The London Lounge

Thanks everyone for your input.

The student did not indicate which college he was associated with. I was able to determine he was British only by his .co.uk email domain. Sounds like the best bet is to contact the college in question.

A British college student has been invited to an event that calls for "academic black tie" and has asked me for a definition of the dress code. I'm afraid I've never heard of it and although I could simply tell him to contact the event host for clarification I would like to know myself what this mea...

Besides the fact that the scarlet tailcoat is only for very specific ceremonial roles as people have mentioned, the caption on that image says "tuxedo coat with tails". Similar terminology is used in a Robb Report review of recent Purple Label formal wear ( http://robbreport.com/Fashion/Formal-Educa...

I agree that your posts are invaluable but they are also largely inaccessible and that's where my suggestion lies. Discussion boards such as these are wonderful places for temporary discussions that are intended to fade into oblivion relatively quickly. However, the information you have spent so muc...

Concordia wrote:But where does everyone else change?

According to the Emily Post books, mlae guests wear dark suits to both day and evening weddings when they are semiformal.

See Manton's thread on this-- it speaks volumes about what is commonly done and properly done. Thanks for the suggestion. I had skimmed through that thread before but previously missed the paragraph that answered my question: "It’s actually covered in old etiquette books. And the rule was, if the w...

The traditional rules are quite clear cut regarding semi-formal dress for afternoon weddings (Morning Dress) and evening weddings (Black Tie). However, I have not been able to find guidelines for the popular (North American) custom of combining an afternoon ceremony with an evening reception. I woul...

That would be an incredible gift to the sartorial community. It can't replicate the experience of browsing the actual magazines and touching authentic fabric samples from the golden age of fashion but it sure beats viewing the nearly illegible microfiche copies that are available to most people luck...

I discuss the difference between Americand and British attitudes towards black tie shirt collars on my site at www.blacktieguide.com. You may find some useful information there.

Peter