The London Lounge

Prior to the 1930s were white-tie waistcoats (and ties) made with marcella or were they made of i.e. starched cotton linen (just like the shirt bib)?

Thanks

Croonborg (1907) gives the option of piqué or linen for both tie and waistcoat. I presume the white tie has never been plain cotton when in its current shape (the Regency shirts and ties were very loose, with ballooning quantities of white everywhere).

NCW (sorry yet again...)

In some museum somewhere (probably either the Metropolitan or the V&A, but I don't clearly remember which), I've seen a handsome linen damask waistcoat cut in the nineteenth century for evening dress.

But don't try this at home! The damask clearly was made for a waistcoat, judging by the pattern and its size.

RWS

Anonymous wrote:In some museum somewhere (probably either the Metropolitan or the V&A, but I don't clearly remember which), I've seen a handsome linen damask waistcoat cut in the nineteenth century for evening dress.

But don't try this at home! The damask clearly was made for a waistcoat, judging by the pattern and its size.

RWS

I am sure that there were various materials - above is mentioned damask and satin also featured - before marcella became the standard.
NJS

A further reply is being put in the Retrocentrics' thread.
NJS

Well, yes. It really depends on what you mean by 'pre 1930s white tie'. The less formal undress variants involving elements of white tie, or Victorian coloured outfits, are I assume not at the top of the original poster's mind if the two alternatives he is thinking of are marcella and starched cotton.
NCW