Recent content by Wolf99

Instead of posting a lengthy reply, can I direct you to this fantastic post about belt back jackets (taking in various varieties of acfion backs and pleated backed jackets) form the British film industry in the 30s through to the 50s (mainly). it is well illustrated and should provde you with...

It is easy to pick up a backless white evening waistcoat pretty cheaply. The elastic strap is easily adjustable and, if it still hangs a little long, a safety pin can easily be employed to keep it at just the correct length. You won’t be taking the tailcoat off, so no one will know and...

We are talking about a standard folded over collar, are we? Is the collar starched so it is stiff? If so, placing the tie inside the collar before attaching it is a good idea. If it is a normal unstarched collar, treat iT as you would any other.

Firstly, you look great and I am sure you’ll look a lot smarter than most there, even without any adjustments! The sleeves on the coat do look a little short - if it is possible to have them adjusted I would. The point at which the waistcoat edge should sit is a less clear cut than the...

I would also add Walker Slater (who have a London bricks and mortar shop) into the mix. They seem decent quality and their suits are fairly classic but contemporary enough that they don’t look dated. Price-wise, they are not too bad - certainly less expensive than Cordings...

Kind of both and neither, here. They refer to different things about the shoe and, whilst these are spectators and they are Oxfords, they are not wingtips. These are spectator shoes (aka Co-respondent shoes). The name is given to two tone shoes, of the sort you have here. Oxford refers to...

Yes, it all has to with whether the lacing is ‘closed’ (as on the Oxford examples) or ‘open’ (for Derbies) - so GHT’s are Derbies, but no less swish for that. I am puzzled by the fact that some seem to regard the Oxford as the more formal or stylish type of shoe. Both ways of lacing can be...

I think the answer is largely governed by how you feel about it and how much you care. People who are interested in formal clothing will notice that you are wearing a morning coat and that clearly is not part of the black tie dress code. Chances are your waistcoat is for day wear too (though...

Gabriele d’Annunzio. Sometime poet, novelist, narcissist, war monger, war hero, adulterer, womaniser, self publicist, duke, city state dictator, proto-facist, style icon and all around arse: Noel Coward provides a good example of someone who went bald:

There appears to have been a short lived fashion at the very end of the 30s for these lapel-less jackets as informal resort wear for the American upper crust. Cary Grant’s choice reflects his character’s background. Here is a link to a blog with an illustration this from Life Magazine in 1938...

4 x 1 button jackets arrived in the 1930s, I think. You see them in old adverts, Esquire illustrations and photographs. They were never as popular as more traditional styles but once buttoning a DB jacket on the lowest button had taken hold as a style (popularised by the then Prince of Wales...

Very much something to be warn on the Riviera or places like the Caribbean, originally. These days they seem to be regarded as a straight alternative to the black jacket at anytime of year and no matter the climate by most which seems odd to me. I’d stick with the traditional rules on this but...

True, but it also means that the section on historical/vintage black tie will never be fully completed.

In fact, it is generally considered better for it not to match (unless of course both bow tie and cummerbund are black.) Matching bow ties and cummberbunds is generally considered a trifle gauche, in the same way having a pocket square that matches your tie or shirt too closely does. As...

If I was spending that sort of money on a dinner jacket I think i’d want one which conformed to the traditional rules for such warm weather outfits - one button closure, no vents or double vents and no silk facings on the lapels. As it is, this misses the mark for me (even if it does do for...