What color waistcoast for morning dress?

[Abraham]

What color waistcoat would you prefer with a black morning coat, white shirt and light grey flannel slacks? Thanks...

 

[Edward]

Buff comes to mind first with that ensemble - with either a silver-grey or baby blue tie. The blue would work too. I think black might look too severe for the less formal trousers, while the grey could look very wrong if not a very definitive contrast with the trousers.

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

I voted for black (made from the same cloth), but I'd opt for buff too. When in doubt, black is always correct for this ensemble.

 

[Abraham]

Thanks for the inputs...

So light grey trousers DO go with buff (light camel)? That was one question that was bugging me...

 

[Wolf99]

I'd try the blue myself. I think a lightish blue could go well. I share your uncertainty as to whether buff would go with the other colours. Grey could easily look too close to the trousers. Black would work but be dull and the waistcoat would have to match.

 

[Abraham]

I'd try the blue myself. I think a lightish blue could go well. I share your uncertainty as to whether buff would go with the other colours. Grey could easily look too close to the trousers. Black would work but be dull and the waistcoat would have to match.

Precisely. Light grey and buff are such mild colors themselves that I wonder if they would somehow clash? I think the powder blue might work well as the blue, grey and black are all largely cool colors.

 

[F. J.]

Why not a medium grey? It would make a nice gradient and I imagine you would get more wear out of it than either the blue or the buff.

 

[Abraham]

Why not a medium grey? It would make a nice gradient and I imagine you would get more wear out of it than either the blue or the buff.

I think that would work but one would really need good taste to ensure the combination "worked." If the waistcoat looked too much like the trousers it might get sketchy.

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

Morning dress became codified in the 20th century as it became merely 'special occasion' wear rather than functional dress. So in the early 19th century you had all kinds of not only waistcoat colours, but silks and brocades. Charles Dickens and Benjamin Disraeli favoured such waistcoats wearing morning or 'walking dress'. Not only the waistcoats, but also the coats and trousers came in all kinds of colours, mostly for fashionable types. Both morning and evening dress was more colourful before the late 19th century.

The use of black cloth for many garments was less about style than about function; it was the most commonly-made cloth and thus the cheapest. It didn't show dirt as readily and it worked in most contexts. This is less of a concern now, so there's no reason why, as always, fashion cannot influence so-called 'style' and taste; morning dress doesn't have to exclude all flair. If a coloured waistcoat was good enough for Dickens it's good enough for me.

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

I thought I'd post this. It's the morning dress bit of a "dress guide" published alongside a 1960's Tailor & Cutter magazine. Note that the buff waistcoat is not even mentioned!, which is odd because it was known before then.