Every gentleman should have a Jeeves

[OFSO]

Board meeting today. 30 of us. OCDE, Paris. I eschewed a suit and stuck to blazer with tiny ****** lapel pin, grey trousers, Tyrwhitt shirt with Three Lions cufflinks in gold and silver. Silk tie from my former tailor in Novara. Black brogues. Looked good, felt like sh*t after lousy night.

[Pontius Navigator]

Still use my squadron cufflinks. First squadron had a Fox emblem. On arrival you bought a Fox Pot - tankard with Fox handle - saved washing up after a beer call, you had to wash your own. On departure you were presented with silver cufflinks, engraved with initials and a fox head.

[TheGreenAnger]

Unfortunately I am one of those people who immediately looks more untidy when I wear a tie. I was apt to think of this while watching a documentary on Fangio last night and noticed how well he wore his suit in his latter days. Tie and just the hint of a handkerchief, dapper and a gentleman to the end.

[Boac]

and a fox head.

Didn't the Queen have a fox hat?

[Pontius Navigator]

and a fox head.

Didn't the Queen have a fox hat?

Yes, wearing it one day when Phil said "what? the fox 'at"

She never wore it again.

[G~Man]

and a fox head.

Didn't the Queen have a fox hat?

Yes, wearing it one day when Phil said "what? the fox 'at"
She never wore it again.

[TheGreenAnger]

Looks like Rocky Racoon!

[CharlieOneSix]

Anyone remember these instruments of torture - the starched winged collar? I can't remember wearing one after leaving Dartmouth...

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[TheGreenAnger]

Anyone remember these instruments of torture - the starched winged collar? I can't remember wearing one after leaving Dartmouth...
winged collar.jpg

The cruelty of the Royal Navy...

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Rum, Sodomy, and the Starched Winged Collar.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Not only starched, regular collarless, daily, shirts to which collars had to be attached with studs fore and aft. Always difficult.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Still, it's an improvement on the Andrew's earlier neckwear

Richard_Parker_about_to_be_hanged-37047097.jpeg (110.87 KiB) Viewed 944 times

[TheGreenAnger]

Didn't the Queen have a fox hat?

Yes, wearing it one day when Phil said "what? the fox 'at"
She never wore it again.

[Pontius Navigator]

Anyone remember these instruments of torture - the starched winged collar? I can't remember wearing one after leaving Dartmouth...
winged collar.jpg

Indeed. Light blue had two mess dress standards into the late 60s. Guest nights was stiff white shirts, wing collar and white waist coat. Dining In nights, less formal, with blue waist coats. One night I remember at Waddington was a guest night so white waistcoats and we were gate crashed by the Lightning Louts from Binbrook. They guessed wrong and had the wrong waistcoats.

We then switched to golfball shirts, unstarched, and ordinary collars. No waistcoats just cumberbunds. Wise heads kept their blue waistcoats which returned to fashion some years later.

I think we dropped starch shirts as the number of laundries capable of doing it declined. Before I was detached to Ascension I had to get my white tropical jacket laundered and starched. We managed to remove the 8 year old starch stains then sent it to the laundry in Nairn. It came back floppy. We took it back and they had to send it to Aberdeen. It returned beautifully starched, a small label sewn to the neck 'starch'. Before use I had to punch out the sleeves, samecas a new NBC suit.

[jimtherev]

When I was ordained there were still some ministers/vicars/priests who wore starched-and-glazed linen dog-collars. I think the main reason these fell out of popularity, apart from the cutting effect on the neck, of course, was the price of laundry. £1.20 a pair as I recall.
Now we have to resort to cutting 'em out of Fairy Liquid bottles...

[Ex-Ascot]

PN I recall a story where the RAF Regiment were manning the guard at Buck House and the boss was invited to dine with HMQ and HRH PP. HRH PP asked him why he wasn't wearing winged collar and he said that was only required when important people were present.

I always wore a clip on tie on the flight deck. Used to hang it on the DV window. I adapted a Queen's Flight tie to clip on.

Never a clip on bow tie though

I had a very traditional batman at Northolt. He would send suits and jackets away for cleaning when HE thought it was necessary. Before he left in the afternoon he would lay out on the bed what HE thought that I should wear that evening. A jolly good old boy.

Now the question is the way to wear a top pocket handkerchief. I prefer a silk one and ruffled. The Royals tend to wear them straight. I wear a purple one with my cream tropical suit and a white one with a pinstriped business suit.