For many men, the coming of the new year offers one of the most appropriate occasions to wear evening clothes. And for those still looking for a few stocking stuffers that might suit such men, tasteful black tie accessories are increasingly appreciated as they become more difficult to find.
Two small opportunities come to mind. For though the opportunities for color in the black tie ensemble should always be limited to pocket square, hose and perhaps waistcoat (never, ever the bow tie itself please), Bresciani's maroon silk hose nicely complement the gleam of patent leather shoes for $57.50 per pair. And, since evening trousers are always suspended from the shoulders rather than strapped to the waist, black moire braces from England's Albert Thurston add a proper gleam to that task.
Note that white braces are better for white tie than black unless one's name is Daniel Craig...
Friday, December 18, 2009
Stocking Stuffers
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8 comments:
I've worn white braces with my dinner jacket for ages now, and I confess not knowing the rationale behind the black braces only rule. Given that a gentleman's jacket does not come off, and that, even if it were to come off, white braces would hardly spoil the look, what is the reason for such a proscription?
While we're discussing formal wear, can you help me locate a full back waistcoat with the swooping lapels of the sort worn by Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry in the BBC Jeeves and Wooster series? I don't know if it's true Edwardian style, but the whole look, I think, is outstanding.
Great blog, by the way.
Will,
I have a pair of braces very similar to the ones in this picture:
http://files3.lookbook.nu/files/looks/medium/133770_bowtie_4.jpg
which look very neat (in the tidy sense). I would much prefer a man wear that under his dinner jacket than some ridiculous, loud pocket square on the outside of his dinner jacket. I would also like to repeat Graham's inquiry above about the black braces only rule.
Graham, if you have a photo of the waistcoat you're looking for send it along. I like Jeeves and Wooster but don't recall every detail of their dress.
I imagine that men wore white braces in the early days of black tie, just as they wore white waistcoats and white ties. That would have been what they owned. And on the scale of trangressioins, I would be the first to say they are a minor sin.
Shamigo, hopefully you found nothing here suggesting that a man wear loud ridiculous pocket squares.
Will - I love your blog but I'm afraid I disagree with you on the braces, and I'd be interested to know your source for this 'rule'.
I actually agree that, with my jacket off, black braces nicely complement the black bow tie and cummerbund, but then I never take my jacket off in public anyway, so it's irrelevent.
Braces are underwear and, as such, dictating their colour is as nonsensical as telling me I ought only to wear black boxer shorts with a dinner jacket. Braces are one of the few items of formal atire which may be any colour you want.
Now the question… and what makes for a decent stocking? I'm in the market for one this year and the ones that I've seen are all made of some ghastly material. Any thougths?
Will,
Great choice on the marron socks.
Is a bit of color in the cumberbund acceptable?
regards
A source for my statement that black braces are proper with black tie? We could go further back but let's begin with Nicholas Antongiavanni recently, and G. Bruce Boyer's Elegance two decades ago.
Pantherella socks are very comfortable for work. I'm biased because I'm from Leicester where they are made, sadly Fenwick's only have regular sizes and would only countenance an extra large order for 6 pairs!? So I ordered one pair from Woods of Shropshire for my father this Christmas and while they do not do gift wrapping, they provide polite customer service over the telephone (my email to them went unanswered). Pantherella socks feature in Nordtrom's menswear sale in July when they are reduced from $25 to $15 a pair. Regarding black braces I bought a pair of ancient but serviceable DJ trousers from David Saxby's shop Old Hat in Fulham a few years before I moved to the States and I needed a pair of belt loop braces. At the time the only place I could think of to buy them from was my graduation regalia suppliers Ede & Ravenscroft of Chancery Lane who supplied a pair of black braces just like the one's you pictured for about forty quid.
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