Every year, many of our clients choose to get married in tails.
Sometimes in classic white tie, sometimes in a swallowtail look or in one of our military or steampunk styles.
Tailcoats and morning coats have deep roots in tradition, but in the modern era can be some of the most unique and expressive pieces in menswear.
In recent decades, women would show up in wedding gowns and flamboyant ball gowns and men would show up in rented black suits.
Such is a poor way to honor the special events in one’s life.
But recently, we have seen more and more tailcoats at red carpet events as men have become more interested in dressing well.
Traditionally, the black tailcoat with a black double striped trouser and a matching white pique vest, shirt bib, and bowtie was the ultimate evening formalwear.
For the daytime, a black or charcoal morning coat—a frock coat that sometimes has a pronounced swallowtail or cutaway shape—with a charcoal striped pant, and a contrast vest, with either with a contrast formal cravat or bowtie was the way to go.
But dressing well is not so much about following the rules as it is about using tradition to express your individuality.
The pics show one of our most recent morning suits.
The cut of the coat is a hybrid of a swallowtail coat with the sharper, more angled shape of classic tailcoats.
The front shape is continuous along the placket, but then cuts away sharply back into a square tail. It is my feeling that this shape feels more modern than a classic swallowtail.
All of the pieces tie in various shades of purple.
The tailcoat is cut from a black wool, but with silk lapel facings that wrap around to the wool edge which features rows of decorative buttonholes. The silk is iridescent—charcoal grey woven with subtle purple.
The vest––cut from pale purple silk––features classic peak lapels and a low neck.
And the pant is made from a traditional morning stripe charcoal wool––but here the stripes are purple as well this time, a bold purple that is only visible when close.
The cut of the pants is a classic wide-leg pleated style with wide cuffs.
Finally, the 6″ top hat is cut from a subtle purple heather flannel that reads as charcoal grey at first glance with trim to match the morning coat.
We made everything in the pics except the shoes and the ivory handled walking stick (which belonged to my great great grandfather!).
So if you are considering a tailcoat, a morning coat, a top hat, or a vest definitely Contact Us so that we can talk more.
All of our pieces are custom made to your measurements, and with the full suits, we actually cut and sew mock-ups of the pieces to mail to you to try on, ensuring a perfect fit in the final garments.
Last year, we made suits for events all across the world.
So where ever you are located, we can make a suit for you.
Each piece is handmade one-at-a-time here in our studio in Denver, Colorado.
