Prom Suit?

[Ugarte]

I was actually leaning towards the waistcoat more, and perhaps a champagne colored pocket square, as it is the color of my date's gown.

I'd say that would work as long as it doesn't fight with your flowers.

Don't forget to post pics.

Mark
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[Mr. Turner]

I just hate it when opinion of style conflict with each other. I read through the Formal Wear Primer here, and with the small debate on the cummerbund going on in this thread, I'm at odds about what to get, once again.

All I can find are tailcoats that show a small amount of the the waistcoat peeking out through the bottom, or one must go away with the waistcoat and use a cummerbund instead.

Ahh, the agony!

 

[Ugarte]

All I can find are tailcoats that show a small amount of the the waistcoat peeking out through the bottom, or one must go away with the waistcoat and use a cummerbund instead.

Ahh, the agony!

I was thumbing through the catalogs at a formalwear boutique a couple of weeks ago (my daughter was buying a Maypole dress) and I noticed that every tail coat in the catalog showed the vest peaking beneath the jacket.

I don't know what to tell you. This looks dopey compared the prescribed way of wearing those items, and the vest is adjustable. It's not like they got the size of the vest wrong!

My advice -- get the waistcoat and wear it properly.

But don't let me stop you from doing what you want. There's a difference between fashion and style.

Mark
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[DerMann]

This reminds me of the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. I walk by it everyday:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-83862103788427_1997_1543726

To be perfectly honest, I do not think it looks *that* bad.

If you do get a tailcoat, get this waistcoat:

http://www.clermontdirect.com/product_info.php?cPath=47&products_id=132

I have the exact one, and it's very high quality, perfect for tails. I originally bought one from thetuxxman off of eBay (which I'm fighting to get my money back for :rage: ) and the cut was too high, the buttons were cheap, the pockets did not work and were off to the side of the waistcoat. Backless is kind of nice, as it allows for a bit more freedom in size, and it'll keep you a bit cooler.

 

[Josephine]

All I can find are tailcoats that show a small amount of the the waistcoat peeking out through the bottom, or one must go away with the waistcoat and use a cummerbund instead.

No cummerbund with a tailcoat, only a waistcoat!

 

[Ugarte]

No cummerbund with a tailcoat, only a waistcoat!

She's absolutely correct.

Give the lady a cigar!


Mark
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[Bugsy]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only a white waistcoat with tails.

 

[Edward]

I was thumbing through the catalogs at a formalwear boutique a couple of weeks ago (my daughter was buying a Maypole dress) and I noticed that every tail coat in the catalog showed the vest peaking beneath the jacket.

I don't know what to tell you. This looks dopey compared the prescribed way of wearing those items, and the vest is adjustable. It's not like they got the size of the vest wrong!

This came up in a discussion a few months ago - I forget the thread. Best explanation we could come up with was that over time asitcoats have lowered with trousers waists, while the cut of the tailcoat has remained high. The look doesn't really bother me - it seems fine in my eyes - but I know what you mean, and with proper vintage-cut trousers it would be nice to have a higher cut waistcoat.

Hat -- Of course. With tails, a top hat would be best, but you might be able to pull off a Homburg. On second thought, topper or nothing. And if you go for the top hat, white gloves would be a nice touch. Given these accessories, it might be possible to rethink prohibition on the walking stick above.

There are various opinions around here on whether a top hat looks good with a short jacket, as in black tie - I prefer it with tails only, while others, including Metropd like a top hat with a shorter jacket. Horses for courses, really. When it comes to tails, however, a top hat is the only "correct" option. If you're going to a venue where there might not be a claok room - or they're not used to hats - I might opt for an opera hat (collapsible top hat) as IMO they are slightly less prone to damage in the collapsed state than a fixed top hat. As a bonus, vintage opera hats also seem to be significantly cheaper than top hats. When it is being worn, most folks are unlikely to be able to spot the difference.

Bowtie -- Black. Either cross grain or satin to match your lapel facings. Self-tie is far superior to anything else. A different cravat my be permissible (formal cravats look good with tails IMHO. Check Edward's avatar).

I think we need to clarify here..... have I misread, or has the thread starter elected to go for evening tails? If it is tails, a black tie would be a major faux pas - evening tails worn with a black bow tie (and black waistcoat) are known as "grey tie," an outfit which was the evening wear 'uniform' for male servants (waiters, butlers, and the like) back in the day. The gentleman shouls only ever wear the correct white waistcoat and a white bow tie with evening tails. The most correct bow tie is the white cotton marcella option, matching the waistcoat, though if you want to throw convention to the wind, I've also seen white silk look good. Purely a personal opinion, but I tend to feel that coloured bow ties look plain tacky with tails.

I've never seen a cravat worn with evening wear, only morning wear (a la my current avatar), but if you wanted to hearken back to an eariler period - early 19th Century? - a white bow-cravat might be interesting.

As always, you can choose to follow the "rules" or not.... style is always personal. In my opinion, there's nothing sharper than white tie and tails done "right," but your mileage may vary.

fftopic:
What would your teenage Trotskyite say about your avatar? lol

Go with a one button peak lapel tuxedeo and black bowtie. Always classy.

lol Horrified, no doubt. But hey... I'm still red on the inside.

That's my favourite variation on the black tie ensemble, though I've developed a whole new affection for the 40s style 4x1 db equivalent. Less formal, if we're being strict, but cuts a great dash nonetheless (plus if you get a good bargain on the suit, not needing to spend on a waistcoat or cummerbund is a bonus. ).

 

[dhermann1]

I recently got a waistcoat, and I must say, it's a lot more comfortable and easy to wear. Wearing a cummerbund with only a little bit of a tummy ( ) makes the cummerbund like to squirm around like crazy, not to mention ride up. Annoying.

 

[Feraud]

I am going to try the waistcoat look one of these days.

 

[Josephine]

She's absolutely correct.

Give the lady a cigar!


Mark
.

::blushes:: heehee! lol Trolling the Formal Wear Primer and Midnight Blue's site has paid off!

 

[Josephine]

Wearing a cummerbund with only a little bit of a tummy ( ) makes the cummerbund like to squirm around like crazy, not to mention ride up. Annoying.

That's why all the "best" cummerbunds have a little loop on the inner side to button to the trousers.

 

[Mr. Turner]

Well, I ended up renting a tux, but I may dish out the money to buy one of the same style from the store I'm renting from after prom. (My parents paid for the rental, so I didn't push it).

I tried it on a little while ago, but the pants were about an inch and a half too short, so they sent it over to the seamstress next door and I can pick it up tomorrow.

Saturday is prom, so I will probably put up pictures of my date and myself sometime on Sunday.


For a while, I thought I had the best-looking date for prom, turns out, after seeing the tux on me, she has the best-looking date. =P

 

[Mr. Turner]

Well, here is my tux.

I'm the large man on the left, with Genevieve being my date.

Then it's Bella, a foreign exchange student, and then James, basically my greatest friend.

 

[DerMann]

Glad it turned out!

Good job on the wing tipped collar, most people these days wear the tips over the bow-tie.

What time was that picture taken? I only ask because my prom group has committed the faux pas of supping at 5:30PM and taking photos at 4:00PM. I jokingly told the girl in charge of the group that I'd now have to obtain a morning suit, take pictures, and change before dinner

I actually just finished waxing up my mother's 1968 Ford Mustang for next Saturday (our Promenade is later I suppose), and I'm really looking forward to the event. Absolutely lovely motorcar. Candy apple red, 289 Windsor V8, black interior, coupe - the perfect Mustang.

I get my trousers and shirt (too short, had to add fabric to the sleeve D: ) back from the tailor's this Thursday, so when I try everything on, I'll get a quick picture. Now that I think of it, it's going to take a while to get everything on. I do wish I had a valet.

 

[Spiffy]

How's this for sheer variety of tuxedos, from all the guys who rode in the limo when I went to prom.

It's like the tuxedo store threw up on my front lawn!

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Well, I ended up renting a tux, but I may dish out the money to buy one of the same style from the store I'm renting from after prom. (My parents paid for the rental, so I didn't push it).

Talk to the store manager - you MIGHT get him to cut you a deal on the tux you rented...and it would already be altered to your size. Try the "I did really like the fit of that tux...but I guess there's always Ebay, too," when you talk to him - don't appear TOO anxious. Go back a time or two if he doesn't give you a good deal the first time.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

How's this for sheer variety of tuxedos, from all the guys who rode in the limo when I went to prom.

It's like the tuxedo store threw up on my front lawn!

Yeah, well, if it threw up on the front lawn...I'd say it's because it couldn't stomach that number on the left...skunk stripe lapels? What was the manufacturer thinking? [huh]

"But I stand apart from the crowd!" "Uh, no, I think the crowd's standing apart from YOU!"

 

[Spiffy]

Ha! I think....but I can't be sure....they might have matched his date's dress as well.

 

[Mr. Turner]

Glad it turned out!

Good job on the wing tipped collar, most people these days wear the tips over the bow-tie.

What time was that picture taken? I only ask because my prom group has committed the faux pas of supping at 5:30PM and taking photos at 4:00PM. I jokingly told the girl in charge of the group that I'd now have to obtain a morning suit, take pictures, and change before dinner

I actually just finished waxing up my mother's 1968 Ford Mustang for next Saturday (our Promenade is later I suppose), and I'm really looking forward to the event. Absolutely lovely motorcar. Candy apple red, 289 Windsor V8, black interior, coupe - the perfect Mustang.

I get my trousers and shirt (too short, had to add fabric to the sleeve D: ) back from the tailor's this Thursday, so when I try everything on, I'll get a quick picture. Now that I think of it, it's going to take a while to get everything on. I do wish I had a valet.

Thank you!

That picture was taken at about...1:00P.M. and yes, I told the girl who sold me my ticket the same thing(concerning the morning suit).

I was going to take my brother's 1972 Corvette-Red Chevy pick-up, but alas, he had it shipped down to Arizona earlier in the year, before I knew I was going to prom. Not that it matters, we had a limo. =D

I also had so many people (notably females) tell me that blue doesn't go well with champagne, I insisted that they give me a chance, and I proved them all wrong. In fact, I had many of those same girls come up to me and tell me how wonderful the colours did look together.

Also, it was about...45 degrees that day, and very windy, my jacket did not stay on me for very long...and I'm pretty sure I was one of the few who offered my jacket away to my date. Darn rude boys.