Hercule Poirot: well dressed gentleman or overdressed dandy?

[avedwards]

There are few things I always notice about Poirot when he wears lounge suits:
-He only wears peaked lapeled three piece suits (DB or SB).
-He always wears wing-neck collared shirts.
-He always wears bowties.
-Without exception he always wears shirts with cufflinks.
-Needless to say a pocket square is always there, neatly folded.

As well as that he always obeys evening dress codes properly. He wears both black tie and white tie in a completely satorially correct way, except that I've never seen him in a top hat (though the white tie occaisions he attends are usually only indoors). I've never seen any episodes where he has to wear morning dress so I can't comment on how well he does there.

His headwear choice is usually either a grey felt homburg or a straw homburg. He uses accessories like a pocket watch, a fancy cigar case and a walking stick.

However, perhaps he goes too far. A wing-neck collar and bowtie every day could be a bit much maybe? And his over-carefullness packing clothes also seemed too much IMO when he told off a hotel maid for not folding a tie correctly. Or even worse, wearing a three piece suit on the beach. What also made me laugh was the way he waxes his moustache (which is Belgium, not French [bad]).

So who thinks Poirot is a well dressed gentleman and who thinks that Poirot is an overdressed dandy?

 

[Brian Sheridan]

Yes - he is! lol

 

[Bugsy]

Perhaps we'd better keep in mind the time period in which the stories are set, and the fact that the character is fictional. He can be whatever Christie wants him to be.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

He's a dandy in the 1920s Adolphe Menjou mold, complete with waxed moustache.


Less portly and less bald, he could be Menjou's twin.



.

 

[Max Flash]

Of course, it should be remembered that he is a television character, and as such is portrayed in the way that the stylist working on that programme believed all men dressed in the 1920s (when the stories are set). Now, it may well be that Christie intended for him to be portrayed that way (I do not have sufficient knowledge of the books to comment any further) and for him to be fastidiously dressed at all times. However, the reality is that someone of the time would have been more varied in their attire, appearing smarter at times than others.

 

[Tomasso]

He's a dandy in the 1920s Adolphe Menjou mold,

.

And Captain Hastings brings to mind Gary Cooper.

 

[benstephens]

I always thought that they dressed him along the line's of Christies descriptions. I believe in the books he was fastidious towards clothes as well.

He is definitely a dandy, however, in the 1920s it was not uncommon to see people in wing tipped collars, even whilst wearing lounge suits. You still would have seen many older people in morning suits during the day as well, so, especially the early 1920s there was quite a transition period between styles.

Penultimately, I do not think there is anything wrong with the way Poirot dresses, he was supposed to be slightly eccentric and dandy.

Kindest Regards

Ben

 

[avedwards]

Of course, it should be remembered that he is a television character, and as such is portrayed in the way that the stylist working on that programme believed all men dressed in the 1920s (when the stories are set). Now, it may well be that Christie intended for him to be portrayed that way (I do not have sufficient knowledge of the books to comment any further) and for him to be fastidiously dressed at all times. However, the reality is that someone of the time would have been more varied in their attire, appearing smarter at times than others.

In the films it's usually the case that other characters are dressed more "normally" but he's the one who overdresses, such as by wearing a suit on the beach. Most of the characters usually dress like Hastings in the photo above - a suit and turn down collar shirt and tie. My question was whether those of us who are into vintage clothing and who regularly wear suits would consider him overdressed.

 

[Edward]

I always had the impression the stories were set into the thirties, or is that someting I have picked up from the television?

I always had the impression that Poirot was a bit of a dandy (like most of us, really....), but his dress always struck me as more in the mode of someone who preferred a classic style of dress and didn't feel the need to move on with changing fashion. Rather like those of us who prefer to wear black tie at "black tie optional" events.

 

[benstephens]

Hi Edward,

I may be wrong but did Poirot not first appear in the "The Mysterious Affair at Styles", which I think was published in the very early 20s, and possibly written by her even earlier. She describes him as a "meticoulius and tidy little man..."


hence why I assumed his style was much more in keeping with late Edwardian.

Kindest Regards

Ben

 

[cookie]

Poirot first appears in Christie in 1916-18. The rest of the Poirot books are set in the1920s. The TV series use artistic licence to set it in the more interesting 30s with all the Art Deco houses/sets etc but he still dresses like a Walloon fop in the 20s style!

 

[LordBest]

Christie actually describes him as an impeccably neat dandy at some point, but in later books (ie those set in the 50s through 70s his appearance is terribly out of fashion and somewhat less festidious.
I often wonder about his embroidered waistcoats, I'd like one but I do wonder if they would be a little over the top.

 

[cupcake]

What also made me laugh was the way he waxes his moustache (which is Belgium, not French [bad]).

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Poirot was in fact, Belgian?
I remember an episode where someone says something along the lines of calling him a stinking "frog". He corrects them by saying that's stinking BELGIAN

 

[Slim Portly]

...So who thinks Poirot is a well dressed gentleman and who thinks that Poirot is an overdressed dandy?

I won't claim to be a gentlman of any sort, well-dressed or otherwise, but Monsieur Poirot is to me the quintessence of how a man should dress.

 

[cookie]

I won't claim to be a gentlman of any sort, well-dressed or otherwise, but Monsieur Poirot is to me the quintessence of how a man should dress.

He would say that wouldn't he?

 

[avedwards]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Poirot was in fact, Belgian?
I remember an episode where someone says something along the lines of calling him a stinking "frog". He corrects them by saying that's stinking BELGIAN

Correct, but the reference was because Poirot frequently corrects peole for assuming his moustache is French.

 

[avedwards]

I won't claim to be a gentlman of any sort, well-dressed or otherwise, but Monsieur Poirot is to me the quintessence of how a man should dress.

I thought you would say that. Your ensembles often seem quite Poirot-like in their meticulous neatness.

 

[Torpedo]

Correct, but the reference was because Poirot frequently corrects peole for assuming his moustache is French.

In fact, Poirot corrects people because they assume he is French, and address him so (or with the derogative term "frog") but he is Belgian.

This would be a typical interchange (not meant to be verbatim):

"Why had you to put your nose in my affairs, you darn little frog?"
"Darn little Belgian, if you please, sir!"

 

[Torpedo]

Regarding the original question, Poirot is thus described in the original source (the novels):

"The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. Yet this quaint dandified little man who, I was sorry to see, now limped badly, had been in his time one of the most celebrated members of the Belgian police."

As years pass, Poirot's appearance, regarded as fastidious during his early career, is hopelessly out of fashion later in his career.

Of course, out of fashion is not the same as out of style, a statement, no doubt, many loungers, myself included, will concur with.

 

[avedwards]

Regarding the original question, Poirot is thus described in the original source (the novels):

"The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. Yet this quaint dandified little man who, I was sorry to see, now limped badly, had been in his time one of the most celebrated members of the Belgian police."

As years pass, Poirot's appearance, regarded as fastidious during his early career, is hopelessly out of fashion later in his career.

Of course, out of fashion is not the same as out of style, a statement, no doubt, many loungers, myself included, will concur with.

I can quite agree there. My point is only that while arguably in style, his attire can be very impractical. He is not the man to chase a suspect or fire a gun in case it would spoil his clothes. That's where I prefer detectives like Philip Marlowe who is well dressed (his suits are complemented on a few occaisions) but still able to remain practical. Plus he wears a fedora and trench coat which I like to. However, Poirot is the neatest and most methodical of the lot, and he can always rely on Hastings to do any physical work.