It's a sign of the end of civilization as we knew it that Charvet in Paris is the only place I know to obtain a silk dressing gown like the one Tom Ford is wearing in the photo (in place of what should be a smoking jacket) . But then, even I am no longer certain that dressing gowns matter.
After all, gowns were a product of the times when a man was on stage while lounging in his home. We don't tend to have visitors watch us dress any longer, at least in my circles, and most of us act as our own valets.
So today, the dressing gown is replaced by the robe. Instead of covering ourselves elegantly to spend the morning dressing, we wear something to keep ourselves warm while getting caffeinated before rushing off to work. Instead of silk, today our choices include cotton, camelhair, wool or maybe cashmere, even by the likes of Turnbull & Asser or Fallan & Harvey, whose row of robes is pictured here.
Given that a) I spend half my life wearing pajamas and b) spend the other half obsessing over clothes, it says something that I haven't even looked around for the cashmere dressing gown that I put aside last year to have the sleeves shortened.
I guess the dressing gown is dead.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Death of the Dressing Gown
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14 comments:
Will:
I recently purchased my first robe since I was a child. I love spending the morning in it before I get ready. However, I use my robe in a manner similar to how you described the dressing gown and this confuses me. What is the difference between the dressing gown and a robe?
-Nicolaus N.
Will:
You hand the laurels to Charvet of Paris for still producing proper silk robes. Not to let the French get all the credit, might I venture Bud of Piccadilly (London) as another source.
Sad to say your thesis is probably right all the same.
I have two robes. A winter robe that is made of heavy soft terrycloth and a summer robe that is made of lightweight cotton. I like lounging in robes when I have nothing to do on a Sunday morning except read the NY times and enjoy a hot cup of coffee. The problem is, I get warm quickly when I am wearing a robe, thus it never stays on for long. I would love to get a lightweight silk robe one of these days.
Before Hugh Hefner entered the scene, probably one of the best-known gown loungers was none other than Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Over the course of the 60 stories, Watson mentioned three colors of dressing gowns that Holmes wore: blue, purple and mouse.
The Baker Street Irregulars later chose these colors as the basis for the official club tie. The founder actually thought that Holmes owned one gown, and because of the order in which each color was mentioned, he surmised that it faded over the years.
Of course, in those days, I'm sure a wool dressing gown was due to lack of central heating as well...
I'd say while Holmes does frequently wear a dressing gown, many many of the movies in the 1930's and 40's featured men in silk dressing gowns. Gable and Powell come to my mind first. I have bid on some classice dressing gowns on Ebay but I often wonder how frequently would I wear one....
The dressing gowns in the pictures are made by Sean O'Flynn. A shirtmaker who shares premises with F&H. Sean told me that he could make them in silk if someone would commission it. The cost would be about two times that of a cotton version.
I use my (Dad's made for him in Honk Kong) silk gown in winter when dressing for an evening out. Especially if it to be a black tie event. But only if I have time for a dressing drink as well. Other than that, it's Christmas Eve and New Year's... .
here is an interesting article from The Chap
Here in Vienna you can buy silk dressing gowns at Knize and at Zum Jockey Club, however I have been unable to find a heavy, quilted gown like this one:
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/8370/poirotmv7iq3.jpg
Adam
Ah, Tom Ford. I always wonder why he even bothers to have the top few buttons sewn on his shirts, since he never uses them.
Anyway, my sister works for him, and I met the tailors there and they were really nice. But their prices are ridiculous (i.e., you could get bespoke for less than their OTR stuff).
I am embarrassed to say that I too am uncertain about the difference between a dressing gown and a bathrobe. I thought the terms were interchangeable, but I suspect a dressing gown is worn over shirt and slacks prior to “dressing”, while a bathrobe is worn with PJ’s or after a bath?
Perhaps six or seven years ago, Paul Stuart featured a page of gorgeous and extravagant robes. I think a couple were navy to dark green merino piped in red with silk linings, and one was cashmere lined with silk. Sad to say, such things did not figure in my clothing budget. But that doesn’t make them any less beautiful.
To my view the dressing gown is not dead at all.
I love spending my mornings wearing a proper pyjama, my gown and my slippers.
My advice is to take advantage of your trips to countries like Vietnam and go for the silk ones. You can tell them how you like it and you will have your pyjamas in just a couple of days at your hotel for a bargain price. The good thing about silk is that you can wear it both in winter and in summer.
I love the Darek Rose ones. They sell their pyjamas and gowns to most Jermyn street shops.
My next article in my web will deal about the pleasure of being at home.
Hello, I own a few vintage robes, and wear them all the time in winter, both evening and morning. Not like they used to though, as soon as I get through the door over my shirt and tie. I wear them religously with my pyjamas though in winter. I love them, and my most loved one, which is starting to wear a little, I am considering where I could possibly get it copied! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
They knew how to make great robes up to the 50's! I call it a dressing gown, but to my way of thinking the term is really interchangable!
To their credit, Brooks Brothers offers a very nice silk Jacquard dressing gown with quilted lapels, along with one in Cashmere for colder climes.
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