; to correspond; - usually followed by with or to.
The place itself was suiting to his care.
Give me not an officeThat suits with me so ill.
Suit
A comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy;
The family brought suit against the landlord
Suit
A set of garments (usually including a jacket and trousers or skirt) for outerwear all of the same fabric and color;
They buried him in his best suit
Suit
Playing card in any of four sets of 13 cards in a pack; each set has its own symbol and color;
A flush is five cards in the same suit
In bridge you must follow suit
What suit is trumps?
Suit
A businessman dressed in a business suit;
All the suits care about is the bottom line
Suit
A man's courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman (usually with the hope of marriage);
Its was a brief and intense courtship
Suit
A petition or appeal made to a person of superior status or rank
Suit
Be agreeable or acceptable to;
This suits my needs
Suit
Be agreeable or acceptable;
This time suits me
Suit
Accord or comport with;
This kind of behavior does not suit a young woman!
Suit
Enhance the appearance of;
Mourning becomes Electra
This behavior doesn't suit you!
Suit
An outfit worn for a particular activity.
She bought a new running suit for her workouts.
Suit
To enhance or befit someone.
The role suits him perfectly as he loves public speaking.
Common Curiosities
Can a tuxedo be worn as business attire?
Tuxedos are typically too formal for business settings and are reserved for evening formal events.
Can I wear a tie with a tuxedo?
Traditionally, tuxedos are paired with bow ties, but modern styles sometimes incorporate neckties for a contemporary look.
Is it acceptable to wear a suit to a black-tie event?
It is typically preferred to wear a tuxedo to a black-tie event, as suits are considered less formal.
Are there different types of suits?
Yes, suits can vary from business suits to casual suits, differing in fabric, cut, and style.
Can women wear tuxedos?
Yes, tuxedos for women are styled for feminine fits and are popular choices for formal attire.
How do the accessories differ between a suit and a tuxedo?
Suit accessories can vary widely, including ties, pocket squares, and different types of shoes, while tuxedo accessories are more specific, such as bow ties, cummerbunds, or waistcoats, and patent leather shoes.
What is the main difference between a suit and a tuxedo?
A suit is generally less formal with simple fabric, while a tuxedo includes satin accents and is worn for more formal occasions.
What colors are appropriate for a tuxedo?
Traditional tuxedos are black or midnight blue, maintaining their formal appearance.
What type of shirt should be worn with a tuxedo?
A white dress shirt with a wing or turndown collar and a pleated or bibbed front is traditionally worn with a tuxedo.
Are suits or tuxedos more expensive?
Generally, tuxedos are more expensive due to their specialized materials and construction intended for formal occasions.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
