The dress code for the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was 'Dress Uniform, Morning Coat or Lounge Suit' and this seemed to be properly observed. I didn't myself notice any men in breach of this. The groom himself wore the dress uniform of his regiment, The Blues and Royals, while male guests wore lounge suits, various forms of morning dress or their military uniforms. As is right, despite their splendour they were unable to eclipse the outfits of the women, which dazzled in their variety, colour and design.
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| The wedding invitation. The dress code is bottom right |
Three of the most discussed men's outfits are shown below; those of Prince Charles, George Clooney and David Beckham. Prince Charles wears a beautifully made Savile Row morning suit, GC a pale grey lounge suit and DB a darker grey morning suit (Dior Homme) with dove grey double-breasted waistcoat.
I discussed morning dress recently here on the blog (see here). What is not shown in my selection above is the traditional black morning coat with striped or check grey trousers.
All in all I was impressed that so many men had made a real effort and most looked reasonably stylish. I felt slightly disappointed that many guests, like Clooney, opted for the duller option of lounge suit rather than the celebratory splendour of morning dress. The opportunity to go to another royal wedding won't arise now for many years. For me, the best dressed man was Prince Charles; the quality of his suit and the ease with which he wore it teaches many of us how to dress well.
But those are my personal views. What did you think?
PS: I meant to say that I noticed only one top hat and it was, understandably, on the head of milliner Stephen Jones.
But those are my personal views. What did you think?
PS: I meant to say that I noticed only one top hat and it was, understandably, on the head of milliner Stephen Jones.
10 comments:
beckham looks a bit like a toy story character dressed up for church. buzz lightyear in grey peel. somebody must have tied his shoes for him.
clooney quite the opposite. the man as we know him. comfortably being himself.
prince charles wonderfully held back, the gentle host at a very private event in his home among his family. wonderful subtle statement by a wonderful man.
i missed though seeing some fancy dressers among the male crowd. maybe i did not watch carefully enough. elton john? some outrageous flamboyance? some fantasy uniform from some remote island or obscure german aristocracy? non of that. but they would have had a hard time anyway competing with harry's absurdly amazing frilled uniform coat. blessed is the culture that has such eccentricity woven into their military attire!
D. Beckham's skinny trousers are most inappropriate.
My take is that Clooney's choice rang true to himself and his position. Even though he lives in England with an English wife, this very American actor would have looked in costume otherwise. And, that would have called more attention to himself.
Prince Charles has always seemed at ease in his clothes, even as a young man, and no matter the level of formality. I notice that they're usually cut in a slightly looser fit.
NCJack
Thank you all for these interesting comments.
Thank you Tree; I'm not sure I agree that morning dress is particularly British; I'm sure GC would have managed it to perfection.
I saw only one top hat; on the head of milliner Stephen Jones understandably.
GF
I think the guys dressed in the morning suits looked a lot better dressed for the wedding than the lounge suits. I thought DB looked good in his well tailored Morning dress as did Prince Charles, who always looks put together and comfortable in all of his suits.
(not sure if this came through the first time, as google threw an error when I logged in)
Issues have been poked at DB's morning suit. Personally, I think his (or his stylist's, more likely) take on a morning suit is aligned his personality, and therefore his style is a natural extension of him. He was certainly razor sharp, and in a good way, and at least in the coverage we got here in Oz, attacted a lot of attention.
I was disappointed with the lack of top hats also. GF, thanks for giving us a name to go with the hat. That said, I shrank back from the top hat for my own wedding (also in morning dress, albeit rental). If I could wind back the clock, I would purchase, and also wear the hat. I will have to see if I can persuade 3 daughters to let me indulge when I get my shot at father of the bride :-)
Tony
I thought what was most disappointing about Mr Clooney’s attire was the matching tie and pocket square. I thought it gave him the air of a callow but cocky estate agent.
Hello Grey Fox, I love your Instagram account and your blog, which I have recently discovered. What are your views on tartan trews with a morning coat? If acceptable, would a plain white shirt and monochrome tie, a white cotton pocket square be best given pattern in the tartan. I am also really intrigued by the waistcoat slip you mention in your article. Where would I be able to find one?
Many thanks all.
Anon - I don't se why tartan trews shouldn't be tried with morning coat in place of check trousers - a novel and stylish twist. I agree that plain shirt etc would be best to tone it all down a little.
Try Budd Shirtmakers, Turnbull & Asser or New & Lingwood for slips.
Best wishes
GF
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