Wimbledon smart/casual: Everyone loves an excuse
This past weekend I attended Wimbledon for the first time in a while. I used to go a lot when I was at school: it was nearby, and standard practice was to walk down after school and try to catch people coming out, and ask for their tickets.
People rarely stay the whole day, but play can run late, so if you were lucky you'd get two or three hours of tennis in the evening. If you zeroed in on posh-looking Americans, you could even get Centre Court. (Sorry to highlight Americans, but they were consistently the best targets.)
In the intervening years I've only been a few times, and the rules have changed in any case. Tickets are all digital, and guests are encouraged to transfer them when they leave so they can be resold for charity.
Returning to Wimbledon this weekend, the thing that struck me most was how well a lot of people were dressed - how much effort they had made. It was a pleasant surprise, and had me thinking how much of it was part of Wimbledon being such a public event.
Of course the women caught the eye more than the men. So many were in lovely summer dresses, with comfortable but elegant shoes and sunglasses. There were flowing skirts, printed jump suits and linen blouses.
But the men had upped their game too. Nice knits, polo shirts, button-down oxfords: it wasn’t spectacular, but you could see the average was higher, that this was the kind of event were there was a small but understood expectation of dressing up.
There is no official dress code for most areas of Wimbledon, but the messaging over the years has always been about ‘encouraging’ smart and dress, and ‘smart casual’. The members enclosure introduced a specific dress code in 2012, with pictures (below). Men are required to wear a ‘lounge suit or tailored jacket, shirt, tie, trousers and dress shoes’.
I’ve been to Wimbledon once in the members enclosure, and while the dress was certainly more uniform, I’m not sure it was more stylish. I was more impressed by the general dress this year: when people felt that expectation to dress up, but could also express themselves.
Plenty of people still got it wrong. We were on No. 1 Court, and two rows in front of us was a man wearing a three-piece green checked suit, matching yellow tie and handkerchief, a tie bar and a narrow-brimmed tweed trilby. It was loud and in many ways not that smart.
Some of the women too. Three rows over were two in their early thirties. One was wearing a three-piece cream-linen zoot suit with huge shoulders, rolled up trouser legs and a matching hat with safety pins on it. Her friend was in an oversized Adidas windbreaker, worn with baggy jeans and high-tops.
I actually liked both looks - they were very stylish and well-executed. But neither - the very underplayed or the overplayed - was really in keeping with the smart/casual elegance seen elsewhere.
That went for too formal among the men as well. The most obvious was those essentially in business clothing: navy or dark-grey suits, white shirts, black shoes, tie. You couldn’t fault the formality, but it was a little out of place.
However, there was so much else that was good. I spotted a handful of cotton double-breasted suits worn with T-shirts, perhaps inspired by presenter Qasa Alom (above), who did a good job of interweaving some ‘casual’ into the ‘smart/casual’ among BBC staff.
After initially starting with just an untucked linen shirt, he smartened up with a couple of cotton suits, worn with dark T-shirts or polo shirts underneath, and peaked at a suit, open-necked shirt and thin line of pocket square - an effective and subtle outfit for a presenter.
If you look at crowd scenes at Wimbledon - especially on the outside courts - it’s true you’ll have no issue spotting T-shirts and hoodies. But contrast that with the crowd and most other sporting events, and I think the difference is obvious. There are far more smart shirts and shoes; far more shirts have collars.
I wonder how much of this dressing up is due to the fact that Wimbledon is on TV - free, public TV, on BBC 1 and 2.
Most people that go to Wimbledon will have watched Wimbledon, even if only briefly. They’ll have seen the Royal Box (above), with celebrities and royalty in elegant clothing. They’ll see shots of the crowd on Centre Court, also often tastefully dressed.
And their impression of the event as a whole will be of something rather elegant. The grass is bright, the players are in white, there are flowers and that pleasingly rich purple-and-green combination everywhere. I’d argue Ralph Lauren adds something stylish with its uniforms too, although it would be nice if the ponies weren’t so big, not on the blazers as well as the shirts.
I wonder what it would be like if the opera were seen as publicly as the tennis, and it managed to keep up an equally elegant crowd. I think many people would appreciate it and gladly take the excuse to dress up.
(The Proms is on TV of course, but Wimbledon is more popular, gets more coverage and has more focus on the crowd.)
I think this is my point, I’m slowly realising: people like an excuse to get dressed up. If the events are there, if everyone else is making an effort, then it’s easy and enjoyable.
As to what I was wearing, it was something out of the ‘summer casual-chic’ playbook: long-sleeved knitted polo, tailored linen trousers and suede loafers. In retrospect, if I had tickets for a show court, I might dial it up just one notch and add a jacket - but my combination worked well, and I think embodied the spirit of the tournament.
Wimbledon if the quintessence of Britishness. Strawberries and cream, Pimms, Dan Maskell saying “oh my word”. Part of the summer triumvirate, alongside Henley and Ascot.
Doesn’t it grate somewhat, therefore, that Ralph Lauren, thanks solely to the size of its sponsorship, gets to provide the outfits for those officiating? An American company trying desperately to be British, burnishing its credentials by being “part” of the Wimbledon furniture.
I am disappointed that none of our home grown houses see this as a worthwhile opportunity to promote themselves on the world stage.
Personally, Hugh, no it doesn’t, because no British outfitter would be able to do it that well. Hackett would probably be closest (though of course not English owned any more) and they certainly would be a downgrade in style
Simon, my point is about RL trying to “acquire” heritage through its sponsorship. Being owned by a foreign business ( eg Hackett as you mention) doesn’t change the heritage of a brand.
Paul Smith, Ted Baker, Burberry, for example, are recognised world wide, have British heritage, and don’t have the “mass market” elements to them that RL has.
Pimms is owned by the British company Diageo. Diageo brew Guinness in Baltimore, but of course the world sees Guinness as Irish.
Thanks Hugh, that makes sense.
I don’t think RL are trying to acquire heritage though – from the point of purely age, they’re old for most fashion companies. Older than Hackett or Paul Smith. If it’s more about trying to be British, I don’t think they’re necessarily trying to do that either, just wanting to be associated with a very stylish British event.
And then personally, as I said, I’d rather have a very stylish international company contribute to the event rather than a British company with rather less style.
If there were a realistic British option, I might feel different, but there isn’t really.
OK let’s agree to differ.
It’s all about money Simon. RL sell Wimbledon merchandise all over the world.
You can buy a RL branded wrist sweatband for £35.
Good plan.
And true – but that doesn’t really affect the style. That would be more relevant if there lots of similar companies with more style, but couldn’t quite afford the Wimbledon sponsorship.
Burberry would be better than RL. Definitely British, and much more modern instead of peddling some anachronistic cosplay version of it. I like RL, but in the context of Wimbledon the line judges look instead like they’ve stepped off the set of The Untouchables or The Great Gatsby..!
I can definitely see the point about RL, Matt, but what Burberry clothing would you put the officials in? There doesn’t seem to be much that isn’t very casual or sportswear, or just business suits etc
The RL outfits are purpose designed, so there is no reason that the Burberry equivalent could not be also.
They are, but as I said, much closer to the current range, it would be a real stretch for Burberry
I think this really depends on your view point. I am British, of English and Scottish decent primarily and whilst I’m sure there are lots of reasons you describe these three events as the quintessence of Britishness i wouldn’t necessarily like to hold them up as so. For me i find peddling that side of Britain slightly distasteful. On that basis the sponsorship is not something that bothers me. Indeed i would consider most things benefit from having multiple viewpoints/ contributors/ nations involved even if it is in the case of a privately held company in this case. I think vehemently trying to keep everything or anything purely British is not the road to success.
I’m not sure all those British brands listed would have the cash to sponsor Wimbaldon. Burberry perhaps but I’m not sure the others could compete with RL
Even though King Felipe has been all over SM ,I thought Tin Henman wore his suit very well at the Mens’ Final.
King Felipe has always been very well dressed-much more deserving of comment than the oft repeated topics of the uk Royal Family .
True. Felipe looked good but there was nothing remarkable about it. More in the general spirit of people being well dressed
Perhaps the nothing remarkable is the whole point about his “permanent” style?
He is consistently stylish in an understated way in an otherwise showy environment…
True, and that certainly makes it stand out
Fortunately my PS Oxford Shirt arrived in time for the date I had Centre Court tickets. I just hope the rest of the outfit did justice to your shirt Simon!
Except for the odd person in an ostentatious checked suit, or in a Union Jack dress, most people looked good.
Nice! Lovely to hear Alex
When I lived in Buenos Aires, there used to be this party called the “fake wedding” which would happen every couple of months (it probably still exists but I’m not there anymore). About 300 people, and they were all arranged in tables like in a wedding, with a dinner and then some dancing. Most of the people attending said that they loved the opportunity to take out “that” suit or dress that they have for when someone does get married, which is not as common as it used to be.
I will take a wild guess and say that most of the people in grey suits, black shoes and white shirts were probably doing the same: Taking that “special occasion” suit out for a spin.
How wonderful Dario
this fake wedding idea is wonderful!
As a long time Federer fan, I always thought he was a great ambassador for tennis, due to his skill and character but he was very elegant as well – both in his style of play and dress sense.
Seeing as I’m after a grey linen suit, Daniel Craig’s option for the final gave me some inspiration. I also did think the BBC presenter looked rather sharp. Simon would you recommend the PS tapered t-shirt as an option under tailoring or perhaps a knitted option instead?
I’d go for a knitted option Tom, certainly as a safer choice
Thanks Simon, any particular brands you’d recommend? Plus any recommendations for knitted polos would be much appreciated – I did try ones from Smedley with the open collar (“skipper” model) and found the collar height was a bit low, seeing as I have a slightly longer neck.
As for the lack of smart attire these days, I’ve chosen to wear a full suit and tie in the office because frankly I like wearing one and as other readers have mentioned there are few occasions besides weddings etc where one has the chance to wear a suit. I do also find it an easier way to look elegant and stylish; instead of deciding on an outfit I just have to pick a complimentary shirt and tie.
However, I have a MTM dinner jacket which I commissioned in preparation for a Christmas party that was cancelled due to Covid and haven’t had an opportunity to wear it since. Thus, Simon, as the leading voice in menswear can you please organise a black tie party so I have an excuse to wear it? No pressure!
Ha! Sure I’ll work on something.
On knitted T-shirts, we’ve covered ones from The Anthology, Rubato, Thom Sweeney, and others like Smedley do them.
On knitted polos, my favourites are the ones we sell – the Finest Polo – but there isn’t much stock left of those. I’d also say look at Rubato there
Simon, would you still recommend Smedley smd what are your pros and cons on them vs e.g. Rubato? I do love my Smedleys on style and feel.
I certainly would, they’re just not made quite as well (eg not as fine fashioning) and I tend to prefer the Rubato styles a bit more (or indeed our Finest Polos)
It’s sad that smart dress , whether formal or casual, has been pushed to the sidelines of special occasions.
Wimbledon does do dressing up well but there’s too much of “very stiff David Beckham aka 3 piece suit with tight tie” and also “slim Italian , bulging shoulders suits”.
I think we need the happy medium of King Charles elegant and comfortable (Simon, when are you going to do an article on King Charles and his secret of perfection. I’ve been asking since he was a prince LOL).
On the average British high street I’m afraid dressing smart gets you attention and could attract the wrong kind of attention .
I love Dario’s story of Argentinian ‘fake wedding’.
I think we need more of that .
True Robin. I think that’s just a broaden problem of tailoring in general. It does seem to be lessening, but too slowly
I agree it would be interesting to see a style breakdown on HM.
As regards Ralph Lauren, I think I agree that they’ve got the marketing budget but of course they are not doing it from a sense of altruism. Just clever business thinking. Spend X, make X+. Most RL stuff is poor quality and mass produced.
Why not Fred Perry? Easier to make the link with Wimbledon perhaps?
Have you seen Fred Perry clothing James? It’s not really the same style, sadly
I tend to agree with Hugh above and James re RL. Although stylish, RL are not in line with Wimbledon’s style of subtlety and should tone down the logo a lot. BTW Lacoste do a great job at Roland Garros but I agree that there isn’t really an obvious British alternative. Interestingly from a historical styling perspective you might be amused to learn that RL took over from M&S as clothes supplier all those years ago !
Yes I remember that! I’m sure the style took an uplift, even if it became a more logo-ed one
M&S never supplied uniforms for Wimbledon. Not sure where you got that from.
Wood Harris held the account over many years prior to RL taking it over in 2006.
I always wondered why not Fred Perry, given the obvious Wimbledon/tennis association (and I’d say a lot of Fred Perry clothing is fairly similar to a lot of Polo RL) It is odd seeing Polo themed branding on the world’s best known tennis tournament!
I guess they don’t have anything to compare to RL purple label or for that matter, any real background in tailoring* which would be a big drawback when it comes to designing the uniforms (btw I agree with you, the RL branding has become far too showy!)
There’s also something of a laddish image to FP which the organisers of Wimbledon probably want to avoid (Although you see Polo RL on plenty of beered up lads too)
*Although I did get a lovely Brisbane Moss moleskin reefer jacket in their sale about 12 years ago which seems a cut above anything else I’ve ever seen by the brand in terms of quality. No branding either apart from the laurel logo subtly engraved on the buttons. (Having just googled, that may well be because it’s made by Cooper & Strollbrand for Fred Perry)
Agreed, but the whole RL package for Wimbledon is a unique creation. Surely it would not be beyond the realms of imagination for somebody to “design” a stylish and appropriate range and use FP branding?
Perry has far more heritage with Wimbledon than Lauren.
It is a unique collection, but really it’s only a small jump from all the blazers, knits, trousers and ties in the rest of the Polo collection. It would be much more of a jump for another brand (and they might also not want to do it, as it wouldn’t have much of a knock-on effect on their sales, if they don’t sell much in that category).
You actually saw that quite effectively in the RL shop that’s in one corner of Wimbledon. What was being sold there wasn’t the uniforms, it was regular Polo, but it fitted in very well with what everyone was wearing, and trying on from the store as a result.
Wrong Simon.
The Wimbledon boutique stocked the full range of uniform items, including the umpire’s blazer for £799!!
The vast majority of the stock was not the uniforms, Hugh. It was white polos, white oxford-cloth shirt dresses, cable-knit vests. All very Wimbledon
I think the men in essentially in business clothing phenomena is a result of the fact that many men only own one or two suits these days, which need to serve in all occasions where tailoring is required. I was at a wedding last weekend, and it was similar.
I suppose it’s a result of the (rather sad) fact that suits are needed so rarely, and are expensive.
Good point Tom. I guess there’s a case there for a versatile jacket that can do quite smart and semi-casual
I completely agree. The fact that tailoring lost so much popularity also meant that grades of formality were mostly collapsed into the standard super plain business suit, possibly a navy blazer, or nothing else, for most men. Curiously, the opposite seem to be true in womenswear, where the majority of jackets I see in the offices (if at all) these days are wildly colored, striped, bright, etc etc.
The frustrating thing about the picture guideline is that the example provided looks terrible imo, thanks to the choice of super skinny lapels, bland chinos and then contrasting bright teal tie above.
It’s also funny (and telling) how the female counterpart to “wear a tailored jacket, shirt, dress shoes and a tie” prescription, is literally to “wear something to the same standard”. Basically they don’t even try to say what that is, just what it isn’t.
Nice point And, and yes that outfit is unfortunately pretty poor
Very nice post indeed as is the dress.
Let’s go to the photo ‘unacceptable dress’ now. I know it’s just an example. We see the acceptable dress of The man. The trousers are chinos, right? Now the jacket or blazer is a beautiful silhouette and style. Navy, pretty obvious or dark blue. Fabric could be linen, cotton, mock Leno, right?
In replacing my old jacket,I’d want that style of jacket in dark navy, with appropriate grey trousers for more general dress use.
Challenge again!
What would be your choice for:-
Events like Wimbledon?
General dress?
Thanks
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay,
I assume you mean the ‘acceptable dress’ section. I assume the trousers are chinos, yes, and the jacket is something like a hopsack or mock leno, or just a plain worsted. I don’t endorse the outfit though – it looks a little cheap to me, and the jacket looks a little short and tight.
As to events like Wimbledon, I described my outfit in the article, and that I might wear a jacket next time if going to a show court.
It’s amazing how extremely good or extremely bad an idea can be executed. I always disliked the idea of khaki chinos with a navy blazer, in part because of examples like in these pictures. And then I see a guy like Ethan Newton in his chinos and a DB blazer, no socks, loafers. And I think, maybe this look doesn’t need to be so ugly after all. It’s all about the execution, the cut, the fabric…
Absolutely. Also context – it helps that Ethan doesn’t look like the kind of guy in those kind of pictures, and expresses that in things like jewellery
Yes, also a beard, visible tattoos etc. help a lot with making a „conservative“ style your own and relevant. Also the social context, when you are working in an industry where nobody associates that style with a bland uniform or dresscode.
Even I am not a fan of the outfit in the acceptable dress code but i am unable to pinpoint the exact reason for appearing that way. I have seen a lot of people pulling off the same exact look with so much grace. If I may ask why does it come across as not being pleasant to the eye even though it is a standard office dress code with the fit not being perfect but nothing horrendous?
The most obvious thing is the jacket is a bit too smart for the trousers. They’re slim, casual chinos and too casual for a tailored navy jacket and tie
It would be also interesting a style analysis of tennis players. I remember that many years ago a player went on the ground in Wimbledon with old style long white trousers and white shirt. Not to mention all the discussions on Agassi shorts and Serena Williams outfits.
I was lucky enough to get ballot tickets to watch the men’s final at centre court, unsure what to wear I went for for oxford shirt , navy chinos and tods. My wife said I looked a little like Stanley tucci ! It made my day ! What do you think of his style btw ? Would you ever do a how to dress like on him ?
He wears some nice things. I wouldn’t say he was interesting enough for a piece perhaps, and the bar is fairly low for that kind of personality on TV, but he does clear it most of the time
Hi Simon, I didn’t attend I. Person so I can only comment on what I saw on TV during the men’s semis and finals. While I agree it is nice to see people make an effort to dress better than normal, I was not impressed what I saw apart from a few people who got the basics right (like King Felipe). Unfortunately on TV they seem to focus mainly on the royal box and celebrities and most I saw were either quite unremarkable (Prince William) or seemed to be in costume (Beckham and Daniel Craig).
Thank you Andrew. This piece wasn’t really about those in the Royal Box, but I agree there wasn’t that much to celebrate there
Hi Simon. I realised after I wrote my comment that I wasn’t really clear about what I was trying to get across. I was trying to say that it is a shame that I didn’t see what you saw on the ground. At least by the sounds of it there were people who made an effort to look good and succeeded. Sadly I didn’t see that on TV (effort yes, success less so), given the people who the cameras tended to focus on.
Understood, thanks Andrew. Yes the cameras always focus more on the Royal Box, the presenters, the players. Shots of the crowd are fairly fleeting.
However as I said in the piece, the thing that pleased me most was small efforts at being more dressed up – eg collared shirts rather than T-shirts. Not very smart dressing, and not necessarily styling to inspire, but that sense of an effort was a pleasing thing. Once people have that expectation, they then just need to learn how to channel it
I don’t disagree at all… however it just strikes me as a rather sad state of affairs when simply wearing a collared shirt to what must be recognised as a social event represents a sense of effort!
I know what you mean, but compare it to a football crowd, even a cricket crowd some time, and you’ll see the difference. It’s not really a social event, it’s a form of entertainment for most people, like going to the cinema, and you can tell most of these people don’t wear a collared shirt when not working normally. It also lifts the average – if everyone has a collar, others in a collar and jacket only look one notch above
Fair point. And I especially like the point about lifting the average, that’s something I hadn’t considered before.
The only thing comparable I’ve experienced in the states is horse racing in Kentucky. During a visit to the Keeneland track, I was delighted to spot blue blazers and ties aplenty, and surprised to find neckwear and even sport jackets with slanted pockets for sale at the gift shop, next to the expected souvenir tees. Of course, there was a great deal of purposefully obnoxious clothing, like bright pink chinos and loudly patterned jackets, but all very much in the go-to-hell tradition of WASP dressing, which didn’t feel out of place at such a setting.
Important question is, what were you wearing?
It’s in the article Waqar…
I’ve always liked the way that David Beckham dresses for Wimbledon. If we turn a blind eye for the sometimes a bit to tight jackets with ridiculously narrow lapels, he dresses very well.
Prince William dresses good as well, although I couldn’t help but notice that the virus of narrow lapels has spread to him as well.
What do you think about this?
Hi Anomymous, I have a somewhat different opinion on both. I commented above on Beckham and and Prince William and thought I’d elaborate here. I feel like Beckham starts with a good idea and then pushes everything (way) too far: the combination of looking like he copied an RL look book, the too perfectly combed hair, big watch and lots of visible tattoos on his hands and sometimes neck push his look into the realm of garishness, or looking like he is wearing a costume. I feel like he would do well to take Coco Chanel’s advice about looking in the mirror before he leaves home and taking (at least) one thing off.
I find Prince William to be very uninspiring. Both his father and grandfather are/were exceptionally well dressed in different ways, as is his wife. He somehow has failed to learn from their examples. His look seems to be of someone who knows he needs to make an effort given his position, but doesn’t have the interest of passion to do it well. His jackets to me look cheap, his trousers are consistently very low waisted, the combinations he chooses are uninspiring.
It in entirely possible that he doesn’t care too much, which is valid because not everybody has this crazy passion like PS readers. but it is a bit of a shame in my opinion given his position and family history.
I’d agree on both points Andrew, and nicely put
beckham is always much better as a casual dresser. despite his style icon status, and how apparently every woman seems to faint over him when he wears a suit, he don’t seem to know much about it.
Re Prince William, 100% agree again, I don’t know how he can dress so bad. If in doubt, just ask dad.
As an aside this, A Chat with Simon Crompton – Celebrating 15 Years of Permanent Style & Recapping Pitti Uomo, is brilliant ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-sy1KFFZyo
As one of the comments says the fact that it’s in a social setting and there is background sound actually gives the whole video a more casual vibe.
The Armoury YouTube channel is a real pleasure to watch .
Simon, PS should do more of these yourself and not worry that only stuff with high production value is worthy .
Beckham generally does well, but he does have a consistent tendency to tip over into too much. Pocket squares that are ballooning out, or big bellows pockets that don’t quite work with everything else, matching ties and handkerchiefs.
I’m setting a high bar, but while I find there are nearly always some things I like about what he’s wearing, there is nearly always something that has gone wrong as well.
On the subject of Wimbledon and style there was a viral thread on Twitter, which was picked up by a few outlets such as Tatler and which concluded the best dressed person there was Felipe VI King of Spain. It went into a lot of detail and even deconstructed why his suit was more proportional than say that of Daniel Craig’s , thread here if you are interested:
https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1680871501824917504?s=46
The above even inspired me to go through the archives here and look at your previous experiences with Spanish tailors.
Regarding Ralph Lauren my two pence is that from an aesthetic point of view some of the stuff is perfect ie their classical stuff with a small motif but some of it’s just way of the mark ie a teddy bear jumper (why), and the quality is a bit hit and miss for instance I hear their knitwear is quite low quality and their polo shirts have ribbed collars instead of shirt collars but not sure what your experiences have been with them?
Hi Raj,
Yes I saw Derek’s thread, it’s great his writing is getting so much attention these days.
On RL, we’re not talking about the quality at all, only the style. On the style, yes some things can be over the top, particularly with the uniforms, but they’re still consistently the best updated classic style.
I enjoyed reading your observations about the style at Wimbledon. There’s a thread on Twitter by @dieworkwear and his views on the style of the King of Spain on men’s final day. Maybe you saw him during your visit there? The thread starts “very rare to see this level of tailoring these days, even on the wealthy. So let’s talk about some of the reason why it’s great”. That intro seems to have taken on a life of its own in ways I don’t always understand on Twitter but his views are well worth a read. He also refers to the suits worn by Daniel Craig on a subsequent post and again, @dieworkwear is right. The suits are too small and too tight. Yeah, I don’t like the huge RL logo and am interested that you think Hackett is a bit too “downmarket” compared to RL. I hope that’s not too harsh from me but it’s how I read it. The “fake wedding” sounds amazing!
Hey Rich,
Yeah I saw Derek’s post and a reader mentioned it above. It was a nice breakdown, as all Derek’s writing is.
Hackett styling can be nice, but in reality most of clothes aren’t at the same taste level of RL in my opinion (again, as mentioned above, talking only about style here not quality). But yes, Hackett would be downmarket.
“…people like an excuse to get dressed up. If the events are there, if everyone else is making an effort, then it’s easy and enjoyable.”
I took my wife to see Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House last year. Having booked a matinee (because as parents of young children we’d probably fall asleep during an evening performance) I was so disappointed to learn people don’t wear black tie for the matinee. In retrospect it seems obvious: it’s evening dress! Still, had I known before booking, I might have gone for an evening performance and brewed some strong coffee!
Hello Tommy – I hope you enjoyed the ballet….but just to warn you, there is no dress code for evening performances at the Royal Opera House either and so many attendees will be casually dressed. If you are in the stalls attendees are often more smartly dressed – some may wear black tie – but it is not a requirement. Opera and ballet in the UK have become progressively less formal in order to try to make them as accessible as possible. The Opera House is beautiful, the ballet and opera wonderful, and I have no doubt you will feel comfortable and welcome with whatever you choose to wear. I have never been, but if you want a smarter occasion, then Glyndebourne might be something you would enjoy or alternatively a performance at one of the major European opera houses which are far more formal – Vienna, La Scala etc.
Do you have a picture of what you were wearing? Just curious to see!
No, sorry Jonathan
I notice that very little of the discussion has been about the existence of a dress code for the event. Such things are hotly resented in some quarters. I’m always a little ambivalent about the idea. I regularly go to the Wexford Opera Festival, where evening dress is still recommended, and, by and large, worn. As per Simon’s comments, I thoroughly enjoy the act of dressing up – it adds to the sense of occasion for me, and I’d honestly be very sorry if the recommendation were ever dropped. However, this rather contradicts my firmly held belief that it’s the music which matters, and that the experience should be open to as many people as possible. (The unfortunate but unavoidable expense of opera tickets is barrier enough for most people!) Of course a respectable dress suit, amortised over a decade or two, is probably less expensive than the equivalent period’s worth of replica soccer/rugby/GAA tops, but many potential attendees find the very idea a barrier they struggle to overcome.
Once someone has made the effort to comply with a dress code, does it matter if their execution leaves a little something to be desired? Obviously it does if the discussion is one of style, as it is here. However, I sometimes feel there can be a tendency in the menswear world to think a little less of those outside it, a suggestion that such-and-such doesn’t quite get it. Or am I overthrowing things?
By the way, If anybody can tell me what the acceptable dress code for the Salzburg Festival is, please do so! I’m going for the first time next month, with seats in the Gods. I’d like to think my clothes will be tasteful regardless, but nothing I can find online indicates gives me much idea whether to wear a suit, evening dress, or simply smart casual…
It’s a good point Michael, and I do think people should consider how to encourage people making an effort without having to resort to a dress code if possible.
I think it’s one of the biggest things Wimbledon benefits from, because it is such a public event. People see it looking as it does, and want to be part of it, so dress in that manner. I feel it would have been the same when people visited members clubs regularly – but now it’s often infrequent, so it’s not something people feel part of
There is a dress code for Wimbledon Simon, and Lewis Hamilton was barred a few years ago when he decided it could be ignored.
That’s only for the Royal Box and Members Enclosure, Hugh. Michael’s point is about general attendance
And military messes maintain the same traditions.
New members often grumble about the standards expected,but quickly come to embrace the benefits of smart dress. There is a code,but it is mainly accepted because people want to be a part of it.
For the opera at Salzburg, black tie is still recommended I think but you could get away with a smart dark lounge suit.
Thank you, A N, that’s very helpful. I’m quite happy to bring black tie – what I didn’t fancy was trying to pack both and making the call once I got on the ground.
“If you zeroed in on a could of posh-looking Americans, you could even get Centre Court.”
Should the first instance of “could” in this sentence be “crowd”?
It should indeed, thank you, I’ll change that now
Interesting that you mention the BBC presenter. I agreed with my children that he tried hard with little results. The jacket was too small ant too short and worn with a collarless – probably with short sleeves – t-shirt with a colour too similar to the jacket. Not too mention the handkerchief and the colour itself.
Interesting, I thought he did it fairly well. I’m not sure I saw the length, but the suit I saw didn’t look too small.
I may have been too harsh. I am not a fan of monochrome and of single fabric looks and he managed to put those two together.
dont know about the rest, but from the pics here, eddie redmayne and bradley cooper looked perfectly right for the occasion.
What would be a appropriate outfit according to you? Khaki cotton trousers, dark Brown penny loafers in suede, blue white striped shirt with no tie and a navy summer jacket in hopsack. Would that be a good choice for an event such as wimbledon? Of course I would have a tie if I was invited to the royal box, but I dont think that would happen, haha.
That certainly would be appropriate, but so would anything else in the casual chic area – you don’t have to wear a jacket necessarily.
If you do wear a jacket, anything a little more casual works very well, and avoiding navy does give it a bit more character.
I’m not sure why, but for a place like Wimbledon (especially when it’s sunny) I feel drawn towards a cream/pink/grey-combination like the first outfit here: https://www.permanentstyle.com/2020/06/how-to-wear-a-cream-jacket.html
On a sunny day that would certainly be lovely
I have been following your chat and I would like to tell yousomething. Wimbledon is Wimbledon for one reason: is aplace of tradition preserving tradition. And can afford to do so because it is Wimbledon. RL has been doing an excellent job for half a century: searches for tradition. And searches for it where it is, Polo clubs or redskins tribes. English companies, rather, move away from it, looking for the market. A market that would be much better if there were more RL. We owe something to RL if there is still a good ‘tennis’ atmosphere at Wimbledon. It is strange, then, that the person who denies this uses the name of an 11th century knight
Hi Simon, sorry to come to this late as I somehow missed this post. My wife and I really enjoy Wimbledon and are fortunate enough to attend a show court most years. For us both as it’s a long day we dress mainly according to the weather, whilst trying dress appropriately for the occasion and for comfort. A cooler day this year so linen and cotton games blazer, chinos and button down shirt all from Drakes. I did try a knit cotton tie once but felt overdressed. If warmer I forgo the blazer and on one occasion it was sweltering so polo and shorts. My wife always dresses cool (in both senses of the word!) with a cotton dress and sports a rather nice Panama hat. My view is respect the occasion but remember it can get very hot if you are in the sun.
Sounds lovely Stephen
Ralph Lauren is thoroughly American and generally does a superb job of it. That said, the over-sized ponies are an embarrassment and should be retired. I see on SM that Brad Pitt’s (non RL) polo was quite a sensation, as much, I believe, for its color as its particular cut or the guy wearing it.
You don’t get hot in the summer wearing a long sleeve knitted shirt? I can’t take the insulation, even in more breathable fabrics, of a long sleeve knit shirt i n the hight of summer.
Depends very much on how hot it is – if it was 30 degrees plus, yes I might struggle and want more of a flowy shirt
I’m not sure all those British brands listed would have the cash to sponsor Wimbaldon. Burberry perhaps but I’m not sure the others could compete with RL
This goes back a few years. End of every summer in the Hamptons, NY. was a week long equestrian show jumping event. You could buy a table under the tent for the show. Entertain your guests with food and beverage while watching the riders race and jump the fences. Everyone dressed well in their summer attire. They looked as good if not better than what I see in these pics for the most part.
Wonderful
Would swapping long sleeve knitted polo from your outfit and replacing it with a casual shirt like indigo or dark grey chambray or a darker denim shirt could still be termed as smart casual or does it fall into the territory of too smart?
It would be a step smarter, yes Tamesh
So it would be a step smarter but it would still fall into the territory of smart casual is what you mean?
Yes probably