Formal Dress Forum

[Andrew Cusack]

Plus Fours: acceptable for everyday wear?

[Eliot Wilson]

If you're Bertie Wooster, 90 years old or a paedophile, yeah, sure.

[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]

Perfectly, in any situation where tweed coats would also be suitable.

[BasilSeal]

Chaps, I am considering purchasing a new umbrella. I have narrowed the field down to a large Brigg with a black canopy, suitable for two people, or a golf umbrella by Mssrs. Dege and Skinner in teh black, gold, and red of my cricket club, I Zingari Australia.

I am leaning towards the Brigg.

Thoughts?

[Kizzy]

Given that so many of you here are graduates, can you help me identify a couple of academic hoods? From memory, one's just royal blue, but the other has darkish green with marroon around the edge. Any ideas?

[Anon.]

Quoting Andrew Cusack from 21:38, 8th Aug 2005
Plus Fours: acceptable for everyday wear?

I think only in a particularly rural setting, and not for everyday wear à la Tintin.

[BasilSeal]

Oh, God, yes, I'd forgotten about Tintin.

[Eliot Wilson]

Though in some of the later books he wore an unpleasant pair of brown flares, I seem to recall.

[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."

[Steveo]

When were the later books written, or illustrated? Was it just an attempt to keep up with fashion, that is, if brown flares were ever fashionable?

[Jason Dunn]

Quoting BasilSeal from 22:09, 11th Aug 2005
Chaps, I am considering purchasing a new umbrella. I have narrowed the field down to a large Brigg with a black canopy, suitable for two people, or a golf umbrella by Mssrs. Dege and Skinner in teh black, gold, and red of my cricket club, I Zingari Australia.

I am leaning towards the Brigg.

Thoughts?

I must advise that you take Fox's umbrellas into consideration.
http://www.foxumbrellas.co.uk/
They do not manufacture golf umbrellas, to their eternal credit, and if such is the style you are set on then disregard the above.

[exnihilo]

In what conceivable sense do they not manufacture golf umbrellas?

http://www.foxumbrellas.co.uk/golf_umbrellas.htm

[David Bean]

Quoting Jason Dunn from 20:41, 15th Aug 2005
I must advise that you take Fox's umbrellas into consideration.
http://www.foxumbrellas.co.uk/
They do not manufacture golf umbrellas, to their eternal credit, and if such is the style you are set on then disregard the above.

Wow, they're beautiful! I'm seriously tempted to shell out the nearly £60 for the cheapest in their range (I couldn't afford any more, and this would itself be a huge extravagance). But if they actually do work as well as they claim - they won't be destroyed by the St Andrews wind - they must be seriously worth a look, because my old one died horribly on a particularly blustery day outside Melville.

[hr]

"Don't ask me what you know is true, don't have to tell you, I love your precious heart. I - I was standing, you were there, two worlds collided, and they could never tear us apart" - INXS

[La Jouissance]

Quoting Jason Dunn from 20:41, 15th Aug 2005
I must advise that you take Fox's umbrellas into consideration.
http://www.foxumbrellas.co.uk/
They do not manufacture golf umbrellas, to their eternal credit, and if such is the style you are set on then disregard the above.

Quoting exnihilo from 21:03, 15th Aug 2005
In what conceivable sense do they not manufacture golf umbrellas?

http://www.foxumbrellas.co.uk/golf_umbrellas.htm

Exposed!! Brilliant

[Jason Dunn]

Evidently I am incorrect. It seems they provide the full range of umbrellas. Odd what one can miss.

Clanger aside, I hope the website is useful.

[Ian McFarlane]

my old one died horribly on a particularly blustery day outside Melville.

I was almost blown off the roof of Melville that day you tried to help me down David. The bow of the north ship can be particularly blustery.

[Eliot Wilson]

The North Haugh is something of a graveyard for umbrellas. I was walking back to DRH many years ago, across the bit of grass where the Gateway building now stands, and my umbrella blew inside out for the umpteenth and last time. I rather lost my temper and smote it mightily.

[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."

[David Bean]

Gosh, I know. I've seen days where every bin in sight had at least one cheap fold-up.

By coincidence, I was in Edinburgh today and decided to get one from Jenners. It was considerably less expensive, but I like the look of it, and the label claims that it's unlikely to be blown inside out, but if it is, it won't cause it to break. Sounds good to me.

[hr]

"Don't ask me what you know is true, don't have to tell you, I love your precious heart. I - I was standing, you were there, two worlds collided, and they could never tear us apart" - INXS

[Guest]

Given that so many of you here are graduates, can you help me identify a couple of academic hoods? From memory, one's just royal blue, but the other has darkish green with marroon around the edge. Any ideas?

The first could be a lot of things really: Associate of the Victoria College of Music for one, it all depends on the shade of blue used and shape of the hood itself (did the hood have a cape or did it just have a cowl?) The dark green hood is probably from the National University of Ireland. Dark green is very much their colour and maroon quite often in various combinations - the LL.M. comes to mind.

[Anon.]

Quoting BasilSeal from 22:09, 11th Aug 2005
Chaps, I am considering purchasing a new umbrella. I have narrowed the field down to a large Brigg with a black canopy, suitable for two people, or a golf umbrella by Mssrs. Dege and Skinner in teh black, gold, and red of my cricket club, I Zingari Australia.

I am leaning towards the Brigg.

Thoughts?

Definitely the Brigg.

[Ian McFarlane]

Just to try and align the subject of umbrellas with that of formal dress: Obviously, in inclement weather, either a gentleman or a lady may be umbrellaed. The umbrella must be black, and must be very, very tightly bound. It should be bought from a proper shop. Of that I am sure, but also I understand that it should always only be carried in the left hand, perhaps someone could confirm or correct me on that point.