[daisyscarlett]

So where do you find white tie and tails, and a fancy gown for his fiance, on that short a notice?

I would love to see an article on how this was accomplished...unless Borel had a tux in his closet, how did he find one in his size so quickly?

[ladyjane]

Borel wore tails, not a tux.

Until the turn of the last century only tails were worn when one ‘dressed’ for dinner. Then a gentleman who lived in Tuxedo Park, NY, went to his tailor and asked him to remove the tails from his jacket. The dinner jacket was born. It became a huge success and because it originated in Tuxedo Park it became known as a tuxedo - but NOT in Tuxedo Park. The semi-formal tail-less jacket is known in Tuxedo Park as a dinner jacket.

White tie (and white gold or platinum cufflinks) are worn with the formal tails while black tie and gold links are worn with the semi-formal dinner jacket.

[Cheburashka]

If Mr. Borel and fiance did not already have the proper clothing in their closets, I would point at the White House tailors. This is the sort of situation they’re paid to handle.