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Nova Scotian forgoes 'Canadian tuxedo' for white tie at Nobel Prize ceremony

It would have been a sight to behold.

Amid the world's greatest minds, academics and activists gathered for the Nobel Prize ceremony in their finest white-tie regalia, Halifax professor Peter Tyedmers sporting the distinctly Canadian version of a tuxedo: a denim jacket and jeans.

But after briefly flirting with the idea — after all, the official dress code for the Nobel Prize states that a "national costume" is acceptable — Tyedmers opted for the less conspicuous option of a waistcoat and tails.

"Might as well fit in," said Tyedmers, an environmental science professor at HÂþ»­ University who was invited to speak ahead of the prestigious ceremony earlier this week in Stockholm.

Peter Tyedmers at Nobel ceremony 2016

Peter Tyedmers was forced to order clothing because he couldn't find the formal attire he needed in Halifax.

The invitation to participate in the Nobel Week Dialogue to speak about the future of food came with coveted tickets to the Dec. 10 Nobel Awards ceremony and banquet.

​Even for a lover of casual wear, Tyedmers admits it was dazzling to see 1,500 people in their finery though "it sounds horribly elitist."