Mr Dan May, MR PORTER’s Style Director, shows how to inject some personality into your party wear.

Trussed up in a rented tuxedo at some ignominious festive event, it’s easy to feel that the evening has declared war on your very being. It’s a shame, but that’s often the result of a black tie dress code. In fact, in a situation that more than any other benefits from a bit of individual wit and sparkle, it’s supremely frustrating when you end up looking more or less the same as every other gentleman in the room.

Good news, though: such production-line styling can very much be avoided. The tuxedo is actually a rather versatile garment. When it first turned up, it did wonders for male self-expression, replacing the lugubrious, tailcoats of yesteryear with a sharp silhouette that was much better for throwing shapes on the dance floor. In this spirit, MR PORTER’s Fashion Director Mr Dan May has put together a guide to imbuing your tuxedo with a little bit of individuality, which should greatly improve your experience of the holiday season. After all, though many things have changed since the 19th century, parties are still, ostensibly, supposed to be fun.

There’s a Bohemian spirit to this velvet tuxedo jacket from Mr Haider Ackermann – the Colombia-born, Antwerp-educated and Paris-based designer who debuted his first menswear collection in 2014 – which, says Mr May, “feels very opulent and eccentric”. The nostalgia of the look is undercut by trousers, also by Mr Ackermann, with a sporty side stripe and zipped ankle, while the open-necked grandad shirt is a little more inviting than your usual, buttoned-up black tie fare. If you’re more excited about the after party than anything else, then this is the tuxedo for you.

A look that says, “I design expensive things.” Even if that’s not necessarily the case, this is a flattering, razor-sharp double-breasted tuxedo that will make you look impeccably precise, mostly thanks to its key detail – a minimal two-button fastening. “It’s better to put this with something like a polo neck,” says Mr May, “so you focus on the detail rather than paying attention to the neckline.” The black on black colour palette, meanwhile, emphasises the sleek, structured outline of the jacket.

Of course it takes a certain daring to step out in a leopard-print jacket. But it takes a certain nonchalance to pull it off. Here, Mr May has dressed down this statement piece from Lanvin by pairing it with loose, pleated trousers and keeping the colour palette as simple as possible. The bow tie keeps the overall effect as dressy as it needs to be. “It elevates it,” says Mr May. “It makes it a very elegant evening option.”

If you do want to keep things traditional with your tuxedo, the best way to stand out is to do it better than everyone else. This three-piece tuxedo from Dolce & Gabbana is just the ticket for this, excelling as it does with its exceptionally flattering fit. Though the waistcoat adds an extra layer, the grosgrain lapels of the dinner jacket are flat so sit easily on top, framing its V-shaped closure. Mr May recommends this look for those in need of flexibility. “I think at a lot of black tie parties – once the evening gets going – you want to take your jacket off,” he says. “I feel you’re still dressed up with a waistcoat on, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

The tuxedo is a classic garment. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be worn in a more edgy way. Here Mr May has chosen a midnight blue dinner suit from forward-looking Korean brand Wooyoungmi, which pairs a shawl collar redolent of the Victorian era with a contemporary microcheck texture. “I wanted to make this look a little bit cropped, a little younger,” says Mr May, referring to the ankle-skimming trouser length, which can be played up or down according to taste.