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How to Choose a Tuxedo for a Wedding

Understanding Tuxedo Terms

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  • Ted Poulos

    Director of Retail, Sarno and Son Tuxedos

    www.sarnoandson.com  
    570-504-2300

    Almost 90 years ago, Ralph Sarno, a native of Italy, arrived in Philadelphia and began his career as a custom suit maker. He had planned to settle in California upon arriving in the states, but the great depression forced him to change his plans. He moved to Scranton, where coal-mining was king, to find work in his trade. In 1940, he founded Sarno’s as a custom tailor shop.Soon the business expanded to include alterations, dry cleaning, custom suit making and tuxedo rentals. Years later, Ralph handed the reins of the business over to his son Larry, eager to grow and take the business into a new direction. In the late 1950s, tuxedo sales and rentals became Sarno and Sons’ main business, and by the late 1960’s Larry had built a chain of 11 stores extending from Williamsport to Syracuse.In 1970, Larry moved the company’s operations to a 12,000 square foot production facility in Dunmore, outside of Scranton. During the 1970’s, high interest rates and inflation challenged businesses throughout the country. Larry chose to redirect his business strategy by shifting Sarno & Son from a retail chain to a wholesale supplier of tuxedos. It all started with a big red binder catalog and a single local truck run into the Berwick/Mt. Carmel area. In 1978, Larry’s son Mark, joined the company full time, managing several stores in the chain. He had an integral role in modernizing the warehouse, delivery systems and computer inventory control systems. In 1986, Larry’s daughter Nancy, joined the team upon completing her studies at Penn State. Her focus within the company has been in marketing and customer relations. Sarno & Son strives to be the innovator in customer support materials including catalogs, brochures and most recently the S.O.S. manual and custom poster program. Nancy continues to work by the philosophies handed down from Ralph Sarno, focusing on customer satisfaction: Don’t worry so much about the competition down the street, worry about the customer walking in the door.In 1996, following years of steady growth, Sarno & Son moved the business to blocks down the street from where Ralph first opened his custom tailor shop. The new facility offered the opportunity to increase dry cleaning capacity and improve production. In 1997, Sarno & Son expanded further, adding a sub-warehouse for distribution to Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. Through this location, Sarno & Son has provided rentals for former Vice President Al Gore, Senator Edward Kennedy, Alan Greenspan and Luciano Pavarotti. One of our distributors in Harrisburg provided tuxedos for Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, while he was Governor of Pennsylvania.After 5 years of occupation in the new facility, Sarno & Son needed to expand again, and work began on a 23,000 square foot expansion to the warehouse. Sarno & Son’s growth as a company can be attributed to the ability of its workers and of the company as a whole to adapt to changing times and customer’s needs. In 2004, Sarno & Son expanded once again, with the opening of a new retail store in Dickson City. Located on the Scranton-Carbondale Highway this new addition is a welcome to the Sarno family. Now Sarno & Son has two locations to serve its customers better.Based on the business philosophies of the company’s founder, Ralph Sarno, the company forges ahead with a commitment to continue to provide quality tuxedos backed by outstanding service that has become nationally recognized.

  • Understanding Tuxedo Terms

    In this video, formalwear expert Ted Poulos discusses the essentials of how to choose a tuxedo for your wedding day or special event. This video is a must see for all engaged couples. As you watch the video you will gain an understanding of: When the right time is to start shopping for your wedding tuxedos, knowing how to select the right tuxedo company, why your fiancé is an important decision maker in helping you select the right tuxedo styles, how to determine that you are receiving the right tuxedo fit. This video will also answer commonly asked questions such as: What do I do if my groomsmen are scattered throughout the United States, how soon will my tuxedos be ready for pick up prior to my wedding day, as well as other questions. You will also view models featuring tuxedos ranging from ultra formal to traditional to fashion formal.

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  • Transcripts

    Ted Poulus: I am Ted Poulus with Sarno and Son Tuxedo and today I am going to show you how to choose the right Tuxedo for your wedding or special event. In this scene, we are going to take a look at some original looks in tuxedos and also we are going to discuss some common tuxedo terms that you should familiarize yourself with when shopping for a tuxedo. The model that I have with me Dominic is wearing a style called the Black Mirage. It's by John Yves. The Black Mirage coat is a buttonless coat in the front. As you can see it stays open in the front. The front of the coat is designed little bit longer than the back of the coat. It's 33 inches long in the front, 34 inches long in the back.

    Now to put that in perspective your traditional tuxedo length is 31 inches in length. So this is 3-4 inches longer than your traditional look. The collar of the Mirage is the satin collar but it's a stand up collar. It's not your traditional tuxedo with a lapel on the front. There is no lapel. It has a stand up collar. Dominic is wearing the Mirage with a black vest. If you hold open this part of the jacket a black vest from the Vergo (ph) collection. A black stripe four-in-hand tie from the Seven Collection and the shirt is a spread collar shirt in a microfiber material, again a silk like feel to the material of the shirt. Thank you Dominic.

    And now we have Brian wearing the look from Calvin Klein. Brian is wearing the Aston from Calvin Klein. The lapel of the jacket, this is the lapel is a self face lapel meaning the material on the lapel is the same material as the jacket. The edge of the lapel is black satin. As you can see it flows up through the top collar. This is the top collar of the jacket, trimmed in black satin. The front pocket also has a satin trim. Calvin Klein is very distinctive with pocket flaps on the jacket.

    The back of the jacket is ventless. There is not vent in the back. It's a traditional length coat, 31 inches in length. The material is a Super 120s wool. It's one of the softest wools available on the rental garment today. Two button front jacket. The accessories that Brian is wearing, the vest is from the Calvin Klein Collection, the Infinity Collection in platinum gray. The tie is a matching platinum four-in-hand tie and again, the shirt like the one Dominic was wearing is a Laydown collar shirt in a microfiber material that feels almost like silk. The Aston from Calvin Klein.

    Now we have Dominic wearing by Ralph Lauren, the Whitney tuxedo. The Whitney tuxedo as you can see is a very fashion look. It has a chalk stripe throughout the tuxedo. The lapels are of full satin. It has a notch lapel. The top collar is also chalk stripe and as you can see the trousers match the jacket. High fashion look from Ralph Lauren. The coat is one inch longer than your traditional length. It's a 32 inch length jacket. Two button front, 32 inches long in body length, vent less in the back and in the front the accessories that Dominic is wearing, from the Satin Collection we have the white satin vest and a four-in-hand long tie also in white satin. The shirt is a spread collar shirt in a microfiber material and accenting this garment is a white silk pocket square, from Ralph Lauren the Whitney tuxedo.

    The last look we want to show you is from Calvin Klein. Brian is wearing the latest look from Calvin Klein called the Crystal. The Crystal Tuxedo, the fabric is a super 120s wool. So it's a very soft almost cashmere feeling wool. Very lightweight, all season, worn all year around. The look even though may appear traditional, it's far from traditional. It's very high fashioned. The button stance in a one button jacket. It's a higher button stance, very European.

    The pockets on the front of the coat are flap pockets what they call a hacking pocket, an angled pocket on the front of the jacket. The lapel is full satin. The top collar is a self face top collar, meaning the material is the same material as the jacket. The vest that Brian is wearing is from the Calvin Klein Collection from the Infinity Collection. It's the white infinity vest, has a bit of a grain look. The tie is matching and a four-in-hand tie and the shirt is not your traditional spread collar shirt but this is a wing collar shirt. The back of the jacket has side vents. Again not ventless but two side vents. Very European in appearance. The crystal tuxedo from Calvin Klein.

    Well, that concludes our scene on our fashion looks and various tuxedo terms that we have used in describing the tuxedos. I hope this video has been informative, enjoyable to you. I hope it helps you in picking the right tuxedo for your perfect day. Thank you very much.

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