By: Michelle Leach
If your conception of men's prom attire is black tux, the burst of color that hits you as you enter the Gentleman's Choice Tuxedos locations at 80th and Dodge or 141st and West Center may come as a bit of a surprise. "This prom season we are going to see lots of color, from your rainbow colors to your darker shades of pinks, blues, yellows, purples, greens, oranges, reds, silver, black, white and ivory, you name it, I think we will see it," said Owner Tina Nocita. Nocita mentioned "key" colors; what she did not mention is everything in-between. Lime green and butter yellow vests hang right below vests in lavender, cherry red and peacock blue. A banana yellow tie is on display next to a rust-colored one which is situated a row up from ties and vests in metal gray, baby blue and wine. Add to the mix brown, gray and navy blue tuxedos (in addition to the traditional) and Gentleman's Choice could very well share the state tourism motto ... possibilities ... endless. "Last year we had several kids wear pink tuxedo jackets with white or black shirts with pink vest and tie and white or black pants, they looked great," Nocita recalled. "It all depends on the individual. "This is definitely a fun time of year for us, as we get to work with so many different personalities and see a lot of fun color groupings that we may not have put together ourselves." Those color groupings often hinge on the date's dress color, Nocita said. "Some boys may opt out of a light pink vest and tie, and choose to wear a black vest with a light pink tie, and some kids are all about the pink or matching color," she said. The endless arrays of hues do not even take into account "texture," to add to the dizzying array of choice for prom-goers; offerings vary from year to year, Nocita said. "Changes may be in the type of wool the tuxedo is made from, whether it be Worsted wool, Super 100's, Micro-fiber, just to name a few," she said. You may not know the difference between "Worsted" or "Super 100's" but you may also notice changes in the width of the lapel or the height of a button. When it comes to an obvious quality and color, you may be brave or bashful about unique hues, either way the key to getting what you want, Nocita said, is shopping early. "Some students that like to procrastinate will sometimes find out that the styles or colors they wanted have already been rented by earlier shoppers," she said. "Gentleman's Choice is fortunate to own a warehouse with our entire inventory in our stores. "This enables us to know exactly what is available at all times, giving our customers the piece of mind they are looking for when choosing specific styles." Gentleman's Choice is also fortunate enough to be a member of Savvi Formalwear, a premier provider of men's tuxedos and formal attire. "Although Gentleman's Choice is locally owned and operated, being part of Savvi offers to our clients the opportunity and convenience to use over 300 Savvi stores across the country," Nocita said. Another added benefit, which also cinches the bill, is the formalwear rental/retailer's special offer: Rent a tux for prom and you can apply half of that rental toward the purchase of a suit, say, for graduation. "It is amazing how many young men are in need of a suit for their high school graduation or other events," Nocita said. "They were very excited about this program, or should I say 'moms' were very excited about this program." Though this special was rolled out last year, Nocita said, Gentleman's Choice prides itself in its competitive pricing no matter the season or economic conditions, as well as its service. "I don't think that the customer is necessarily always looking for the best 'deal' or 'pricing' as much as they are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful sales staff," she said. "We do, however, keep in mind that everyone has a budget and we make sure that we have tuxedos to fit each and every budget. "We offer great incentives to prom customers with a chance for each and every student to earn a free tuxedo. We also start our Prom packages as low as $49.99." Prom memories ... priceless. To see what styles and colors are available to suit your taste and contribute to your memorable event, visit Gentleman's Choice at 8014 West Dodge or 144th West Center (below Old Chicago). You can also visit the stores "virtually" at www.omahatuxedos.com or www.savviprom.com.
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