Grey Suit/White Tie Chimera...

[edwardsnow]

I was walking past the YSL store on Sloane Street in London and noticed a mannequin dressed in a slim grey, 3 piece suit, with a white wing collar evening shirt and white bow tie. The combination struck me as strange, but thinking about it more am intrigued, may I ask what people think? Horrified? Love it?

[rodes]

Horrified.

[Costi]

It may have been the phantom of count Robert de Montesquiou...

Very dandyish, but defunct, along with the fashion of his days - and I doubt he would have worn a white bow tie to this.
I wonder what he was doing chez YSL...

[storeynicholas]

White tie is part of certain academic dress (Eton Pop; Oxford and Cambridge and some Scottish Universities and Scottish advocates wear white tie (not bands) in Court) but I agree: what is it doing in Yves St L's window?

[ay329]

During the 2 world wars, attempts were made to use grey, charcoal and navy as an alternative to black (as this was successfully done with morning coats), but this was nixxed when the Duke of Windsor commissioned his white tie with midnight blue barathea wool.

Thus midnight blue was viewed as the only respectable alternative for evening dress

Perhaps a number of designers, like YSL are trying to herald the death of evening dress by convincing the RTW consumer that a 3 piece grey suit is appropriate for evening wear (especially when mated with a white tie and evening shirt). Especially because the customer can then use the same suit during the day

I disagree...but amongst my colleagues who refuse to wear black tie at formal events, a navy suit, white shirt and dark tie is the standard uniform for evening events amongst lawyers in Los Angeles