The least formal but still correct dinner jacket that a man can own is the double breasted shawl collar. Colored black, midnight blue or even dark brown like the one Noel Coward wore with matching brown trousers, the shawl DB is one small step up from a smoking jacket, and two big steps down from white tie and tails. That is because the shawl comes directly from the smoking, which took it from the dressing gown. And the DB jacket evolved from the single breasted coat, which was in turn descended from the single breasted tailcoat.
The double breasted DJ was trailblazed by the late Duke of Windsor and his set when he was Prince of Wales. Its closed front means a man needs not bother with waistcoat and cummerbund. The man who wears one with a soft shirt with turndown collar is as close as he can publicly come to the clothes he would have worn at home years ago, when the men had retired for brandy and cigars.
Photo: James & James for the Men's Fashion Council
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8 comments:
Nice photo.
I have always preferred DB than SB. I remember a photo of you wearing one of these that was one of the best shots I have ever seen.
Nevertheless with peak labels is even nicer. Oscar Larrainzar wears vert nice black ties too
Will, can You please explain formality of DJ ? I know the least formal, what is the most formal?
You may be right, but these days even the least formal dinner suit is more than formal enough 99% of the time.
Macaroni, the most formal is single breasted, peak lapel and matching waistcoat, worn with a stiff winged collar shirt.
Both versionis are fine virtually anywhere, as M. Fan writes, but clothes hobbyists like to know the provenance of what they wear. And those men with several jackets to choose from do adapt their clothing to the occasion.
Where would you place the notched lapel in the DJ hierarchy? To me it falls below even the DB shawl collar.
I strongly recomend thius site:
http://www.blacktieguide.com/
The research is fantastic and it has great insights into the history, ettiqute and styles of black tie wear.
The mention of dark brown evening wear intrigued me. Are there any color photos of Mr. Coward's ensemble? Was that a 'trademark' of his or have other fashionable gentlemen been known to wear something similar?
Midnight, despite the scorn some have for it there is some precedence for the notched lapel on dinner jackets. I place it between shawl and peak.
Patrick, Coward's jacket was photographed many times, but always in black and white to the best of my knowledge. Brown was his trademark but to his credit it was a shade so dark that it looked black under artificial light.
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