While all our social lives are small-scale at the moment, there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when we’ll have celebrations and black tie events and awards ceremonies to go to again.

Until then, why not put idle hands to good use and brush up on your bow-tie-tying skills? You can thank yourself later.

Have a go using our six-step guide below. It’ll take a little practice to get it right, but the result is well worth putting in the effort.

Take your time with it, don’t rush and definitely don’t panic that it’s not tight enough. If you over-tighten your bow tie your collar will bunch up and be uncomfortable. If you tie the bow correctly it’ll stay put on its own.

A self-tied bow tie will always be a little asymmetrical and that’s exactly what gives it its character. Master the technique and you’ll stand out as the guy who knows what he’s doing among everyone else with their perfectly-balanced pre-tied versions. And who doesn’t want to be that guy?

When you don’t have to worry about finding one suit that covers everything from your next interview to your cousin’s wedding, you have the flexibility to choose a suit that’s exactly right for each occasion. For parties, that’s a real bonus. By hiring rather than buying, you can experiment with different outfits and go for something bold without worrying about getting enough wear out of it. It’s also often cheaper if you don’t wear a suit very often.

And it might surprise you to learn there’s more to our hire collection than wedding suits (though we do those pretty well too). Here’s some inspiration of what to hire and how to style it for any kind of party you’ve got coming up.

Just because you don’t have to wear a suit to work, it doesn’t mean you can’t once in a while. If you’ve got a work do to go to, hiring one for the evening is bound to make a good impression on your boss. Or maybe you do wear a suit to work, but instead of falling back on your usual weekday suit why not use the opportunity to upgrade to something a little more luxurious?

British brand Ted Baker is known for its great detailing, and our collection of Ted Baker hire suits is no different. Ted’s faded blue lounge suit is cut from smooth pure-wool cloth in a smart tailored fit and is fully lined with a cheeky peacock print that’ll stand apart from everyone else’s business suits. For a comfortable but suitably polished look, wear yours with a colourful knit and a bright silk pocket square.

Going out? When everyone else is in black or dark colours, a lighter shade will make a fresh contrast in dimly lit bars. But a corporate grey suit doesn’t really say ‘party’ does it? Ted Baker’s grey lounge suit is much more festive, comes in a clean-cut slim fit and is finished with a pindot weave.

And don’t feel you have to hire your full outfit – sort the suit with us and mix in some of your own wardrobe or buy a shirt you know you’ll get more wear out of. A boldly printed shirt with a casual revere collar keeps the look firmly in the ‘good time’ category and can easily be styled down for a more relaxed look with tailored trousers and trainers too.

There’s nothing like a tux for larger-than-life parties when everyone’s going all out. But unless you’ve got a whole series of black-tie bashes to go to, it’s probably not worth the investment of buying one. Hiring one keeps the costs down and also means you’re not stuck with exactly the same look every year. It’s true that all tuxedos stick to similar foundations – satin lapels for example – but you can achieve quite different looks by your choice of fit or finishings.

Take this one by Moss. This unexpected colour will stand out in a sea of black and white tuxedos. Keep things modern by swapping a bibbed or pleated dress shirt for a more minimalistic button-down version and add a casually ruffled pocket square in black.

For at least one night at uni, you’ll have to venture away from your usual haunts and go to a ball. Whether it’s through a club or society or arranged by your course, it will probably be black-tie and boozy.

When you’ve spent the entire year making every pound stretch, having to look your best can feel like an extra step too far. That’s where hiring comes in. You can get a sharp tux for a fraction of the price, and as they’re designed to suit everyone, you’ll definitely be the one who got it right.

Here’s our take on three great options.

Black tie doesn’t have to mean black suit, so feel free to wear something with a bit of colour (especially if you opted for black at your school prom). We’re not suggesting turning up in a canary yellow three-piece, but something like this claret one instead. Ryan Gosling, John Boyega and Chris Hemsworth have all worn deep red suits on the red carpet, so you’ll be following in very worthy footsteps.

Keep it pared back with a white shirt and a black tie. If you want to mix things up a bit, add in some loafers rather than the standard Oxfords.

NB: if you’re taking a date, do check what they’re wearing before you go for this one. It has a tendency to clash with bright pink, red and green, and you won’t want to avoid each other all evening.

Midnight blue suits came to into their own in the 1920s because they actually looked darker than black suits under artificial lighting. This one‘s deep hue nods to vintage style but, as it’s cut in Moss London’s slim fit, it’ll give you a pin-sharp profile too. That means it’s got the best of both worlds – vintage look, modern cut.

When it comes to classic black tie, the holy grail is to keep things simple. Style it with a white dress shirt and black bow-tie. Sorted.

A black dinner suit always looks the part for a ball. Hire a well-loved brand like Ted Baker or French Connection to show you’ve moved away from what you wore to prom.

Choose this one by French Connection for a narrow fit through your shoulders, chest and waist for a really defined look. Or choose this suit by Ted Baker for a contemporary but tailored fit.

You’ve got loads of styling options with a simple black tux. Wear a waistcoat to smarten up your look even more or try bringing in some colour with your accessories. Add in a bright cummerbund or go for a bow-tie in a colour other than black.

If you’ve got a particularly strict dress code, you can still have a mini rebellion with your socks (as long as you’ll still be allowed into the party).

BROWSE BLACK TIE SUITS

When your teachers throw out the rulebook for a night, the last thing you want is to feel like you’re wearing a uniform. Yes, there are some black-tie rules you should probably stick to, but with a hire suit as your base, there are plenty of ways to show your personality with your styling.

Here are two ways to make a black-tie prom look your own.

A traditional tuxedo has peak or shawl lapels and satin details, making it feel more special than your usual suit. It’s best to hire one, as you could well grow out of it before you have another black-tie do.

According to the rulebook, you should complete your tux with a cummerbund, white dress shirt, bow tie and white pocket square in a straight fold. But rules were made to be broken, which is why lots of guys switch out the cummerbund for a waistcoat. You’ll still have a seamless, formal finish, but in a slightly more relaxed way.

Ramp up the personality by choosing a large bow tie or a pocket square in a rich colour, like orange, khaki or deep blue. You can also hire accessories, but there is more choice when you buy them, giving you more room to be adventurous. Plus, you can keep them as mementoes.

There is a way to do prom in a more relaxed way while still looking the part for the event.

Hire a more simple black tux with notch lapels for a more casual take on the dress code. Make it fit for the event by wearing a white dress shirt (contrasting tuxedo stud buttons or hidden buttons look streamlined). Then complete your outfit with a dress scarf worn loosely under your jacket. They come in all sorts of colours, from classic white and black to more on-trend navy and wine hues.

Choose a classic white pocket square in a straight fold or mix up your look even more with one in a puff fold and a colour that contrasts your scarf.

Okay, here’s one rule you must follow, whichever suit you choose: you must think carefully about your socks. Make sure they won’t clash with your suit or accessory choice, as they’ll be on show when you sit down. If in doubt, you can’t go wrong with plain black. Or if you’re wearing trousers with a tapered ankle, you can go for loafers with no socks at all.

If you’ve gone to the trouble of getting a sharp suit or tux for prom, you don’t want a crumpled shirt to let the side down. And while your mum or dad might usually do the ironing, you’re getting ready to be a man of the world now so you should really be able to it yourself.

So this is it: here’s how to iron your prom shirt like a pro.

Start easy: plug in the iron. You’re going to need to select a setting, so read your shirt’s label. Cotton or cotton-blend shirts can take higher heat, but something with polyester or spandex might be a bit more delicate. If in doubt, pick a low setting and move up if you need to.

Shirts always get ironed from the collar down. Lift the collar up and iron the underside from one tip to the other. Then flip the shirt over and repeat on the outside.

Unbutton your cuffs and repeat the process above, ironing them on the inside and then the outside, pressing any wrinkles out towards the edges. Never iron over the buttons as they can leave a mark on your shirt – iron around them instead.

Unbutton your shirt and lay one side of its front flat on the ironing board, with the rest hanging off the side. Start ironing at the shoulders and work your way down, pressing creases out towards the sides. Again, avoid the buttons and iron carefully around them instead. Give the placket (that’s the strip your buttons are on) extra attention as it’ll be the most visible part of your shirt when you’ve got a jacket on. Repeat on the other side.

Flip your shirt over and lay it with the collar nearest the pointy end of the ironing board. Start with the yoke at the top (that’s the panel that covers the back of your shoulders), and work your way down to the bottom.

Lay the sleeve down the length of your ironing board, ensuring it’s nice and flat. Iron from the shoulders down to the cuff. You don’t really want a crease down the side of your arms, so make sure you concentrate on the middle of the fabric and stay away from the edges. As usual, repeat on the other side. And, you know, the other arm.

Iron slowly, but not so slowly that you burn your shirt. Burns are not a good look.