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musings on men's formal wear from the creator of The Black Tie Guide
Browsing All posts tagged under »tailcoat«
White Tie at the Holy See
It’s rare enough for White Tie to be worn to any diplomatic occasion these days but rarer still to see it worn as per Vatican protocol: in broad daylight and with a black waistcoat. The replacement of the usual white waistcoat may well be related to the proscription of white dresses at papal audiences for any woman other […]
Vienna Balls Dress Codes
February 7, 2013
While writing a recent post on Vienna’s famous balls I stumbled across a remarkable booklet called DRESSCODES that is devoted entirely to the dress etiquette for these affairs. I say “remarkable” because in an age where vulgarity and slovenliness is increasingly fashionable, Vienna’s social leaders have the audacity to suggest that people hold themselves to […]
Up Close: The Hidden Tailcoat Pocket
February 4, 2013
Like other rarefied details of bygone formal tailoring such as shirt-front trouser tabs and authentic trouser braiding, I have long wished to see an actual example of pockets hidden inside a tailcoat’s tails. From The Black Tie Guide: “In company, as little as possible should be borne in pockets of the coat ; indeed, a full-dress coat […]
The Shawl-Collared Tailcoat
July 24, 2012
The shawl collar is normally associated with the informal smoking jacket or semi-formal dinner jacket so it’s surprising to learn that it has occasionally been featured on full-dress tailcoats dating back to the Victorian era. In 1866 The Gazette of Fashion noted that the “rolling collar” had become the most stylish type of lapel on […]
All the Trimmings
June 18, 2012
Most people are familiar with the use of lapel facings to add flair to a tuxedo but likely few are aware that the jacket’s collar and cuffs can be used for this purpose as well. The history of formalwear trimmings can be traced back to the first evening tailcoats produced during the English Regency. They […]
Royal Refinement
February 6, 2012
Today marks the 60th anniversary of the Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne, an exciting and historic moment for me as a Canadian and a monarchist. To mark the occasion I thought I would pay tribute to the men in her family who demonstrate regularly how conventional formal wear continues to be the height […]
High Rollers: Black Tie & Baccarat
February 5, 2012
I recently rented In Time, a science-fiction thriller where lifespan is traded like currency and the working class majority are exploited by a privileged elite whose members have become virtually immortal. The story’s downtrodden protagonist gains access to this upper echelon by joining a high-stakes poker game at a tony casino. How do we know […]
Flashback: New Year’s Eve 1939
December 31, 2011
I’ve pretty much given up trying to find New Year’s Eve events in Toronto that are formal enough to merit black tie. Instead I have to settle for imagining the tony affairs of years past such as the one described in this Esquire pictorial on the cusp of 1940: If you’re really intent on ringing […]
Symphony in Black and White
November 8, 2011
A number of Guide readers have asked about the correlation between symphony orchestras and formal wear and while I have not yet found an academic analysis, I do have my own opinions based on my research to date. In the 15th and 16th centuries, small orchestras entertained guests of nobility at their private homes then […]
March 22, 2013
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