Why I never want to dress up in black tie again

As a Brit with both working‑class and immigrant roots, there are two words on an invitation that I dread reading even more than ‘fancy dress’. They are ‘black tie’ – or what Americans would call a ‘tuxedo’. The costume party can be easily missed, but when instructed to turn up in a dinner jacket it’s usually because the host is an august institution whose favour you do not reject lightly.