The State of Black Tie: Your Observations

[Faux Brummell]

No need for skepticism, Burma shade dinner jackets are tried and true!

THE BURMA SHADE SUMMER DINNER JACKET | Esquire | AUGUST 1936

archive.esquire.com

 

[bdavro23]

Why skeptical?

Simply the coloring and how it comes out as a finished garment. I feel like beige may be a difficult color to get right and may be a bit unforgiving. As with most things in my life, theres a good chance that I'm wrong

Hopefully I am, I just think the margin of error is smaller than some other colors. Looking forward to seeing the result.

 

[Butler]

Self-faced it is, then. And thanks for posting that illustration. I knew I'd seen it, but couldn't find it over the last few days. It is, of course, one of the inspirations for the idea, together with a conversation I had with @Butler last week at Pitti.

I'm thinking peak, as I have three shawl jackets already. But the Fellows illustration makes a strong argument for shawl and I think it will be an inherently more casual jacket because of the color. My classic black DJ is peak, of course, as is my red silk jacket. So...perhaps shawl.


I want this one (if I go forward with it) to be single breasted, so it would have a self-covered link button arrangement. No vents, jetted pockets.

I'm going on a cruise later this year. It was supposed to be a cruise to Cuba but our enlightened administration put the kibosh on that a week or so ago. So now it's just a Caribbean cruise. But I plan to take my ivory and red silk jackets, and I was thinking a beige one would be a nice extra touch.

That's exactly what I was talking about, both the cloth and the illustration!!!!! Would solve all the problems, and I will have to get my champagne elsewhere !

 

[Butler]

No need for skepticism, Burma shade dinner jackets are tried and true!

THE BURMA SHADE SUMMER DINNER JACKET | Esquire | AUGUST 1936

archive.esquire.com

Exactly

 

[Andy57]

That's exactly what I was talking about, both the cloth and the illustration!!!!! Would solve all the problems, and I will have to get my champagne elsewhere !

Which is, after all, the problem I'm actually trying to solve.

 

[Despos]

Have made up a Dj in this shade using a tan Dupioni Silk; client found it to be very useful and wearable.
Would be cautious using a worsted like Amadeus. You might find the right shade and finish in a faille cloth.

 

[Andy57]

Have made up a Dj in this shade using a tan Dupioni Silk; client found it to be very useful and wearable.
Would be cautious using a worsted like Amadeus. You might find the right shade and finish in a faille cloth.

Interesting. Why would you be cautious? And do you have a reference to the dupioni that you used?

 

[AdductorMagnus]

From norwegian news, a press conference earlier today. This man is the CEO of a fairly large worldwide telecom company. Something seems....off about his attire. Do my eyes deceive me or is he wearing a notch lapel dinner jacket? Shade is certainly different from his trousers, and the facings appear to have a certain sheen.

 

[norMD]

Another picture off mr Brekke in a different setting with what I assume is the same jacket. A notch lapel DJ.

 

[EdT]

Maybe he'll switch over to a black tie at the dinner reception without changing ! ...LoL
We all know a Shawl collar dinner jacket is where its at !

 

[Joffrey]

Thanks for the replies, all. I wound up at a consignment store and picked up a set of mother of pearl links and studs for $40. Very happy with the style and price.

View attachment 1167864

Unfortunately, wasn't able to wear these as planned to a wedding - the groom (I was a groomsman) gave all the grooms cuff links to wear (no complaints with that) while the studs kept popping out of the button hole (the shirt kept opening up)! They were just to tiny for my button holes.

Any one have this experience and is there a solution? In my case I had to settle with my removable shirt buttons.

 

[bdavro23]

Unfortunately, wasn't able to wear these as planned to a wedding - the groom (I was a groomsman) gave all the grooms cuff links to wear (no complaints with that) while the studs kept popping out of the button hole (the shirt kept opening up)! They were just to tiny for my button holes.

Any one have this experience and is there a solution? In my case I had to settle with my removable shirt buttons.

You can always put a stitch in the button holes to make the opening a little smaller...

 

[EdT]

Unfortunately, wasn't able to wear these as planned to a wedding - the groom (I was a groomsman) gave all the grooms cuff links to wear (no complaints with that) while the studs kept popping out of the button hole (the shirt kept opening up)! They were just to tiny for my button holes.

Any one have this experience and is there a solution? In my case I had to settle with my removable shirt buttons.

Get spring loaded studs or if you want to keep using the ones you have I would cut out cardboard or plastic disks and have them slide into the back of the studs to keep them from coming out.

 

[sftiger]

Get spring loaded studs or if you want to keep using the ones you have I would cut out cardboard or plastic disks and have them slide into the back of the studs to keep them from coming out.

View attachment 1195100

This is exactly what I replaced my old ones with because my studs constantly fell out otherwise. But I'm also wearing black tie at events like weddings that tend to get a bit rowdier than your average cocktail party, for which the regular studs might be sufficient. Aggressively starching your shirt may also help.

 

[Despos]

Interesting. Why would you be cautious? And do you have a reference to the dupioni that you used?

The same reason you find Barathea only in sample books of evening wear or formal wear. The weave and finish should render itself to the intended effect of the garment. Plain worsted is a bit pedestrian for this purpose.
When the silk jacket was made in the mid 90's there were a handful of sources for Dupioni silks. Only Dupioni sources I am aware of now is from Scabal or Loro Piana. Using the Loro Piana now for a white DJ and another for a silk jacket.