Vol. II No. II (Feb 06') Nothing but...Tails

[Leon]

The last "item" that was brought to mind was that a really good boiled shirt will have a small loop just below the neckband at the back through which the tie is threaded to prevent the band of the bowtie from riding up the collar. I have several vintage shirts with this feature but have not seen it on any modern shirts.

This loop has been forgotten by all manufacturers of wing-collar-attached shirts. Moreover, their collars are miserably mean in height, which only encourages the bow to ride up.

So, if you want a wing collar, it has to be a stiff separate one, with all the bother of front and back studs.

Leon

[TVD]

To me that "bother" is a great pleasure. All of that traditional stuff makes such good sense. It is stiff were it needs strength and soft where flexibility is required. Smooth surfaces add crispness, matt and soft ones liveliness and movement, the two balance each other and create the beauty of the whole.

We should not forget that our ancestors had more than one hundred years from the first emergence of the black evening dress to perfect it. Thousands of men changed into it daily, every evening, to go out and compare and compete who looked best. Like the evolution of species recognised by Darwin, we should understand that some rules are not only a matter of fashion, but good sense. The best did win.

Today those without knowledge, experience, or proper understanding propose modifications that have not been tried and tested, in fact would lose out every time against some of those "unmodern" features.

I must not go into details (one would get blackballed from one's club etc.) but my evening dress survived the most rakish of antics and still looked unconcerned and elegant (what cannot be said about its contents).

I really think it is a duty to impose tails on society as often as possible.

[jcusey]

Hard have been the trials of those seeking ease in wearing the formal evening shoe—the pump. Exact fit is essential in the wearing of the pump, and even then the tendency to catch at the instep uncomfortably and the looseness at the heel have discouraged the otherwise strong in heart. The majority have fallen back on the conventional patent leather shoe.* Pictured here for the first time is a new dress shoe which combines the formality of the pump with the comfort of the ordinary patent leather shoe.** Side stitching has been omitted, and a single one piece of patent leather has been modeled upon appropriately light soles to fit the foot securely and correctly. The pinch of the pump has been altogether avoided, achieving the ease of the brogue.

* Observe this traditional patent leather oxford through the link below. From John Lobb UK website.

Traditional Patent Leather Oxford

**Here a picture of “new” dress shoe was presented which was quite similar to the one in the link below. Sadly, my book picture is water damaged and presenting the original picture will not be of much use. Use this link below to head to John Lobb US website. Then click on Ready-to-wear, then Oxford and then Classic. It is the Dickens model that I want you to observe.

John Lobb US

The shoe in AA is exactly like the Dickens model from Lobb, except of the curved stitching line… AA’s version was with straight “U” shaped stitching around the throat area. It was in patent leather with flat silk laces.

I realize that I'm nine months late to the party, but a recent post on another forum brought this section of Etutee's article to mind. What are the membership's thoughts for this wholecut patent oxford with U-shaped stitching around the throat? I like the Dickens shoe from John Lobb Paris, although I am not sure that I would like it as well in patent leather.

[Teacher]

Etuttee, great article as always. You noted on another of these that the next intallment may take some time due to your life circumstances. While it would be selfish of us to ask you to hurry, I will say that I (and, I think, the rest of us) can't wait!

jcusey, while not traditional, I find the wholecut to be a wonderful shoe for white tie and black tie. It's clean, sleek lines echo those of the opera pump (in its uninterrupted surface, that is). In fact, I dislike the opera pump because I find the bow too much of a stark interruption; the wholecut's throat is less obvious. Just look at the first picture in this thread and notice that the gentleman is wearing plain cap-toe bals (my shoe of choice for black tie, actually)!