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Morning dress, also known as formal day dress, is the formal Western dress code for day attire,<ref name="Wyse-2015">Template:Cite book</ref> consisting chiefly of a morning coat, waistcoat, and formal trousers for men, and an appropriate gown for women. Men may also wear a popular variant, where all parts (morning coat or waistcoat, and trousers) are the same colour and material, often grey, and usually called "morning suit" or "morning grey" to distinguish it;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> considered properly appropriate only to festive functions,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> such as summer weddings and horse races,<ref name="Antongiavanni-2006b">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Keers-1987b">Template:Cite book</ref> which consequently makes it slightly less formal. The correct hat would be a formal top hat, or if on less spacious audience settings, optionally a collapsible equivalent opera hat.
Debrett's states that morning dress should not be specified as the dress code for events starting after 6 p.m. If a formal event will commence at or after 6 p.m., a white tie should be specified instead.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The semi-formal daytime counterpart of this code is the black lounge suit.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Morning dress is generally restricted to certain weddings, royal, government, or municipal audiences, and social season events, e.g., horse races. It may also be seen sometimes worn at church services, as well as fraternal orders, and gentlemen's clubs.
HistoryEdit
The name originated from the practice of gentlemen in the 19th century riding a horse in the morning with a cutaway front, single-breasted morning coat.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The modern 20th-century morning dress was originally a more casual form of half dress, but as the 19th century progressed, it gradually became acceptable to wear it in more formal situations instead of a frock coat. In the Edwardian era, it took over in popularity from the frock coat as the standard daytime form of men's full dress. When it was regarded as a more casual coat, it was common to see it made with step collars (notched lapels in American English), but as it took over from the frock coat in formality, it began to be made with the more formal pointed lapels (peaked lapels in American English).
CompositionEdit
Template:See also Morning dress consists of:
- a morning coat (the morning cut of tailcoat), now always single breasted with link closure (as on some dinner jackets) or one button (or very rarely two) and with pointed lapels, may include silk piping on the edges of the coat and lapels (and cuffs on older models with turnup coat sleeves).
- a waistcoat, which matches the material of the coat.
- a pair of formal striped or checked trousers worn with braces.
- a shirt:
- either a turndown collar is worn (white detachable, fastened by collar studs; or attached) with a tie, in which case the shirt has double cuffs.
- otherwise, a high detachable wing collar is worn with a double-cuffed shirt; this combination is sometimes accompanied now by a formal Ascot, as opposed to a day cravat which is different. This is a more formal option most commonly seen at weddings;
- a plain or patterned silk handkerchief or pocket square may be worn; it is folded and inserted into the front breast pocket of the morning coat.
- black Oxford shoes or dress boots, or boots with a horse riding connection, such as George or Chelsea boot, or galosh-top dress boots; worn with plain dark socks (or another colour if they cannot be seen).
The following can optionally be worn or carried with morning dress:
- a top hat, either classic silk plush, or a modern Melusine fur (replacement for silk plush, as it is no longer in mainstream manufacture). Alternatively, a top hat made of fur felt or wool felt, is another common option.
- gloves of suede, chamois, or kid leather; the most traditional colour is lemon or grey
- grey or white spats
- a cane or umbrella
- a pocket watch on the waistcoat rather than at the lapel, or wrist watch
- a boutonnière
Morning suitEdit
If the trouser cloth matches the coat, the ensemble becomes a morning suit. The waistcoat may also match, or not (an "odd waistcoat"). These are considered slightly less formal than morning coat ensembles, especially in lighter tones. Sometimes referred to as "morning grey dress", which has mid-grey matching morning coat, waistcoat, and trousers (all cut the same as above); being more relaxed, this is a traditional option for events in less formal settings such as Royal Ascot, and is now often worn to weddings as well.
Morning coatEdit
The modern morning coat is single-breasted and usually has peaked lapels.<ref name="Hume-2017a">Template:Cite book</ref> It is usually closed with a single button<ref name="Hume-2017a" /> but may have a link-front closure instead.<ref name="Antongiavanni-2006">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Keers-1987a">Template:Cite book</ref> It is traditionally in either black or Oxford grey<ref name="Post-2011">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Amies-2013">Template:Cite book</ref> herringbone wool,<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> which should not be too heavy a weight,<ref name="Amies-2013" /> with curved front edges sloping back into tails<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref name="Keers-1987a"/> of knee length.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The coat may feature ribbon braiding around the edges of the collar, lapels, and down around the tails;<ref name="Storey-2008">Template:Cite book</ref> it may also be present on the hook vent, breast pocket, and sleeves.<ref name="Schneider-2017">Template:Cite book</ref> Nicholas Storey advises that braiding should be avoided for very formal morning wear.<ref name="Storey-2008a">Template:Cite book</ref>
WaistcoatEdit
A black morning coat with matching black waistcoat is the most formal option,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Keers-1987">Template:Cite book</ref> being worn for Court,<ref name="Keers-1987" /> funerals,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> memorial services,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> civic dress<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and diplomatic dress (replacing or supplementing Court Dress), with academic dress, or in government use in America.
At social or festive occasions, such as horse races and weddings, a contrasting waistcoat is usually worn. The most traditional colours are dove grey,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> light grey<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref name="Roetzel-2009">Template:Cite book</ref> (including pearl grey<ref name="Post-2011"/><ref name="Antongiavanni-2006b"/>), buff<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref name="Roetzel-2009" /> or camel<ref name="Hume-2017b">Template:Cite book</ref> (both yellowish tan colours), duck-egg blue,<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> and occasionally white.<ref name="Storey-2008c">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Flusser-2002">Template:Cite book</ref> There has been a tendency towards 'fancy' waistcoats<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref name="Roetzel-2009" /> of multicoloured and embroidered materials such as brocade,<ref name="Hume-2017b" /> especially at weddings,<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> although brightly coloured waistcoats may be considered garish.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Other colours sold by traditional English tailors include pastels such as powder blue, pale pink, pale green, and other pastels.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Generally, traditional waistcoats are made from linen, silk,<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref name="Hume-2017b" /> or wool.<ref name="Storey-2008c"/>
Waistcoats may be either single-breasted, with or without lapels, or double-breasted with lapels.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> Single-breasted models with lapels usually feature a step collar and are worn with the bottom button undone, whilst double-breasted models commonly have either a shawl collar or a peak lapel and are worn fully buttoned.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> In either case, Debrett's advise against wearing backless waistcoats<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> because they do not look as smart as real ones.<ref name="Hume-2017b" /> Sometimes a white slip is worn, which is a strip of fabric buttoned to the inside top of the waistcoat<ref name="Storey-2008a"/> to simulate the effect of a paler under-waistcoat,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> though the actual wearing of two waistcoats was obsolete even for the late Victorians.
TrousersEdit
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The formal ('spongebag') trousers worn with it are either 'cashmere' striped, or black and white checked.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> Formal trousers should not have turn-ups (cuffs in American English),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and have either flat-fronts or one to two forward pleats to each leg.<ref name="Hume-2017c">Template:Cite book</ref> Braces (suspenders in American English) may be worn<ref name="Hume-2017c" /> to prevent the waistband from appearing beneath the waistcoat if required. Belts should not be worn with morning dress.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Less common (and less formal) alternatives to striped trousers are houndstooth check,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Hume-2017b" /> Prince of Wales check,<ref name="Roetzel-2009" /> and grey flannel trousers,<ref name="Schneider-2017"/> amongst others.
ShirtEdit
Since the Second World War, in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms, the traditional shirt for morning dress has been a white or light-coloured shirt with double cuffs (fastened with cufflinks) and a plain white stiff turn-down collar (often of the cutaway variety<ref name="Storey-2008b">Template:Cite book</ref>) worn with a long tie.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> A detachable collar is no longer considered to be necessary and is very formal by modern standards.<ref name="Hume-2017b" />
Alternatively, a wing collar may be worn; the combination of long tie and wing collar is very dated, so these are instead paired with an ascot.<ref name="Keers-1987a"/><ref name="Antongiavanni-2006a">Template:Cite book</ref> Unfortunately, this combination has acquired negative connotations because most dress hire companies have used pre-tied or incorrect patterns for many years, which has caused the configuration to be seen as an inferior or hired look. Consequently, Debrett's (and the late Hardy Amies) consider the wing collar and ascot to be inappropriate for weddings or morning dress,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> reserving wing collars for white tie.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Wyse-2015b">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Wyse-2015a">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Wyse-2015" />
If a wing collar is worn, the collar should be of the starched, detachable, variety and also include starched single cuffs (secured with cufflinks) all in white. This is because, in the past, a starched stiff-fronted shirt was worn with starched cuffs and a starched detachable wing collar, worn with cufflinks and shirt studs; it is essentially the same as a plain-fronted (rather than Marcella) full evening dress shirt.<ref name="Storey-2008b"/> Contemporary shirts often do not have a detachable collar at all which, provided they have the same height and stiffness as the detachable type, are considered to be an acceptable alternative.<ref name="Hume-2017b" />
The most formal colour for a shirt is white. Alternatively, a coloured or striped shirt with a contrasting white ("Winchester") collar and (optionally) white cuffs may be worn. Traditional formal shirtings are usually light-coloured<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> and may include cream, blue (such as Wedgwood blue), pink,<ref name="Hume-2017b" /> lavender, peach, salmon, yellow, or pastel green.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Morning dress shirts (other than the collar) are usually solid in colour<ref name="Hume-2017b" /> or have thin vertical stripes<ref name="Antongiavanni-2006a"/> but may have a slightly bolder pattern such as a houndstooth or glencheck.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Neck wearEdit
Previously, a grey or (if at a funeral) a black necktie was obligatory. Now all colours are worn; in many clubs and societies the club tie is acceptable to distinguish members from guests at formal lunches and breakfasts. The original silver Macclesfield design (a small check) is still used particularly with cravats, and is often called a wedding tie. Wearing a silver-grey silk tie is the usual practice at royal<ref name="Keers-1987b"/> and other formal events.<ref name="Storey-2008c"/><ref name="Roetzel-2009" /> Although there is no longer a strict rule governing the colour and pattern of ties that are worn to weddings these days, garish options are inadvisable.<ref name="Hume-2017b" /> The English etiquette authority, Debrett's, dictate that smart woven silk ties are preferred to cravats<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> although stocks and cravats may be worn as an alternative.<ref name="Hume-2017b" /> The American etiquette authority, The Emily Post Institute, states that either a tie or a dress ascot may be worn with a morning coat.<ref name="Post-2011"/> If a tie is worn, Debrett's advise men to tie it with either a four-in-hand or half-Windsor rather than a Windsor knot.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
If worn, cravats may be tied in either a formal dress knot (Ascot knot) which is secured with a cravat pin<ref name="Keers-1987a"/> or a slightly less formal ruched knot which resembles a four-in-hand tie. A wing collar and cravat may be worn with a black coat but not with a grey one.<ref name="Antongiavanni-2006"/> Cravats have been proscribed in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot since 2012<ref name="Ascot">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and should therefore be treated with caution in any context in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.
Bow ties may be worn as an alternative to the necktie. Although there are photographs of the Duke of Windsor and Sir Winston Churchill wearing bow ties with morning dress, and Debrett's does not advise against the wearing of one, it is not expressly provided as an option by Debrett's.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref name="Hume-2017b" /> Bow ties have been proscribed in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot since 2019 and should therefore be treated with caution in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Some style authorities, including Bernhard Roetzel and Nicholas Antongiavanni, advise against the wearing of bow ties with morning dress.<ref name="Roetzel-2009" /><ref name="Antongiavanni-2006"/> Others, such as Nicholas Storey, provide that bow ties may be worn so long as they are obviously not an evening bow tie.<ref name="Storey-2008"/>
FootwearEdit
Shoes should be of the traditional, highly polished black plain cap-toe Oxford type<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref name="Hume-2017a" /> without brogueing<ref name="Schneider-2017a">Template:Cite book</ref> but may include a single line of tooling across the toe cap.<ref name="Storey-2008d">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The shoes should not be patent leather,<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> which is now reserved for evening formal wear.<ref name="Wyse-2015b"/><ref name="Wyse-2015a"/> Although it may be acceptable to wear 'smart-slip on shoes'<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> and monkstraps,<ref name="Roetzel-2009" /> it is not ideal to wear either loafers<ref name="Hume-2017a" /> or open-laced shoes, such as derby shoes (or bluchers in American English).<ref name="Schneider-2017a"/> In the Victorian and Edwardian era button boots<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Oxford boots<ref name="Storey-2008d"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> were worn and these can be correctly worn with morning dress today. When worn at equestrian events, boots of equestrian origin such as jodhpur boots, George boots and Chelsea boots are also acceptable. Socks should be black or grey.<ref name="Hume-2017b" /> Spats were once frequently seen with morning dress,<ref name="Keers-1987b"/> but are now rarely worn and, by 1939, the practise of wearing them was considered to be almost extinct.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
AccessoriesEdit
HeadgearEdit
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In the Commonwealth of Nations, traditional black, or grey (less formal, but becoming more widely accepted), top hats are considered an optional accessory for weddings.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, hats remain compulsory in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Ascot"/>
Pocket squareEdit
A pocket square should always be worn with morning dressTemplate:Fact?. They may be made from linen, cotton, or silk. Whilst a simple white linen square with rolled edges is classic, they may instead be a solid colour or patterned and should always complement the neckwear. However, although it is very common practice in wedding parties, many style authorities do not recommend wearing a matching (i.e., identical) pocket square and tie, as it tends to look contrived, draws attention away from the wearer's face, and displays sartorial uncertainty. Pocket squares with a solid colour should generally be paired with a patterned tie (and vice versa) and should not share the same base colour. In other words, the solid color item should be in a color that is not the dominant color of the other.
It may be puffed or folded into a square, single-point, or multi-pointed style folds. Puffed pocket squares work well with softer materials such as silk; other folds tend to hold their shape better when more structured materials such as linen are used.
DecorationsEdit
The wearing of decorations, orders, and medals is uncommon with morning dress. An invitation will generally indicate whether or not they should be worn and, in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms, are more common for religious services or public functions of official significance. Up to four stars, one neck badge, and full-size medals should be worn with morning dress (mirroring the practices observed on day military uniforms); when a neck badge and star are worn together, they must be of different orders.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Etiquette: "morning dress"Edit
Template:Further Men wear morning dress when members of a wedding party. In common with court dress, mess dress, and white tie, morning dress is for prestigious and important social occasions. Despite its name, morning dress may be worn to afternoon social events before five o'clock, but not to events beginning after six o'clock in the evening; the term "morning" is best understood as "daylight".
In Europe, the groom sets the sartorial tone: the guests may wear morning dress if he does.
Equivalents for menEdit
Following the etiquette of formal wear, morning dress being its civilian day wear, there are several equivalents.
White tie is the correct, equivalent formal dress for evening social events. The cutaway front of the morning tail coat differs from the evening tail coat (dress coat) in that the waist of the former is cut obliquely while the waist of the latter is cut horizontally, and the tail is cut differently from the swallow tailcoat used for evening dress. The skirt waist construction of the coats is equestrian in origin, to ease the wearer's riding his horse.
Equivalents for womenEdit
Women should wear 'smart daywear', such as a smart day dress or a skirt worn with a jacket.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> The straps of tops and dresses should be at least one inch wide even if worn with a jacket or other covering.<ref name="Royal Ascot">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Strapless, off-the-shoulder, one shoulder, halter neck, sheer, bardot, and spaghetti straps are not permitted in the Royal Enclosure at the Royal Ascot<ref name="Royal Ascot" /> and may be inadvisable at other occasions that require morning dress. Dresses and skirts should be neither too short nor too revealing.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> At their shortest, they should fall just above the knee.<ref name="Royal Ascot" />
Trouser suits and smart jumpsuits are permissible at the Royal Ascot but must be ankle length. With trouser suits, the coat and trousers should match in both material and colour. Jumpsuits must also comply with the regulations that apply to skirts and dresses.<ref name="Royal Ascot" />
At the most formal of occasions and the races, dresses and skirts should be worn with a tailored jacket.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> A bolero, shrug, or pashmina may otherwise be worn.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> Daytime shoes, such as wedges, should be worn rather than very high heels or evening-style shoes<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> and ought to be comfortable enough to wear for several hours.<ref name="Hume-2017d">Template:Cite book</ref> Tights should always be worn.<ref name="Wyse-2015" />
Hats should be worn in the Royal Enclosure at the Royal Ascot<ref name="Royal Ascot" /> but are optional at weddings.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> They should be a style that is securely fitted and may be worn throughout the day.<ref name="Wyse-2015" /> Hats should neither be so large or cumbersome that they hamper kissing<ref name="Hume-2017d" /> nor too small. The Royal Ascot does not permit fascinators within the Royal Enclosure.<ref name="Royal Ascot" /> Headpieces may be worn instead of a hat but must have a solid base of at least 10 cm.<ref name="Royal Ascot" />
Daytime jewellery, such as pearls, add an extra flourish of style.<ref name="Wyse-2015" />
A shoulder bag is often preferable to a clutch purse, especially for mothers at weddings.<ref name="Hume-2017d" />
Contemporary useEdit
Commonwealth of NationsEdit
Morning dress remains somewhat common at weddings in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth of Nations countries (such as Australia, and New Zealand), usually worn only by male members of a wedding party but sometimes by guests as well. Men at upper and upper-middle class weddings usually wear their own morning coats and their own ties. On these occasions they may wear their old public school ties (known as private schools in the US). For the British working class (constituting the majority of the population), a wedding party tends to wear hired morning suits that are co-ordinated, the men usually dressed in outfits of identical ties, handkerchiefs and waistcoats.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Additionally, morning dress may be seen at some royal or governmental audiences and social season events (e.g. horse races such as the Royal Enclosure of Royal Ascot, the Queen's Stand of Epsom Derby, or the Victoria Derby in Australia). It may also be seen sometimes worn at church services in St Paul's Cathedral, London, and St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh. Other occasions include certain City of London institutions including fraternal orders, gentlemen's clubs, livery companies and guilds. It also exists as school uniforms at some of United Kingdom's most traditional schools, such as Harrow (on Sundays)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Eton.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
United StatesEdit
In the U.S., the morning coat is sometimes referred to as a cutaway coat.<ref name="Flusser-2002"/>
In the U.S., morning dress is rare. Harvard Commencement is one of the few occasions in the United States where morning dress is consistently worn (see Academic regalia of Harvard University). It was formerly worn in traditional weddings and political formal events, the Kennedy inauguration of 1961 being the last use for that ceremony. In Virginia, morning dress is worn by a governor-elect when sworn to office.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
By tradition, the Solicitor General of the United States (SG) wears striped pants and a morning coats when delivering oral argument before the Supreme Court of the United States.<ref name="Days-1995">Drew S. Days, No Striped Pants and Morning Coat: The Solicitor General in the State and Lower Federal Courts, 11 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. (1995).</ref><ref name="Morning Coat">Morning Coat, Striped Pants, New York Times (July 18, 1986).</ref> The deputy U.S. solicitors general also wear morning dress when attending the Supreme Court,<ref>Joan Biskupic, Deputy Solicitor Heads for New Bench Mark, Washington Post (October 31, 1994).</ref><ref name="Dahlia Lithwick">Dahlia Lithwick, Law Suit: Time to do away with morning wedding attire at the high court., Slate (January 8, 2009).</ref> as do other Justice Department attorneys.<ref name="Dahlia Lithwick"/><ref>The Court and Its Traditions, Supreme Court of the United States (last accessed September 17, 2022).</ref> This contrasts with the attire of other attorneys, who usually wear ordinary business suits when arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court.<ref name="Morning Coat"/> It is rare for the SG to argue before state courts and lower federal courts, but when this occurs the SG does not wear morning dress.<ref name="Days-1995"/> The morning-dress Supreme Court tradition applies only to male SGs; for female SGs and deputies, use of the morning coat is optional. Elena Kagan, upon her appointment as SG in 2009, decided to wear a dark pantsuit instead for her arguments.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Elizabeth Prelogar followed Kagan's precedent upon becoming SG in 2021.<ref>Mark Walsh, Two cases. Three hours of arguments. Four sets of lawyers. Fifty mentions of abortion. One pair of red socks., SCOTUSblog (November 1, 2021).</ref>
Morning dress has recurred in the traditional Easter parade associated with Fifth Avenue in New York City.
See alsoEdit
- The stroller is a similar, but slightly less formal, dress code, hence not interchangeable with full morning dress. Whereas morning dress is the daylight equivalent of evening's white tie, the stroller is the daylight equivalent of black tie and is essentially a more-formal lounge suit (indeed, in Britain it was historically referred to as a "black lounge suit").
NotesEdit
BibliographyEdit
- Apparel Arts magazine, an account of 1930s fashion and style; some issues more relevant than others, such as those reproduced with comment at The London Lounge.
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