The Morning Suit: Rules Rule

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 1952

Did 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.

Ungrateful Corduroy

This... (M Magazine - 1985)

and not this. (Esquire Magazine 1970)

A favorite of poor students and journalists everywhere.

Preferred gentile apparel at a Bar Mitzvah.

Patch pockets and double vents keep it interesting.

Half lining keeps it cool

J Press shirt with murky-logo origins.

Label is little help

Corduroy: This is the anglicized version of the French Corde du Roi, for the material was used on the jackets of the hunting livery of the servants of the Kings of France. It is interesting to note that, like cul-de-sac (which always makes the French laugh as it is very rude), it is never used by the French, who call it, velour cotele, which is exactly what it is, namely ribbed cotton velvet.

The Germans have an even more romatic name for it, namely "Manchester." Manchesterhosen to the German means corduroy slacks. It is in this latter form that it is mostly seen in our lives, and is of course very hardwearing. On a jacket the cloth is almost too "ungrateful" as the French would say, as it is too stiff to fall attractively or mold to the body. It is also extremely hot. Hardy Aimes, 'ABC of Men's Fashion'

Hardy knew goods and he nailed corduroy to the wall. I love the look of it but rarely wear my jacket because it's stiff and very warm. Having said that, it almost never fails to elicit a comment of praise by those mad about clothes. "Patch pocket and side vent on corduroy...most unusual." or, "Isn't it stiff and very warm" to which I reply, "I certainly hope so."

The goods are cheap so it warrants informal details. Unlike the '70s coat up there which is a better looking color and cut but loses footing with a zipper and flapped patch pockets (best left to the camel hair Polo coats).

I have been looking for that shade of green from the 'M' Magazine model for at least 20 years. I'm not sure if it's a color shift in the photo but that green does not seem to exist in corduroy or in nature. Maybe I need to dig around some velour cotele.