Women’s Tuxedo 101: Beginner’s Guide on How to Wear Ladies Tuxedo

Women’s tuxedo is quickly becoming a wardrobe staple. Here’s a beginner’s guide on how to wear a ladies’ tuxedo in celeb-inspired ways: sexy to classic!

Hey gorgeous! So your summer evenings are filled with party invitations and you’re on the lookout for brand new ideas on party-wear dresses. But you want something that’ll make you stand out of the crowd, something that’ll empower you, something elegant, classy and sophisticated.

Well, isn’t a tuxedo all of these things? And why should boys have all the fun? The tux is on its way to becoming every woman’s wardrobe staple, and before you think of it as boring, too-unfeminine, or only-for-the-weddings, take a look at these 10 foolproof ways to wear a tuxedo. There’s one for every girl out there!

When to Wear a Tuxedo?

Men wear tuxes to weddings, black-tie and white-tie events. Women, too, are increasingly wearing tuxedos to black-tie events like charity dinners, galas, exhibition openings, etc. But women’s tuxedo is not limited to these, women wear tuxes to formal parties, or business dinners and even more casual places.

How to Select and Wear a Ladies’ Tuxedo

It depends on the dress code of the event you’re dressing for. If it’s a formal event like a strictly black-tie dinner or business networking cocktail, it’s best to wear a traditional tux, fitted but not too tight, and accessorize it with minimal jewelry and pumps. Women generally replace the shirt and bow-tie with a conservative white blouse. If you’re wearing your tux to a slightly more casual or fashion-forward setting, like fashion party or opera, you can accessorize it with statement formal earrings or a long necklace. For these events, you can select a tux with more fitted bodice, and even wear your tux jacket over a busiter or a trendy blouse. For more casual settings where no dress code is specified, you can experiment with it in terms of style and accessories in pretty much any way you want.

Celeb-Inspired Ways to Rock Ladies’ Tuxedos!

I have collected the best female celeb tuxedo looks from red carpet and runway alike, to illustrate the top 10 ways to rock a ladies’ tux. Let’s check them out!

#1: The Classic Tuxedo

If you’ve never worn a tuxedo or are unsure about experimenting or creating a unique style statement, go for a menswear-inspired classic tux – well-fitted, formal-looking and classy! I love Queen Letizia’s classic white tux which is tailored to cinch the waist in, but not too tight! Great for formal parties.

#2: Bringing in Feminine Elements

If you wanna experiment a little (or too much), throw in some light feminine elements – a cute scarf, large earrings, multi-strand necklace or swap the shirt/vest with a bustier. If you wanna experiment more, add a belt a la Alessandra Ambrosio below, or opt for a very sexily-fitted tux jacket like Julia Roberts, or maybe one with cut-outs like this Versace tux on Gigi Hadid:

#3: With Nothing Under

For the real spicy factor, wear a ladies black tuxedo blazer with nothing under it like Cara Delevingne below. Or if you wanna be controversial, even avoid the pants like Rihanna, or opt for a sexy cape-tux like Miranda Kerr on Harper’s Bazaar cover:

#4: With Skinny Pants

I love womens tuxedo paired with skinny trousers. They make the look more feminine while keeping it classy and not overtly sexy. Nice formal outfits are great for formal parties. I love Emma Watson’s royal look:

#5: With Crop Pants

If you wanna create a style statement, go for crop pants with your regular women’s tuxedo jacket.

#6: Sleeves Rolled-Up

For a more casual look, or when you wanna look effortlessly stylish, just roll your sleeves up, or get your tailor to stitch the sleeves tucked up a little. I totally adore Angelina Jolie’s red carpet look here – it’s a timeless one! And also Victoria Beckham’s loose tux jacket with sleeves casually rolled up.

#7: Athleisure Way

The athleisure style is catching up real fast, and a lot of celebs have made it their own style of rocking a ladies’ tux. The most common way for an athleisure white tuxedo is to have a black side panel on your trousers, matching the lapel, which resembles track pants. Although I personally prefer Victoria Beckham’s subtly athletic black tux with a satin side panel on the trousers. You can also give sporty vibes with a tuxedo in white.

#8: With a Skirt

Here’s another idea for what to wear with a tuxedo jacket. If you wanna make your tuxedo even more feminine, the yes, it’s possible to swap the trousers with a pencil skirt. It can be a formal knee-length skirt, or a sexy mini-skirt too. Or even try Gisele’s style of wearing a tux jacket over an evening gown! Hot!

#9: With Jeans/ Casual Trousers

If you wanna make the tux a day thing, just replace the pants with a pair of jeans or casual trousers. You can be conservative and pair it with dark washed (but not ripped jeans) for a classy airport look a la Miranda Kerr, or just take it over the top with a pair of ripped and cut-out jeans like Kendall Jenner for a statement street style look!

#10: Like a Groom (Or Bride)

Wow, one of my favorite ways to wear a women’s tuxedo is like a groom/bride. A little black tux is a great idea for the unconventional bride, or even the best man at your gay BFF’s wedding (remember Carrie Bradshaw’s best man outfit from Sex and the City?) If you’re wearing it to a formal party or someone’s wedding, opt for a white or black tux in a shiny fabric like silk/satin. Or you can even go for an asymmetric jacket-cut that has a tail at the back. If it’s your own wedding, add a cute tulle veil and maybe even a fancy bun with earrings.

So which celebrity tuxedo looks did you like the best? And which celebrity did you think rock the women’s tuxedo look? Lemme know! Comment below!