EVENING WEAR

Tail Suit

AKA: ‘Penguin Suit’, ‘Top Hat and Tails’

Intro: A well established look that screams of formality and class. The Tail Suit is reserved for the most prestigious of occasions and it rarely gets a look in at wedding these days as Grooms plump for a less formal and more contemporary look. That said, each year across the UK there will still be a small percentage of weddings where Tail Suits are worn with dignity and panache – so why not consider it for yours? Once the outfit of choice by the nobility when attending formal balls at least you will feel right at home when you ask the lady ‘Would madam care to dance?’

The Look: Similar in appearance to the Tailcoat (as found in the Morning Wear article), the Tail Suit features a knee length jacket that tapers away from the mid-rift towards the hip – however, unlike the Tailcoat, the tapering then stops, cuts back upwards freeing access to trouser pockets, then recommences towards the hips thus forming the ‘tail’. As with the Model T Ford, it is available in any colour, so long as it is black (please let us know if you find any other colours out there!).

Essential Extras: The quintessential look is for the Tail Suit to be worn with a plain white waistcoat, winged collar shirt, white bow tie and black trousers. You should be aware that there is a special waistcoat designed specifically for wear with the Tail Suit. The waistcoat features three small buttons that are close together around the mid-rift – when buttoned the result is somewhat of a cummerbund-meets-waistcoat look.

Finishing Touches: Four accessories that work perfectly with the Tail Suit are Top Hat, gloves, cane and white handkerchief.