Sunday, August 26, 2007

"Underwear"


Tan gabardine suit with a gray grenadine necktie and acorn punched cap oxfords. The shirt has white collar and cuffs and a gray body with black and white pencil stripes. And, obviously, maroon braces. Like shirts, braces were considered underwear during the years when a man never removed his jacket outside the privacy of his dressing room.

5 comments:

| About TSG | said...

Will,
Can you speak more about this? It is interesting to learn about what was considered one thing in times past but has become something different today.

Also, I am always struck in the summer months by the thought of wearing a jacket, it is so hot, even here in Vermont, and I have air conditioning at work. What did men do with the heat?

-Justin
My blog: http://tranzstyleguy.blogspot.com/

Will said...

There is a story in one of his biographies of the Prince of Wales at a party in the South of France in summer after the War, clad head to toe in tweed with sweat pouring off him.

I never remove my jacket, but I wear a lot of linen, which performs well in the heat, outdoors. In air conditioning, tropical weight clothing is not too warm.

The People's Business said...

Is it bad form to expose one's braces? If I believe it will be too hot out to wear a suitcoat the entire day or there will be some occassion to remove it, should I wear a belt instead?

Will said...

It was once bad form. Today there are few who will object.

Still, a belt would be better.

The People's Business said...

Thanks. As much as I prefer a belt, I feel a little bit awkward wearing braces without a coat when outside the office (e.g. down to the lobby). I think my new rule is to leave the jacket on if I need to get on the elevator. Of course, what's the point of wearing a nice pair of Trafalgar braces if no one sees you in them?

 
Blog Widget by LinkWithin