Dinner Jackets, Tuxedos, Suits????

[CPOCMAN]

Going on a Dec 15th Cruise on Golden Princess to Mexico with my DW. I'm from Hawaii and Suits are a thing that you see newscasters, lawyers and politicians wear. I'm familiar with suits and tuxedos but what in the world is a dinner jacket? To my untrained eye & researching the internet, pictures of a dinner jacket to me, look like either a blazer or the top half of a suit. I want to "blend in" somewhat with the formal night dinners on the cruise but I think I look like a penguin in a suit and I don't even want to think what I will look like in a tuxedo. I'm thinking that a dinner jacket and slacks would be fine BUT, what in the world is a dinner jacket? I'm tempted to use the company in the Cruise Answser book after looking at their website and seeing that they have a dinner jacket. Would it be o.k. for me to use a long sleeve colored shirt that one would use for a suit, tie & dinner jacket with slacks for formal nights? At least I have dress shoes <smile>! Appreciate the help from this "Hawaiian" country bumpkin! Thanks.

[oceanv]

Aloha!

On our two princess cruises my husband wore a dark suit for formal night. He is a truck driver and now works on tug boats so.... suits aren't his daily thing although I think he does enjoy dressing up - secretly (i bought a tuxedo on ebay for our x cruise and i think he liked wearing it :) ). I think he looked nice and he didn't stand out like a sore thumb.

Joanne

[FredS]

On my cruise to Mexico a couple of years ago, during the first part of Dec, men were wearing tuxes, hawaiian shirts, dark suits, dinner jackets, a guy at my table had a sport coat with a turtle neck shirt and a pair of slacks and some just had a sport coard with slacks. There is a real mix on the Mexico cruise in my experience.

[mipps]

Kiwi's are the same CPOCMAN .... suit is a swear word

 

I got one from http://www.cruiselineformal.com/ .... shhh had to get my room steward to show me how the tie went :p

 

:)

[mommykim]

Not that it is going to help you much but to my knowledge a dinner jacket is the same thing as a tuxedo. It's just was people from the UK or Oz call it instead of a tuxedo. I also believe it can be white instead of black but it's the same basic thing. Just a jacket without matching pants would be a blazer. If the pants come with it and match then its a suit. As far as your question on what is acceptable I am sure you would have no problems at all with a blazer, pants and a shirt & tie.

[Bilyeu5]

Thanks for asking the question. I thought a dinner jacket was the same as a sports coat. No??? Well, will a tweed sportcoat, dark pants, shirt, and tie be OK? I certainly hope so, because I doubt my husband wants to buy a new suit. His old suit has a serious flaw...it hangs in the closet and

SHRINKS more every year!!

[Wilba]

Hi. Yes Dinner Jacket (DJ) is a European term for Tuxedo. DJ's/Tux's are normally Black or White. Hope that clears it for you.

[OhioDogLover]

DH and DS both like to wear tuxes on formal nights. And, they look terrific, too. (I am not biased, of course.) You can rent them on the ship, buy them on Ebay, or get them inexpensively at places like the Menswearhouse. We have done all of the above. Now, the boys go out to a formalwear place nearby and pick up accents, vests, ties, etc. , periodically. Ironically, the only thing that was a flop was the expensive tux shirt I picked up at Nordstrom for a surprise one year!:eek:

Ohiodoglover

[Stevesan]

. I'm familiar with suits and tuxedos but what in the world is a dinner jacket? .

 

 

Here's an example of a dinner jacket.

Protocol is to only wear white between Memorial and Labor days. I say pooh on that and wear white year round while in the Caribbean:

 

http://www.josbank.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=6100&pcount=&Product_Id=22

[Kindlychap]

Here's an example of a dinner jacket.

Protocol is to only wear white between Memorial and Labor days. I say pooh on that and wear white year round while in the Caribbean:

 

http://www.josbank.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=6100&pcount=&Product_Id=22

 

I thought that the idea was that they were for the tropics? However I would only wear one if playing jazz, or serving drinks.

 

You lot will also have to come to terms with the name "dress suit", "dress shirt" and both "black tie" and "white tie" if you want to converse with the mother country.

 

A Gentleman, don't forget, only wears a black self tie bow tie with a dinner jacket. Colours are for cads.

 

Matthew

[3rdGenCunarder]

On my cruise to Mexico a couple of years ago, during the first part of Dec, men were wearing tuxes, hawaiian shirts, dark suits, dinner jackets, a guy at my table had a sport coat with a turtle neck shirt and a pair of slacks and some just had a sport coard with slacks. There is a real mix on the Mexico cruise in my experience.

 

All on the same evening??????? :eek: What was listed in the daily program for dress code?

Kathy

[howard6933]

I thought that the idea was that they were for the tropics? However I would only wear one if playing jazz, or serving drinks.

 

You lot will also have to come to terms with the name "dress suit", "dress shirt" and both "black tie" and "white tie" if you want to converse with the mother country.

 

A Gentleman, don't forget, only wears a black self tie bow tie with a dinner jacket. Colours are for cads.

 

Matthew

 

Thanks very much for the information you have provided. We here in the "colonies" are way behind you folks in the "mother country". :p A few other things we are incorrect with are: at the front of our autos is the "hood" not the bonnet........at the rear of our autos is the "trunk" not the boot. And of course we drive on the "wrong" side of the road. But wearing tuxedo's seems to be the same everywhere even if the terminology is slightly different. :rolleyes: It's funny, but I seem to remember that the late Jack

Lemmon always wore a red cummerbund and red bow tie when he was in a tuxedo. Was he out of place. :confused: Ah well, we can have a lot of fun with this subject, can't we??? But it's all with good cheer. ;)

[3rdGenCunarder]

I thought that the idea was that they were for the tropics? However I would only wear one if playing jazz, or serving drinks.

 

Reminds me of the scene from the original "Sabrina" when David's father objects to David's wearing of a white DJ, even though it was summer because it made the weared "look like a waiter."

 

A Gentleman, don't forget, only wears a black self tie bow tie with a dinner jacket. Colours are for cads.

Matthew

 

The big advantage of the self-tie bow tie is that it looks so cool late in the evening when the gentleman unties it. (Or if his lady does)

 

My DH loves colors--I didn't know I was married to a cad. He resents that women get to wear all sorts of colors and sparkly gowns, and I wouldn't even buy him the [huge] CZ studs he coveted in the ship's gift shop. I figure a colored (silk) tie and vest is a lot better than the Liberace-inspired studs.

Kathy

[Kindlychap]

It's funny, but I seem to remember that the late Jack Lemmon always wore a red cummerbund and red bow tie when he was in a tuxedo.

 

Ah, but he was an American....;)

 

And Bogart wore a yellow on in Casablanca........ But then, he was a bartender!

 

Matthew

[BrandiGreg]

What I usually do is wear my black tux coat with white tux shirt and black bow tie on one night, then I wear the same thing except a solid (not faded)black dress shirt with traditional black tie under the black coat the other formal night. All black looks great. Then you can take the tie off and give the neck a rest when you go to the after dinner show or casino or "disco" for that "Rat Pack" or "Ocean's 11" look.....with my greying hair my wife says it has a certain George Clooney look.....Rather than packing black patent leather tux shoes, I wear regular shined black shoes and instead of black tux pants I wear black slacks. No one really looks at your pants and shoes much anyway, especially since you are sitting at the dinner table. Then I can wear those black slacks and black shoes on other ship occasions, even other dinner/show/"disco" nights with a sportshirt or polo or tropical shirt. I try to not pack what I really don't need. (by the way, I picked up my tux coat at the Salvation Army Thrift store for $5 and it looks like a million....don't tell anybody)....basically, you are doing this not for you but for your significant other, since they are the one looking at you all night....so whatever they like the best is probably the best choice.

[Kindlychap]

My DH loves colors--I didn't know I was married to a cad. He resents that women get to wear all sorts of colors and sparkly gowns, and I wouldn't even buy him the [huge] CZ studs he coveted in the ship's gift shop. I figure a colored (silk) tie and vest is a lot better than the Liberace-inspired studs.

Kathy

 

I prefer to express originality with studs and cufflinks. I really don't think a vest is suitable for a formal night - Oh, I forget, you mean a waistcoat! - and quite agree that Liberace shouldn't inspire anyone (save libel lawyers).

 

Matthew

[Kindlychap]

What I usually do is wear my black tux coat with white tux shirt and black bow tie on one night, then I wear the same thing except a solid (not faded)black dress shirt with traditional black tie under the black coat the other formal night. All black looks great. Then you can take the tie off and give the neck a rest when you go to the after dinner show or casino or "disco" for that "Rat Pack" or "Ocean's 11" look.....with my greying hair my wife says it has a certain George Clooney look.....Rather than packing black patent leather tux shoes, I wear regular shined black shoes and instead of black tux pants I wear black slacks. No one really looks at your pants and shoes much anyway, especially since you are sitting at the dinner table. Then I can wear those black slacks and black shoes on other ship occasions, even other dinner/show/"disco" nights with a sportshirt or polo or tropical shirt. I try to not pack what I really don't need. (by the way, I picked up my tux coat at the Salvation Army Thrift store for $5 and it looks like a million....don't tell anybody)....basically, you are doing this not for you but for your significant other, since they are the one looking at you all night....so whatever they like the best is probably the best choice.

 

Now you've got me confused.....

 

I thought we'd dispensed with the mistaken idea that a dinner jacket was not part of a suit. So it needs the right trousers.

 

As for only dressing for one's partner, I don't accept that. Of course I want her to like what she sees, but I take as much effort on a transatlantic when I'm travelling alone as I do when I'm with her.

 

I agree that you don't want to pack needlessly, but if you're wearing a dress suit you need trousers.

 

Matthew

[3rdGenCunarder]

I agree that you don't want to pack needlessly, but if you're wearing a dress suit you need trousers.

 

Matthew

 

:eek: I certainly hope so!!!!!!

 

(Sorry about the vest/waistcoat error ;) )

Kathy

[Fredr]

Going on a Dec 15th Cruise on Golden Princess to Mexico with my DW. I'm from Hawaii and Suits are a thing that you see newscasters, lawyers and politicians wear. I'm familiar with suits and tuxedos but what in the world is a dinner jacket? To my untrained eye & researching the internet, pictures of a dinner jacket to me, look like either a blazer or the top half of a suit. I want to "blend in" somewhat with the formal night dinners on the cruise but I think I look like a penguin in a suit and I don't even want to think what I will look like in a tuxedo. I'm thinking that a dinner jacket and slacks would be fine BUT, what in the world is a dinner jacket? I'm tempted to use the company in the Cruise Answser book after looking at their website and seeing that they have a dinner jacket. Would it be o.k. for me to use a long sleeve colored shirt that one would use for a suit, tie & dinner jacket with slacks for formal nights? At least I have dress shoes <smile>! Appreciate the help from this "Hawaiian" country bumpkin! Thanks.

 

Hello,

 

Hawaiian country bumpkin...did you know that two of America's most famous celebrities lived in Hawaii - Clare Boothe Luce, and Arthur Murray, and both were famous for their sense of style and achievement. And Hawaiians are famous the world over for their intelligence and kindness.

 

Here is what you might want to do for formal night. A really nice Hawaiian shirt with a dark jacket such as a blazer, a nice pair of pants, dark socks and dress shoes. You look like this and you will have the ladies jumping overboard to get in a skiff with you.

 

The idea fo a formal night is to look nice. I have seen men in kilts, beige suits, all white linen suits, and a truly wonderful looking carmel coat/slacks combination. I am sure you will look just fine>

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

[Kindlychap]

The idea fo a formal night is to look nice. I have seen men in kilts, beige suits, all white linen suits, and a truly wonderful looking carmel coat/slacks combination. I am sure you will look just fine

 

No. The idea of a Formal Night is to dress formally. The clue is in the name.

 

It really isn't difficult.

 

Matthew

[34TigerLily]

No. The idea of a Formal Night is to dress formally. The clue is in the name.

 

It really isn't difficult.

 

Matthew

Agreed! And to answer OP's original quetion, a dinner jacket is a white tuxedo jacket that is worn with black tuxedo pants, the kind with a satin stripe down the outside of each leg.

[Kindlychap]

Agreed! And to answer OP's original quetion, a dinner jacket is a white tuxedo jacket that is worn with black tuxedo pants, the kind with a satin stripe down the outside of each leg.

 

No. A dinner jacket is not necessarily white. My dinner jacket is black. You see I'm not a waiter.

 

Matthew

[dak]

No. A dinner jacket is not necessarily white. My dinner jacket is black. You see I'm not a waiter.

 

Matthew

 

Sorry, Matthew, but I have to disagree. A dinner Jacket should be black. It is only white in hot climates as you well know.

 

David

 

David.

[Kindlychap]

Sorry, Matthew, but I have to disagree. A dinner Jacket should be black. It is only white in hot climates as you well know.

 

David

 

David.

 

A white Dinner Jacket may be worn in the tropics. At any other latitude the wearing of a white dinner jacket marks one out as a waiter or band member. In other words save in restricted circumstances a dinner jacket should be black.

 

One can't say that it is black, because some refuse to do the decent thing and wear black!

 

Which is, I believe, what I posted.

 

Matthew

[Stevesan]

Ah, but he was an American....;)

 

And Bogart wore a yellow on in Casablanca........ But then, he was a bartender!

 

Matthew

 

Unless Ted Turner applied his coloring (oops, colouring) pot to a print, Casablanca is a B/W movie.

 

Bogie wasn't a bartender. He owned the joint!