Can you rent for a week or so ? Tuxedos are $1000 for shirt, cuff links, tie, jacket, suspenders, pants. (Socks and shoes too.)

I’ve got two but only because of formal events that I went to 6 – 10 times a year.

Your fitter at the shop will be you best one to give advice.

Seriously. Go to JCPenney. They have a nice selection of tuxedos. shirts, and ties. They stock most sizes so you can pick the jacket and pants that fit right off the rack. I needed a tux for an event and picked up a nice setup for about $200. It looks great!

Plain black tux. It will never go out of style. When you own one, you will be looking for excuses to wear it. It’s fun!

See @Call_Me_Jay
Classic black.
Clean lines.
A good fit is essential. That is why rentals are bad.
Heavy starch in the shirt. I would bother to get a tailored shirt. It is worth it.
Learn to tie a real bow bow tie. Black tie does not mean wearing one of those little things with a strap and a hook.
Imagine you are meeting the chairman of the joint chiefs, or the president.
You wouldn’t wear a uniform that wasn’t squared away.
Same with a tux.

What about something along the lines of that worn by Terry Benedict in Oceans Eleven? Is that a tie or a cravat? looks like a tie and I CAN tie a tie Can be worn with or without vest? If without, use a bowtie?

^^^ IMHO, that photo looks very dated and costume-y.

@josie has given you some great advice about sticking to the classic style, which is fabulous on any man. I slightly differ, though, with his suggestion that you get a real bow tie; I agree that you might want to learn how to tie one, but you don’t want to be practicing (read: getting it wrong) when you’re dressing for an event. Nobody can see the strap and hook under a folded collar.

@Love_my_doggie

Not to be at all argumentative, but those fake ties look fake and thus cheap in my humble opinion. Only little kids wear clip on ties.

The bow tie knot is the same one you use to tie your shoes.

People can tie their shoes drunk and blindfolded in the dark.
It takes some practice only because you will probably be doing it backwards in a mirror, but it is still the same knot. It’s like riding a bike. Once you get it, you own it.

Practice the day you get the tie, and you’re set.

@rojo
Get some nice suspenders when you shop for the tie.