“You can never go wrong with black.” — First Lady Bess Truman, quoted by Lillian Rogers Parks in Backstairs at the White House
Yesterday morning Etiquetteer’s DMs got very involved with a couple dress code issues that it’s worth talking about.
First, unsurprisingly, is the President’s blue suit at the funeral of Pope Francis. While not the only blue suit at the funeral — former President Biden and the Prince of Wales also wore blue —it was brighter than the “dark suit” prescribed in the dress code. Black remains the color associated with mourning in the West, and one expects world leaders to be operating in an income bracket that can handle a black suit and a black necktie* for Just Such Occasions. The President’s other error was not to substitute his usual American flag lapel pin for a plain black button, since at papal events that is reserved for papal honors. (More about how people varied the dress code at the funeral may be found in this Metro UK news article.)
What bothered Etiquetteer a bit more, actually, was the First Lady’s black lace gloves in an otherwise Perfectly Proper ensemble. While they may have fulfilled the papal dress code of gloves for ladies, they attracted attention to her hands. And the point of mourning is not to attract attention. Black kidskin or suede would have been less conspicuous.
At any rate, Etiquetteer notes that no one was turned away for not observing the dress code to the letter, which would have made it a true Diplomatic Incident.
Victorian clubmen wearing their hats inside their club.
The other Dress Code Issue to surface was that of men wearing hats indoors, which a friend and reader described as “anathema” and evidence of slobs growing in power. The circumstance: a speakeasy party at which guests were encouraged to evoke the Prohibition years. While it’s true that in this century young men eager to emulate Sinatra or the hipster aesthetic have taken to wearing hats indoors every day (which remains Not Perfectly Proper), it continues to surprise Etiquetteer that Back in the Day, it was Quite Usual for a gentleman to wear a hat indoors in certain masculine spaces — for instance, certain gentleman’s clubs (particularly in London and New York), and barrooms. But for a party where costume elements are encouraged, Etiquetteer cannot cavil with the revelers about what they might choose.
Now please go forth properly dressed and with Perfect Propriety for whatever activities your day brings.
*Etiquetteer has a necktie of black, gray, and purple stripes which has appeared at funerals, because the combination of black and purple symbolized triumph over death.