The Mess Jacket

[Guille]

There is something about formalwear that is fascinating, and it is the fact that it never stops surprising you, even though its object is (was) not at all to surprise, but to follow the rules. Searching about black tie on the web, I came across the mess jacket. It was a tailless tailcoat, an early form of hot weather black tie, before white, off-white and Burma colours became acceptable for hot weather dinner jackets in black tie occasions. It was adopted for the first time in 1933 from the military formalwear or mess dress, which is still in vigour for some countries' armies. According to the Esquire Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men’s Fashions (a book that I’ll definitely end up owning) the jackets were “made in white linen or cotton gabardine and worn with high-waisted lightweight black dress trousers, a stiff-bosom shirt, a narrow cummerbund in black, bright red, or dark blue, a wing collar, and a black butterfly bow tie.” (as quoted in blactieguide.com). Notice that mess jackets were always white, without variation. The disappearance of the mess jacket by 1936 is explained on the same web page “The reasons for the jacket’s short-lived popularity were twofold. Its primary shortcoming was that the cut was unbecoming to anyone with a less-than athletic build. Its second drawback was that its instant rise to popularity quickly made it a standard uniform for bellhops and jazz bands.” By that year, the aforementioned white, off-white and Burma coloured dinner jackets had become mainstream in places like Palm Beach. I love the look of the jacket and wish it had not vanished as a black tie alternative. However, we can still admire it as a reflection of the elegance of another time.

A photograph depicting two men wearing mess jackets. The one with shawl lapes, red cummerbund and midnight blue trousers is a more informal version to the nearer man, wearing peak lapels with black cummerbund and trousers.
http://www.blacktieguide.com/History/19 ... ts_DTM.jpg


A photograph of a store in palm beach depicting a white dinner jacket and a mess jacket.
http://www.blacktieguide.com/History/19 ... detail.jpg

[icevic]

If I had a picture of my (former) regimental mess jacket in purple and trousers in green, you would not be so enamoured with it. And you are correct that the combination of short jacket and high waisted pants accents a protruding belly.

[Guille]

If I had a picture of my (former) regimental mess jacket in purple and trousers in green, you would not be so enamoured with it. And you are correct that the combination of short jacket and high waisted pants accents a protruding belly.

Yeah well, it happens a lot that civil versions of military clothing are much more elegant. Not only the mess jacket but the guard's coat is also a good example.

I've reasently noticed that in some restaurants (particularly in those which are traditional and expensive) the waiters sport white mess jacket still. But there is a mile from their look to the style of the illustration.

[RWS]

When I was a boy, my West-Pointer father often wore mess dress -- the military mess jacket -- and, despite being handsome and athletic (ah, some things we don't inherit!), wasn't enhanced by it in his appearance.

I really believe that nearly all men look much better in full evening dress or even dinner jacket. But perhaps I've been influenced by seeing too many bellhops and waiters!

[Guille]

When I was a boy, my West-Pointer father often wore mess dress -- the military mess jacket -- and, despite being handsome and athletic (ah, some things we don't inherit!), wasn't enhanced by it in his appearance.

I really believe that nearly all men look much better in full evening dress or even dinner jacket. But perhaps I've been influenced by seeing too many bellhops and waiters!

I think the military mess dress is just not the same as the black tie mess jacket. There are some differences that make the civil form a much more elegant one.

Well I would never put the mess jacket against the tailcoat. Nor against the dinner jacket. But against a white dinner jacket, it does count as a good alternative (I'm not saying it should replace it, only that some could wear it amongst a mass of white dinner jackets and look outstandigly handsome).

[RWS]

. . . . [A]gainst a white dinner jacket, [the mess jacket] . . . does count as a good alternative (I'm not saying it should replace it, only that some could wear it amongst a mass of white dinner jackets and look outstandigly handsome).

Well, I can't argue with that!