Who Else Wants To Dress To Impress?

May 5th, 2011 by savvyclub

Dear friends of The SaVVy Club©

So much of our fashion industry nowadays is aimed at women, but – as David Cameron was recently reminded – it’s just as important for men to take an interest in their sartorial style. In today’s blog I’d like to look at traditional formal dress codes for men, and offer some guidelines for choosing the right apparel for the event you are attending.

Full evening dress (US: ‘white tie’) involves a black tailcoat. It is worn unbuttoned, leaving the front partly uncovered, with a starched white linen handkerchief in the breast pocket The trousers have a double row of braid down the outside leg, and colour-match the tailcoat. A (laced) pair of black patent shoes completes the look.

With this, one should wear a starched white Marcella shirt (with a separate starched wing collar) held with dress studs (never buttons) and cuff links at the wrists. It is finished off with a broad white bow tie, always hand-tied. The waistcoat is again white, starched, and preferably Marcella. In cold weather a black overcoat, worn with a white silk scarf, or a red silk-lined cape, may be worn.

‘Black tie’ (US: ‘tuxedo’, or sometimes ‘dinner jacket’) means, despite the name, a white dinner jacket in summer (May-August), though a black at all other times. It may be single- or double-breasted. The trousers have a single row of braid down the outside leg. The shoes are again black patent, but the shirt is now soft, not starched, with dress studs or a ‘fly-front’ (but again, never buttons). The collar can be turn-down, wing, separate or attached. The tie itself is of course black, and hand-tied. The breast pocket handkerchief may be either starched linen or white silk. A black or coloured silk cummerbund is in order, and, if worn with the folds suitably arranged, can be of assistance with small culinary items mislaid en route to the mouth.

Morning dress (sometimes ‘morning day’, or, more distressingly, ‘Morning Coat’)
This is the typical dress code for weddings and other significant occasions such as memorial services. The coat is usually single-breasted and black, but for outdoor events such as Ascot, grey is often preferred.

The trousers will be dark-grey and black-striped, or small black-and-white check (so-called ‘spongebag’), but always grey if the coat is. The shoes are polished, not patent, and laced. The shirt is white, the collar white, separate and starched. A grey, or discreetly patterned tie, or perhaps a cravat, is worn under a grey waistcoat, ideally crossed by a gold watch chain.

A black morning coat is worn over this, and a vintage black silk (or grey felt) top hat can be added for a traditional touch. Gloves, if provided, are carried in one hand, but never worn. A silver-topped cane completes the ensemble.

So now, gentlemen, you’ve no excuse not to look your best!