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Browsing All Posts filed under »Popular Culture«
Indiana Jones and the Tuxedo of Doom
Every now and then I’m asked about the legitimacy of the silk facing on the white dinner jacket featured in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. My answer is that while it might be legitimate for the 1980s production timeline it certainly wasn’t for the 1930s narrative. Of the dozens of Depression-era white DJ references I have on file from leading menswear […]
TV Tuxedos: Suits
May 1, 2014
Alright, I’m a little late to the party on this one. Although Suits debuted in 2011 I wasn’t interested in watching yet another legal drama. However, at the recent urging of my sister I finally checked it out and was quickly hooked not just for the exquisite menswear the show has become famous for, but […]
Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue, 2014
February 4, 2014
Annie Leibovitz has taken some creative liberty for the cover of the 20th annual Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue, combining white-tie accessories with black-tie jackets to recreate the look of informal Edwardian evening wear. Or perhaps she intended to capture the Downton Abbey-esque glory of full dress only to realize at the last moment that she couldn’t locate […]
The Dowager vs. the Dinner Jacket: Round 3
February 3, 2014
Season 4 of Downton Abbey is now airing on PBS and the fictional Grantham household is continuing to adapt to the social changes brought about by World War I. For her part, the Victorian-minded Dowager Countess is still no more accepting of informal dinner jackets than previously. In episode 4, she converses with her tuxedo-clad […]
Formal Branding: Jura 2013 Campaign
December 3, 2013
Ever since Hollywood immortalized the tailcoat and tuxedo as symbols of the good life in the 1930s, marketers have sought to impart their prestige onto a wide range of products and services. This ongoing series highlights some examples. Swiss espresso machine manufacturer Jura (YOO rah) calls their 2013 marketing campaign “Coffee culture for people with […]
Tux Britannia
November 27, 2013
I had a glimpse into the current state of black tie in England when I received the latest copy of Square Mile, a lifestyle magazine aimed at the professionals working in London’s financial centre. The Autumn/Winter Style Special features dinner suits in two ads, one article and a title page and even as the prize […]
Formal Branding: The 2014 Chevrolet Impala
November 18, 2013
Ever since Hollywood immortalized the tailcoat and tuxedo as symbols of the good life in the 1930s, marketers have sought to impart their prestige onto a wide range of products and services. This ongoing series highlights some examples. General Motors has redesigned the Impala to promote it from the rental and fleet market into the […]
Not-So-Great Gatsby Tuxedos
June 10, 2013
I finally got a chance to see The Great Gatsby and while I loved the movie I was disappointed by the inaccuracy of the men’s evening wear. Normally I would chalk this up to sloppy research but that doesn’t seem likely considering that the film’s double Academy Award-winning costumer designer Catherine Martin based her creations on […]
Gatsby-Esque
May 1, 2013
Well, the long-delayed release of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby is almost here and Brooks Brothers is taking full advantage of the film’s lush portrayal of Jazz Age glamour. The latest “lookbook” from the esteemed haberdashers explains: From the designs of double-Academy Award-winning designer Catherine Martin, Brooks Brothers produced all the men’s costumes in Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation […]
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