A Guide to Formal Wear A Guide to Formal Wear
The rules of dresswear can be daunting for both sartorial novices and experts alike. With traditions attached to every garment one must be aware of how to wear pieces appropriately for formal day and evening wear; from morning dress before 6 p.m, to white tie afterwards. In this short booklet we will walk you through five different dresswear looks which will see you through any black or white tie event; the Frock Coat, the Morning Coat, the Dinner Suit, the Velvet Smoking Jacket and the Evening Tailcoat. Our collection shows the wardrobe must-haves, the traditional with their twists, and the rarely seen unusual pieces that we think should be brought back. Stunning velvets, gorgeous wools and spectacular satins in black, dove greys and midnight blues are all on show. Bespoke, made-to-measure, and ready-to-wear – whatever your formal dress needs, here at Richard Anderson we have excellence covered.
Richard Anderson Ltd +44 (0)20 7734 0001 Bespoke Tailors www.richardandersonltd.com Sherborne House, 13 Savile Row, [email protected] London W1S 3PH @rasavilerow Frock Coat
The bespoke frock coat; an elegant garment that has inspired much of today’s fashion, despite rarely being seen today. We argue that the frock coat is timeless as it slims down the waist, flatters strong shoulders and enhances the overall male figure. The silhouette is achieved through a high degree of waist suppression with a flared skirt and tails that protrude from a high horizontal waist seam and side bodies above the waist to pull in the naturally cylindrical drape. The deep recessed rear vent with side and back panels inspired the morning coat that we see today. The standard colour of a frock coat was solid black, but later in the Victorian era, charcoal grey became an acceptable but less common alternative and midnight blue was an even rarer alternative colour.
At Richard Anderson we love taking traditional garments and making them wearable for the modern man. Worn here by Richard with a cream linen waistcoat, navy and white houndstooth tie, a cream silk pocket square and striped flannel trousers, this coat features spectacular formed cuffs and reverse collar and lapels (where the outer edge of the lapel is cut from a separate piece of cloth from the main body). This coat is perfect for weddings as an alternative to a morning suit. Be the stand-out groom and look your best in a piece that is sartorially elegant and Reverse collar and lapels. Formed cuffs. always an interesting conversation piece. Morning Coat
The glorious morning coat is a garment that has lasted the test of time, and for good reason. A perfectly fitting morning coat will look sleek, modern and contemporary when part of a wedding party, or to prestigious daytime occasions such as Ascot. This form of dress originates from the tradition of gentlemen riding horses in the morning as the cutaway front of the morning coat allows ease of movement when on horseback. The two buttons at the back of morning coats originally allowed the wearer to open the front quarters of the skirt of their jacket and keep it in place while riding. The morning coat should have a beautifully sculpted back that follows the curves and hollows of the body to flatter the wearer, and a horizontal seam at the waist and three seams at the back to attain the perfect line.
Traditionally, the morning coat comes in a plain black or an alternative grey pinhead with black chord braiding however, for our model we have opted for a subtle black herringbone to create more dimension to an already flattering silhouette. Krishan wears his morning coat with a double-breasted dove grey waistcoat and traditional houndstooth trousers. The morning coat looks wonderful with striped cashmere trousers, but why not experiment with a cloth such as this large houndstooth check to give tradition a cool twist? Traditional houndstooth Large houndstooth Black herringbone Dinner Suit
Our single-breasted ready-to-wear dinner suit is arguably one of the most iconic looks of the 20th and 21st Century. Emulating old Hollywood glamour and cool elegance, this suit is a timeless piece that will stay in your wardrobe for years to come. The dinner jacket evolved in the late 19th Century out of the dress coat as an informal, shorter jacket without tails, designed with comfort in mind. Traditionally worn only for events after 6 p.m., the semi-formal dinner suit will look stunning and appropriate at dinner parties and evening functions that do not specify white tie. Our ready-to-wear model here features a satin-facing notch lapel with matching covered buttons, straight jetted pockets, and is accessorised with a black silk satin bow tie and a white silk hand-rolled pocket square. Also available to order in made-to-measure and bespoke.
Also available in white mohair. Black satin facing on dinner trousers. Velvet Smoking Jacket
Beautiful, traditional, and charmingly retro, the single-breasted bespoke midnight blue smoking jacket is a wardrobe essential for the sophisticated and trendy. The velvet smoking jacket was originally designed to be worn while smoking tobacco in the drawing room, with the velvet supposedly absorbing the scent of smoke. As per tradition, this Richard Anderson bespoke jacket has a shawl collar with satin facings, smart jetted pockets, a richly contrasting scarlet paisley lining, and beautiful Austrian Knots on the sleeves with decorative black chord frogging and olivette fastenings on the front. Though this historically looks stunning in the drawing room paired with a glass of brandy, we recommend expressing your individuality and wearing it out as an alternative to a dinner jacket. We’ve paired ours with Black Watch tartan trousers, while black dinner trousers or grey flannel trousers will look extremely smart and compliment the opulent velvet beautifully. Krishan wears a satin bowtie to match the lapel facings, cummerbund, and a white silk pocket square.
A range of velvets are available for made-to-measure and bespoke. Evening Tailcoat
Sharp, elegant, distinguished; these are just some of the ways to describe the fabulously elegant evening tailcoat. A superb garment that is a true testament of a tailor’s skill and love of tradition, it is appropriate and simply sublime for white tie events. The tailcoat is a knee-length coat with the front of the skirt cut away to leave only the rear section of the skirt, or tails. The sharp lapels and centred button placement create an incredibly flattering masculine shape with strong shoulders and a slim waist that naturally follows the wearer’s form. With spectacular satin facings, one can see how this piece inspired the more informal dinner suit. Like many dresswear garments, the tailcoat was originally cut for horse-riding in the Early Modern Era, and since the 18th Century evolved into the form of day and evening formal wear we see today.
Our model coat is made from a gorgeously indulgent 16oz Barathea, the heavier fabric holding the suit’s strong shape beautifully. We have paired our dress coat with matching trousers with braiding at the sides, a silk top hat, white Marcella shirt, white silk bowtie and white pique dress waistcoat. Button detailing on tails. Waistcoat Linens
Traditionally linen waistcoatings come in lighter colours such as cream & dove grey however, the vibrant colours above are also available for made-to-measure and bespoke. Morning Coat & Trouser Options
Dark grey flannels are perfect for your morning coat Striped cashmere trouser options to pair with your morning or frock coat. or as trousers for your velvet smoking jacket.