Formal Dress Forum

[Steveo]

How very true, I love velvet, but we have all seen what it looks like on Mr Byrne.

[hr]

[s]Strangers passing in the street....by chance two seperate glances meet[/s]

[Anon.]

[s]Eliot Wilson wrote on 00:10, 15th Mar 2005:
While browsing the internet today, I came across an extraordinary object - a Prince Charlie jacket (with matching waistcoat, of course) in velvet. Are there any circumstances under which we wouldn't deprecate that?

I see nothing wrong with it whatsoever; Prince Charlie jackets often used to be velvet in the nineteenth century. It's only since the nineteen-seventies that velvet has had a bad name.

[Eliot Wilson]

However, one has to contend with the reaction of the public nowadays. The item can be found at www.kinlochanderson.com; perhaps members can make up their own minds. I'd be wary.

[hr]Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[Andrew Cusack]

At a recent event, Mr. Rory Evans (a first-year I think) was seen wearing tweed jacket and waistcoat. How come we don't see many tweed waistcoats among the students? I think I might look into it when I return to the United States of Affordable in May.

[hr]
http://www.andrewcusack.com

[Eliot Wilson]

[s]Andrew Cusack wrote on 17:01, 15th Mar 2005:
How come we don't see many tweed waistcoats among the students?


Is that a rhetorical question, Mr Cusack?

[hr]
Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[Anon.]

[s]Andrew Cusack wrote on 17:01, 15th Mar 2005:
How come we don't see many tweed waistcoats among the students? I think I might look into it when I return to the United States of Affordable in May.

I hope you mean as part of a three-piece suit. There is no place for tweed waistcoats in any other situation.

[Jason Dunn]

I wonder if I could pick the minds of this distinguished forum and ask about cufflinks, specifically whether bar or chain models are preferable. I am aware that the former are the more modern, but are they the more favourable design, or are they a style-less simplification?
J.D.

[Bryn]

Surely most people would not notice what cufflinks you are wearing, and therefore it doesn't really matter?

[hr]http://bryn.ipfox.com

[Eliot Wilson]

Well, chain links have the advantage of being double-sided, so to speak. My St Leonard's College cufflinks, for example, have the University arms on one face and the college colours on the other.

[hr]Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[RJ Covino]

[s]Eliot Wilson wrote on 16:49, 20th Mar 2005:
St Leonard's College cufflinks

Admittedly, they are things of great beauty; however, the chain which connects the University side to the College side appears to be made from some manner of easily breakable faux-metal, which I find most annoying. In fact, it is purely down to their penchant for breakage that I inevitably wear my Queen's Belfast cufflinks, which have a bar and not a chain.

[Anon.]

I tend to find that chain links don't fasten my cuffs tightly enough, so I wear bar links (or, for everyday use, those silk knot things).

[BasilSeal]

I favour chain links, on the grounds that they are considerably more stylish than bar links, for having the swivelling exposed always struck me as rather like showing one's underwear.

However, for everyday use I prefer bar links, simply because, as Anon. notes, they fasten cuffs better.

It is unfortunate that the college cufflinks are easily breakable. Has anyone else found this to be a problem with them?

[Eliot Wilson]

No, it's not a problem I've had. Yet.

[hr]Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[BasilSeal]

What tie is being worn in the March 4th pictures on Mr. Cusack's 'blog?

[exnihilo]

In days of yore, before the chain ones became available, I found that the face of the university cufflinks would break off from the bar mechanism with alarming regularity. I have since found that the chain snaps very easily too - I suspect this is a comment on the shoddiness of the manufacturing as the same is true of Glasgow's ones which are sourced from the same company.

Personally, I favour chains for formal wear, as they are so very much smarter, having a face on either side of one's cuffs. Like Mr Renouf, I have a collection of silk knots for more every day use and some bar cufflinks which I like a great deal but never wear because of the ugliness of the bar mechanism.

I have, however, seen two other sorts - bars which bear a not unattractive design on them, effectively giving them a second (albeit narrow) face, and ones which are like small cotton reels, which have two faces and a narrow "barrel" and which clip or screw together through the cuff.

What must be avoided at all costs are the "riverboat gambler" kind which have a chain or thin watch bracelet type arrangement which wraps around the outside of the cuff edge.

[Eliot Wilson]

Unless, of course, one goes the whole riverboat gambler hog, and wears a white suit with a double-breasted waistcoat.

[hr]Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[Anon.]

On the subject of double-breasted waistcoats: good or bad? Acceptable with a morning coat, but not as part of a suit?

[Andrew Cusack]

[s]BasilSeal wrote on 19:37, 20th Mar 2005:
What tie is being worn in the March 4th pictures on Mr. Cusack's 'blog?


It was on special offer at Tie Rack.


[hr]
http://www.andrewcusack.com

[Guest]

[s]Anon. wrote on 17:29, 20th Mar 2005:
I tend to find that chain links don't fasten my cuffs tightly enough, so I wear bar links (or, for everyday use, those silk knot things).


If you want your cuffs to be fastened tightly with links you should probably avoid French cuffs and wear shirts with cuffs of the barrel type.

[tintin]

While I find that chain links look better and you have more room especially if wearing a watch, for simple ease I prefer bar ones. And silk knots just infuriate me as all that time you've spent ironing you end up ruining as you wrestle putting the damn things in.