The designer shares his guide to festive dressing, for a dashing look that’s slick not stuffy.

Any faithful MR PORTER reader will be well aware of Mr Oliver Spencer, the British fashion designer whose wearable, effortlessly smart clothing has been available on the site since we launched in 2011. Many though, may not be aware that Mr Spencer has a sartorial alter ego: more dressy, more eccentric, more dandyish. “I have this secret side to me that lusts after velvet,” he says when asked about Favourbrook, the contemporary eveningwear collection that he co-founded in 1990. Favourbrook, which we’re proud to announce is now available on MR PORTER, is an eveningwear line for “an eclectic guy,” says Mr Spencer. “He’s definitely a character, and he’s definitely got a detail and an eye for luxury. But this is not a guy that’s going to do things by the rules.” This statement is borne out by the clothes, ranging from dinner jackets in richly coloured shades of velvet to double-breasted waistcoats, patterned bow ties and more. In short, it’s an all-purpose kit for anyone who wants to take a characterful step forward in their party ensembles. Scroll down for Mr Spencer’s advice on tackling some of its key pieces.

Mr Spencer is of the firm opinion that a velvet jacket is not just for eveningwear. In fact, the Favourbrook man might even sling one on when heading out for dinner, “with a grandad shirt and a pair of jeans”. But when it comes to black tie, he says, it can easily take the place of your regular tuxedo jacket, and be worn with a white shirt and bow tie. “It could be described as a slightly more rock-and-roll black tie,” says Mr Spencer, who, given this, advises that we needn’t be too fussy about the wearing of it. “This jacket looks better the older it is,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be immaculately pressed. It can just be thrown on. The velvet itself is just absolutely beautiful. It’s got the pile and lustre that’s the sign of a good velvet.”

Where exactly does one wear a white dinner jacket? “If you’re James Bond, of course, it should be at the Casino de Monte Carlo,” says Mr Spencer, who admits to a “deeply embedded” affinity with Mr Sean Connery’s iconic outfit in From Russia With Love. But for mere mortals, he continues, “I think it’s the perfect alternative… for a guy that does black tie and wants something else. It’s incredibly smart, and should always be worn with a black bow tie, never a white one. It should be dressed up, basically.”

As with the velvet jacket, says Mr Spencer, the waistcoat is a piece that can be worn just as easily on informal occasions as at black tie events. But the case of the latter, a black velvet waistcoat makes a stylish alternative to the traditional black tie cummerbund (It does the same job, of covering your waistband). “It will just provide a splash of something to the outfit,” says Mr Spencer, “and show that you care, that you have that element of taste.” There are also of course, other practical benefits to waistcoats, chief among tham that “you can rip it all off and hit the dance floor,” says Mr Spencer. “This is the great thing about a waistcoat. If you take your jacket off, you still look immaculate.”