White tie (or evening dress, full evening dress; slang top hat and tails or white tie and tails) is the most formal evening dress code A dress code is a set of rules governing what garments may be worn together. Examples of dress codes are combinations such as "smart casual", or "morning dress". A classification of these codes is normally made for varying levels of formality and times of day. In traditional Western dressing, for men the more formal dress codes,. It is worn to events such as balls, the opera, and banquets. The chief components for men are the dress coat A tailcoat is a coat with the front of the skirt cut away, so as to leave only the rear section of the skirt, known as the tails. The historical reason coats were cut this way was to make it easier for the wearer to ride a horse, but over the years tailcoats of varying types have evolved into forms of formal dress for both day and evening wear, white bow tie and waistcoat, and starched shirt, while women wear a suitable dress for the occasion, such as a ball gown A ball gown is the most formal female attire for social occasions. According to rules of etiquette, a ball gown must be worn where "white tie" or "evening dress" is specified on the invitation. It is traditionally a full-skirted gown reaching at least to the ankles, made of luxurious fabric, delicately and exotically trimmed.
As evening dress, white tie is only worn after dark or after five o'clock pm, whichever occurs first. Before then, the daytime equivalent called morning dress Morning dress is the daytime formal dress code, consisting chiefly for men of a tailcoat, waistcoat, and striped trousers, and an appropriate dress for women. Men may also wear a morning suit, a popular variant with all parts solid grey. Morning dress is now rarely worn, used generally only for weddings, some official government or Royal functions, is worn. The semi-formal counterparts of white tie are black tie Black tie is a dress code for formal evening events, and is worn to many types of social functions. For a man, the major component is a jacket, known as a dinner jacket or tuxedo (mainly in the United States), which is usually black but is sometimes seen in other colours. Analogues for womens' evening dress range from a conservative cocktail dress in the evening and, rarely worn, semi-formal morning dress Morning dress is the daytime formal dress code, consisting chiefly for men of a tailcoat, waistcoat, and striped trousers, and an appropriate dress for women. Men may also wear a morning suit, a popular variant with all parts solid grey. Morning dress is now rarely worn, used generally only for weddings, some official government or Royal functions, during the day, a code in between an informal lounge suit A suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in England as country wear. Other types of suit still worn today are firstly the dinner suit, part of black tie, which arose as a lounging alternative to dress coats in much the and full morning dress (cf formal wear Formal dress and formal wear (US/Canada) are the general terms for clothing suitable for formal social events, such as a wedding, formal garden party or dinner, débutante cotillion, dance, or race. The Western style of formal evening dress, characterized by black and white garments, has spread through many countries; it is almost always the definitions). The dress coat A tailcoat is a coat with the front of the skirt cut away, so as to leave only the rear section of the skirt, known as the tails. The historical reason coats were cut this way was to make it easier for the wearer to ride a horse, but over the years tailcoats of varying types have evolved into forms of formal dress for both day and evening wear worn with white tie is a descendent of the coat worn at all times of day in the Regency period The Regency period in the United Kingdom is the era between 1811 and 1820, when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, later George IV, was instated to be his proxy as Prince Regent. The term is often expanded to apply to the years between 1795 and 1837, a time characterised by distinctive fashions, politics, and culture. In this, so is also part of other related codes, such as civilian day court dress Court dress is worn by all men not entitled to court uniform or military uniform on all occasions of state where such are customarily worn. Court occasions include courts, state balls, and evening state parties, and levées. Courts are for the presentation of women, levées for men in the Royal court (in the UK). However, these alternatives are now being replaced by standard white tie for formal state occasions, such as for ambassadors at the State Opening of Parliament In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber, usually in November or December, or in a general election year, when the new Parliament first assembles. In 1974, when two general elections were held,. In royal ceremonies of Iran (before Islamic revolution) such as the 2500th anniversary of persian empire at persepolis, that held in 1971 by Shah, this type of dress was olso used bye Iranians and other foreign state guests.
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Elements
Men's clothes
Formal evening dress is strictly regulated, and properly comprises:
- Black tailcoat A tailcoat is a coat with the front of the skirt cut away, so as to leave only the rear section of the skirt, known as the tails. The historical reason coats were cut this way was to make it easier for the wearer to ride a horse, but over the years tailcoats of varying types have evolved into forms of formal dress for both day and evening wear with silk Silk is a natural protein fibre, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity . The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract (grosgrain or satin) facings, horizontally cut-away at the front
- Black trousers with a single stripe of satin Satin is a weave that typically has a glossy surface and a dull back. It is a warp-dominated weaving technique that forms a minimum number of interlacings in a fabric. Some definitions insist that the fabric is made from silk. If a fabric is formed with a satin weave using filament fibres such as silk, nylon, or polyester, the corresponding fabric or braid in the US or two stripes in Europe; trousers are fish-tail back, thus worn with braces instead of a belt.
- White plain stiff-fronted cotton shirt A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any upper-body garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers. In British English, a shirt is more specifically a (usually cotton marcella Piqué, or marcella, refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or fine ribbing. Twilled cotton and corded cotton are close relatives (US: piqué Piqué, or marcella, refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or fine ribbing. Twilled cotton and corded cotton are close relatives))
- White stiff-winged collar In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck. A collar may also be a separate or detachable accessory worn around the neck
- White bow tie The bow tie is a type of men's necktie. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar in a symmetrical manner such that the two opposite ends form loops. Ready-tied bow ties are available, in which the distinctive bow is sewn into shape and the band around the neck incorporates a clip. Some "clip-ons" dispense with the band (usually cotton marcella Piqué, or marcella, refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or fine ribbing. Twilled cotton and corded cotton are close relatives (US: piqué Piqué, or marcella, refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or fine ribbing. Twilled cotton and corded cotton are close relatives))
- White low-cut waistcoat A waistcoat , sometimes called a vest or a vestee in Canada and the US, is a sleeveless upper-body garment worn over a dress shirt and necktie (if applicable) and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear, and as the third piece of the three-piece male business suit. Once a virtually mandatory article of men's clothing, it has become (usually cotton marcella (US: piqué Piqué, or marcella, refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or fine ribbing. Twilled cotton and corded cotton are close relatives), matching the bow tie and shirt, which should not extend below the front of the tailcoat)
- Black silk stockings A stocking, sometimes referred to as hose, is a close-fitting, variously elastic garment covering the foot and lower part of the leg. Stockings vary in color, design and transparency. By analogy, the term is also used to describe a type of horse marking in which the white coloring extends from the horse's hoof to just above the knee (long socks)
- Black pumps The term pump for shoes is of unknown derivation according to the Webster's Third New International Dictionary. The reference can be to different types of shoe depending on the person using the word and the speaker's dialect:
The front of the dress coat is cut as if it were double-breasted In clothing, the term double-breasted refers to a coat or jacket with wide, overlapping front flaps and two, parallel columns of buttons or snaps; by contrast, a single-breasted coat has a narrow overlap and only one column of buttons. In most modern double-breasted coats, one column of buttons is decorative, while the other functional. The other, but is never buttoned. It is, in fact, cut so that it cannot be closed. The front cut-away is squared, in contrast to a morning coat A tailcoat is a coat with the front of the skirt cut away, so as to leave only the rear section of the skirt, known as the tails. The historical reason coats were cut this way was to make it easier for the wearer to ride a horse, but over the years tailcoats of varying types have evolved into forms of formal dress for both day and evening wear, which has a diagonally-angled cut-away. Both dress coats and morning coats are tail coats, the former for evening dress, and the latter for day wear. Since the waistcoat must not extend below the coat front, it must be high; the waistcoat must cover the trouser waistline (which should never be seen) so this must be also high.
Additionally, it is common to wear medals A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific, academic or various other achievements. Medals may, sashes, and other decorations with white tie dress, especially if the man has some military, political, or royal background.
At some state and heraldic occasions in Britain, black buckled pumps, knee-breeches and silk stockings are worn instead of trousers.[citation needed] This is particularly necessary where the garter of the Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in medieval England. The Order is dedicated to the image and arms of St. George as England's Patron Saint, and is presently bestowed on recipients from British and other realms; it is the pinnacle of the honours system in the United Kingdom. Membership in the is intended to be worn.
Fred Astaire Fred Astaire , born Frederick Austerlitz, was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute. He is particularly associated with in Royal Wedding (1951)The waistcoat and bow tie are usually made of cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Pakistan, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely marcella, although plain white or off-white silk bow ties and waistcoats are sometimes worn. The shirt should have a detachable stand up collar, with a plain but stiffly starched front. Shirts with marcella fronts were traditionally frowned on but during the course of the twentieth century have gained in acceptability. Shirt studs and cufflinks should be silver or white. A white chest pocket handkerchief and boutonnière A boutonnière is a floral decoration worn by men, typically a single flower or bud. The word comes from the French boutonnière, or buttonhole, which is the British term. The flower itself is often a carnation, which is most formal white, while red remains a classic alternative. Other colours may also be chosen to better coordinate with whatever may be worn (in France, both may not be worn simultaneously, and the boutonnière traditionally should be a gardenia Gardenia is a genus of 142 species of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania. Several species occur on Hawaiʻi, where gardenias are known as naʻu or nānū). At occasions of state, and in the presence of royalty, state decorations are worn by those who have been awarded them: miniature medals A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific, academic or various other achievements. Medals may plus up to four breast stars, a narrow neck riband and a broad riband (sash). If a Knight of the Garter wears breeches, he wears his garter under his left knee. Ladies of the Garter wear theirs above their left elbow.
The hat should be a black silk top hat A top hat, silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat worn prior to and including the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, it is usually worn only with morning dress or white tie, in dressage, as servants' or doormen's livery, or as a fashion statement which may be collapsible — a tradition which arose from the fact that opera houses traditionally lacked a cloak room to hand in a top hat. The overcoat should be a dark Chesterfield overcoat The Chesterfield coat is a long, tailored overcoat. It arose along with the lounge suit as an alternative to the highly shaped coats it replaced, such as the frock overcoat with its heavy waist suppression using a waist seam. The Chesterfield has no horizontal seam or sidebodies, but can still be somewhat shaped using the side seams and darts. It, Inverness cloak Even though a wide variety of coats, overcoats, and rain gear are worn with Highland Dress to deal with inclement weather, the Inverness cape has come to be almost universally adopted for rainy weather by pipe bands the world over, and many other kilt wearers also find it to be the preferable garment for such conditions, or an opera cloak A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat—it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been some form of long, unstructured outer garment used. White gloves were traditionally considered essential. A silk scarf A scarf is a piece of fabric worn on or near the head or around the waist for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religious reasons. They can come in a variety of different colors and cane are optional extras.
Women's clothes
Although female dress is not as formally codified as that of men, where white tie is prescribed women are generally expected to wear full-length dresses such as ball gowns A ball gown is the most formal female attire for social occasions. According to rules of etiquette, a ball gown must be worn where "white tie" or "evening dress" is specified on the invitation. It is traditionally a full-skirted gown reaching at least to the ankles, made of luxurious fabric, delicately and exotically trimmed. Depending on the formality of the event, bare shoulders may or may not be acceptable. Shawls and long gloves are common accessories. At the most formal balls, ball gowns are often required to be white. At hunt balls, ball gowns are often required to be black, white, silver or gold.
Where state decorations are worn it will usually be appropriate for royal and aristocratic women to wear tiaras A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.
Variations
Military mess dress Mess dress is the military term for the formal evening dress worn in the mess or at other formal occasions. It is also known as mess uniform and mess kit. This style of military dress is largely restricted to the British, Commonwealth of Nations and United States armed forces; although the Imperial German and other navies adopted their own may also be seen at a white tie event on appropriate occasions. At hunt balls (run by Fox Hunting Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback clubs) members who are entitled to may wear a scarlet tailcoat. This hunt attire is colloquially known as "Drinking Pinks", to distinguish it from the "Pinks" intended to be worn while riding. A hunt ball invitation in America would generally specify the dress code as "Black tie, or scarlet if convenient".
National dress
When specified, national costume National costume expresses an identity through costume which usually relates to a geographic area or a period of time in history, but can also indicate social, marital and/or religious status. Such costumes often come in two forms: one for everyday occasions, the other for festivals and formal wear may also be worn to white tie functions.[1]
Scottish Highland dress
As a specific example of national dress, Scottish Highland The Scottish Highlands include the rugged and mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east. The Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands. The Scottish Gaelic name of A' Ghàidhealtachd dress may also be worn by men at most white tie events.
The traditional white tie version of Highland dress consists of:
- Formal kilt doublet in barathea or velvet — the regulation doublet, Montrose doublet, Sheriffmuir doublet, and Kenmore doublet are suitable in a variety of colours
- Waistcoat A waistcoat , sometimes called a vest or a vestee in Canada and the US, is a sleeveless upper-body garment worn over a dress shirt and necktie (if applicable) and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear, and as the third piece of the three-piece male business suit. Once a virtually mandatory article of men's clothing, it has become in white marcella, tartan (to match the kilt), or the same material as the doublet; no waistcoat is worn with the Kenmore doublet
- Kilt The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly. It is most often made of woollen cloth in a tartan with formal kilt pin
- White stiff-front shirt with wing collar and white, gold, or silver studs and cufflinks for the regulation doublet, or a white formal shirt and optional lace cuffs for the Montrose, Sheriffmuir, and Kenmore doublets
- White lace Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was not made until the late 15th and early 16th jabot A jabot (pronounced /ʒæˈboʊ/ ) (from French jabot: a bird's craw or crop, a pouch in the digestive tract just below the throat that holds food until ready to pass into the stomach) is a clothing accessory worn around the neck; a black silk or white marcella bow tie may be worn in place of the jabot with the regulation doublet (highland wear often includes a black bow tie even at white tie events)
- Black Ghillie brogues or black buckle brogues ("Mary Janes")
- Tartan or diced kilt hose
- Silk garter flashes or garter ties
- Silver-mounted Sporran in fur, sealskin, or hair with a silver chain belt
- Black, silver-mounted, and jeweled sgian dubh
- Short belted plaid with silver plaid brooch (optional)
- Scottish dirk (optional)
- Highland bonnet with badge (only worn out of doors)[2]
Traditional white-tie Lowland dress is a variant of the normal white tie that includes tartan trews rather than the usual trousers and may include a Prince Charlie jacket or regulation doublet instead of the dinner jacket. Trews are often worn in summer and warm climes.
- See also: Scottish apparel
Appropriate occasions
President of the United States Gerald Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, Japanese Emperor Hirohito and Empress Consort Nagako during a state dinner, 1975Like black tie, evening dress is generally worn only after 6 p.m. (see note 1 for an exception). Occasions include:
- State dinners (e.g. dinners with visiting heads of state)
- Some Commemoration balls and May balls at old Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Durham.
- Hunt balls
- Carnival Balls
- Some balls during the London Season
- the Lord Mayor of London's Mansion House Banquet (although Gordon Brown famously ignored the dress code whilst he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.)[3]
The situation is similar in the United States, though for many formal occasions (such as weddings and the Academy Awards, for example) the white-tie-and-tail suit was replaced by the standard black-tie tuxedo, after the 1950s. The white-tie had sometimes informally been known as the "soup-and-fish" suit, because it was worn for formal many-course meals which began with soup, then fish, before meat dishes[4][5]. In America white-tie is still occasionally seen at:
- Balls and cotillions
- Weddings
- U.S. presidential inaugural balls held on the evening of Inauguration Day in Washington D.C.
- Artistic premiers or the opening of an art season in large cities, such as the opera or ballet. The swallow-tail coat with long tails has become almost a cliché for concert pianists of the classical school. In addition, musical conductors and members of an orchestra or symphony playing classical music often are dressed in white tie, as well as many college level choirs, and the occasional barbershop quartet.
In Austria and elsewhere in Continental Europe there are many balls where white tie is worn; a notable example is the Vienna Opera Ball. In Finland, Norway, Sweden as well as the Netherlands many academic traditions (disputations, commencement ceremonies, and academic balls) still require white tie, even during day time. In these countries, academic traditions require a black waistcoat for day-time ceremonies. If no ladies without doctoral degree are present, it is customary to use black waistcoat even in evening.[6] In formal academic balls of student unions, student nations, and other student organizations, couleur is worn with the white tie. In Finland, Norway and Sweden many weddings are white tie as is the Nobel Prize ceremony and dinner occasions with the head-of-state. Doctors may use their doctoral headgear instead of opera hat as part of their white tie even in non-academic occasions. In some universities (most notably Helsinki University of Technology), doctoral regalia includes a black tailcoat with facings bearing the insignia of the university, embroidered in gold or silver. Doctors from these universities may wear this regalia at all occasions requiring white tie. On the other hand, doctoral swords are not usually worn in normal white tie occasions.
In Japan, white tie, or a variant combining the bow tie with a black lounge suit, is worn for school graduation ceremonies by the school principal and the teachers of the graduating students; and also for certain government functions.
Related forms of dress
White ties were historically worn by clerics and in the professions that formerly were filled by priests and minor clerics. In various forms they are still worn as part of:
- Clerical dress (by persons in Holy Orders)
- Clerical dress (by clerks etc. in Parliament)
- Court dress (in courts of law)
- Court dress (in the Royal court)
- Academic dress (in the older universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, University of Durham, St David's College and St Andrews)
- The form of school dress known as 'Stick Ups' is used to recognize senior pupils of note at Eton College
- The Head boy at Harrow School has the distinction of wearing full white tie on Sundays and formal events.
White ties are not usually worn with military mess dress, where black ties are most often worn even with the most formal variants, though there are exceptions. In the Royal Navy, mess dress requires a white waistcoat but a black tie.
See also
Film in which Fred Astaire sings Top Hat, White Tie and Tails- Top Hat, White Tie and Tails 1935 Irving Berlin song, celebrating invitation to a high class party. Written for the film Top Hat, it was introduced by Fred Astaire wearing white tie apparel.
References
- ^ Canadian Heritage (1985). "Protocol — Dress". "Diplomatic and Consular Relations and Protocol" External Affairs. http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/prtcl/vest-eng.cfm. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
- ^ MacKinnon, C. R. (1970). Scottish Tartans & Highland Dress. Glasgow/London: Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.. p. 99. ISBN 0004111141.
- ^ Moore, Matthew (2007-11-13). "Gordon Brown gives in to Lord Mayor's dress code". Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/12/ntie112.xml. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- ^ "Soup & Fish". http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/12/messages/1148.html.
- ^ "Soup & Fish". World Wide Words. http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-sou2.htm.
- ^ Sillanpää, M. Karonkkaperinne. University of Turku. (Finnish)
External links
- Definition of white tie
- Formal working dress of Attendants of the German Parliament
- Living Gentlemanly (the details of wearing White tie)
Categories: Formalwear | History of clothing (Western fashion) | History of fashion
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