BLACK TIE, SHINY SHOES: With New Years Eve fast approaching and ‘black tie’ or Le Smoking a nascent trend on the wider horizon, we did a little sweep of this seasons options with a little nod to the ladies…

A l’approche du Nouvel An, on aperçoit le smoking pointer son nez. Voici un panorama des options de cette saison avec un petit clon d’oeil pour les femmes…

Forever: This season De Fursac, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Paul Smith ‘London Collection’ and Sandro all feature black tie dinner suits in their collections. In Paris stores now.

(Pictured above: De Fursac worn by Thibault Oberlin, photographed by Karim Sadli)

For a night: On consultation of various sources (the gentlemen of Paris) a number of companies rent black and white tie attire across the city.

www.creation-morgan.com, 75010

www.jjloc.fr, 75006

www.lesdeuxoursons.com, 75015

www.au-cor-de-chasse-location-vetements.fr, 75006 

www.berallocation.com, 75018

Paul Smith ‘London’ collection, Printemps

Jean-Paul Gaultier, Galleries Lafayette and Le Bon Marché

White tie at the Crillon Ball, November 2011 (source PurePeople.com)

Two looks from the current Moschino pret-a-porter collection site 

The current cover of L’Officiel Hommes featuring Melvil Poupaud, Annabelle Dexter-Jones and creative director André Saraiva wearing Armani.