I suppose by now it’s more than just a tradition for me to share with you, ’round about the end of the year, my favorite new tuxedo design from Styles of edo. When I browsed through the Flickr image sets announcing edo’s 2012 tuxedo collection, I knew that this year would be no exception. Without further ado, I invite you to admire edo Tone’s new and beautiful Athos Tuxedo.

There really isn’t a lot to say about tuxedo construction that’s new, is there? Is there truly nothing new under the sun? Jacket, vest, shirt, trousers…yes, all present, duly noted. Ho hum? No, most decidedly not—for these basics are so elemental as to be almost abstract. It is the artistic interpretation of these abstract elements that tells the tale, and therein lies the beauty.

And so: the jacket, in addition to edo’s always fine fabric texture work, has pointed lapels adorned with lovely floral embroidery in metallic thread. (The sculpted lapels are included in three starting sizes, for ease in fitting.) Prim cuffs keep the sleeves from looking skin-tight at the wrists. The closely fitted flexi jacket bottom has rounded corners in front, so cleanly detailed with a bit of transparency at the corner that you might not even notice right away. The vest, with its lush embroidery that matches the jacket’s lapels, begs to be worn on its own, in full view. Crisp prim turned-up cuffs give the dressy trousers clean lines. Last but certainly not least, the otherwise simple shirt for this style (Coordinated4) has a truly beautiful sculpted wing collar with bow tie. The sum of these parts is a whole that’s far, and impressively, greater.

My only minor criticism is one you’ve heard before: the flexi jacket bottom is both handsome and nicely realistic, but its non-sculpted construction and close fit made for some all-too-familiar fitting frustrations on my slim shape. I made a quick check with a couple of other, larger and differently proportioned “pre-fab” shapes in my inventory, and it looks like fitting on those shapes would be more easily satisfactory.

edo Tone’s 2012 tuxedo collection features a wide variety of jacket fabric finishes, necktie styles, and other variations. L$800 at Styles of edo (Tyche 115, 133, 55).