Morning Dress alive and well

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

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YoungLawyer
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:03 pm

While there have been several threads on this forum concerning weddings in warmer climates, and alternatives to morning dress, I'm pleased to observe that morning dress seems alive and well in England. Of the three weddings I've attended this year, almost every male guest was in morning dress of some variety. Here is a picture of one, showing some variation in approach:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BS_aShFFShv/
Morning dress is not dead yet!
hectorm
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 7:20 pm

YoungLawyer wrote: I'm pleased to observe that morning dress seems alive and well in England.
Paraphrasing the criteria for endangered species, I would say that morning dress is in the vulnerable category. Not globally endangered yet, but with a serious decline in population, even in its original English habitat.
In the east coast of the US , where the species was transplanted about one hundred years ago and where I do my shooting, the situation has its specific peculiarities. Yes, now and then you still see morning dress at weddings, but the decline is not only in numbers, it´s also present in its general wear etiquette, nods to fashion, and poor fit, surely negative by-products of ubiquitous rental shops.
As pure coincidence, after just spending 2 weeks of Spring Break bagging munros in Scotland, I was about to post a new thread with the title "Tweed Suit: alive and well". I will give a second thought to this categorization.
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culverwood
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Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:54 am

I would tend to agree with YoungLawyer that morning dress is the standard wedding attire at weddings I go to and not going anywhere.
Luca
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Tue Apr 18, 2017 12:24 pm

Would it be accurate to refer to this reported frequency of morning dress as a resurgence? I married in the late 1990s and I had the impression that through the 90s and 00s it was in significant retreat even in the UK.

At any rate, I'm very happy to read morning dress is enduring well.

I might mention that, although the prevalence of 'extreme athleisure' / 'virtually underwear' continues to grow, one notices a gradual increase in tailored clothing that looks like it was the fruit of some thought/consideration..
hectorm
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Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:44 pm

Luca wrote:Would it be accurate to refer to this reported frequency of morning dress as a resurgence?
So difficult to judge based only on anecdotal evidence.
Just from moving always in the same circles I would be tempted to say that morning dress is still alive and well, but by the same token Trump and Brexit would have been defeated at the polls. In truth, I more than suspect that its decline has been deeper than my immediate perception. Hence my conservative ranking of vulnerable.
Luca
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Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:59 pm

I broadly agree. At least, though, here in the UK it is still sufficiently prevalent that it would NOT, under correct circumstances, be viewed as archaic costume.
Man at C&A
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Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:26 pm

I, a Brit, married a Finn in Finland and wore Morning Dress. In Finland the tradition is for White Tie for all formal occasions, including the groom on his wedding day. More than one guest remarked that it was nice I opted for English national dress :roll:
DFR
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Mon Apr 24, 2017 4:56 pm

It's good to see so many from the congregation properly dressed these days. Sadly no top hats in evidence, doubtless entrusted to the parson for safe keeping.
YoungLawyer
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Tue Apr 25, 2017 9:27 pm

DRF, quite right, too. There were quite a few in evidence that afternoon...
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP2po_AlFwO/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP0CfHOhJNR ... dear_medea
Paul V. Coulter
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Sun Apr 30, 2017 2:59 am

May I ask what shoes you saw? I think I see some captoe oxfords in the photo.

Best,
Paul
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