white-tie question

[Guest]

Prior to the 1930s were white-tie waistcoats (and ties) made with marcella or were they made of i.e. starched cotton linen (just like the shirt bib)?

Thanks

[Guest]

Croonborg (1907) gives the option of piqué or linen for both tie and waistcoat. I presume the white tie has never been plain cotton when in its current shape (the Regency shirts and ties were very loose, with ballooning quantities of white everywhere).

[Guest]

NCW (sorry yet again...)

[Guest]

In some museum somewhere (probably either the Metropolitan or the V&A, but I don't clearly remember which), I've seen a handsome linen damask waistcoat cut in the nineteenth century for evening dress.

But don't try this at home! The damask clearly was made for a waistcoat, judging by the pattern and its size.

RWS

[Guest]

In some museum somewhere (probably either the Metropolitan or the V&A, but I don't clearly remember which), I've seen a handsome linen damask waistcoat cut in the nineteenth century for evening dress.

But don't try this at home! The damask clearly was made for a waistcoat, judging by the pattern and its size.

RWS

I am sure that there were various materials - above is mentioned damask and satin also featured - before marcella became the standard.
NJS

[Guest]

A further reply is being put in the Retrocentrics' thread.
NJS

[Guest]

Well, yes. It really depends on what you mean by 'pre 1930s white tie'. The less formal undress variants involving elements of white tie, or Victorian coloured outfits, are I assume not at the top of the original poster's mind if the two alternatives he is thinking of are marcella and starched cotton.
NCW