Ascot Tie

Posted in Uncategorized on 06/14/2010 09:13 pm by admin

Ascot Tie
What should we wear to an afternoon wedding with a "morning dress" code?

A good friend of mine is getting married in July at 3pm and the dress code is "morning dress". I think this means tails for my other half but should he be wearing a black or white tie/bow tie?

Also, for women, should I wear the same sort of thing as if I was going to Ascot (less the crazy hats)? I've got a silk knee length Babydoll Dress with yellow fascinator but I don't know if this isn't formal enough! I was hoping on wearing a long dress but am not sure if this is going to be appropriate now...please help!

Thanks

Morning dress for gentlemen is a morning coat and grey or striped trousers. A morning coat has tails, but it is not the same as the tail-coat worn for evening dress, and is also different from the "dinner jacket" that is called a "tuxedo" in America. It is worn with a shirt with a fold-over collar and an "ordinary" tie (that is, a Windsor tie). If a gentleman doesn't have a morning coat he can wear a plain dark business suit with a white shirt and tie.

In this picture, Emperor Hirohito and President Reagan are show wearing morning dress. Note the line of the jackets at the front, how they curve away from the button rather than being cut sharply away at the waist in the fashion of an evening jacket:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Reagan_hirohito.jpg

You are quite right that morning dress is what is correctly worn to Ascot. In the picture above, Mrs Reagan is underdressed in a conservative suit: more appropriate would be a Silk Dress with a hemline falling slightly below the knee. She has her accessories correct, though: hat, gloves and pearls.

A fascinator is an early-evening "hat". You should wear a more substantial hat if you have one, without going overboard with the silliness one sees at Ascot.

Tying Ties : How to Tie an Ascot Knot