At a glance, it looks as though you’ve got it easy when it comes to black tie attire: all the guesswork of what to wear is non-existent, everyone expects you to turn up in the same outfit as everyone else and you get to wear it over and over again!
The dinner jacket evolved from the smoking jacket. In 1860, tailors Henry Poole & Co made a short black smoking jacket for the trendsetting Prince of Wales (later to be Edward VII) to wear to semi-formal gatherings away from London as a comfortable alternative to the stuffy formal wear of the tailcoat.
Always choose white and buy an actual dress shirt; a normal shirt will not do.
Always black (after all it’s a black tie event!), the bow tie should be silk and always match the texture of your jacket’s lapels.
A pump with silk bows is the traditional evening shoe and dates back to the 16th Century when they were worn with knee breeches and silk stockings.
Cummerbund or waistcoat? You don’t have to wear either, however bear in mind your shirt. Waistcoats and cummerbunds are a great way to hide where the dress studs finish and the ordinary buttons start.
You still need to look the part when you arrive and leave, so no Parkas, trench coats, anoraks or other casual coats.
Cheltenham is the Mecca of jumps racing; Mick Fitzgerald is one of the most admired and popular jockeys of recent generations, whose many big-race victories include the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Cheltenham World of Jump Racing, published by the Racing Post, brings together the two to celebrate jump racing in all its moods as the vibrant,
Jump! is Jilly Cooper’s latest blockbusting novel – and the first since 2006. It’s vintage Cooper: a fabulously entertaining romp through the world of jump racing, with a wonderful cast including several cameo appearances from some of her best-loved characters.
Reviewers at Eclipsemagazine.co.uk were so impressed with Jilly Cooper’s latest novel, JUMP!, that they were inspired to create a new award: the Eclipse Cup Award for Services to the Social Side of Racing.
Jilly Cooper’s JUMP! just released and already winning awards! Read More »
