Jan Libourel
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 869
With the passing of nine years since I got into the clothing forum subculture, I have become rather weary of the tedious repetitive and almost cultic dogmatism regnant in them. Lately, I have been rethinking some of the cherished "rules" and thought I'd post my challenges to them.
No Notch-Lapel Tuxedoes: Notch-lapel tuxedoes were around prior to World War I. Contrary to what some forum "gods" have proclaimed, they did survive in the "Golden Age." They have been back in fashion and widespread use since the 1960s. If they were good enough for James Bond, Prince Phillip, the POTUS and George Clooney, isn't it a bit ridiculous to declare at this late date that they are "bad form"?
No Black Suits: Okay, maybe they don't complement sallow, North European complexions very well. Not all of us are North Europeans, and not all men of North European extraction have sallow complexions. I gather they are very popular in East Asia, and I think they complement golden, East Asian skin quite well. Moreover, iGents are quick to recommend almost-black suitings like dark charcoal and midnight blue. If these colors, all but indistinguishable from black are good, why then is black bad? Moreover, if black suitings are bad, why then is black formal-wear approved? For much of the year, it is broad daylight at 6:00 p.m. How can a man look good in a black tuxedo then but bad in a black suit at 5:00 p.m.? Moreover, black was the most common color for stroller jackets, morning coats and frock coats before that. Did the men of that era, often lamented as one of vanished elegance, look like crap so attired back then? Just wondering.
No Bluchers with a Suit: This one seems to be pure forum-lore. I have never seen it in a printed work, and I had been intermittently consulting etiquette books and style guides for about 35 years before discovering the forum culture. Yeah, they're a little less dressy and formal than oxfords, by and large, but what's wrong with dressing down the formality of the suit sometimes? I put bluchers with a conservative suit in about the same category as a BD shirt with the same.
Pinstripes Are for Business Only: Another thing that seems to be pure forum groupthink. Why? I have seen photos of such Golden Age icons as Fred Astaire, Cary Grant and "the Dook" wearing pinstripes in seemingly non-business contexts. I used to have a dark charcoal suit with subtle pinstripes that I wore to several funerals, and I thought I was a helluva lot better clad than some of the other attendees in tweed jackets, "California tuxes" and worse. For that matter, what exactly is wrong with wearing a pinstripe or chalkstripe suit to a wedding or cocktail reception?
Somber Attire for Weddings: Not exactly a rule, but most forumites seem to counsel dressing for wedding (if you are a guest) as if it were a somber, solemn affair like a funeral--dark suits and the like, at least if it's not a beach wedding. C'mon, weddings are supposed to be festive affairs. Why not wear lighter suits, blazers, bold and brightly colored ties, that sort of thing?
I know I am sounding a bit Cruiser-like here, but I am curious whether many of the rest of you participating in this forum are weary of the old dogmas.
No Notch-Lapel Tuxedoes: Notch-lapel tuxedoes were around prior to World War I. Contrary to what some forum "gods" have proclaimed, they did survive in the "Golden Age." They have been back in fashion and widespread use since the 1960s. If they were good enough for James Bond, Prince Phillip, the POTUS and George Clooney, isn't it a bit ridiculous to declare at this late date that they are "bad form"?
No Black Suits: Okay, maybe they don't complement sallow, North European complexions very well. Not all of us are North Europeans, and not all men of North European extraction have sallow complexions. I gather they are very popular in East Asia, and I think they complement golden, East Asian skin quite well. Moreover, iGents are quick to recommend almost-black suitings like dark charcoal and midnight blue. If these colors, all but indistinguishable from black are good, why then is black bad? Moreover, if black suitings are bad, why then is black formal-wear approved? For much of the year, it is broad daylight at 6:00 p.m. How can a man look good in a black tuxedo then but bad in a black suit at 5:00 p.m.? Moreover, black was the most common color for stroller jackets, morning coats and frock coats before that. Did the men of that era, often lamented as one of vanished elegance, look like crap so attired back then? Just wondering.
No Bluchers with a Suit: This one seems to be pure forum-lore. I have never seen it in a printed work, and I had been intermittently consulting etiquette books and style guides for about 35 years before discovering the forum culture. Yeah, they're a little less dressy and formal than oxfords, by and large, but what's wrong with dressing down the formality of the suit sometimes? I put bluchers with a conservative suit in about the same category as a BD shirt with the same.
Pinstripes Are for Business Only: Another thing that seems to be pure forum groupthink. Why? I have seen photos of such Golden Age icons as Fred Astaire, Cary Grant and "the Dook" wearing pinstripes in seemingly non-business contexts. I used to have a dark charcoal suit with subtle pinstripes that I wore to several funerals, and I thought I was a helluva lot better clad than some of the other attendees in tweed jackets, "California tuxes" and worse. For that matter, what exactly is wrong with wearing a pinstripe or chalkstripe suit to a wedding or cocktail reception?
Somber Attire for Weddings: Not exactly a rule, but most forumites seem to counsel dressing for wedding (if you are a guest) as if it were a somber, solemn affair like a funeral--dark suits and the like, at least if it's not a beach wedding. C'mon, weddings are supposed to be festive affairs. Why not wear lighter suits, blazers, bold and brightly colored ties, that sort of thing?
I know I am sounding a bit Cruiser-like here, but I am curious whether many of the rest of you participating in this forum are weary of the old dogmas.
