The London Lounge

Here is an extract from Trendell (1921):

[img][img]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg55 ... ge-2-1.jpg[/img]

From this it is clear that, by 1921, marcella had become the Court's choice for vests - presumably, although licence was allowed, marcella was also the choice for tie and shirt. One might also notice that 'notched' collar and lapel is the term employed to distinguish a shawl collar and lapel - rather than a step collar/lapel. Moreover, it is clear that, in the most formal of settings in 1921, a blue coat and black breeches or trousers (as in Brummells' prescription), were still the order of the day.
NJS[/img]

I'm assuming that by "dark blue" they mean some sort of almost black, midnight blue?

I am sure that this is right - although, as mentioned in another thread, Henry Poole's order book entry for Ed VII's smoking jacket describes it as 'blue'.
NJS

Indeed, blue was a popular Regency colour, and was the longest-lasting in normal use of the early Victorian chromatic range. Could it have survived all the way through to the 1920s in court in some ceremonial uniforms as a proper blue (not merely a Duke-of-Windsoresque approximation to black)?

Incidentally, while on the topic, marcella was invented to hold more starch than plain cotton. Do you starch your marcella ties? I do not, but have heard of it being done to get a tighter, crisper knot. In this case, would you iron in some folds at the centre to achieve this?

Pardon me, but could you kindly rephrase the following sentence, Sir?

"One might also notice that 'notched' collar and lapel is the term employed to distinguish a shawl collar and lapel - rather than a step collar/lapel."

Is a 'step collar/lapel' a notch lapel?

And I thought a jacket with a shawl collar has no lapel.

storeynicholas wrote: ...<snie>...
From this it is clear that, by 1921, marcella had become the Court's choice for vests - presumably, although licence was allowed, marcella was also the choice for tie and shirt. One might also notice that 'notched' collar and lapel is the term employed to distinguish a shawl collar and lapel - rather than a step collar/lapel. Moreover, it is clear that, in the most formal of settings in 1921, a blue coat and black breeches or trousers (as in Brummells' prescription), were still the order of the day.
NJS