White Dinner Jacket

[tripster07]

Do men still wear the white dinner jackets?

[songanddance]

Do men still wear the white dinner jackets?

 

Yes they do in the summer and in the tropics year round.

[Keith1010]

The number of men you see with White Dinner Jackets varies by cruise line and even itineary, including the length of the cruise. It is fine to wear a white dinner jacket and you can do so on a cruise line throughout the year. Yes, on land men normally might wear a white dinner jacket in the summer months but on a ship it doesn't matter.

 

Keith

[tripster07]

Thanks for the info.

It will be alot easier to pack the jacket opposed to the tux, shoes,ect.

[Keith1010]

Thanks for the info.

It will be alot easier to pack the jacket opposed to the tux, shoes,ect.

 

With a white dinner jacket you normally wear tuxedo pants, tuxedo shirt, tuxedo tie and tuxedo shoes (if you would like) so I am not sure if it saves much unless you are talking about bringing this in addition to a tuxedo.

 

Keith

[tripster07]

OOPS! I didn't realize that. I thought maybe a regular shirt and tie or a silk shirt w/ dressy black pants.

[happysinglemom]

OOPS! I didn't realize that. I thought maybe a regular shirt and tie or a silk shirt w/ dressy black pants.

 

A white dinner jacket is definitely not something you want to pair with a "regular" shirt. But I love them, I think they have a look that is unmatched by any other men's outfit. My 14 yr old son has already informed me that he wants one for the next cruise. :rolleyes:

 

This is from a formalwear website...

A white dinner jacket is a fine choice for a tropical wingding. Of course, a white dinner jacket is never true white (as is the pure white shirt you should wear with it). It’s usually a creamier shade. Black trousers are undoubtedly the way to go if you’re renting. If you were having your suit made, you could go the Duke Ellington-Cab Calloway route and have white trousers made to match. If the jacket is double-breasted, you won’t be needing a cummerbund. If it’s single-breasted, then I’d go with a black cummerbund and a black tie.

[SDHALFAN]

A white dinner jacket is definitely not something you want to pair with a "regular" shirt. But I love them, I think they have a look that is unmatched by any other men's outfit.

 

I could not agree more, I love the look of a white dinner jacket. I think that it is far sexier and more stylish than the boring old tux.

 

Valerie:)

[tripster07]

I agree with you about the look. My only concern is how the white shirt will look with the jacket being an off white. Should I go with a black tux tie or a bow?

 

Thank you for my free lesson in fashion.

[CDRMark]

Don't think of the white dinner jacket as a completely other outfit. Picture a tux outfit, then just change out the coat. Ta-Da.

The nice thing is one can wear all the tux stuff with it, so one gets two outfits with only one more piece of clothing. The trousers (black/striped), shoes , shirts (white) and ties (bow, usually black but there is a little give here) are all the same. Accessories give one a whole new look too.

Have a great cruise.

Mark

[cruisemom42]

My parents tend to take longer cruises, and my father has always cruised with his black tux and his (off) white dinner jacket. He looks great in both, but I particularly like the white jacket. It just seems to look so right on board ship.

[Keith1010]

I agree with you about the look. My only concern is how the white shirt will look with the jacket being an off white. Should I go with a black tux tie or a bow?

 

Thank you for my free lesson in fashion.

 

The white shirt looks great. I am one of those who now take a white (yes, they call them white but they are more of a cream color) dinner jacket with me for long cruises. You can wear the same white tuxedo shirt that you would wear with a black tuxedo and the same black pants. I will wear the black bow tie. That's all you need. It looks great.

 

This is why I mentioned that the length of the cruise can be a big factor in how many men wear the white dinner jackets.

 

When we go on a 12 day cruise with three formal nights I take the one black tuxedo and a couple of different ties to give it a different look.

 

But, when we go on a long cruise I take both. We were on a world cruise earlier this year and more men like myself brought their white dinner jacket with them than normal because there were so many formal nights.

 

Again, the black bow tie with a white jacket and white tuxedo shiirt look great.

 

Some folks refer to it as the James Bond look.

 

Keith

[happysinglemom]

I agree with you about the look. My only concern is how the white shirt will look with the jacket being an off white. Should I go with a black tux tie or a bow?

 

Thank you for my free lesson in fashion.

 

Yes...definitely wear a white shirt; it looks great. Black tie or bow will work.

[CDRMark]

Snip... I am one of those who now take a white (yes, they call them white but they are more of a cream color) dinner jacket with me for long cruises. Snip ...

Keith

The nice lady who sold me my first white dinner jacket said (with a sigh) "Just like French Vanilla ice cream".

Cheers

Mark

[Smooth seas]

Living in the UK I have 3 different packing lists. If we are sailing ex UK and heading South then I take both black & Cream DJ's. If sailing ex UK and heading North, e.g. Baltic then just black one but if we are flying directly to cruise in "warmer" waters it is usually only the cream DJ with several diffent coloured bow ties.

 

So my general rule is cool or cold waters = Black; warm waters = Cream.

 

Just my 2 penn'orth.

 

Mike

[amarillocruisecat]

Great discussion. I've been pondering the same question for my upcoming cruise. Thought I'd pass along this web site that DW found. It has lots of great info on formal wear. www.blacktieguide.com

[bububr]

As for the regular shirt question...In a pinch it'll work. I wear both pleated and flat fronted WHITE shirts with my formal wear. Neither have a wingtip collar, I prefer the traditional spread collar, with french cuffs, and either a placket covering the buttons, or studs. Picture a 1950s traditional Frank Sinatra, or Dean Martin look.

 

Dave:eek:

[GCurry]

On longer cruises with 3 formal evenings, I'll take both Tux and Dinner Jacket; if it's in tropical waters, and just the Tux for Alaska. As the original wool Dinner Jackets are never pure white, I have matching cream shirts, that you can easily find on-line or at Formal Wear Shops.

 

We dance Ballroom as a hobby, so we have enough formal occasions to justify all the formal wear. Besides, the way they are designed, they last forever. Although in all honesty, I'm on my second Tux, as the first one shrank over the years. I attribute that to Global Warming!!

[meaty_petey]

Don't think of the white dinner jacket as a completely other outfit. Picture a tux outfit, then just change out the coat.

 

Mark hit the nail on the head. In addition, it's best to stick with a turndown collar shirt and a shawl collar because their informality is perfectly suited for this less formal variation of the dinner jacket.

 

 

Personally, I would steer clear of a long tie. It's bad enough that it degrades a black tuxedo to the level of a common black suit but with a white dinner jacket it would look completley out of place. It would be the equivalent of wearing flats with a ballgown.

[Albert Ross]

My father always told me that the only time you wear a white dinner jacket is when you are South of the Equator [otherwise you look like a waiter......]:o

[meaty_petey]

My father always told me that the only time you wear a white dinner jacket is when you are South of the Equator [otherwise you look like a waiter......]:o

 

I'd say a man could get away with it as far north as the Mason Dixon line but anything further than that and I agree that he should expect to be taking drink orders all evening - especially when he wears it in town.;)

 

Peter

[CDRMark]

It is more temperature than latitude, tho there is a correlation between those two. One sees a number of them in Monte Carlo and on the Rivera in season. There were some number of us so attired in the Baltic in August.

Now, at the Poles in Winter it is a camouflage outfit, not formal wear.

Cheers

Mark

[Keith1010]

I was on a full World Cruise earlier this year. Many men including myself wore a white dinner jacket. With close to 30 formal nights many of us didn't want to wear the same tuxedo for each formal even though many of us would change ties, wear a vest, etc. So, the length of the voyage is another key as you will see more men wearing them on long voyages.

 

Keith

[happysinglemom]

My father always told me that the only time you wear a white dinner jacket is when you are South of the Equator [otherwise you look like a waiter......]:o

 

Obviously your father missed many opportunities to look smashing! ;)