The Best and Worst Menswear at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

The barbs were sharp last night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — President Joe Biden took aim at Donald Trump’s “stormy days,” wink wink — but the looks were even sharper. At least, some of them were. Others, not so much.

As a menswear writer, I watched the glitz and glam of the red carpet from afar with decidedly mixed emotions. Some of the stars (and their co-partiers who count as stars in the Beltway) nailed their looks. And some looked like they needed a designated driver to take them home from the prom.

Here is all the best and worst fashion I saw at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. I mostly focused on my area of expertise, which is menswear, but I had to mention one standout womenswear moment too.

Joe Biden Has Learned His Black-Tie Lesson

Someone must have taught Biden a lesson in black-tie attire. Two years ago, for French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit, Biden wore a badly cut dinner suit with an overly high buttoning point and notch lapels,paired with a high-cut vest made from the same material as the jacket — something you’d see in a business meeting, not in a black tie ensemble worn at a diplomatic event with a French head of state. But last night, when the president had an opportunity to push back on fears over his age going into a tough election, he couldn’t afford to make those same mistakes. This time around, Biden elevated his look with a better-cut suit, elegant peak lapels and a low-cut waist covering — the kind of fit that says he’s fit for the job.

Kamala Harris Sparkled — Her Husband Did Not

Although I’m a menswear writer and try to stay in my lane, I have to say that Vice President Kamala Harris looked wonderful in a high-neck sequined dress that faded into transparency around her shoulders. The dress was beautifully cut with a floor-sweeping hemline, and the vice president’s jewelry choices nicely accented her attire. Her husband, however, could have polished his look. His outfit needed a waist covering, such as a low-cut vest or a cummerbund. Black cap-toe oxfords aren’t the worst choice, but he would have been better off with a more elegant, plain-toe oxford, laced with flat silk laces instead of regular shoelaces. Add a cream silk pocket square, and he would have been as well-dressed as his wife.

John Quiñones Had Us All Taking Notes

ABC News’ John Quiñones nailed this look: a beautifully cut, classic suit that serves as a masterclass in flattering proportions. The jacket fit him well across the shoulders and around the chest, and the bottom of the jacket ended halfway from his collar to the floor, the perfect ratio for a classic look. The trousers aren’t too skinny, which allows the jacket to flow over the hips and create a smooth line going into his legs. The bow tie is also well-proportioned — the rule is that bowties should align with the widest points of the eyes. His lapels also ended halfway from his collar to the shoulder joints, another sign of excellent proportions. His watch could have been a faux pas — some menswear sectarians consider it poor form for black tie — but everything was so beautifully tailored that it just added a bit of personality. Quiñones should give people his tailor’s business card. That person should dress all of Hollywood.

Chuck Schumer Looked Like He Was at a Funeral

Chuck Schumer’s outfit was so bad that I need to step back and remind everyone what black tie actually means before I get into the specific mistakes he made. If you only take one thing away from this article, please know that black tie is not the same as a business suit. Black tie means a dinner suit — also known as a tuxedo in the United States — accompanied by some kind of formal shirt (e.g., pleated bosom, French cuffs), a black bow tie made in the same material as the jacket’s facings (e.g., grosgrain with grosgrain, satin with satin), some type of waist covering (e.g., cummerbund or low-cut vest), elegant footwear (e.g., plain toe black oxfords, formal pumps, Prince Albert slippers) and black hose. The idea is to create an elegant outfit that also feels celebratory and convivial.

Schumer broke with this in two important ways: His bow tie was made from a different material than his jacket’s facings, and he lacked any kind of waist covering, exposing not only his trouser’s waistband but also the shirt fabric beneath his coat’s buttoning point. This ruined the continuity that should be characteristic of a proper black tie outfit. And while notch lapels aren’t technically wrong on a dinner suit, they miss an opportunity for refinement, which would have otherwise come through if he wore a peak or shawl-collar lapel. Consequently, it’s hard to tell if he’s arrived in a black-tie outfit to celebrate something or a black suit to mourn someone’s passing at a funeral. He should visit the Rochester Tailored Clothing factory in his state. They’ll set him right.

Chris Pine Was the Picture of Elegance

Chris Pine did just enough to set himself apart from the regular black-tie formula while keeping with tradition. The jacket had all the right elements to convey a sense of elegance — a single button closure, shawl collar and jetted pockets — but it was made a little differently, with striking black piping around the lapels. His trousers were cut in a good proportion for his jacket, allowing for a clean line going from his shoulders to his trouser cuffs. The tassel loafers appeared to be made from patent leather — a smarter choice for this outfit than duller calfskin. His jacket sleeves were a little short, so they exposed maybe a bit too much shirt cuff. But Pine still looks fantastic, as always.

Colin Jost Fell Into the Collar Gap

Colin Jost’s dinner suit could have been beautiful, but he fell prey to the dreaded collar gap — a colloquial term referring to when a jacket’s collar lifts off the neck. Jost’s collar didn’t seem to touch his neck all night. It’s the clearest sign of poor tailoring, making the jacket look less natural on the body — and uncomfortable to wear.

Wolf Blitzer Got the Black-Tie Memo — Sort of

It looked like the CNN anchor told his tailor to make him another one of his business suits, but with a peak lapel. If it weren’t for that single fabric-covered button, it would be hard to tell this was supposed to be some kind of black-tie ensemble. He needed a jacket with different facings, a proper black bow tie, a formal shirt and a waist covering. On the upside, at least he wore velvet Prince Albert slippers — a dashing choice if black patent oxfords feel stale.

Joseph Lee Bet on Blue

Actor/artist Joseph Lee selected a beautiful midnight blue dinner suit made from what looked to be a wool-mohair blend. Mohair is a dry, slippery fiber that has a subtle sheen under artificial light. It looks tremendous in dimly lit bars and restaurants, but can sometimes appear overly shiny in flash photography. Maybe not the best choice for red carpet events, but the suit looked great anyway, especially with that sharp white pocket square. One small note for Lee: Next time, consider wearing a bow tie that matches the lapel, not the jacket’s body. It makes for a subtler, more elevated effect.

Billy Porter Slayed the Red Carpet

Queer icon Billy Porter is known for breaking down gender barriers in fashion, and he can add last night’s outfit to his portfolio of stunning, nonconforming looks. Beautifully styled and tailored, his black-sequined caftan, cream silk shirt, wrapped waist covering and studded boots conveyed all the elegance of traditional black tie, but in Porter’s own way. The challenge with non-traditional outfits is making sure you’re wearing them, rather than them wearing you. Porter consistently meets that challenge. His outfits are always spectacular, but they never outshine him. I’m not even sure that’s possible.

Questlove Splattered Paint Outside the Lines

If dress can be understood as cultural language, then going out on a limb like this is akin to trying to write an intelligible sentence using words you just made up. It’s high-risk, high-reward business. In this case, Questlove knocked it out of the park. He both honored and augmented the notion of black tie with black cargo pants, a paint-splattered jacket and Doc Martens. It communicated the conviviality of black tie while expressing the creative, rebellious and even militant sides of his personality. Tremendously well done.

John Fetterman’s Shtick Is Getting Really, Really Old

Hoodies and shorts used to be markers of the Pennsylvania senator’s “Washington outsider” brand. Now they’re his entire personality. Fetterman clearly went through some trouble to source this outfit — screenprinting a Carhartt hoodie with a cheeky formal shirt and boutonniere, along with securing his ribbed cuffs with cufflinks and keeping with a white-black color combination. But the outfit lacks the imagination and aesthetic appeal that Porter and Questlove displayed. It made Fetterman look like he was thumbing his nose at the other guests — including his wife, Giselle Fetterman — who took the time to dress up. A good rule of thumb: If your partner dresses up for an event, you should too.

Lester Holt Might Be the Best-Dressed Man in Media

NBC News anchor Lester Holt is one of the best-dressed men in American media. His clothes are always perfectly tailored, cut well for his proportions and built with a softer construction so they look more natural and comfortable. Last night, his softly padded jacket resulted in a softer shoulder line, making his outfit look formal but without the stiff ceremony of traditional British tailoring. His jacket’s silhouette flowed into his trousers, which draped cleanly along the back, without ripples down the back of his legs. He also wore gleaming black patent shoes, an elegant peak lapel and a bow tie that matched his jacket’s facings. The fly-front, semi-formal shirt with a turndown collar made this a little more casual than its wing-collar counterparts, and the nonchalantly stuffed, cream, silk pocket square also added a touch of elegance. Holt looked comfortable, like he’d already been to this event a thousand times and knew exactly how to dress for the occasion.

Lorne Michaels Served Popsicle Sticks

The SNL head honcho made one of the most egregious — and sadly common — mistakes in menswear these days: He wore trousers that were too slim for his jacket, making him look like a double popsicle standing on two sticks. A slightly fuller cut would create a better line between the top and bottom halves of his outfit. He should also get his trousers hemmed or wear them with suspenders, so they don’t droop, which may be what caused the collapsing around his ankles.