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Men - how many jackets do you take?


bazzaw
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Coming from San Francisco, where a suit will make you look funny in most situations. (In spite of the fact that, well into the 70s, this was considered a "dressy town"), we still absolutely pack for the dress code - each with a tuxedo and the standard jacket for at sea and "informal" situations, a navy blazer. Years ago, we packed cream DJ's, but they've fallen by the wayside, and I don't know if either of us can fit in them anymore. 

Years ago, when I wore a suit/jacket and tie to work, I learned the secret - with a set of basics in a conservative cut (for me, it was usually, a grey suit, a navy suit, a suntan/khaki suit in summer, also a navy blazer, and 1-2 other jackets) you can keep wearing them for years - and if you have a collection of interesting (but well-matched) ties, the tie is all anyone really notices. Buy a new tie and it's the same effect as a woman buying a new dress. (It's unfair, I know)  ...and if you're gay, you can share. (Time and again, we'd meet each other's coworkers, and inevitably a woman would notice and say, "you know, you have a tie just like ....ooooh" And then get a little bit jealous)

So, with our basic black tuxes and navy blazers we have a few of those wet-chosen ties (and a few new ones) and an assortment of waistcoats. A new look every night. Built on the same two basics. 

Edited by MarkBearSF
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I am somewhat embarrassed to say that a 14 night cruise for us involves as much packing for me as Mrs W. I will typically take three of four dinner jackets, seven lounge suits and a few blazers. I have to have these clothes for work though, so it's not as if I'm buying especially, which would be a different matter. 

 

If I was pushed for space, as others have said, I would go for a dinner jacket and trousers, grey lounge suit and navy blazer. That would cover most of what you need. 

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48 minutes ago, wolfie789 said:

...I have to have these clothes for work though, so it's not as if I'm buying especially, which would be a different matter...


Retired, and living in the land of hoodie-wearing billionaire techies, literally the only times I wear a jacket are funerals and cruises. Jackets and ties simply aren't worn here any more.

Edited by MarkBearSF
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Because our cruises are almost always paired with air and land travel, space and weight are serious considerations.  I always wear a blazer when travelling - which suffices for all non-formal nights - with different shirt/tie combinations. All I have to pack is tuxedo or dark suit.

 

An earlier poster - who claims to bring “three of four dinner jackets, seven lounge suits and a few blazers” for a 14 night cruise, must be kidding: those “few” blazers must mean at least three, otherwise he’d have said “a couple”;  these, with seven suits and three or four dinner jackets - means never repeating.  It also means travelling with two or three steamer trunks- assuming he will also want to wear appropriate shoes, different shirts and an occasional change of underwear.

 

I cannot help wondering if he is one of those fellows who always comes out ahead in the casino, and who comes home with “art”/watches/jewelry which gets appraised for multiples of what he paid for them.

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2 hours ago, wolfie789 said:

I am somewhat embarrassed to say that a 14 night cruise for us involves as much packing for me as Mrs W. I will typically take three of four dinner jackets, seven lounge suits and a few blazers. I have to have these clothes for work though, so it's not as if I'm buying especially, which would be a different matter. 

 

If I was pushed for space, as others have said, I would go for a dinner jacket and trousers, grey lounge suit and navy blazer. That would cover most of what you need. 

 

Well said Sir and I second everything in your initial paragraph.

 

As with my good friend MaggieMou I don't do dull and, on our Queen Victoria 19 night cruise earlier this year, I managed a different Dinner Suit/Tux colour on each occasion.

 

On Non formal evenings I note from my photo album I managed a selection  of a further 6 jackets which to my eternal joy meant I never had to wear the same jacket on more than two evenings during the cruise.

I believe I have included photographs of most in my blog of the cruise...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2019/05/06/queen-victoria-singapore-to-cape-town/

 

Here's one that didn't make it into the blog...

 

801956717_RichardJacket.jpg.b8d592d8fffd04e0991737bfbc9f3b98.jpg

 

II also follow a similar pattern on Queen Mary 2 Trans Atlantic crossings when the rule is that the only jacket repeat is on the first and last evenings of the 7 night crossing.

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2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Because our cruises are almost always paired with air and land travel, space and weight are serious considerations.  I always wear a blazer when travelling - which suffices for all non-formal nights - with different shirt/tie combinations. All I have to pack is tuxedo or dark suit.

 

An earlier poster - who claims to bring “three of four dinner jackets, seven lounge suits and a few blazers” for a 14 night cruise, must be kidding: those “few” blazers must mean at least three, otherwise he’d have said “a couple”;  these, with seven suits and three or four dinner jackets - means never repeating.  It also means travelling with two or three steamer trunks- assuming he will also want to wear appropriate shoes, different shirts and an occasional change of underwear.

 

I cannot help wondering if he is one of those fellows who always comes out ahead in the casino, and who comes home with “art”/watches/jewelry which gets appraised for multiples of what he paid for them.

 

Hi Navy Banker.

 

As you can probably see from my above post, I'm sure that guy isn't kidding.

 

 

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35 minutes ago, Solent Richard said:

 

Hi Navy Banker.

 

As you can probably see from my above post, I'm sure that guy isn't kidding.

 

 

Good to see a kindred spirit!

 

And yes Navy Banker, we do end up with a lot of cases for a two week trip. For us this is part of the fun of Cunard. We would never judge those who make a different choice though and want to keep their packing to a minimum. 
 

Sadly I’ve never been lucky in the casino. 

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1 hour ago, Solent Richard said:

 

Hi Navy Banker.

 

As you can probably see from my above post, I'm sure that guy isn't kidding.

 

 

Are those golden tennis shoes? And is that a club blazer.

 

I believe that dressing for dinner is (sadly) a vanishing tradition;  but is best moderated to not dominate one’s life. I still adhere to the necktie at a seated dinner notion — but have strayed (as, apparently, have you) from the old rule of only white shirts after six.

 

Because I want to enjoy - not suffer from - my travel, I prefer to make do with a reasonably compact baggage train

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12 minutes ago, Elephant1151 said:

onboard is only black tie event.

‘Roaring Twenties’, ‘Victorian Night’ and ‘Starlight Ball’ all suggest white tie and tails as a possibility.

 

I wouldn’t suggest anyone went out and bought an evening suit just for a cruise, or even rent one. But if you have one hanging in the wardrobe, why not wear it.

 

P.S. As someone pointed out to me, the ‘Roaring Twenties’ are only 50 days away!

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23 hours ago, Colin_Cameron said:

We’re fast approaching a mirror image trip. Flying from the UK to Australia for a couple of months land tour plus 48 nights aboard QE and QM2. 

 

At at the moment my packing list for evenings on the cruise portion looks like:

1x dinner suit (tux)

1x evening suit (tails)

2x suits

1x blazer

3x jackets

...

...

And I’m trying to decide if I have enough!

I presume you will use the evening suit (tails) at some land based occasion. Were you to wear it aboard you would likely be mistaken for the Maitre d'. In 18 voyages on Cunard, I have never seen any guest wearing one. 

 

My list is as follows. 

1 dinner suit (tux)

1 double breasted blazer (which I usually wear on the airplane) 

2 single breasted blazers one dark blue, one black (both cashmere as they never wrinkle from packing)

1 Glen Plaid sport coat, for casual wear around the ship days only. 

I can wear the blue blazer with dark blue pants in lieu of a suit.

 

I also send four formal shirts, and a number of other shirts to the ship in advance. All are long sleeve, and about half and half button cuff and double cuff. For accessories several cummerbunds in black and a tartan one which I wear on one formal night with tartan trousers. I have several sets of braces and a collection of ties and pocket scarves. 

 

A couple of crew neck sweaters with polo shirts the same color gives you lots of options. 

 

The laundry and pressing service on Cunard is excellent.

 

As for shoes, two pair of formal shoes one velvet, the other patient leather. 

Two pair of loafers, wear one, pack one. The shine service in QG is excellent.

 

Having spent the last ten years I worked traveling internationally and living out of a suitcase three weeks out of four, I have become an efficient packer. And don't forget to fold the shirts and use tissue paper for shirts, jackets and loop three or four across hangers to prevent creases in folded pants. 

Edited by Bigmike911
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18 minutes ago, Bigmike911 said:

I presume you will use the evening suit (tails) at some land based occasion. Were you to wear it aboard you would likely be mistaken for the Maitre d'. In 18 voyages on Cunard, I have never seen any guest wearing one. 

No, purely for the cruises. I’ve worn it numerous times on QE2, QV and QE (not on QM2 yet) and can only remember one occasion when I was the only one. Not been mistaken for the maitre d’ yet.

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While we are on the topic of men’s formal attire, how many of you wear *other* than black (i.e. colored or patterned) ties and cummerbunds with your dinner jackets on a crossing or cruise?  Do you differentiate formal attire between the two types of trips?
 

I admit to being ultra conservative and only wearing  black tie — except for the one or two “smart attire” nights mid voyage, when I wear a DJ with a silver houndstooth tie and cummerbund .  Something about the QM2 on the North Atlantic in winter (my favorite season) just seems to call for a more conservative approach.
 

I did see lots of creative bow ties and cummerbunds last trip and was just curious as to the view of this group. 

Edited by ClipperinSFO
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This is a marvellous thread.

Great to read people who take a pride in their appearance.

So much is casual these days and people watching provides some remarkable sights.

Even in places where some expectation of a certain standard can be a surprise when travelling.

Nevertheless we must respect others choices.

Not sure with long haul travel even in the premium classes all could meet some of the multiple items mentioned but it obviously is possible.

We will try our best. 

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On 11/10/2019 at 9:21 PM, bazzaw said:

We have done a few long Cunard cruises (inc. two "3 Queens" ) - and I have packed my Tux plus a number of jackets to wear at dinner ( jackets for men being required each night) . BUT - we live in Australia and these cruises have necessitated long air flights and land travel before and after the cruises and I am really a bit over the "too much luggage" situation. We are booked for a 38 day Japan to Canada cruise next year and I will take my Tux , but would like to cut back on the other jackets.  if I only take one jacket, I feel like I ( and table companions) will be thoroughly sick of me wearing the same jacket for the 38 ( less formal ) nights onboard.  So - any thoughts /advice much appreciated.  Personally I think it is a shame that Cunard does not allow some "Shirts only" nights for men -  as P&O UK does. 

Dinner jacket and another jacket is sufficient.  Just wear a range of different shirts and you'll look different enough; no-one will remember what men are wearing in any event. The only risk is the potential need for cleaning taking the jacket out of action for a day or two, but you already have that with the dinner jacket since I doubt anybody takes a spare of those.  Or pack a spare more casual jacket just in case.

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8 hours ago, ClipperinSFO said:

While we are on the topic of men’s formal attire, how many of you wear *other* than black (i.e. colored or patterned) ties and cummerbunds with your dinner jackets on a crossing or cruise?  Do you differentiate formal attire between the two types of trips?
 

I admit to being ultra conservative and only wearing  black tie — except for the one or two “smart attire” nights mid voyage, when I wear a DJ with a silver houndstooth tie and cummerbund .  Something about the QM2 on the North Atlantic in winter (my favorite season) just seems to call for a more conservative approach.
 

I did see lots of creative bow ties and cummerbunds last trip and was just curious as to the view of this group. 

I have recently completed two QM2 T/As - I'd say the majority wore standard dinner jacket/tuxedo for the formal nights, but with enough dark suit and ties (more Americans than Brits) that anyone who doesn't take black tie won't feel they stick out from everyone else.  And with a sprinkling of more eccentric attires, some of which worked, some of which didn't.

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13 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

I presume you will use the evening suit (tails) at some land based occasion. Were you to wear it aboard you would likely be mistaken for the Maitre d'. In 18 voyages on Cunard, I have never seen any guest wearing one. 

 

 

I would beg to differ Mike.

 

I have seen numerous men wearing tails and very good they looked: albeit they were Grills passengers who added considerably to the ambiance.

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2 hours ago, IB2 said:

I have recently completed two QM2 T/As - I'd say the majority wore standard dinner jacket/tuxedo for the formal nights, but with enough dark suit and ties (more Americans than Brits) that anyone who doesn't take black tie won't feel they stick out from everyone else.  And with a sprinkling of more eccentric attires, some of which worked, some of which didn't.

 

Well er, yes...

 

1400070001_Meetingotherguests.jpg.e7858c7ec050bd784dd511493c47a4df.jpg

 

...particularly when 'everyone' makes the effort.

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2 hours ago, IB2 said:

Dinner jacket and another jacket is sufficient.  Just wear a range of different shirts and you'll look different enough; no-one will remember what men are wearing in any event. The only risk is the potential need for cleaning taking the jacket out of action for a day or two, but you already have that with the dinner jacket since I doubt anybody takes a spare of those.  Or pack a spare more casual jacket just in case.

 

You'd be surprised.

 

(See my comment # 33)

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I wonder if one's fellow passnegers actually notice what one is wearing.  I very much doubt anyone would notice someone who wore the same thing twice. I have no interest in clothes, but I would notice the following:

flagrant breaches of the dress code such as shorts and a grubby tea shirt on formal night (which I have seen, though in the theatre, not the restaurant.);

someone wearing an identical dress to mine (once); 

and, occasionally, women in stunningly gorgeous dresses.

I wonder If many people notice more than that.

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