Denim on denim, finished with boots.
A Canadian tuxedo is denim on denim, usually a denim jacket with jeans. Levi Strauss & Co. ties the name to 1951, when Bing Crosby was refused a Vancouver hotel room for wearing denim and Levi's made him a denim tuxedo. A Texas tuxedo is often that look finished with boots and Western pieces, or a formal jacket with jeans.
Why is it called a Canadian tuxedo?
Levi Strauss & Co. says the name dates to 1951, when singer Bing Crosby was denied access to a Canadian hotel because he was dressed in denim. UBC's Dictionary of Canadianisms (DCHP-3) finds the first attention to the name itself only in 2002.
Levi's historian Lynn Downey tells the story in A Short History of Denim (2014), which CBC excerpted in 2017. Crosby and a friend, on a hunting trip to Canada, tried to check into a Vancouver hotel. The desk clerk refused them a room over the denim, and the bellhop finally recognized the singer. Levi's then made Crosby a denim tuxedo jacket and presented it at a celebration in Elko, Nevada, where he was honorary mayor.
DCHP-3 adds details of the suit. It was presented in June 1951 at the Silver State Stampede in Elko: a double-breasted tuxedo in dark blue denim with light blue lapels. An inside label, signed by the president of the American Hotel Association, told hotel men that it entitled the wearer to be received with cordial hospitality.
Did anyone call it a Canadian tuxedo in 1951?
Not in the coverage DCHP-3 describes. It says reports of the event at the time called the outfit a "Levi's tuxedo" or "dungaree formals," and it finds the first attention to "Canadian tuxedo" in 2002. DCHP-3 calls it undisputed that Levi Strauss & Co. created a tuxedo for Crosby in 1951.
Dictionary.com gives its first record of the term as 1995–2000. DCHP-3 says it gained currency among younger people by the mid-2000s, after appearing in the 2001 film Super Troopers, and reads the name as a later adoption of Levi's publicity stunt. Wiktionary offers a second theory: a stereotype of a Prairies-dwelling Canadian in a jean jacket and jeans. Accounts also differ on who recognized Crosby at the hotel, and Downey says the bellhop.
How is a Texas tuxedo different from a Canadian tuxedo?
A Canadian tuxedo is a jean jacket with jeans, while a Texas tuxedo is either that denim look, often finished with Western pieces, or a formal jacket worn with jeans and boots. Published sources record both meanings.
| Meaning | What goes into it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Western denim on denim | Matching denim jacket and jeans, often with cowboy boots and sometimes a bolo tie | Wiktionary |
| Denim plus Western pieces | Double denim with cowboy boots, a Western shirt and a bolo tie; a blazer with jeans and cowboy accessories can also be considered one | The Modest Man |
| Formal Western tuxedo | A tuxedo jacket (usually black), formal shirt, optional vest, black necktie (bow, bolo, crossover or string), jeans (often black), cowboy boots, a cowboy hat (usually black) and often an oversized belt buckle | Gentleman's Gazette |
| Suit jacket with jeans | A suit jacket worn with jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat | Dictionary.com |
Gentleman's Gazette says the earliest cowboy-themed formal wear was probably the "black tie and boots" dances held by Texan social organizations since at least the 1940s, and that cowboy-themed formal wear received nationwide attention in 1989, when President Bush the senior wore boots decorated with the presidential seal to his inaugural balls. The New York Times used "Texas tuxedo" in 2001 for formal jackets, shirts and bow ties worn with blue jeans and boots, a line collected on Barry Popik's Texas Tuxedo page.
How do you wear a Canadian tuxedo with cowboy boots?
Let the jeans cover the boot shaft or tuck them in, choose the two washes on purpose, and pick a boot and belt in one color family. The pairings below are our view, and each style rule names its source.
- Hem. Our what-to-wear guide gives two options: the pant leg covers the shaft, or it tucks into the boot.
- Wash. The Modest Man says darker washes read more formal than lighter ones. The Fashionisto says contrasting light and dark washes can add depth, while matching hues offer a cohesive, streamlined appearance.
- Boot leather. Our guide says a cowhide boot reads more casual and pairs easily with denim or a simple trouser.
- Belt. Match the boot's color family and finish, not the exact shade, as our suit guide puts it. The belt buckle guide covers the buckle.
| Denim | Boot | Belt | Why it works (house view) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matching dark indigo jacket and jeans | A cowhide boot in black or brown, such as The Lamar | Same color family as the boot | Darker washes are more formal than lighter ones (The Modest Man) |
| Light jacket over dark jeans, or the reverse | Mid to dark brown cowhide | Brown | Contrasting washes can add depth (The Fashionisto) |
| Light wash on both | A dark bison boot, such as The Heritage Boot | Same color family as the boot | Hevias' copy says it works with denim |
| Black denim on both | A black boot, or a python boot as the one statement, such as The Rebel in Midnight | Plain leather in the boot's color | Hevias' copy for The Rebel says to wear it with black denim |
Add a Western shirt and a bolo tie to boots and double denim, and The Modest Man calls the result a Texas tuxedo. Our bolo tie guide says a slide high against a buttoned collar reads dressy and a low slide reads casual. For the full set of Western pieces, see what Western wear is.
Quick answers
What else is denim on denim called?
Double denim is the British label, per Phrases.org.uk, which finds no dated first record of the phrase. DCHP-3 lists Denim Dan style and Texas tuxedo as other names.
Is the Canadian tuxedo still in style?
It comes and goes. The Modest Man says it goes in and out of style but never looks totally out of place in one era or another, and calls denim-on-denim an advanced style move. CR Fashion Book said in 2019 that it had become runway friendly, citing denim-on-denim looks in Dior's Fall/Winter 2017 collection, while Levi's called its status as a trend heavily contested in 2016.
Can a Canadian tuxedo go formal?
It can move toward formal. The Modest Man says darker washes are more formal than lighter ones, and that a slimmer chore coat with slim jeans looks more formal than boot-cut jeans with an aviator jacket. The formal Texas tuxedo goes further, with a tuxedo jacket, jeans and boots. Our guides to boots with a suit and boots for a wedding cover the dress codes.
Did Levi's ever make the Crosby jacket again?
Yes. Levi's Vintage Clothing reproduced a limited run of 200 denim tuxedo jackets for Spring/Summer 2014, according to Levi's 2014 blog, and CR Fashion Book describes the run as identical to the original.
Bottom line
A Canadian tuxedo is denim on denim. The 1951 Levi's tuxedo for Bing Crosby is undisputed, per DCHP-3, while the name is recorded later: from 1995–2000 at Dictionary.com and from 2002 at DCHP-3. With boots, bring the hem to the boot, over the shaft or tucked in, choose the washes on purpose, and let boots and belt share a color family.
Where to go next
Sources: Levi Strauss & Co., Unzipped Blog (July 11, 2016; May 15, 2014); Lynn Downey, A Short History of Denim, Levi Strauss & Co. (2014); CBC Radio Loaded (June 28, 2017), which excerpts it; Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles, 3rd edition (UBC), "Canadian tuxedo"; Dictionary.com; Wiktionary ("Canadian tuxedo," "Texan tuxedo"); Phrases.org.uk ("double denim"); Gentleman's Gazette (December 18, 2013); Barry Popik, "Texas Tuxedo"; The Modest Man; The Fashionisto; CR Fashion Book (April 24, 2019); Alvies and Hevias product pages. Styling pairings are Bespoke Western's view.
