Dinner Suits Formal Attire etc

[cookie]

BK and MC have posted a few beauties and comments re Golden Era 'nightmoves' clobber.

Here is a question to all FLers ...

What style do you like personally?

Black? eg DB SB Shawl Collar Peaked Lapels Vested Westcoat.

White/Cream? SB DB Shawl Collar Waistcoat

Wool? Linen? Barrathea Wool?

Tell us your faves.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Single breasted with not overly-wide peak lapels. Grosgrain floats my boat more than satin for the lapels. One button fastening. The jacket should be short (shorter than is common today), just long enough to cover the buttocks. I have no preference for blue or black wool.

bk

 

[slicedbread]

Single breasted with not overly-wide peak lapels. Grosgrain floats my boat more than satin for the lapels. One button fastening. The jacket should be short (shorter than is common today), just long enough to cover the buttocks. I have no preference for blue or black wool.

bk

Lovin that description...A close second would be a 6x2 db with grosgrain lapels...Given the choice, I'd go for midnight blue...I also saw a palm beach 4x2 with shawl lapels that I liked a lot...Wouldn't like it in any other fabric or color however...

 

[Prof Branestawm]

In my (old fashioned) opinion, dinner jackets should be as simple and traditional as possible. So I favour a sb peak lapel jacket, with one button and a low-cut black waistcoat. By happy co-incidence, the gorge of the jacket and waistcoat are the same height, so they meet rather than overlapping. These look more formal than a shawl lapel jacket, but still have nice clean lines - and therefore still look simple.

The formality of the DJ is undercut by usually wearing it with a normal collared marcella shirt, as opposed to something involving studs and wing collars.

 

[Flitcraft]

I'm starting to appreciate the subtlety of the midnight blue cloth, when its done right and is so dark it looks black.

I like the simplicity of the dbl breasted look(because you can dispense with vest or cumberbund).

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I like all kinds. They add variety to an otherwise very uniform look.

.

 

[StanleyVanBuren]

Single breasted with not overly-wide peak lapels. Grosgrain floats my boat more than satin for the lapels. One button fastening. The jacket should be short (shorter than is common today), just long enough to cover the buttocks. I have no preference for blue or black wool.

bk

I'm pretty much with you there, although I would go for satin, and I would have a preference for black.

 

[Midnight Blue]

Live from The Sands Hotel Casino . . .

Mine is modeled after the Rat Pack look: black one-button shawl collar with turndown collar shirt, (self-tied) square-end bow tie, black cummerbund and a linen pocket square folded in a "TV fold". I feel like Dean Martin every time I wear it and it's a great feeling!

However, it was not until well after I purchased my tuxedo that I discovered the understated English approach which is sadly lacking in North American shops. If I were to buy a second tuxedo I would try the other face of black tie: one-button peaked lapel barathea jacket & trousers with grosgrain trim, traditional low buttoning black evening waistcoat, a Marcella shirt with detachable wing collar and a butterfly bow tie. Since such a commodity would likely have to be bespoke I would take the opportunity to have it made in midnight blue. I recently bought a couple of yards of worsted in black and midnight blue and was finally able to see firsthand how much richer the latter looks in artificial light. (The "blacker than black" quote often associated with MB is a definite exaggeration.)

 

[Jovan]

One button peak or shawl, marcella fronted regular collar shirt. I also like the look of a white dinner jacket with one button and peaks, no satin details.

 

[cookie]

Barrathea

Why was this cloth used? I rememeber my dear old Mum first telling me about it and showing me some old vintage suits made of it. But it picks up fluff and hairs so easily and noticeably:rage: . That is why I think more modern wools are superior for that reason alone. Any views?

 

[Flitcraft]

Barrathea.....?

It was originally meant to be lighter in weight and more comfortable to wear when dancing or in tropical climes. This was before the invention of "performance" clothing materials and before most mills were producing lighter weight, superfine woolen goods.

 

[Flitcraft]

Midnight Blue...

Live from The Sands Hotel Casino . . .

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mine is modeled after the Rat Pack look: black one-button shawl collar with turndown collar shirt, (self-tied) square-end bow tie, black cummerbund and a linen pocket square folded in a "TV fold". I feel like Dean Martin every time I wear it and it's a great feeling!

That is one awesome tuxedo! I usually don't really like those "RatPack" inspired tuxes, but that one looks great- love the color and the fit.

Did you buy that RTW, or is it custom?

 

[Prof Branestawm]

Since such a commodity would likely have to be bespoke I would take the opportunity to have it made in midnight blue. I recently bought a couple of yards of worsted in black and midnight blue and was finally able to see firsthand how much richer the latter looks in artificial light. (The "blacker than black" quote often associated with MB is a definite exaggeration.)

Well, I've seen non-bespoke versions of this style in the windows of ede and ravenscroft et al. You could do what I did and get the jacket and trousers as a 'suit', and find a matching waistcoat elsewhere - military mess dress waistcoats can be similar, highland dress commonly comes with a low cut waistcoat, or have one made for you (all cheaper than having an entire 'suit' made). That said, I wouldn't want to discourage you from having something made up in midnight blue, which might look rather nice.

 

[Midnight Blue]

That is one awesome tuxedo! I usually don't really like those "RatPack" inspired tuxes, but that one looks great- love the color and the fit.

Did you buy that RTW, or is it custom?

Thanks! It's RTW from a traditional menswear shop called Stollery's in Toronto. (FYI, it's just plain black - if it appears dark blue that's only because of the reflected daylight.)

 

[Flitcraft]

Thanks for the response! Yeah, I thought it was blue, not black.
Still looks cool!

 

[Jovan]

It was originally meant to be lighter in weight and more comfortable to wear when dancing or in tropical climes. This was before the invention of "performance" clothing materials and before most mills were producing lighter weight, superfine woolen goods.

They still make barathea dinner suits nonetheless. Charles Tyrwhitt and Pakeman Catto & Carter do, at least, and I imagine you could still get it from tailors.

 

[Flitcraft]

Its a great material as far as weight and breathability, its just that suits in general have grown lighter in weight and the newer lighter weight woolen goods have grown more popular.

Sort of like ventile cotton versus GoreTex- if thats not stretching an analogy to the breaking point!

 

[Jovan]

See, to get a dinner jacket made, I'd ask if they had some really blacker than black blacks (or midnight) in wool fresco and see how I liked it.

 

[Topper]

To be accurate formally there is no thing as such dinner "suit". What you may consider calling is matching Dinner Jacket, and trousers (1 stripe).

Suit refers to items "matching" as such Dinner Jackets, especially in the military "Mess Dress" ( not "Mess Suit" !) the jacket does not match the trousers. Hence why should never be called a suit, merley a Dinner Jacket.

Pip-Pip

Doug

 

[Jovan]

I'm pretty sure they match most of the time unless you deliberately get a white dinner jacket and black trousers. It's quicker to say than dinner jacket and trousers, for one thing. And just saying dinner jacket makes most Americans think of, well, the white dinner jacket.