Suitable
What is a dress suit
A tailcoat suit is a five-piece formal men's suit that you wear after 6 p.m. In the Netherlands there are various occasions where a tailcoat suit is appropriate: at ballroom dancing, at a doctoral graduation at a university, at dinners at the royal court and as a musician in a symphony orchestra. The suit is not meant for walks or other outdoor activities. If the occasion takes place during the day, you do not wear a tailcoat suit but a morning coat: a jacket that slopes away diagonally to the back at the front and ends in a long, rounded tail at the back.
What does a tailcoat suit consist of?
Ready-made suits are easy to buy these days in clothing stores and web shops. Even so, it is wise to know which parts a tailcoat suit should consist of, because it is embarrassing to discover only at the party that the set is not complete. A tailcoat suit consists of the following:
- Black tailcoat: This is a long jacket whose back reaches to the backs of the knees and which ends in two sharp points at the front. The lapel is usually made of a smooth fabric such as satin. The buttons are there for decoration: you do not fasten this jacket.
- White waistcoat: A kind of waistcoat, but with an open back and adjustable straps. Usually made of piqué, cotton with a raised texture. In some cases this waistcoat is black.
- White tailcoat shirt: A white shirt made of piqué with a wing collar: an upright collar whose pointed tips are folded outwards, so that the white bow tie shows to its best advantage.
- White bow tie: Guests are encouraged to tie it themselves.
- Black tailcoat trousers: Formal dress trousers with a satin stripe, a decorative band along the side of both trouser legs.
- Black patent leather shoes: The only shoes you wear with a tailcoat suit.
Which accessories go with a tailcoat suit?
Some people compare a white tie event to a journey back in time, because the clothing of both male and female guests is traditional in nature. The same goes for the accessories:
- White pocket square: A matter of taste, but it gives a refined look. At a university or college graduation it is not customary.
- White braces: Worried that your trousers will slip down? These are the solution. A belt is out of the question with a tailcoat suit.
- Cufflinks: A refined addition to your shirt, as long as they do not stand out too much. White and silver ones are the most common.
- Gala gloves: Not mandatory, but they do complete the classic character of the tailcoat suit. Available in white and black.
- Black knee-high socks: Nothing distracts more than brightly coloured socks under a tailcoat suit. Black knee-high socks are therefore the norm at white tie.
