• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Dinner Jackets at Pitti Uomo 83

unbelragazzo

Jewfro
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Messages
8,762
Reaction score
5,597
The amount of evening wear I saw at Pitti Uomo really surprised me. The share of the world's evening wear at Pitti is likely even greater than Pitti's share of the world's double monks, surpassed only by its Hobbit hat holdings. Perhaps this was all in anticipation of Justin Timberlake's smash hit 'Suit and Tie' (which apparently means a tuxedo and a bow tie)? Is this a reactionary movement to thwart the hobo chic celebrated in 'Thift Shop'?

At its best, there is nothing more attractive a man can wear than black tie (white tie now being all but extinct). If evening wear is resuscitated from the its current purgatorial state generating profits as rental garments for Jos A Bank and Men's Wearhouse, that would indeed be a lovely thing.

Of course, (almost) no one brought the classical ideal of a tuxedo. Very few bring the classic version of anything. So I saw a dinner suit in electric blue, as well as a very odd garment that appeared to have satin trim running down the back seam of the jacket, but I ran away from those as quickly as possible.

But not all mutations turn into abortions. Here are four evening items that intrigued me at Pitti. In each category, there's one item that's quite expensive and one that's more affordable.

Category I: Dinner suits: Regent and Lardini

These two mostly conform to the classical ideal. Just ignore the long tie and presumed lack of waist covering on the Lardini, and the pre-tied bow and lack of studs on the Regent. Despite the classic styling on both, they provide a study in contrast.

The contrast to study on both is that between the fabric on the body of the coat and the facings of the lapel. The Regent (very finely tailored, one of the finest RTW tuxes I have seen, I will be providing a full writeup on this German company later) is made of a wool and mohair blend. The mohair provides some sheen to the suit. The facings and trim are of grosgrain, to my eye less shiny than the other option, which would be satin. The result is a subtlety of contrast between the facings and jacket.

The Lardini, meanwhile, goes the complete opposite direction. The body is actually a worsted flannel. Some may view this too "casual" a fabric for a dinner suit. To me it was pretty fabulous. I think of black tie as gear for celebration and classy relaxation, not haughty stuffiness. So a nice dark flannel is just the right twist on a classic. If I didn't think it would be so hot, I would have considered it for my own tuxedo. In any case, in contrast to the mohair blend of the Regent, flannel is not reflective at all. The facings are in satin, providing a high contrast. Together they make an elegant, if sweaty, combination.

Category II: Dinner jackets: Sartoria Partenopea and Chester Barrie

As a devoted supporter of the velvet evening jacket, I was heartened to see so many brands showing them off at Pitti. Sartoria Partenopea had the largest collection, as well as some more exotically patterned dinner jackets. All of these feature silk facings on the lapels, in a mix of shawl and peak lapels. Of course, they are impeccably tailored, with Neapolitan spalla camicia shoulder construction and gorgeous lapel rolls. The silk-faced lapels and exotic fabrics make them rather more aggressive and less versatile.

The (much cheaper) Chester Barrie is still styled for evening with one button closure and peak lapels (just tuck in the flaps). In dark, solid colors and self-faced lapels, these jackets can be worn with jeans to a bar and foster admiration rather than confusion. And with the right kind of attitude, you can still wear these to a relaxed black tie affair in a pinch. Be careful, though. If there's one thing I've learned about velvet, it's that women loving feeling it.

1000

Chester Barrie peak lapel burgundy velvet jacket.

1000

Chester Barrie in chocolate.

1000

A rack of velvet jackets at Sartoria Partenopea, frontlined by a shawl collar in brown.

1000

Peak lapel SP in a kind of elephant gray.

1000

You can see some of the patterned jackets farther back in the rack.

1000

More classic styling from Sartoria Partenopea - a double breasted tuxedo.

1000

Beautiful shoulder.

1000

The Regent dinner jacket. Note the low contrast in fabrics.

1000

What an evening waistcoat is supposed to look like.

1000

One more, can't resist.

1000

Closer.

1000

Linked front.

1000

Peak lapel.

1000

Bow tie in 3D.

1000

Cuff buttons.

1000

Flannel and satin on Lardini.

1000

Ignore the long tie.

1000

High contrast.
 
Last edited:

The_Foxx

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2002
Messages
3,905
Reaction score
1,917
damn, that tux looks good! after seeing your post, went to the partenopea website-- everything i'm lookin for in a new navy suit. anyone know where partenopea does MTM in new york?
700
 

aravenel

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
5,602
Reaction score
1,168
That SP tux is fantastic. So is the Regent one.

Love the waistcoat as well.
 

Moloch38

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
223
Reaction score
25
That RTW Regent looks amazing. What company is this? My google of Regent DJ is coming up blank.
 

mrstillwater

Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2011
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Great photos! See any less structured smoking/dinner jackets? Hoping to find something other than wool to throw on at home. Such as...
 

aravenel

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
5,602
Reaction score
1,168
That looks terrible. Like a screwed up cross between a pinstripe suit jacket and a kimono.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,162
Messages
10,579,073
Members
223,883
Latest member
Darru
Top