Black Tie with a Twist

Men looking for black tie with a twist this season should consider the oldest look in semi-formal wear. You see, when the dinner jacket was first worn the late Duke of Windosr and his set had not yet gotten around to making it more casual, and it was usually worn with the same accessories as the white tie ensemble that upper class men wore to dinner. That meant a white pique waistcoat and a white dress shirt with pique front, single linked cuffs and a detachable winged collar, a combination that has since been supplanted by less attractive alternatives in the name of looking different. So of course it can be used in turn to look different and better at the same time.

The winged collar shirt is the key to the look, which is best worn with a single breasted, peak lapelled jacket (the lines of the shawl collar are better suited to the turndown collared pleated shirt and the DB jacket was made for them). Attached collars are a pale shadow of what they should be as they cannot be constructed with the necessary collar height, so the collar attaching studs are worth the trouble. A pique front is also a requirement for authenticity but personally I see no reason that they should button in back as they once did. leaving a man without a valet at the mercy of his spouse when he dressed for the evening.

Shirt and waistcoat are worn with white tie in the illustration, from a 1934 Esquire.

Ice Cream, Watermelon and Trousers

The air grew warm this past weekend. Temperatures were in excess of 80 degrees F (27 C) even on the normally cool coast, and they brought cream colored trousers to mind (we speak of cream rather than white as the lanolin in wool yellows it over time even when it begins life as white).

Now a man can certainly wear cream, or winter white, in cool weather but the color really comes into its own on sunny days. And in the popularity race among wool trouser colors it probably follows only the ubiquitous gray flannel.

The literature from the 1930s speaks of white flannel trousers but, appealing as they sound, the reality is that, like Scabal's excellent 11 ounce gabardine, they are better suited for shoulder season than high summer. The cream colored trouser of choice for me is heavy linen.

A little harder to find than linen is cream fresco. Smith's Woolens has one in the Finmeresco book and one is all we need.

Add cream colored trousers to the list of good things, like ice cream and watermelon, closely associated with the warm days of summer.

The Patterned Pocket Square

A bit of colored silk in the breast pocket of a man's jacket is usually the step that indicates he has learned self-confidence in his dress. And the square itself is often the most beautiful item in his ensemble, though that beauty is a secret usually known only to the wearer since little of it shows.


Of the styles of pocket squares available I like the patterned silk print the best, because it is the most flexible. It is also the most difficult to find apart from Hermes, as the economics of silk printing require longer runs than most sellers find practical. But the combination of a center in one color, edges in another, and patterns adding more interest provides considerable flexibility in the look. Even adherents of the 'cram it in and walk out the door' style see a different result from the same square on different days.

In the photos, an example from Mariano Rubinacci printed with images of Neapolitan ceramics.

Lifestyle: The Alfonso

Illustration: Miguel Covarrubias for Vanity Fair

Regular readers know I have a soft spot for champagne cocktails. In this I follow Alfonso XIII of Spain, the man in the gray jacket in the illustration. After leaving his throne for the sake of his continued health in the 1930's, Alfonso spent much of his adult life touring the great hotels of France and Italy. He had some reputation as a dandy and a man who liked his champagne in the bar at the Ritz beginning around noon.

In that latter at least he was following in his father's footsteps. One of the classic champagne cocktails was invented for King Alfonso XII at the Deauville hotel in Normandy. Herewith, the Alfonso:

Mix a sugar cube, a dash Peychaud’s bitters and 20ml Dubonnet in a champagne flute. Top with cold champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

Paisley Waistcoat Anyone?

Odd waistcoats are usually thought of for fall but they also add considerable versatility to light weight jackets that might otherwise be too cool-wearing for sunny days in the 60's F (17-18 degrees C). And on those days, patterned wool challis can be a good fabric choice.

Now challis cloth has been difficult to find since David Evans left the silk printing business, but worth while. A waistcoat from the stuff can add a medium weight touch of color to a country wardrobe.

As I related in my post on Winston Tailors this past winter I was delighted to flip through several bolts of challis when I was last in New York and I ordered a vest. I chose the maroon on turquoise paisley in the photo as I could not see myself wearing any of the canine or wild game prints that were the other offerings available. And though it looks like something a nineteenth century riverboat gambler might have worn, I think the finished product adds flavor to the soup.

The Thomas

Photo: von Span

Shoemaker W. S. Foster's visit to San Francisco last week renewed my love affair with the bespoke oxford design in the photo (would that it were more highly polished). Called the Thomas for no reason anyone has ever shared with me, the shoe was brought to the firm by Charlie Watts, the well dressed drummer for the Rolling Stones. Mr. Watts owns the first pair made in modern times.

I am thinking of the shoe with a soft square toe instead of the round one in the photo and colored a golden caramel. That is a color more Italian than British, as there are few sunny days in Britain on which to take advantage of such a look. But in the United States we have the weather for it and are able to pick and choose the best from both countries.

The first step will be to see if we can find an exterior color sample that matches the vision in my mind's eye.

A Jermyn Street Look

Here is a first attempt at wearing a bright red gingham shirt with a suit, something that should probably be reserved for alpha males on their home ground. In the Jermyn Street tradition, the very loud check is paired with a conservative suit and necktie in what is here a not entirely satisfactory attempt to moderate its impact. Of course, that gingham is yelling at top volume.

The shirt body would probably be fine with a blazer, on blazer-appropriate occasions, but the formality of the white collar and turnback cuffs are better with a suit. I think I wll try it with a tan suit next.