“Are you going to do the choreography?” 

“No, I’m not really much of a dancer”.

“Thank God,” mutterned Spencer from across the room, complete with an exasperated chuckle under his breath. He thought Wicked was a decent film but I don’t think he expected me to commit to singing the full ten minutes of “Dancing Through Life”.  But that’s entirely his fault. He should know by now that when there’s an Ethan party, karaoke (specifically Broadway Karaoke) is guaranteed to follow. Even more so when it’s the last party of the year!  

Celebrating NYE with a Black Tie (encouraged but not mandatory) party is a new thing for me. Last year’s edition was really the first time I had done it, whereas previous black tie end-of-year shindigs were done as New Year’s Eve Eve; on actual NYE, I spent it just playing video games or watching movies with a small group of friends. Doing a dress-up party just feels a bit more intentional, a bit more adult, and honestly makes the fin de l’année more of an Occasion. Plus, I don’t want to wait around for an invite— I might as well do it myself!

That sentiment is a bit ironic because NYE 2024 had an even lower turnout than the previous year. A lot of my friends were set to be with their partners or their family (or both) with quite a few also being out of town. I didn’t realize I had so many transplant friends. Even MJ had plans!

With such a low number of RSVPs  I even considered cancelling it and simply spending NYE with whoever was still around at a bar; my beloved Capri Club was indeed open until 2AM so that was a promising option. But after chatting with Spencer and a few more of the trivia gang, it was clear that staying in as a group was better than going out, so the shindig remained! 

And you know what? I’m glad I stuck with it, because this iteration, however lightly attended, was an incredible time. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the year.

What makes NYE an anticipated event for me is not just the respite from all the family stuff (I skipped Jay’s Friendsmas 2024 to have dinner with my mom) but because it’s a great opportunity for Black Tie– Creative Black Tie, mind you. 

It is true that I wear a tuxedo/black tie multiple times a year mainly because I enjoy attending the Symphony. But when I dress for that Occasion, I tend to opt for something conservative It’s simply an excuse for me to do a normal black tie rig, not unlike wearing something ivy-trad or Apparel Arts themed on a treat-myself-to-coffee day. I actually like that approach, as this allows me to honor classic black tie. But NYE is different. It’s a party and it’s a self-imposed excuse to get a little bold. I’ve done senior pants with black tie for a little while, so what would be the move this time?

The answer was flares. 

My black USN dungarees (that I dyed myself) were the star of my NYE outfit. Despite their casual nature and slightly blue tint (you can never fully remove the indigo), they worked really well with the tuxedo jacket. It probably helped that the dye was very uniform and helped sell the dark vibe, even if jeans are inherently casual. Using cowboy boots (instead of dainty opera pumps) ensured that the look was sleek and sexy and firmly added to the western theme.

It would’ve been fine to do this with a tuxedo shirt but I decided to take it even further by wearing my sawtooth denim shirt. I’ve worn this shirt with my tux but that was a decidedly casual move since I wore it open and accessorized with a jaunty scarf. This time, I wanted to do it formal, or at least as western-70s-formal as I could: a cummerbund and bowtie were the move to firmly plant this as black tie. I didn’t just wear any bow tie– I actually found a western bow tie at Joyride a few months ago and decided that NYE 2024 was the day to debut it. It is grosgrain rather than satin like my cummer bund and lapels, but I don’t care. I looked cool as hell.

Oh and I wore sunglasses the entire evening. If you’re following me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been obsessed with these Michel Atlan cat eyes I got at the PCC flea. And after watching A Complete Unknown, I can’t help but be a pretentious asshole and wear them all the time. It’s a party after all! 

While I am proud of all of my Black Tie Iterations, this one has to be the coolest one yet.

Even though the attendance was small, I still liked that people got dressed up! 

Spencer wore his full tux rig this time, complete with his velvet slippers. This was quite a contrast to his more casual look from last year, where he did a dinner jacket, denim shirt, and horse bits. Jack wore a vintage velvet dinner jacket from our friend Gator with modern MTM pieces. James also wore a dinner jacket but went for a disheveled punk look with faded eyeshadow and an undone bow tie; talk about Cinematic Dressing!  The rest of the guys weren’t black tie, but they still looked sharp. Moises wore black jeans and knit wear for a louche and easy look. Serhan and Justin wore navy DBs cut from drape-y 4-ply wool. Chris wore a 50s car coat and 40s tie. And of course, the ladies all looked stunning! 

As with every party, I always feel blessed to know such wonderful people. I always think of these things as a way to honor my loved ones, to provide a safe space for everyone to truly let loose and have a good time. And considering the laughs, cheesy songs, and empty bottles and pizza boxes, I think I did it! 2024 was quite and interesting year with a lot of ups and downs (especially near the end) but I’m very happy I was able to finish it off in the company of some of my closest friends. If that’s any indication of what I can expect in 2025, then I’m ready for it.

I’m just a little salty no one recorded me singing as Fiyero. 😡 

– end of blog post –

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Always a pleasure,

Ethan M. Wong (follow me on IG)

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