GLAMOUR ON THE STREETS

Soon the streets of London and other conurbations will see an influx of the black tie brigade as the festive season gets into its swing. Starting earlier and earlier, as competition to book popular venues grows keener, the Christmas party period sees a resurgence of men dressing up, even if at the end of the evening they need dressing down.

The stipulation for black tie at many get-togethers has grown apace in recent years in direct contrast to the more general swing to less formality in men's clothes. While the suit still reigns supreme in the business world, casual jackets, trousers and shirts are favoured by younger men, and it is, alas, quite common to see a couple out for the evening, where she is splendidly dressy in a sparkling evening outfit, while he looks appropriately attired for digging the garden.

So in the run-up to Christmas, it is good to see men, of all ages, back on the streets in dinner jackets as they make their way to the ball - or whatever seasonal fixture they are attending. Suddenly, they are quite commonplace, as cabs become increasingly hard to come by, on the Tube, on buses, and walking in the rain, lending their own brand of festive style to the Christmas decorations.

For tailors, Christmas comes early in the shape of customers who either can no longer get into their one dj, or decide a fresh style is called for, or who have finally reached the stage in life where a bespoke dinner suit is no longer to be put off. For these and all regular clients determined to show that the male of the species can still look glamorous, let us be thankful.

This year, there is little evidence of those ill-judged coloured djs, the cake-frilled shirts, the wing-collars and dreadful made-up bows to go with them, praise be. Plain black is it, the jetter the better, with narrow shawls or peaked lapels, a slimmish shape, and preference for single breasted, trousers fairly narrow.

Some sheen comes through in mohair cloths; grosgrain lapel facings are back; the bows are conservatively restrained; and a sudden interest in great evening coats brings a touch of Ruritainian glamour and luxury that is at odds with the exceedingly mild weather experienced thus far into the season.

Top, Huntsman evening set; above, Richard Anderson; right,, romantic Highland evening dress by Kinloch Anderson, available to order through Dege & Skinner.

An example of a particularly grand coat, bottom, comes from Richard Anderson. This tailor is always on the look out for new cloths and has recently taken up a particularly luxurious alpaca blend that is not only English made but sourced in England. The exceptionally fine fibre comes from a herd born and bred in the lush West Country, woven and blended with wool or silk in Yorkshire.

The actual make-up of the cloths is inspired by one Sir Titus Salt of Yorkshire, who chanced upon bales of imported alpaca fibre at the Liverpool docks in 1836. He developed a range of cloths using the fibre, known as the 'Lustre Cloths', and two in particular proved very successful, receiving the royal approval of Queen Victoria.

The alpaca/silk mixof a Super 120's quality has been made up by Richard Anderson into the dinner suit shown above. Single breasted, with peaked lapels faced in grosgrain, and single button, it sets the style for the season.

And for a touch of Hollywood glamour, the overcoat, in a mix of 72/28 alpaca/wool, might go over such a dinner suit or cut the mustard for less formal wear. It has a rich pile that catches the light, so that it may range from jet black to a silvery grey. Single breasted, with a fly front, it has a low front opening designed to show off a dress shirt perhaps, or a colourful casual beneath. Tobacco and dark grey versions of the cloth are also available.

Credited with launching the informality of the dinner jacket upon an evening scene then dressed in tails, Henry Poole keeps its finger on thel pulse as shown in this seemingly classic but subtly style-right design. Again, it opts for single breasted fastening, single button, in a 10oz midnight blue wool and mohair barathea worsted. The lapels are peaked, not too wide,silk faced, the waist suppressed.

Poole's made the first dinner jacket for the Prince of Wales in 1865, when it caused a considerable stir in a society where no gentleman went to dinner other than in white tie and tails. The Prince of Wales gave it the royal seal of approval and so it was taken up, not least in America, where it became known as a Tuxedo.

Above, Henry Poole; right, sure to cause a stir on the streets, shawl-collared suit and cape from Mark Powell; below, Richard Anderson's evening coat.

But it took nearly another 100 years before it became fully accepted for formal do's in the UK and there are, of course, still occasional white tie occasions. Interestingly, though men may gripe about the discomfort of a full tails kit, they often enjoy the effect it has on them, and there has been an increase of orders in recent years. City boys in particular see a bespoke set of tails as part of their wardrobe

The elegance of tails is personified in this evening outfit by Huntsman, shown at the top. Quite where this young man would be going with his top hat it is hard to say,but its a safe bet he won't be travelling on the Tube. The unitiated should note how the white tie is tied, and though it isn't clearly evident here, the vest should not show beneath the coat front.

While evening sets have languished, day tails have flourished. Thanks to the modern williness to spend a fortune on weddings, grooms and male wedding guests have joined the ladies in getting all dressed up in tails. Ascot is another occasion, where morning dress and top hats are demanded, and enjoyed by young men invigorated by an excess of champagne. Despite their protestations, men can be as susceptible to dressing up as the ladies.

And it all makes work for the working tailor to do.