formal evening dress: vest or no?

[saxandpipes]

Not to muddy the waters, but the PC seems to me to be directly related to the Saxon white tie tailcoat, which is usually worn with a waistcoat. I believe the cummerbund derives from sashes. There may be some connection or there may not.

That might explain it.

I regularly have to wear white-tie, playing in the symphony orchestra. This should (as far as I'm concerned) include a white waistcoat, to match the tailcoat. One time the particular orchestra I was playing with required a black cummerbund instead of the waistcoat, and I have to say that I felt downright stupid. To me it just looked ugly, and destroyed the lines that white-tie dress creates, not unlike the kilt (when done properly).

I think the whole point is that the man is made to look taller and slimmer. This is completely negated when when you chop the whole ensemble in half with a cummerbund.



wrong


Here is how it should be done (and I mean the well-dressed man on the left- the other has also managed to get it wrong, the white strip below the jacket having the same chopping effect as the cummerbund).



Cheers,

Michael