A question of vents...

[DFR]

I recently managed to get around to viewing the DVD set of Jeeves and Wooster...marvellous set...and enjoying the wonderful humour, and especially Hugh Laurie's clothes in character as Bertie.

I noticed that he almost always wears a double breasted suit with a waistcoat when in town. And all his suits seem to be vent-less. I thought that traditional English coats had side vents and going ventless was an European affectation.

Would learned members please enlighten? Much thanks.

Fashions were different but this performance would reflect the wardrobe Mistresses' views on what was appropriate so don't take it as more than that without evidence

[RWS]

"David" was, I've read, the name by which the long-time Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII (and, still later, Duke of Windsor), was known to his intimates.

Hey, when you've half a dozen given names to choose from . . . .

[dopey]

Ah right, pocket billiards...of course you are right, Happy to note that the royals take great care not to put their hands in their pockets...but their coats do sport double vents, eh, both Charles and David.

Putting hands in the suitcoat hip pockets was a noted Windsor habit. Prince Charles does this all the time, as did the Duke of Windsor. I have not noticed whether or not the youngest Windsor boys do it too.

[JMurphy]

Slightly OT but I'd like to say that I can think of no film or TV productions of literary work that so well capture the spirit of the original material as do the episodes of Jeeves and Wooster as portrayed by Fry and Laurie. I'm a long-time, albeit casual, fan of Plum--as well as Fry and Laurie and find the shows delightful, old chum. Almost as fun as Fawlty Towers.

[pchong]

True, from my observation, both Windsor (yes, he is the David I was referring to) and Charles tended to put their hand in the besom coat pockets rather than those of their trousers. Perhaps this makes them look more regal?

BTW, I agree that although the cast wore clothes prescribed by the wardrobe mistress/master, this series is particularly helpful in identifying the style of the day.



Note waistcoat with Bertie's DB, and interestingly correct form of stroller for Jeeves. And Bertie was always in tweeds in the country, and black tie for dinner.

Putting hands in the suitcoat hip pockets was a noted Windsor habit. Prince Charles does this all the time, as did the Duke of Windsor. I have not noticed whether or not the youngest Windsor boys do it too.

[townie]

Judging from old photographs and films, the unvented coat seems to have been the norm until well into the post-war period. For example, in 1960 the famous grey suit worn by Cary Grant in "North by Northwest" was ventless. In the first James Bond film in 1962, "Dr. No", M wears an unvented suit as do most of the other characters such as Strangways. James Bond, younger and a bit of a maverick, wears double-vented suits suggesting that even in 1962 this was something of an innovation. The smooth unvented approach still has its advocates though, such as Benjamin Schwartz of the Atlantic Monthly. The choice seems to be a purely, perhaps intensely, personal matter.

[pchong]

Slightly OT but I'd like to say that I can think of no film or TV productions of literary work that so well capture the spirit of the original material as do the episodes of Jeeves and Wooster as portrayed by Fry and Laurie. I'm a long-time, albeit casual, fan of Plum--as well as Fry and Laurie and find the shows delightful, old chum. Almost as fun as Fawlty Towers.

Hear Hear!

To celebrate, here are a few pictures, lifted from the disk set...sorry not very high quality pictures:

[alden]

David?

Also known as "The Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland."

Popularly referred to as David, The Duke of Windsor.

[pchong]

um...the Duke's DB overcoat is buttoned right panel over left? Isn't this the ladies way to button up?

[oscarsfan]

um...the Duke's DB overcoat is buttoned right panel over left? Isn't this the ladies way to button up?

Good eye!
The waistcoat of the gentleman behind him too and the lady is writing with her left hand. Looks like the negative (remember those things) got flipped.

-

[Cufflink79]

um...the Duke's DB overcoat is buttoned right panel over left? Isn't this the ladies way to button up?

Good eye!
The waistcoat of the gentleman behind him too and the lady is writing with her left hand. Looks like the negative (remember those things) got flipped.

-

Also notice the breast pockets on both of the gentleman's coats as well.

I see this all the time in books and magazines, here they take the time to edit and revise words, but they don't double check the photos. Tsk Tsk

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[pchong]

ok...picture inverted...that's better.

[HappyStroller]

Thanks for providing so many useful pics, PC.

Interesting to see David was wearing a "regimental" from Brooks Brothers.

[angelo]

Happy Stroller wrote:
Interesting to see David was wearing a "regimental" from Brooks Brothers.

The Duke of Windsor ,like other Members of the British Royal Family, would have never worn a regimental tie not distinctive of a British Regiment of which he had been an affiliate.
Indeed it is wrong the opinion that the stripes of British regimental ties are exclusively directed from the upper left to the lower right of the gent who is wearing them, whereas the ties having stripes going from the upper right to the lower left come only from USA manufacturers , according to the original "diagonal repp ties”introduced during the '20 of the last century by Brooks Brothers. There are in the British tradition some regimental ties ,distinctive of Regiments (Cavalry and others ) such as for example the 1st Royal Dragoons and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoons Guards that have stripes going from upper right to lower left (see at the URL below the image from the volume "The Book of Public School Old Boys, University, Navy, Army, Air Force & Club Ties", published in London in 1968 by Billing & Sons Ltd.). These kind of regimental ties, although representing only a minority of the whole universe of Brithish regimental ties , must be considered as representative as the most known other ones.

http://www.noveporte.it/taccuino/tau/gr ... dfoto=3533

Angelo

[HappyStroller]

Thank you, Angelo, for the interesting fact about the existence of reverse British regimental stripe ties. I stand corrected then, Sir.

So now we know Wooster belonged to a certain British regiment.