Is this ignorance or just 2025?

I know that a DJ is a Dinner Jacket, but I've no idea what one looks like, or how it differs from any other jacket. I was unaware that a tuxedo is the same thing, and wouldn't know what one of those looks like either,

We wore them a lot at uni 15 years ago. Did he not have prom? That was black tie at our (state) school and probably the first time most of us wore black tie which was age 16. Do kids not do that now?

Dinner jacket is a very outdated term.
Tuxedo would be more familiar with younger folk.

I'm 63 and I have never been to a black tie event.

I did go to Durham and there aren't half as many black tie events as you'd think. The dress code for formals at my college was lounge suits or a midi or maxi dress/jumpsuit. Half the colleges were the same, but you wore your gowns on top. End of year ball was optional and expensive.

I only started having to shop for black tie dresses in my late 30s for an annual dinner at a finance conference and yes, I did have to google!

i’ve always know it as DJ, and would know what a black tie event event was.

Tux/tuxedo was the American phrase.

Yeah I didn’t know until I went to uni.

school proms etc aren’t black tie.

- A tuxedo is more an American expression. I thought a DJ in reference to a black tie event was obvious in the UK.

From DH and his circle, knowing it as a DJ is very much the norm among the home counties moneyed class/public school sort of thing. It really isn't in common parlance among other folk.

Op are you from surrey, sussex or essex by chance

In a way I am glad he did not know. It's the kind of socialising I would do a lot to avoid.

I grew up in a middle class home in a small town and went a top london uni (born in 80s).

I did not know the term "DJ" or dinner jacket until i met DH (from very plummy background). I would have known what james bond wore as a tuxedo, and no one i knew owned one. We did not go to any black tie events. There was a "ball" in 6th form but the boys just wore any dark suit.

I'm around double his age, been to two universities (including a "red brick") but never been to a "black tie event".

School proms hadn't caught on, my student union didn't do a graduation ball in my year due to finance issues and my post-graduate course didn't do a graduation or ball for my course. It's not something that I've needed to go to in my line of work, and DH's aren't open to partners.

I'm aware that I would need to wear an evening dress, but would need to check the finer details of what would be expected.

There is something a little bit Alan Partridge about being surprised that a young person doesn’t know what a ‘DJ’ is

I wouldn't know what 'black tie' means, precisely, without looking it up. Frankly, that type of thing is meaningless to a lot of people. Just an arbitrary set of rules that have little bearing on your life unless you move in circles where they are thought to matter.

I think it's perfectly reasonable for someone of any age to not have had to learn silly dress codes. What's the problem?

Needmorelego

Same here, thought the op was asking if he needed someone to spin some discs!!

Do people who live in a posh area refer to it as a posh area?

I'm early 40s and have never been to a black tie event. I wouldn't be that surprised at a 22 year old not knowing much about the concept. Presumably you grew up in the kind of environment where black tie events were frequent, while he didn't.

I’ve never been to a black tie event. I’m 58, well-educated, good job, etc. I don’t think I’m unusual.

Just asked my son what he thought he would have to wear to a black tie event. He thought it meant you were going to a funeral and had to wear a black tie. He is 15. 🤣

When someone talked about a wedding being black tie about a decade ago, most of my friends (some are well-qualified professionals) thought of a literal black tie with an ordinary suit. Some older people I know say you're posh if you use the term, and common if you say DJ (they are joking).
Until quite recently, we didn't have proms etc here, and I doubt most working class people would have known the term-the only reason I did is I read a lot,

Did he have a school Prom when he left? I thought that was pretty standard across schools now...

Dinner Jacket is a bit of an outdated term now, its usually "Tux".

Is “DJ” a common abbreviation for dinner jacket? Because it’s stupid.

I don’t think it’s that unusual not to be interested in or aware of these things.

I don’t do dressing up (ordinary high street summer dress for my own wedding), and I don’t think my DS would have a clue either as he’s not into socialising in large groups. Didn’t attend the school debs. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why do you need reassurance on this? It's not a life skill or useful general knowledge he is missing. It's an unimportant outfit he might want to wear once in a blue moon. It's not something lacking in him to know about pretentious dress codes.

It's purely lack of information. You don't know things you've never encountered/ heard of.

I grew up in that teeny tiny rural world of young farmers and hunt balls and rugby clubs young men who knew what black tie was and called girls totty - some of the least pleasant, most entitled, sexist, arrogant young people I've ever known. I'd be glad your son mixes with nerds (as you said he's nerdy) instead.

This. OP just sounds like a bit of a snob.