The Clothes of a Gentleman, 1922

[Trilby]

This may be of interest to the group -- Emily Post's description of the key components of a gentleman's wardrobe, from 1922.

http://www.bartleby.com/95/34.html

It's remarkable how relevant most of this remains today. A modern version of this would pay much less attention to evening tails and morning coats, but otherwise it remains pretty sound advice.

David

[Mark Seitelman]

Thank you for your post. It was most informative.

Do you think the rules still hold? I am referring specifically to the rule that country clothes are to be worn only in the country. Or is it acceptable to wear country tweeds in the city for the weekend and other leisure pursuits?

[manton]

I know at least one member of our little group who wears tweed coats in the heart of London, in the middle of the week, and after dark, no less. I will, ahem, let him speak for himself. But he looks quite correct to my eye.

[Guest]

Well, I'm not living in London; but I often put on a tweed during the week, and in the city, if I do not have a business meeting, or more or less formal appointment.

[Leonard Logsdail]

Well, I'm not living in London; but I often put on a tweed during the week, and in the city, if I do not have a business meeting, or more or less formal appointment.

Regretfully, I'm old enough to remember when not only brown suits were shunned in the city, but any sort of check pattern, be they bankers grey or blue, subtle or otherwise. I used to make for several partners in a city stockbrokers during the early 70's. The managing pertner ordered a plaid suit and there was an uproar! I can't comment now having been out of the country for too long. As for NY, well, after and because of the dumming down of anything sartorial during the 90's, smart tweeds and casual jackets are seen more often mid week and seem acceptable in board rooms.

[wegimental]

thank you for this. Still quite useful

[arch]

I know at least one member of our little group who wears tweed coats in the heart of London, in the middle of the week, and after dark, no less. I will, ahem, let him speak for himself. But he looks quite correct to my eye.

We do need to see all of this in the context of our times. At any one time you may see anything from jeans and trainers to full tweeds.

It should also be remembered that the square mile of the City of London (where indeed most business people would still wear a lounge suit, although increasingly these days without a tie) differs to Central and Greater London.

An interesting historical document, in my view.

[storeynicholas]

Probably the only places now in GB where the old rules about country dress in town are still (for the moment) rigorously observed are in St James's clubland (where tweeds or blazers are generally expressly discouraged in the clubs) and for lawyers appearing in the law courts. I think that there is some sense in the old rules but who would not rather see a set of tweeds rather that a shell suit and sneakers?
NJS

[Sator]

Ah, I see this fine old thread has reawakened from a deep slumber. I love the story about the plaid lounge suit causing a scandal at the office in the 1970s - quite right it should have too. In fact, the partner should have been fired on the spot for wearing such a thing into the office.

Although I have read that page out of Emily Post's book innumerable times, I appear to have overlooked this passage:

THE HOUSE SUIT

The house suit is an extravagance that may be avoided, and an “old” Tuxedo suit worn instead. A gentleman is always supposed to change his clothes for dinner, whether he is going out or dining at home alone or with his family

Excellent idea that one of using an old dinner jacket to wear at home when you have dinner - even when dining alone. In this situation a notch lapel dinner jacket is also perfectly acceptable. Indeed old examples of notch lapel dinner jackets were probably intended for just such a purpose:

[HappyStroller]

Yes, the Emily Post section on House Suit reminds me of the discussion just a few months ago in the thread How to button a smoking jacket http://thelondonlounge.net/gl/forum/vie ... php?t=7533 where Mr. Schneidergott mentioned the German House Jacket.

[WF]

can someone please explain what moire neck ribbons are? I did a google image search and I am none the wiser. I have visions of American gents in the 1920s wearing red gingham ribbons around their necks...

[RWS]

Neck ribbons? With white (or, less often, black) tie? Decorations, foreign or domestic, or orders, all foreign (of course), or hereditary societies. Badges ("jewels") or medals depend from them. And, yes, some are red -- but none are gingham. ("Moiré" is watered silk.)

[RWS]

can someone please explain what moire neck ribbons are? . . . .

I've now reread Miss Post's comments and interpret her passage,

"Your full dress is the last thing to economize on. . . . Avoid satin or velvet cuffs, moiré neck ribbons and fancy coat buttons as you would the plague",

to refer to some part of or attachment to the tailcoat. Further, I doubt she'd have discouraged (save for the sake of good old American modesty and simplicity, already long in decline) the wearing of military, civil, or hereditary decorations.

So I'm now as baffled as WF is.

[Concordia]

Perhaps used to hold spectacles around one's neck?

[RWS]

As good a guess as any, Concordia.