Tampa's Bib 'N Tux isn't your grandfather's tux shop

This isn't your grandfather's tux shop, but it is for Ashley Dudney.

He's the third generation-owner of Bib 'N Tux, a business has been around since 1976, when Darrell Dudney opened it in a shopping mall as The Formal Penguin. Since then, Dudney (who goes by "Ash") has made it his mission to pay homage to his family’s legacy while infusing much needed ingenuity into the modern world of formalwear.

Top notch customer service and same day suit rentals for those who need to look sharp on the fly are cornerstones for the The Bib ‘N Tux brand, as is providing distinctive options that compliment Florida’s unique scenery under The Formal Penguin design house. Think customized color palettes such as Everglades Green and a sandy Desoto that will make your wedding photos pop, linen fabrics to keep you cool in Florida’s brutal summers, and python skin cufflinks.

The dark walls and broken-in leather couch provide a loungey vibe that immediately sets you at ease, until you notice the resident tarantula, Sanchez, peering at you from behind his glass aquarium. An alligator skull is perched just above a beautiful pair of suede boots made in Spain, while a collectable liquor bottle whose contents may be shared with clients sits above a velvet-lapelled suit jacket.
Formal wear has come a long way since the tuxedo tails of yesteryear, but big box retailers still offer a subpar selection and service that can make your special occasion feel anything but. At Bib ‘N Tux—located at 4213 W Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa—men and women can get the whole outfit, from jackets and pants to shirts, vests and ties, all the way to studs and cufflinks. One thing that really sets this concept apart from others is the collection of unisex hats made in house.

The hats are made under the ‘Til Death Hat Co. brand and are one-offs that fit in perfectly with the overall aesthetic that Dudney, an occasional contributor to CL, has curated for the shop. A black wide brim has unique distressing while a dusty rose fedora is accentuated with alligator bone and found feathers. When he got the idea to be one of Florida’s only custom hatmakers, Dudney decided to travel to Albuquerque where he studied the craft under the direction of Tom Hirt, a longtime professional hatmaker for the movies like "Tombstone."

Dudney, who has recently been spending quite a bit of his spare time taking impressive and upclose film photos of wildlife in the Everglades and is well-known in the local artistic community for being outspoken, acknowledges and accepts that the Bib ‘N Tux experience may not be for everyone, but he and the rest of the staff do their best to accommodate new and returning clients within reason.

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