White dinner jacket on New England/Canada cruise?

DH has both black and white dinner jackets - he looks smashing in both! - and has been wondering about the propriety of wearing the white dinner jacket after Labor Day on our upcoming QM2 cruise to New England and Canada in late September. Advice, please?

Thanks so much.

Three words: GO FOR IT!

Yes! A white dinner jacket is always appropriate on a cruise. I wore mine last September and will wear it again this coming April.

I hope it has a shawl collar!

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DH has both black and white dinner jackets - he looks smashing in both! - and has been wondering about the propriety of wearing the white dinner jacket after Labor Day on our upcoming QM2 cruise to New England and Canada in late September. Advice, please?

Thanks so much.

(So many men are easily mistaken for James Bond, once they are transformed by simply wearing an ivory dinner jacket... :rolleyes: )

(Never white dinner jacket btw. White is worn by waiters and band leaders).

My advice? Keep the light jacket for a cruise well south of the southern tip of Florida (where the Tropic of Cancer can be found) where it will look just great, and keep the dark one for northern, chilly waters (such as those around Canada and New England).

Hear hear to Pepperrn

You can wear what you wish. But the convention is if the officers are in whites only. From the UK, the convention is added by "turning the corner" i.e. west of Gib. Cream/white d/js would unusual for Canada/NE in September. Indeed, in the U.S., or at least the South, one never wears white after Labor Day and before Memorial Day. Years ago, Princess Margaret arrived in Dallas wearing white in October and someone famously remarked "She may be the Queen's sister but she'd never be a southern sorority girl"

Hear hear to Pepperrn

I'll second that.

Keep the Ivory jacket for 'Cruising around the Med or the Caribbean'

You can wear what you wish. But the convention is if the officers are in whites only. From the UK, the convention is added by "turning the corner" i.e. west of Gib. ...

Yes, I remember the Union-Castle Line did not publish a dress code because passengers, especially in first class, were expected to know the tradition of the sea. As a reminder, the daily programme mentioned the "rig of the day." It would say: "The captain and officers will be wearing ..." and either navy uniforms, navy mess dress, white uniforms or white mess dress. There was never any confusion. But even when the officers were in their "whites" the vast majority of gents were in black DJs.

Yes, as with so much else, RMS ST. HELENA followed U-C on not having a "dress code" for passengers but listing, instead, listing in the daily programme the "rig of the day" for the officers as a guide. And yes, we did have one or two passengers who dressed for dinner on the formal mess uniform evenings. But we had more than our fair share of "Red Sea Rig" days, too, which as the name suggests stemmed from the U-C/BI East African run and was standard black uniform trousers, white uniform shirt with open neck and cummerbund.

Cream dinner jackets used to be also called "cruise jackets" at least in the U.K., but I was saddened to see comparatively few passengers wearing them on my last QE Med Cruise. On CANBERRA almost everyone changed to them after "turning the corner"

OK,what about a dark red,blue or purple DJ.I've seen plenty around.How would they fit in the Cunard equation?

OK,what about a dark red,blue or purple DJ.I've seen plenty around.How would they fit in the Cunard equation?

Ok I agree with you there. I've given up on wearing the 'full traditional black two piece evening/dinner suit'.

I now have several evening jackets in various colours , dark navy, grey, burgundy etc, even have a Scottish tartan one, but wouldn't dream of wearing white/ivory on a transatlantic crossing unless in the Med or Caribbean ......... M&S do a fantastic range of gents evening jackets in the weeks leading up to Christmas & New Year. ;)

And only BLACK tie. None of your multi-coloureds.

And only BLACK tie. None of your multi-coloureds.

Quite right ! White Shirt only ! (non of this 'Black shirt and white bow tie' :eek: ) and non of these Red White & blue bow ties , unless one wants to be taken for the Bingo Caller.

Quite right ! White Shirt only ! (non of this 'Black shirt and white bow tie' :eek: ) and non of these Red White & blue bow ties , unless one wants to be taken for the Bingo Caller.

Bingo caller - very good ! Or a clown.

I've only got black bow ties and only proper ones, none on a bit of elastic.

I've also debated (with myself so there are no clear winners - only losers) about the white dinner jacket. I have a vintage one from the 30s that looks great. I wear it a few times a summer. I also have a dark maroon tux jacket (with imbedded glitter), spectator shoes (in multiple color combinations), and various other outfits such as a seersucker suit for Derby parties, and a vintage boater hat for lawn parties. I wear them all at one time or another.

But not on the Queen.

(Although this year the two-toned B&W spec shoes may make to the 20's party.

We'll see what the Mrs. has to say.)

I've also debated (with myself so there are no clear winners - only losers) about the white dinner jacket. I have a vintage one from the 30s that looks great. I wear it a few times a summer. I also have a dark maroon tux jacket (with imbedded glitter), spectator shoes (in multiple color combinations), and various other outfits such as a seersucker suit for Derby parties, and a vintage boater hat for lawn parties. I wear them all at one time or another.

 

But not on the Queen.

 

(Although this year the two-toned B&W spec shoes may make to the 20's party.

We'll see what the Mrs. has to say.)

These?

Or these?

Go for it !

I am sure that he will not only be admired, but complimented by those who will appreciate only only his style, but his additional effort to be special.

There are many excellent suits in fantastic materials these days too. Why should the woman have a monopoly on fabric and colour?!

DH has both black and white dinner jackets - he looks smashing in both! - and has been wondering about the propriety of wearing the white dinner jacket after Labor Day on our upcoming QM2 cruise to New England and Canada in late September. Advice, please?

Thanks so much.

We've taken this cruise four times in the last five years and I have rarely seen anything but black.

If it was a choice between a sharp white dinner jacket and a boring dark business suit I would take the dinner jacket any time. Of course I could wear my denim suit if you like. :D