Being a musician, I have formal wear for every occasion. For me, tails, white dinner jacket, or black tux are work clothes. However, I am very picky about finding shirts that will hold up to repeated use while still looking good. It is easy to look OK from a distance while being on stage, but quite another thing to still look smart as you are standing face to face with someone. I have found these shirts to be the best as far as durability, performance, and overall looks. Not exactly cheap, but worth the money in the long run. I am also fond of the pique look….(with or without pleats are available) http://www.tuxedosdirect.com/product/015973.shtml

For dress shirts, I do still buy the Brooks Brothers "no-iron" variety. Three for $159 at the Brooks Brothers Outlet store. Those are a great bargain and pay for themselves in dry cleaning savings very quickly. Wash, short dry, hang up to finish, no wrinkles….

I'm with Artificer on the self tie bow ties. It is not hard to learn to tie your own and it looks infinitely more finished than a pre-tied….