The London Lounge

Dear LL Members,

I've been invited to a wedding next year where the dress code is morning suit (no hats). I'm contemplating going bespoke but, before doing so, was looking for some advice / views on the extent to which there is flexibility on colours / patterns, specifically:
- Would plain midnight blue be acceptable for the coat?
- Could one get away with plain light grey trousers (flat-fronted, no turn-up) with a midnight blue coat, as opposed to the standard black/white stripped or puppy-tooth trousers?

Any views gratefully accepted.

Cheers,

BJS

Why midnight blue? Will you be wearing it in the evening many times?

Trousers are not a terrible place to economize, especially if you can find something with long rise and braces. The Brits might well have places where such things can be purchased off the shelf or MTO. If you have ambitions of re-using those elsewhere, perhaps the bottom half of a chalk-stripe suit or a glen plaid (no overcheck) might work. But tread carefully.

Stick with the traditional formal striped trousers and black barathea tails and waistcoat. It will be worn in daylight, so there isn’t any reason to go midnight blue. It’s a classic and timeless look. Avoid plaids and puppytooths so you don’t stick out like a sore thumb.

Definitely avoid plain grey odd trousers (it will look “off”

I would avoid anything other than black for the tailcoat. The material for mine is a very narrow herringbone (you'd need to look closely to notice).

The classic morning dress trouser material is grey & black stripe - long rise as mentioned and a black or grey waistcoat. Black with 'slips' (as worn by HM the King) is ultra formal. Monochrome tie.



If it's in the UK (specifically England*) and a family affair rather than something ultra-formal, then usually it's fine to wear the like of brocade waistcoats and check trousers. Remember it's the bride's big day, so maybe sound out her (& her mother's!) views before turning up like an explosion in a fop factory. More discreet enhancements might be a stiff white collar on a striped shirt? And in any event very - VERY - shiny shoes.




*The English affectation for loud waistcoats with morning dress comes from the questionable example set by the school dress of a certain english public school responsible for inflicting more prime ministers on the country than it perhaps should have done). It's currency is waning.

I agree...black tailcoat with gray trousers. Stick to traditional and you will get more use for other occasions.

Unless you see a few more occasions in the near future that calls for a morning suit in the near future, I certainly will not go bespoke.

Personally, I will keep it very classic if indeed you go bespoke or even off the rack.

P.S. Where is everybody? Will be great to see this forum lively again.

I know I'm in the trade, but I disagree. The best a man can look is in a well-cut morning suit or white tie and tails. The worst he can look is wearing a rental morning suit or white tie and tails!!

Leonard Logsdail wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:06 pm

I know I'm in the trade, but I disagree. The best a man can look is in a well-cut morning suit or white tie and tails. The worst he can look is wearing a rental morning suit or white tie and tails!!

Amen

Besides, we all know that wedding attire is infinitely re-usable.

Leonard Logsdail wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:06 pm

I know I'm in the trade, but I disagree. The best a man can look is in a well-cut morning suit or white tie and tails. The worst he can look is wearing a rental morning suit or white tie and tails!!

I would not disagree.

I think we all agree a man can look great in a morning suit, but at some point there is financial practicality concerns also, or maybe there isn't, I'm not sure.

A man cannot look so great with a morning suit just hanging in the wardrobe with no where to go.

P.S. Great to see many responses coming back though...

pur_sang wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:23 am

I think we all agree a man can look great in a morning suit, but at some point there is financial practicality concerns also, or maybe there isn't, I'm not sure.

A man cannot look so great with a morning suit just hanging in the wardrobe with no where to go.

P.S. Great to see many responses coming back though...

We're all adults and we each make our own choices. The choice to go bespoke for something as, perhaps, rarely worn as a morning suit is entirely personal. That you would not commission a bespoke suit is your choice; in a similar circumstance it might not be mine. There is no objective criteria.

Lots of hardly worn morning coats available from people like Savvy Row, if the budget is tight, BTW.

On the waistcoat, I'm surprised no one mentioned the compromise between garish ones and rather funereal black (at a wedding...).
Something in buff or light blue is festive but not garish.

I have contemplated a lot on the topic and often think about having a morning coat made knowing that it will never be worn, perhaps on a wedding day when I am lucky enough to plan for one (not the case yet). Nevertheless, my OCD personality would live much more calmly knowing that should the occasion arise, I would have the proper attire to go to a function. That’s the reason why I have a dinner suit which I have only worn once in 2 years of having it made.

For a wedding I would have a morning suit made from a grey wool fabric, similar to one I have seen by the Duke of Kent. It was beautiful and I feel somehow more appropriate for a wedding, the coat not being black. I have actually thought of making my mare fabric into morning dress.

For a formal function I would have a black feather weave jacket and waistcoat made with subtle piping on the edges of the lapel and cashmere striped trousers (not cashmere the fabric but the name). Additionally, I would have a dove gray and a light pink waistcoat made for the same outfit.

Mind you, I am sharing my aesthetic preference but have no experience wearing or owning morning dress.

Went for the classic grey linen DB waistcoat with large lapels and 6 grey MoP buttons that are closely spaced together and are stacked in a V shape vs horizontally (hope that makes sense/A&S style), black plain weave coat with piping (mohair vs silk as not as stiff/shiny) and cashmere striped trousers, very high waisted. Proportion and subtlety are everything with morning suits in my opinion. If someone could explain how I could post photos would be happy to share!