Wear the hat properly and squarely upon the head, Wear a coat at all proper times—in the sitting-room, drawing-room, and at table.
Lastly, a gentleman avoids all conspicuous styles of dress, and confines himself to quiet colors and well-fitting, well-cared-for garments.
Evening Dress for Gentlemen.
The evening dress for gentlemen varies very little from year to year, and the time of wearing it varies not at all. From “dusk to dawn,” in other words, a gentleman wears a dress suit during the same hours that a lady wears an evening dress.
Gentlemen’s evening dress consists of black trousers, a low-cut black or white vest, dress or “swallow-tail” coat, and white necktie. The linen must be immaculate. A young man wears a standing collar; an elderly man, if he choose, may wear his favorite style, with due deference to the reigning style. One or three studs adorn the bosom.
Properly speaking, white or very light kid gloves are a part of evening dress, but to say whether or not they shall be worn always at a formal dinner is hardly safe. If worn, remove them at the table; but at a ball they are indispensable. On all doubtful occasions it is well to be provided with a pair, to use if wished.
Evening dress is to be worn at balls, large dinners, parties and the opera. It is never worn at church, save in case of an evening wedding. It is never worn anywhere on Sunday. In a small town a dress suit on any occasion is apt to seem an affectation. Never wear a dress suit anywhere before six o’clock in the evening.
“A gentleman never looks more thoroughly a gentleman than in an evening dress,” says one writer on etiquette, and it is well for those to whom the occasion is liable to come to learn to wear one gracefully and easily.
In France a dress suit is worn upon nearly all festive occasions. In England the same customs prevail for its use as in our own country.