Tailcoat
.jpg)
The tails (of French frac ) is a men's garment and refers to a waist-length jacket with the typical tails ( "dovetails"). In popular parlance, however, the entire tailcoat suit (with vest, pants, etc.) is often referred to as tailcoat. He is considered the king of men's clothing .
history
The origin of the tailcoat lies in the English frock . This was a garment of the lower, working classes. At the beginning of 1730 young aristocrats began to wear this frock on informal occasions (English undress , French negligee ). It was made of wool and was cut at the front, sloping down from the chest to the back. For riding, however, it was cut horizontally backwards at waist level, creating the riding coat .
From around 1750 the "frock" and the riding coat came to France, where the frock became the frac and the riding coat , as a special case, the frac à l'anglaise or redingote . These two fracs became increasingly popular in France until they dominated the streetscape at the end of the 18th century.
From 1800 the frac à l'anglaise became more and more popular. In the years that followed, the cut of the tailcoat hardly changed, except that it was very tailored in the Biedermeier period. From 1850 the tailcoat was gradually only worn on special occasions. From the 1930s the tailcoat was partially replaced by the tuxedo .
The tailcoat
The tailcoat on festive occasions
Nowadays, the tailcoat is mostly worn as part of a suit on special festive occasions from 6 p.m. The dress code suitable for these occasions is known as a "large formal suit" (English "white tie", French "cravate blanche"). This dress code is very strict and leaves little room for individuality for the person wearing it. Nevertheless, there have recently been attempts to loosen up this strict dress code a little. A traditional extension of this strict dress code are evening weddings, which usually don't start until 4 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. On this occasion, a tailcoat can be worn before 6 p.m.
Tailcoat
Nowadays the tailcoat is black (more rarely dark blue) and consists of the jacket with knee-length " swallowtails " (on the back), which is waist-short at the front and is always worn open. The pointed lapels are usually adorned with shiny silk satin. The closing buttons and sleeve buttons are - as with the tuxedo - also covered with satin.
Tailcoat pants
The tailcoat trousers never have cuffs or pleats and the side seams are finished with two silk ribbons - called galons . The tailcoat trousers have a straight cut and are not worn with a belt, but only with suspenders .
Tailcoat shirt
In addition, one wears a white tailcoat shirt with a starched piqué breast (a shirt front made of cotton piqué ), tailcoat buttons made of mother-of-pearl or diamonds, as well as a wing collar ( patricide ) and a simple cuff that is not turned over but is closed with cufflinks. The cuffs should protrude two fingers' widths from under the sleeve ends of the jacket, but not over the wrist. A classic dress shirt used to consist of a collarless shirt to which the wing collar, the cuffs and even the chest part were buttoned.
Tailcoat vest
A white tailcoat vest is worn over the shirt . The front part, like the tailcoat, has lapels and can have two inset vest pockets. It can be single-row or double-row and is equipped with white mother-of-pearl buttons or with piqué-covered buttons. The vest usually does not have a back and is instead held in place with a narrow waist strap at the back. A white bow is also worn. Vest and bow also made of cotton piqué. (Exception: a black vest is worn at a funeral), service staff (waiters, etc.) wear a black bow tie to distinguish them from the guests. Shirt, vest and bow are often referred to together as a tailcoat set.
Others
The variant of wearing the tailcoat without a vest and instead with a cummerbund is particularly common with musicians, but rather uncommon as a classic evening suit. The foot is dressed in dark silk or woolen stockings that reach below the knee (you should never show skin when sitting) and black patent leather shoes.
A black cylinder or the folding version of the chapeau claque is often worn as headgear with a tailcoat . Optional accessories are a white silk scarf and white ice cream gloves . A tailcoat watch with a chain is still permitted ; wearing a wristwatch is considered a faux pas. Only fabric handkerchiefs are allowed as handkerchiefs (no paper handkerchiefs). A special accessory is also a tailcoat, which is painted with black piano lacquer and has a chrome-plated knob.
A pocket square is not common, but possible. It should be white and made of linen or cotton.
The most festive men's suit during the day (until 6 p.m.) is the cutaway , also known as the “tailcoat of the day”; this is z. B. worn at weddings, state receptions and high-class funerals. In the Federal Republic of Germany, as in many other European countries, the tailcoat has been ousted from official use at state receptions and has been replaced by the tuxedo.
"Beau" Brummell in tailcoat, England, 1805
Right: dark green tailcoat with white trousers, 1830
Tailcoat, daytime ( black vest), 1895
Around 1900, with cylinder
Balls
The tailcoat is still the most suitable item of clothing for large balls. At the large and traditional Viennese balls , for example, the tuxedo is also allowed, but many come in tails. At the Vienna Opera Ball , the Philharmonic Ball and the Techniker-Cercle , it is compulsory to wear tails. H. all men must wear tailcoats unless they are wearing dress uniforms . At some balls debutants are required to wear tails .
In the Scandinavian countries it also represents men's standard clothing on less exclusive balls.
The tailcoat in sports
In the field of dance sport , the tailcoat is worn for standard dance . But it differs in many details from a "real" tailcoat. For example, the sleeves are sewn on straight to look natural in the dance posture. The individual parts such as jacket, vest and shirt are only available in the visible areas in order to avoid multiple layers. In addition, other materials are used.
In dressage , tailcoats and top hats are worn in the upper classes .
At the beginning of the 20th century , sports referees , e.g. B. in football , while leading a match tailcoat and top hat. At the same time, the players often competed in men's shirts .
See also
literature
- Iris Elisabeth Vitzthum von Eckstädt: A worthy citizen in tails? A contribution to the cultural history of clothing research. Schneider Verlag Hohengehren, Baltmannsweiler 2008, ISBN 978-3-8340-0425-3 ( Mode und Textilwissenschaft , 5), (also: Berlin, Univ. Der Künste, Diss., 2006).
- Andrea Mayerhofer-Llanes: Tailcoat . In: Reallexikon zur Deutschen Kunstgeschichte , Volume 10. 2006, Sp. 443–454
- W .: Pleasure and suffering from official and business life. No. 1: An official tailcoat . In: The Gazebo . Issue 19, 1867, pp. 302-304 ( full text [ Wikisource ]).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hardy Amies: Suit and Gentleman. Of the fine English way of dressing. Lit, Münster 1997, ISBN 3-8258-3456-5 , p. 94.
- ↑ see Etro . Autumn / winter collection for men 2012-13 ( Memento of the original from December 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Etro website. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
- ↑ see Chanel . Cruise 2012/13 collection ( Memento of the original from May 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Chanel website. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
- ↑ see Karl Lagerfeld Paris . Men's summer collection 2013 . Luisaviaroma.com website. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
