Vest of off-white silk jacquard. Double-breasted with rounded lapels; vest closes proper right over left with eight buttons arranged in two columns of four. Slit pockets at hips. Linen back.
For nearly two-hundred years, men's wedding attire has remained virtually the same: a black wool suit with a buttoned jacket and pointed lapels. By the 1880s a formal version of the dinner jacket came into fashion and was renamed after a Tuxedo, New York, club where it was first seen in this country. Although gray, blue, and even light-colored linen are worn today, a black tuxedo is by far the most common choice in men's formal wear. This enduring trend has led some to call the tuxedo a uniform, and since renting a tuxedo has been common practice for more than fifty years, there are few examples in the Museum's collection after World War II. More common men's wedding attire in the collection are vests, bow ties, and cuff links. These items are the few means for grooms to express their individuality.
