Formal Dress Forum

[exnihilo]

Seersucker appears to be an uniquely American cloth. My browse on Google suggests that it is a lightweight, slightly wrinkly fabric - wrinkled effect being acheived by putting the warp under tension different to that of the weft, or vice versa.

Having looked at a couple of garments on websites, I would say that in general terms I approve. With the following caveats - no recurring dog embroidery, and NOT ever, under any circumstance, rayon. So, if unadorned and made entirely of cotton, then fine.


[hr]The world is full of stupid people. I say we get rid of all the warning labels and let the problem take care of itself.

[Mr Comedy]

I think that it is alright, although is t suitable as formal dress?
I am not sure. Maybe just a normal suit would do fine. And to answer Mr Renoufs query, striped overcoats are jsut plain wrong.

[hr]"[I am] a hardened and shameless tea drinker, who for twenty years diluted his meals with only the infusion of the fascinating plant; who with tea amused the evening, with tea solaced the midnight, and with tea welcomed the morning.
-Samuel Johnson

[Laura]

[s]Andrew Cusack wrote on 17:08, 13th May 2004:


Random thought alert:


No, no, it's ok- you[i] really[i] don't have to warn us any more. Its one hundred percent expected one hundred percent of the time.

[Kizzy]

I have a very nice seersucker tablecloth, if that helps, but I'm not sure I'd like to see it as formal dress (the material, that is, not the tablecloth). A friend did once have a seersucker shirt, which was nice. But then he spilled something on it, and seersucker became once again simply tableloth material.

[Andrew Cusack]

[s]Laura wrote on 19:07, 13th May 2004:
No, no, it's ok- you really don't have to warn us any more. Its one hundred percent expected one hundred percent of the time.


Touche, mademoiselle, touche.

[hr]
'Angels fly because they can take themselves lightly.' -- G.K. Chesterton

[S.L.G.]

What an odd idea, though one to which I don't feel particularly opposed. . .

And it is only American? How sad. . .so I suppose the likeliehood of seeing someone wearing one here (except perhaps on someone like you dear Mr. Cusack) is slim?

[Eliot Wilson]

Certainly, seersucker is a rare sight on this side of the pond. It can be very smart, but rather screams "I'm American!". Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on personal taste..

Now, co-respondent shoes: good thing, bad thing? I have a strange hankering after a pair, but they're nigh-on impossible to find.

[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."

[rache1]

Co-respondent shoes? They seem rather Swing and Rock-a-billy, but maybe you are fan of that style.

Best bet to find them would be to search under swing shoes, and many you will find are probably going to be dance shoes. Unless you buy a latin heel, that really isn't too much of a problem- most dance shoes are just really well made leather shoes that offer good support.

Here is one website that has a few styles:

http://www.bleyer.com/frameset.html

And another that offers them in British sizes:
http://www.showtimedanceshoes.com/sho/s ... 62&CATID=3

[S.L.G.]

*pondering the thought of Eliot swing dancing* Could be interesting. . .

[rache1]

And who actually wants to revise?

IMAGE:img35.photobucket.com/albums/v106/laughing_girl/swing.jpg

[Eliot Wilson]

Hmm. Not quite me, I think. No, I was thinking of them more worn with a smart summer suit, in a rather dashing 1920s/1930s, Edward Prince of Wales stylee. But then, black-and-white, or brown-and-white?

[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."

[Laura]

Brown. That would be so nice. Very Gatsby....

[rache1]

I'd have to agree with Laura. If you are wearing it with a summer suit, and want to avoid the 'swing' look, I think brown would be better suited then black.

[Anon.]

If one is going to wear parti-coloured shoes at all, brown-and-white is definitely the way to go.

[Al]

Or yellow and blue for that "I shouldn't be allowed to dress myself" look.

[hr]Life is too important to be taken seriously.

[Mr Comedy]

Parti-coloured shoes are inherently evil, and should be avoided like the plague. In fact, I would happily wish the plague upon someone who wore parti-coloured shoes.

[Anon.]

Well, they are called co-respondent shoes for a reason. One wouldn't wear them if one didn't want to be thought a bit of a bounder.

[hr]"The noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees is the high road that leads him to England."
~Doctor Johnson

[Deacon Brodie]

Not my cup of tea, but acceptable without a neck tie. Shirts with button down collars were designed for polo players, in order that the collars would not be blown up to distract the mounted player. Wearing one with a neck tie is every bit as bad as white socks with a lunge suit.

[Kizzy]

I'm just dying to know what a 'lunge suit' is. Suggestions anyone?

Personally, I think it's either
a) a suit which is sufficiently loose fitting to allow the wearer to lunge wihtout undue difficulty.
b) some sort of lycra catsuit type thing in which people may be expected to lunge.

Sorry, but I couldn't resist...

[Eliot Wilson]

I agree with you entirely, Deacon Brodie (and I know who you are!). Button-down collars with ties are inherently evil.

[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."