Black Tie Still Required

They show no mercy. Face it. Women will say anything to get men to wear tuxedoes.

There is the traditionalist ploy. "The tuxedo has always been a man's uniform for night," says Nonnie Moore, fashion director of Gentlemen's Quarterly. "Men are being more businesslike, and the tuxedo is more important than ever."

There is intimidation. "I think any guy who doesn't wear a black tie when the invitation says black tie is really tacky," insists Glamour Editor Charla Krupp. "It's not cool anymore not to wear one. It's just cheap."

And there is something else. "I prefer to take a man...