We've come a long way (photo Men's Wearhouse)
She's seen the future (from Trad Private Collection)
A Gentleman's Wardrobe by Paul Keer 1987 (click to read)
ABC of Men's Fashion by Hardy Aimes 1964 & 2o07 (click to read)
Duke of Windsor's Morning Suit from Sotheby's Auction Catalog
Gentry Magazine Summer 1952Did you get all that? It's not difficult. Morning Dress is worn during the day. Before 5PM and not after 7PM. Most Morning Coats will have a peak lapel but Brooks Brothers sells a Golden Fleece Morning Suit with notch lapel. Not sure why that is. The tails of the coat should end close to the break of the knee.
Trousers are wool and I recommend you buy as light a wool as you can find. A Morning Suit can get pretty warm. Waistcoats are offered in linen as well. Boots work well and you don't have to sweat the color of socks. I'm just not into seeing socks with these trousers -- Checked or striped.
An earlier comment suggested a shirt with detachable collar. They do look better but I gave my only one away. Check out Keezers in Boston, Hornets in London and eBay (including the UK) for significant savings. You can buy decent kit for what it could cost to rent that train wreck up there from Men's Wearhouse.
Will it sit in the back of your closet collecting dust? Mine does, but I know it's there and that's comforting. When my boss is chewing my ass off I can lean back in my chair and think of my Morning Suit while I contemplate his Cole Haan kilties and my new found poverty.
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13 comments:
Bravo.
Wonderful vision to see when looking into the abyss.. Humm, now the next time I have to go to a thing, think about something else when the conversation goes south.
LMF.
O were I ever to have the occassion to wear this. Now overalls, I have occassion to wear overalls... I need to change that.
Love that last paragraph. Brilliant!
Love the last paragraph. It's all about your perspective, isn't it? Also love the image of the woman who's seen 'the future'. Think I'd take her dress from 'the past' any day.
Good advice all round. Only tricky thing is the time constraints. If it's a daytime wedding, but the reception/wedding breakfast runs into the evening, then I say that morning dress is still fine. I've also had a few late nights after Ascot where I'm still in morning dress long after the sun went down - maybe not ideal, but nothing wrong with that.
Sir Flutter- Goes without saying. Every Morning Coat wedding I went to (sans my own - a Stroller btw) went way into the PM.
Thanks for that Tintin.
However, the opposite situation doesn't work for evening dress. Wearing a dinner jacket at 3pm for an event that runs into the evening is just plain wrong (apologies to the many weddings I've attended in the US where people did exactly that).
Most weddings I've been to in the states are black tie at noon or 1PM with guests in cargo shorts (I shit you not), polo shirts and Oakley sunglasses on the top of their head. This is inside the church. Things usually deteriorate from there at the reception.
You can't be serious...What morons wear black tie to weddings before 6pm?
Yes it is sad that we have generally the U.S. is chock full of Philistines that have no clue that one does not wear Black tie before 5 p.m....we see tons of weddings here at which the wedding party is in black tie..or some formal shop's bastardized half-assed Academy award Hollywood black shirt nightmare version of same. It is truly pathetic.
Main Line- "half-assed Academy award Hollywood black shirt nightmare" I call it, the Philly Tux.
Speaking of Philistines... Took my son to rent a tuxedo for his upcoming Prom (would have considered buying one, but he is off to Annapolis in the fall and will be sporting uniforms for awhile). The guy at the shop pointed us to the books laden with orange and lime green vests and four-in-hands and four button extra long jackets. I told him we were interested in a single breasted, single button peak lapel number. Way back in the book to find one of those. When he put a jacket on my son for measure, I told him the sleeves were too long as they went all the way to the base of his thumbs. I told him to make sure some shirt sleeve showed. His reply "No one does that anymore. That is more of a military thing." Nonsense, said I and pointed to the picture in the catalog that actually showed a proper fit. Didn't have the heart to mention that shirt sleeves definitely do not show in properly fitted USMC uniforms (my experience). Yes, we are sliding down a slippery slope. I wonder when we'll hit bottom...
It doesn't happen very often but morning dress is really one of the best things for a guy to wear, a bit like the tux, so you want to make the best of the opportunity. A few observations. Yes, as you suggest don't get a coat in too heavy a material as it can get hot. On the other hand the pants should be in a reasonably heavy material if you want a good drape with a cuffless bottom; and they should not be too long, no puddles on your shoes, the guy in your pic has it perfectly. Waistcoats grey, buff or cream DB. Shirts, striped with detachable collar, the soft collar looks like a limp you know what. Ties, Black or silver or some combination thereof look best so resist the temptation of colors. Black oxfords.
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