Formal Wear Primer

[Bugsy]

Incredible!

UOTE=Mr. Rover]I just got back my cream palm beach dinner jacket from the tailor...Whatcha think?

[/QUOTE]

 

[Bugsy]

I didn't even know things like this existed.

Most usually (in my experience) flower holders/lapel vases are made of silver or white metal, oval in section, often with a clip inside to hold the flower in place, and designed to slip through the lapel buttonhole and sit behind the lapel.

Here is an example:

 

[fernande]

This one is easy. A page from a men's suit catalog from 1927:

Regards,

J

I just found this dinner suit/tuxedo piece. I'm trying to figure outs its age. any ideas?
although I can date women's clothing down to season and year most of the time-, men's vintage is my new exploration. From my experience with vintage- its older- pre 50s. Single button- maybe I'm totally wrong.
any ideas?

I had my husband throw it on for me to take a shot. It kind of resembles the shot of the man on the far right. The inside is a gorgeous deep burgundy crepe-y fabric. The label says "homeland clothiers, new york, englewood" hmmmmmm

 

[Mark from Plano]

I would say that dating dinner jackets by look is pretty dicey given that the entire point is the timelessness of the style. Unless it is some kind of a fashion forward model, in which case, perhaps it can be done.

The label looks vintage to me and a google of "Homeland Clothiers" reveals nothing.

The interesting piece is that I don't recall having ever seen a ticket pocket on a dinner jacket. These are usually seen on tweed suits and are generally considered a less formal feature. Hard to tell from the photos, but is the ticket pocket the only one flapped?

 

[bradbunnin]

An odd formal shirt

I acquired a Manhattan shirt, most likely from the 1930s, and it's a bit different from many. It's a tone-on-tone, foldover collar, French-cuffed, four-pleat shirt, with a proper trouser button tab. The oddity: it's off-white. There's no indication that the color is the result of storage; it's overall, not at folds or particularly on the front of the shirt. Does anyone know anything about off-white formal shirts? I'd be grateful for information. - Brad

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

I'd be interested to hear the mavens abot this, too, but my presumption was different: Was off-white that uncommon?!

(Personally, I like it better than hard glows-in-black-light white, certainly for non-formal wear.)

 

[LuckyKat]

Most usually (in my experience) flower holders/lapel vases are made of silver or white metal, oval in section, often with a clip inside to hold the flower in place, and designed to slip through the lapel buttonhole and sit behind the lapel.

Here is an example:

Man, where do I get one of those...thats great!

 

[LuckyKat]

Nothing finer, Cream Tails

Double breasted, single breasted, shall collars, peak lapels, tropical dinner jackets...nothing is finer than my set of Cream Tails from the 30s, from Western Costume Co., I might add, (simlar to what Cab Calloway wore)...

 

[Josephine]

I bought The Husband a black shawl lapel dinner jacket, and would like to get him an ivory shawl lapel dinner jacket also. Would it be permissible for him to wear a colored (gold with brown tones to it) silk pocket square with the black jacket, and a red silk pocket square with the white, as they have no button hole for the splash of color a boutonni?®re gives? I think yes, but I wanted to see what others thought. Danke!

 

[Nigel Fisher]

Wonderful explanation of the mysteries of formality!

I have one question: what about soft shirts (with pleats) that have buttons and small, mushroom-shaped studs? Which do I put through the hole and when?

 

[Midnight Blue]

I bought The Husband a black shawl lapel dinner jacket, and would like to get him an ivory shawl lapel dinner jacket also. Would it be permissible for him to wear a colored (gold with brown tones to it) silk pocket square with the black jacket, and a red silk pocket square with the white, as they have no button hole for the splash of color a boutonni?®re gives? I think yes, but I wanted to see what others thought. Danke!

Absolutely.

 

[Josephine]

Absolutely.

Hey! I got something right.

And didn't this thread used to be a Sticky? I didn't see it at the top and panicked... I think it should be a sticky.

 

[Feraud]

And didn't this thread used to be a Sticky? I didn't see it at the top and panicked... I think it should be a sticky.

Sometimes the glue wears off.. [huh]

 

[Josephine]

I know dinner... trousers(?) don't have a cuff, but do they have a break? Am I using the terminology correctly?

 

[Midnight Blue]

I know dinner... trousers(?) don't have a cuff, but do they have a break? Am I using the terminology correctly?

They look dressier when they just have a slight break. (Actually, the same goes for any suit trousers.)

 

[DerMann]

Don't mean to resurrect an old thread, but is it acceptable to wear old Imperial style ("stand up" if you will) collars with white tie.

I've always loved the way they looked, but I'm not certain of their position on the scale of formality.

 

[metropd]

Don't mean to resurrect an old thread, but is it acceptable to wear old Imperial style ("stand up" if you will) collars with white tie.

I've always loved the way they looked, but I'm not certain of their position on the scale of formality.

Yes you could. You would most likley be the only one wearing a different collar than a wingtip with white tie. the imperial collar would be a great conversation starter though. I like it alot. It is the only other collar acceptable to wear with white tie other than the more common wingtip. I suggest if you have a short neck not to wear one, otherwise, do it.

 

[Midnight Blue]

Don't mean to resurrect an old thread, but is it acceptable to wear old Imperial style ("stand up" if you will) collars with white tie.

I've always loved the way they looked, but I'm not certain of their position on the scale of formality.

I take it you're refering to this type of collar?

 

[Josephine]

Don't mean to resurrect an old thread...

We're old thread resurrectors around here. None of that new fangled new threads for everything!

 

[DerMann]

Yes you could. You would most likley be the only one wearing a different collar than a wingtip with white tie. the imperial collar would be a great conversation starter though. I like it alot. It is the only other collar acceptable to wear with white tie other than the more common wingtip. I suggest if you have a short neck not to wear one, otherwise, do it.

Excellent, I'm rather glad I purchased one, then.

I take it you're refering to this type of collar?

Quite right. I suppose they went out of style some time after The Great War, as I've yet to come across anyone wearing one in photos of the era.

Here's the exact one I bought:

http://www.vintageshirt.co.uk/images/co101.jpg