Our Deportment: Or the Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most Refined SocietyYoung, John H.
General
Our Deportment: Or the Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most Refined Society
Young, John H.
Etiquette
The morning dress for gentlemen is a black frock-coat, or a black
cut-away, white or black vest, according to the season, gray or colored
pants, plaid or stripes, according to the fashion, a high silk
(stove-pipe) hat, and a black scarf or necktie. A black frock coat with
black pants is not considered a good combination, nor is a dress coat
and colored or light pants. The morning dress is suitable for garden
parties, Sundays, social teas, informal calls, morning calls and
receptions.
It will be seen that morning and evening dress for gentlemen varies as
much as it does for ladies. It is decidedly out of place for a gentleman
to wear a dress coat and white tie in the day-time, and when evening
dress is desired on ceremonious occasions, the shutters should be closed
and the gas or lamps lighted. The true evening costume or full dress
suit, accepted as such throughout the world, has firmly established
itself in this country; yet there is still a considerable amount of
ignorance displayed as to the occasions when it should be worn, and it
is not uncommon for the average American, even high officials and
dignified people, to wear the full evening costume at a morning
reception or some midday ceremony. A dress coat at a morning or
afternoon reception or luncheon, is entirely out of place, while the
frock-coat or cut-away and gray pants, make a becoming costume for such
an occasion.
JEWELRY FOR GENTLEMEN.
It is not considered in good taste for men to wear much jewelry. They
may with propriety wear one gold ring, studs and cuff-buttons, and a
watch chain, not too massive, with a modest pendant, or none at all.
Anything more looks like a superabundance of ornament.
EVENING DRESS FOR LADIES.
Evening dress for ladies may be as rich, elegant and gay as one chooses
to make it. It is everywhere the custom to wear full evening dress in
brilliant evening assemblages. It may be cut either high or low at the
neck, yet no lady should wear her dress so low as to make it quite
noticeable or a special subject of remark. Evening dress is what is
commonly known as "full dress," and will serve for a large evening
party, ball or dinner. No directions will be laid down with reference to
it, as fashion devises how it is to be made and what material used.
BALL DRESS.
Ball dressing requires less art than the nice gradations of costume in
the dinner dress, and the dress for evening parties. For a ball,
everything should be light and diaphanous, somewhat fanciful and airy.
The heavy, richly trimmed silk is only appropriate to those who do not
dance. The richest velvets, the brightest and most delicate tints in
silk, the most expensive laces, elaborate coiffures, a large display of
diamonds, artificial flowers for the head-dress and natural flowers for
hand bouquets, all belong, more or less, to the costume for a large
ball.
THE FULL DINNER DRESS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account