This drawing from The Tailor & Cutter is lovely; but it’s not really my style. Not because a white dinner jacket would be too showy unless I were dining in truly balmy weather. But, rather, because everything about it is too square.
The effect begins with the lapels, which are both straight down their length and horizontal in the peak. It continues with the square, presumably heavily padded shoulders. Then the straight breast pocket, floating too far away from its lapel. The two bottom buttons are fastened, giving a sharp but square finish to the jacket’s bottom edge. The width of the trousers doesn’t help either.
I like jackets with a little shape. Some curve, some flow, some movement. There is certainly an argument that a dinner jacket should be sharper than a regular suit, but this is too much.
I agree about the jacket being too square overall, but those shoulders look fine to me – that’s what most jackets llok like when I wear them – I’m aware though that your shoulders are naturally very sloping and so the amount of padding necessary to achieve the look above would probably utterly ruin any jacket.
I think it looks great. I’m sure there’s at least some degree of exaggeration, being an illustration rather than a photograph, but I think the formality calls for such crisp, clean lines.
I agree with Levi – it’s exaggerated, but it’s very striking. I doubt many men have the build that this would require though. The break in the trousers is quite exquisite, as well, though I agree that the breast pocket is weirdly out of place. It should tuck behind the lapel. I don’t know what Simon’s point is about the bottom buttons; as far as I’m concerned all the buttons should be fastened on a DB jacket or it just looks sloppy.
I don’t like at all the double breasted dinner jacket SIX BUTTONS.
For me a double breasted dinner jacket will be Kent model.
Said this..yes the coat is square and boxy in exaggerated way.
Dear Simon,
I wish to pose you a question on which I would like know your judgment.
I premise two points:
1. I believe the Prince of Wales as the second best dressed man in the world, being the first his father, the Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh.
2. I love sincerely all which is “sprezzatura”, but I think that are few “dogma” that cannot be ignored
Given all over said and after seeing the enclosed three pics takes in different occasion, what do you think about the vents on Prince Charles’ dinner jacket?
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Dear Patrizio,
Thanks for the question. The links don’t seem to work for me, but I can see the images from the email you originally sent, which shows Prince Charles in a rather nice dinner jacket with vents.
Are you suggesting that having a dinner jacket with vents is too much for you? That you would always have it ventless?
If so, to be honest I disagree. A ventless jacket can look good and flatters a lot of men, but not all – it certainly doesn’t me.
And while it might be common historically to have a dinner jacket without vents, it’s certainly not something that was absolute or uniform.
Finally, and probably most importantly, it’s just some way down the list of elements of a dinner jacket that should be retained because they make the wearer look far more elegant and suited to the occasion. Above it are many things men fail to do today, such as cover the waist, have high-waisted trousers, not wear bright ties, handkerchiefs, socks etc. I’m just not sure it should be a priority.
Thanks
Simon