A truly American invention, the tuxedo embodied a rebellion against the cultural and societal standard of Europe. Pierre Lorillard IV, of New York, invented the tuxedo for an informal occasion. Eventually, his invention became an essential item of formalwear, both in the United States and abroad.

The Lorillard family were tobacco magnates, and were members of the highest social circles at that time. They owned land in New York, about forty miles north of Manhattan, in a town named Tuxedo Park. In 1886, for the town's Autumn Ball, Pierre Lorillard IV decided he wanted to wear something other than the very formal black tie and tails which had become the accepted standard of men's formalwear during the 1800's in Great Britain. He designed several coats that were black but without tails, shaped like the red riding jackets which were typically worn for fox hunts.

Lorillard hired a tailor to custom-make the coats, but on the night of the Tuxedo Park Autumn Ball, Lorillard did not go through with his plan to wear the new coat. However, his son, Griswold, and several of his friends did wear the revolutionary new style. They added red vests to the ensembles, in honor of the riding jackets which had inspired the elder Lorillard. The high social status of the young men wearing the ensembles soon resulted in the style being imitated, rather than it being condemned.

The coat named for the town of its debut has remained basically the same. The accessories that are usually worn with a tuxedo have developed over the years into what we use today. Bow ties did not become popular until the mid 1920's; the cummerbund was borrowed from the British, who had borrowed it from India. It is now almost impossible to imagine any special occasion or memorable event without them. Pierre Lorillard's daring innovation has now become the standard and socially accepted attire at weddings, high school proms, and many other gala events.