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Ascots

Lionheart

One of the Regulars
Messages
101
Location
Metro-Boston
Lady Day said:
Ascots are mighty fine. They can make the wearer's neck seem longer (to me anyway) and frame the head very nicely.

All men whould wear ascots, the world deserves it!

LD

I agree with you Lady Day. You are one classy gal. Seriously.
 

Lionheart

One of the Regulars
Messages
101
Location
Metro-Boston
Tomasso said:
I've worn both and I find the ascot much easier to tie than a scarf, with much less maintenance involved. The sewn middle portion of the ascot makes for a tidier application.



ascot.gif

I have posted a little ascot tutorial if anyone is interested at:

http://www.terenzioshow.com/Ascotinstructions.mov
 

Smithy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,139
Location
Norway
Cravats - anyone wear them?

Just wondering if anyone here wears cravats (the informal day cravat tucked inside a shirt) on a regular basis. I have a few stuffed away in the drawer and really must drag one or two out, although in my mid 30s I'm inclined to think I'm a tad on the young side...

EDIT - thanks to the bartenders for merging my thread. Didn't realise that cravats and ascots are the same thing. Case of British English versus American English!
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,973
Location
London, UK
Smithy, you're not the only one! I had managed to get the impression from somewhere that the Ascot was the version that gets worn on the outsdie with morning dress, like a tie, while the cravat was the more informal, under the open neck collar approach. Nice to learn what is correct! :)

I've been wearing cravats very regularly since mid 2003. They appeal to me as they're comfier than wearing a tie all day, every day - especially in the heat of the mid summer. Our office is "socially acceptable casual" for the most part. I've been wearing jeans a bit more since I got into the darker, wider legged 40s / 50s type cut in the last few months (never had the nerve to wear my drainpipes into the office, and as my form is now rather more corpulent than once it was, I'm less inclined to wear them about socially than in the past!). They're a lot tidier, I think ,than modern style denims. I would more regularly wear some wide legged, flat front non-crease casual pants (I'd hope eventually to repalce all of those with something more 30s/40s cut) and normally a blazer, though occasionally a more casual jacket. Today it's the jacket of my beloved blue pinstripe suit which has finally gotten to that point where the jacket is fine for a casual jacket, but it's not the suit it once was. It's this smart-casual look which has gotten me back into the idea of jacket and trousers again - for years I had no casual trousers that were not either jeans or combat wear simply because my preference when I am going dress is to wear a full suit. My daily office environment, though... If I want to up the ante for a night out somewhere where the full suit approach, I'll dandify it a little bit more with touches like a pocket square, maybe a velvet blazer, two-tone brogues, that sort of thing. Cravat looks fabulous with all of those. I've even been known to wear them with a suit - they stand out and (unlike back in the day when they were definitely a casual thing), in the context of other folks all in modern dress they definitely have a certain dandified impact that can ironically appear much smarter than the surrounding neckwear, IMO.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,973
Location
London, UK
Can only find a photo of me in "costume", but less Claude Rains' gloves / bandages / sunglasses, this is me in a cravat:

Uploaded230706RockyLondon2122July20.jpg


This is the upped version for a night out with friends or whatever.

I have about ten cravats, I think.... I must organise them and get some more... I'm espcially keen on the udea of getting some more in a plain colour, as a plain one in a complimentary colour works with a patterned shirt where a patterned crvat often will not. Most of mine were picked up cheaply on eBay, though you're better off I think buying them from vintage palces where you can see what you're buying first - less risk of buying something that is frayed round the back of the neck as seemingly can happen (maybe the effect of necklace catches over the years?). For flashier ones in satins and so on, wedding suppliers are great, though for dasily wear I would recommend a non-shiny cotton type as I find these hold their "knot" better all day (I hate the look of a cravat that has slipped - ideally, there should be as little neck on view as possible), and are easier to launder. I handwash mine with detergent that is designed to be gentle on colours.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,973
Location
London, UK
Ha, thanks guys... that costume was thrown together, really, with bits from my own wardrobe (I must revisit it one day and do it properly true to what Claude rains actually wore) for a Rocky Horror Show one night in March 06 when I didn't fancy trowelling on the makeup... the cast loved it so much it ended up making several more outings... kinda fun, though it makes interval drinks in the theatre..... interesting...

Definitely drag out the cravats.... i want a whole bunch more! Really like Spitfire's in that shot... I'd love a few in that style in different colours to add to my wardrobe.
 

Harp

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,508
Location
Chicago, IL US
Edward said:
Definitely drag out the cravats.... i want a whole bunch more! Really like Spitfire's in that shot... I'd love a few in that style in different colours to add to my wardrobe.




With just the right amount of nonchalance. :)
Great pix guys.
 

Spitfire

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,078
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark.
Speedster said:
Nice one Spitfire. And i also like your blue/white polka dot (RAF) ascot. Are they from a store in Copenhagen or are they from the Internet?
Thanks Speedster.The blue/white one is bought in UK. The red/white at Troelstup, Copenhagen and my RAF coloured one on the internet from UK.
 

Spitfire

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,078
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mike1939 said:
Looks good Spitfire. Ascots certainly dress up casual or sporty attire. I've been wearing a RAF ascot on and off for a month now and really like it.

Thanks Mike - when you say RAF ascot, do you mean one in the RAF colours?
I got one made in UK just a few weeks ago. Really nice.
 

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