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LEGEND & NOTES
Information compiled
February 2011.
·
Prices are listed in the
retailer's national currency
and
exclude shipping
and applicable taxes or duties.
·
The globe symbol indicates that
international shipping
is available.
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Support The Guide
If you order from any of the retailers listed here please let them know how you found them! |
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Buying a Top Hat
If you find yourself in the market for a top hat this
comprehensive guide will prove invaluable. |
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Shopping for White Tie
When it comes to attire
intended for society’s most exclusive occasions, it won’t do to
“make do”. If your social calendar is auspicious enough to
merit the acquisition of a full-dress kit then you would do well to
judge each potential purchase by its ability to enhance the
evening's cachet rather than to reflect the wearer’s thrift.
Evening Tailcoat & Trousers
(Dress Suit)
The ideal tailcoat and
trousers would be custom tailored
for the individual buyer. There is no better way to ensure the
perfect fit that is required to give the full-dress suit its proper
regal air. Prices range drastically depending on the level of
customization: online tailors charge as little as US$285 for a
made-to-measure tailcoat and trousers while a bespoke ensemble can
cost over $5,000. The only common factor is that qualified
full-dress tailors are few and far between.
Less ideal, but far more
pragmatic, is to purchase a ready-to-wear ensemble. Take some
time to find a make that suits your body type then employ a skilled
tailor to alter the garments for the best fit possible.
When shopping, look for superior brands and upscale sellers
like the ones listed under Quality
Retailers or Specialty Retailers.
This is not the time to be shopping for bargain-basement discounts
at formalwear retailers that categorize tailcoats as a type of
tuxedo.
Prices can be as little as US$200 for a Ralph Lauren
tropical wool set online or as
much as $3,500 for a Canali make at an upscale haberdasher.
However, the best bargain of all would be a well-preserved vintage
tailcoat providing unmatched old-world tailoring for less than the
cost of a cheap suit.
Specialty Retailers
Even if you decide to rent
your tailcoat – a perfectly respectable option for a
once-in-a-lifetime event – it would still be wise to purchase the
remaining garments. This will allow you to source items that
are as correct as possible rather than settling for the renter’s
limited inventory. (It will also avoid the ignominy of
attending the most prestigious social occasion of your life dressed
entirely in borrowed clothing.)
As with tailcoats, it would
be wisest to seek out quality brands and retailers when shopping for
white-tie accompaniments. Even then it can be extremely
difficult to source a truly authentic ensemble in today’s world. The
following list has therefore been compiled to assist you in locating
some of the harder-to-find items.
Full-Dress Shirt & Collars
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Darcy Clothing (formerly The Vintage Shirt
Company), specialist offering authentic collarless shirts
and detachable collars |
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Ede and Ravenscroft, specialist offering
collarless shirts and detachable collars |
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Toastmaster Clothing aka Court Case aka
LegalWear.co.uk, legal wear and eveningwear retailer
offering Frederick Theak collarless marcella shirts |
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Luke Eyres, manufacturer & wholesaler of
detachable collars that supplies most other UK retailers
(minimum order of 6) |
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Brooks Brothers, offering full-dress
detachable collar shirt (with collar) |
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DanceShopper.com, supplier of detachable
collars and collar stud |
Full-Dress Waistcoats
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Oliver Brown, upscale retailer offering
premium evening wear |
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Ede and Ravenscroft, retailer offering
premium evening wear |
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Toastmaster Clothing aka Court Case aka
LegalWear.co.uk, legal wear and eveningwear retailer
offering Frederick Theak collarless marcella shirts |
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Clermont Direct, inexpensive online
formalwear retailer offers sized waistcoats complete with
waistcoat studs |
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eHorseEquipment.com,
retailer of formal riding apparel |
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Hansen's Clothing, retailer that offers the
Robert Talbott full-dress waistcoat |
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Direct Clothiers, retailer that offers the
Robert Talbott full-dress waistcoat |
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Uniformalwearhouse.com, online retailer
offering 100% cotton Lord West piqué waistcoats for $50 |
Self-Tie Full-Dress Bow Ties
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A
Suitable Wardrobe, online retailer of quality formal accessories (when ordering please
let them know you found them here to help support The Black
Tie Guide!) |
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Shepherd & Woodward, retailer of sized
full-dress bow ties |
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Toastmaster Clothing aka Court Case aka
LegalWear.co.uk, legal wear and eveningwear retailer |
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See also US retailers Hansen's
Clothing, Direct Clothiers, Paul Stuart, David's Formalwear
and TuxedosDirect.com as well as UK retailers Ede &
Ravenscroft (sized and single-ended models), Pakeman Catto &
Carter and Bromley's (sized models) listed under
Specialty Retailers:
Self-Tied Bow Ties. |
Accessories, Top Hats
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Lock & Co. Hatters, mail order shop for new
and restored vintage top hats |
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Oliver Brown Top Hats, London shop for new
and restored vintage top hats |
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Charles Gale Clothing, retailer of
Christy top hats |
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Darcy Clothing (formerly The Vintage Shirt
Company) |
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Clermont Direct, inexpensive online
formalwear retailer offering waistcoat studs |
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Toastmaster Clothing aka Court Case aka
LegalWear.co.uk, legalwear retailer offering shirt collar
studs and waistcoat studs |
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Ede and Ravenscroft legal wear, specialist
offering sterling silver shirt collar studs and leather
storage boxes for detachable collars (just how much do
British lawyers make anyway?) |
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Shops of Provence
Etcetera, retailer of imported kid gloves |
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Florentine Gloves, retailer of imported kid
gloves |
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Farthingales, supplier of gold/brass collar
studs |
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