In Need of some Help

Hi Gentlemen,

It's been a long time since I've browsed the forum - yet when I needed an answer to a very particular issue, this was the only place I thought of.

As of January of this year, I've found myself engaged and in need of a Tuxedo or fine suit. This would not be an ordinary tuxedo, but one of a cut most peculiar.

I seek the Tuxedo of Theodore Roosevelt.


Gentlemen, any recommendations you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I have time to search, almost two years until the date, however locating a source for such a garment is something I wish to do quickly.
Thanks, CWH

Does it have to be vintage, or can it be new based on vintage styling?
Magnioli Clothiers (https://www.magnoliclothiers.com/) is a great source for the latter.

And congrats!

Isn't that an early 20th century men's suit, not a tuxedo?

PeterGunnLives said:

Does it have to be vintage, or can it be new based on vintage styling?
Magnioli Clothiers (https://www.magnoliclothiers.com/) is a great source for the latter.

And congrats!

Click to expand...

New manufacture, vintage cut! Thanks for the link and the congrats!

Seb Lucas said:

Isn't that an early 20th century men's suit, not a tuxedo?

Click to expand...

That's what I thought, but all the descriptions claim it is a Tux, not sure what to believe.

Something like this would be great:

I would consider the longer jacket in that second picture be a form of frock coat, common in the Edwardian era. It's hard to tell how long the jacket in the first picture is. But I don't think that formalwear of that time had notch lapels like that; a jacket for evening wear would have had a shawl collar or a peak lapel.

Roosevelt is not wearing a 'tuxedo' in that photo. As PeterGunn says he is wearing a frock coat; in the second photo you can see the classic silk insets in the lapels, which in that case could well be peaked.

In particular there are two things to consider: that what became the 'tuxedo' is a shorter dress coat (in the same way the early sack coat still has some of the shape of a morning coat), which was the trend from the later 19th century onward to replace coats with tails for morning and evening wear. Secondly, that Roosevelt wouldn't have been wearing a tuxedo of any description in the daytime or for official photos.

Regarding your prospective wedding attire, you can indeed wear a frock coat. I've seen it a few times in the last few years.

Indeed, it is a frock coat-- though no less cool (we are talking about Theodore Roosevelt, after all). Might I suggest starting at The Gentleman's Emporium?

https://www.gentlemansemporium.com/store/000582.php?eesc=cat

It's a poly/wool blend, but:

1) Unless you want to go vintage, you'll probably be hard pressed to find a 100% wool frock coat for yourself
2) For such a long garment, the polyesther component might be a benefit to avoid unsightly wrinkling of the tail
3) They come highly recommended, and the coat is available in a broad range of sizes to fit every body type

The site also sells vests and trousers, so you could feasibly purchase the entire outfit there.