The Dapper Waistcoat

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Thinking of getting married at a racecourse? In the first of a mini-series about what to wear to weddings, Karen Grace takes a look at the waistcoat.

The waistcoat has come a long way from its plain and dowdy origins to become the peacock of a man’s formal attire.

After the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London, Charles II wisely decided it would be prudent for his court to replace their fancy and opulent French fashions for a more sobering and serious look.  Everyman was ordered to wear a long vest in plain fabric and sombre colours. However you can’t keep a fashionable gentleman down and by the 18th century this long puritanical vest had transformed itself into the sartorial waistcoat proper.

Fast forward to the present, the waistcoat is a great way to add a modern fresh look to the traditional morning suit worn at weddings. And they don’t have to be expensive, DQT Ltd offer cheap waistcoats in a wide range of colours and designs starting from £15.99.

Morning suits create uniformity to the wedding group which looks great on the wedding photos, drawing the eye to the beautiful bride. But don’t forget it is the groom’s day too and he may want also to stand out (albeit more subtly) from his troupe of ushers and guests. 

The way the groom can achieve this is by wearing a slightly different waistcoat to the rest of the wedding party. One way is to wear an opulent patterned waistcoat whilst the ushers and best man complement his look by wearing the same shade in a plain block colour.

Patterned doesn’t have to mean expensive, they will cost a little more than the plain but as the groom you’re worth it! DQT can also offer cheap waistcoats in three different prints for £17.99 each.

The three prints are:

 

Floral for the True Romantic. Named Passion, the groom will look dashing in this rich jacquard effect pattern. Deep dark colours of black, purple and burgundy will create an edgier mysterious passionate look whilst neutral ivory, gold and silver will bring out the cool simmering passion of the classic gentleman.

 

 DQT has added a new colour this season, Lilac. This pastel shade is sure to be a winning choice due to its popularity as a bridesmaid colour.

 

Scroll print for the Modern Man. Juxtaposing contemporary with tradition, the groom will look striking in this clean fresh design. The high contrast of hot pink, bright purple, royal blue and black on a white background magnifies the contemporary look and makes a bold statement. Choosing plain waistcoats in the same bold colour for the ushers and best man will ensure this wedding will stand out for all the right reasons.

 

Swirl pattern for the Classic Man. Using tone on tone shades, the groom’s look is calm and elegant whilst the small and dense baroque style print ‘swirls’ the still waters with a touch of intensity. The print brings depth to the baby pinks and blues, and the neutrals of silver, gold and ivory.

Ultimately the waistcoat colour the wedding party wears has to fit in with the colour scheme (usually) chosen by the bride. If the groom is not a big fan of colour especially the pastels or the brights, he could opt for the classic neutrals of ivory, champagne or white with just a splash of colour on his pocket square or cravat.

For more information on DQT’s cheap waistcoats click here.

Sartorial Tip

Always keep the bottom button undone. This sartorial rule was accidently started by dapper Edward VII (at the time the Prince of Wales) when he left his bottom button undone after a meal and everyone followed suit.

KAREN GRACE

Karen Grace is the Fashion & Beauty Editor for www.EclipseMagazine.co.uk.

She studied Personal Styling at the London College of Fashion and is a registered affiliate member of the Federation of Image Professionals International. You can read more of Karen’s fashion advice at: www.frumpytofunky.com

For personal shopping and styling services you can reach her via frumpy to funky on contact@frumpytofunky

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