• 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.
  • 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.

What are appropriate occasions for wearing morning dress?

MetroStyles

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
14,586
Reaction score
30
Define morning dress.
 

Zenny

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2008
Messages
1,822
Reaction score
3
Originally Posted by MetroStyles
Define morning dress.
Stroller with striped trousers and grey waistcoat.
 

Zenny

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2008
Messages
1,822
Reaction score
3
Originally Posted by merkur
What are appropriate occasions for wearing morning dress?
Weddings?
Funerals?
Graduation ceremonies?
Big racing events eg Royal Ascot?
Church?
Presidential inaugurations?
US Supreme Court appearances?


Any event that calls for "Formal" and ends before 6pm, or sundown. If it does end after sundown, bring a tux as well.
tongue.gif



Daytime weddings, yes.

Wearing it to a funeral might draw attention away from the deceased, so no; unless there are a few people in morning dress (mourning dress).

Graduation, racing, church, inaugurations, yes.

Supreme court appearances
snork[1].gif
 

lordofpi

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
273
Reaction score
1
Originally Posted by Zenny
Stroller with striped trousers and grey waistcoat.

I really didn't feel like getting in on this for some reason, as I thought Sator would likely be to the rescue, but I might as well correct this piece of misinformation.

True morning dress involves a peaked lapel SB cutaway coat. The morning cutaway coat is more oblique in its sweep than a evening tail-coat (i.e., white tie). Coats are generally oxford grey, charcoal, or black. Waistcoats are generally some sort of double-breasted (though SB seems to be acceptable as well) in dove grey, buff, or ecru (or, for funereal: matching the coat material).

Trousers (not matching to the coat) are striped formal in blacks and greys. I believe proper morning dress calls for a winged collar and ascot. Also, formal gloves, a top hat, and a walking stick are all in order.

I may catch hell on here for wearing a stroller from time to time, but even I just cannot see a proper venue, other than one where it is specifically mandated, where morning dress would be appropriate.
 

Golf_Nerd

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
1,200
Reaction score
3
Originally Posted by merkur
For what occasions would it be appropriate to mandate its wearing?

IMO nowaday ocaasions for wearing a morning dress are hard to find. Perhaps there are some in the UK (because of tradition in the monarchy). But here in Stuttgart I have not seen a morning suit in my hole live!
 

Zenny

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2008
Messages
1,822
Reaction score
3
Originally Posted by lordofpi
I really didn't feel like getting in on this for some reason, as I thought Sator would likely be to the rescue, but I might as well correct this piece of misinformation.

True morning dress involves a peaked lapel SB cutaway coat. The morning cutaway coat is more oblique in its sweep than a evening tail-coat (i.e., white tie). Coats are generally oxford grey, charcoal, or black. Waistcoats are generally some sort of double-breasted (though SB seems to be acceptable as well) in dove grey, buff, or ecru (or, for funereal: matching the coat material).

Trousers (not matching to the coat) are striped formal in blacks and greys. I believe proper morning dress calls for a winged collar and ascot. Also, formal gloves, a top hat, and a walking stick are all in order.

I may catch hell on here for wearing a stroller from time to time, but even I just cannot see a proper venue, other than one where it is specifically mandated, where morning dress would be appropriate.


A quick google search later, and I think I got confused, I meant a cutaway coat. I think someone called it a stroller a while back and that definition has been stuck in my head. Well I learned something new today.

http://www.madisonavenuenyc.com/ASK/formal01.html
 

Sator

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
3,083
Reaction score
39
If you look at English publications from the 1950's, you find that a "black jacket and striped trousers" were considered informal dress - along with lounge suits - and NOT morning dress. Only when a morning coat was worn was it considered morning dress. The substitution of a lounge jacket for a morning coat was classified as "informal dress" in the same way that the substitution of a dinner jacket for a dress coat in the evening was also regarded as "informal dinner dress". I really don't know where this "semi-formal" category came from.

"Stroller" and "cutaway" are both strictly American English. I have also seen the term "director's coat" in American English in place of "stroller". It may be an American thing to regard such attire as some sort of abbreviated morning dress.

DirectorsCoat.jpg


I was walking in the park one weekend recently and was pleased to see a wedding with the bridegroom in morning dress.
 

lordofpi

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
273
Reaction score
1
Sator, I know you have occasionally mentioned the frock coat. I do not know if you own one or not, but despite it being more formal, I could see even it looking more normal than a morning coat. Under what occasions would you, personally, wear either of these forms of a attire?

By the way, I agree about the stroller. I wear it to work now and again with no problem of people confusing it for uber-formal dayware.
 

Sator

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
3,083
Reaction score
39
The occasions a frock coat could be worn today are to the races or for a wedding, if you wanted to be different. If I wore one to a matinee concert at the Opera House, most people would think it was an overcoat. Actually, there is evidence that the frock coat originated as a type of overcoat called the surtout.

I find the American term "stroller" to be increasingly bizarre. It sounds like some sort of baby pram. It's just a "jacket with striped trousers", pure and simple. I think the English have it right there.
 

manouche

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Messages
867
Reaction score
3
In the morning when you plane to spend the day wearing sheer nylon stocking, it is best to have a dress
 

Featured Sponsor

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

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 85 37.6%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 86 38.1%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 24 10.6%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 35 15.5%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 36 15.9%

Forum statistics

Threads
506,437
Messages
10,589,359
Members
224,234
Latest member
Yuttasak.V
Top