PAGE SIXTEEN Throughout the annals of man it has been customary for grooms to don their most splendid raiment for their wedding ceremonies, accord- ing to the American For- malwear Association. Of course, the higher the rank and the greater the wealth of the groom, the more splen- did was his garb. However, even the lowliest wore their ‘‘best” for their nuptials and, if possible, made sure that their wedding gar- ments differed in some degree from their everyday clothes. In biblical times, grooms of made of fine linens and lawns shot through with threads of silver and gold and bordered with ntricate embroidery. The color story As there were no “formal colors” in those days, those robes could range anywhere from pure white to jewel-like hues of brilliant red, blue, yel- low and green. The only colors eschewed were purple, which was re- served for wear by royalty, and black which then was only worn for mourning. The use of brilliantly col- ored formalwear declined dur- ing the early Greek and Roman eras. Both in Athens and in Rome the elect wore pure white, sometimes bordered in friezes of gold and silver to differ- entiate them from the slaves and craftsmen. As the Roman Empire came to dominate the then-known world, its mode of dress set the standard for all of what we now know as Europe with the exception of Scandinavia. The next important change in wedding attire occurred after the fall of the Roman Empire and during the medieval period when the chivalric orders, the kingdoms and the duchies held sway over all of Europe. FOR THE knights and the nobles wore splendid wedding attire of fine silks and velvets. Those exquisite fabrics, many of which were either embroidered or quilted, were often worn in conjunction with dress armor which was either intricately chased or studded with coats of arms. The elite didn’t wear trou- sers, but rather long hose of colored fine cotton. Renaissance regalia It was during the Renais- sance, particularly in the Latin countries, that grooms decked themselves in great splendor. Silks, brocades and velvets in virtually every color of the rainbow were worn. The dress swords worn with those outfits were actually works of art, examples of which ‘can be seen in modern In the late 18th century, Beau Brummel, a young of- ficer in the British 10th Hus- Prince of Wales who later be- came George IV, was known at Court as a perfectionist in manners and dress, and he be- came the style-setter for the English. His dress influence eventu- ally affected all of Europe, and to some degree its effect is re- flected in modern menswear, particularly in formalwear, Up to the time of Beau Brummel, the custom of wear- ing gaily colored formalwear It probably reached its peak ins, velvets and brocades were embellished with lace, expen- sively buckled shoes and the powdered wigs which then marked the attire of the gentry. However, Brummel revo- lutionized formalwear when he appeared at court dressed in stark black, relieved only by white shirt and white bow tie. His only ornamentation was jeweled shirt studs, cuff links and rings. His tailcoat was es- sentially the same as those worn today except that it was f of silk. The tail-less evening jacket cut along the lines of the mod- ern business suit was intro- duced by Griswold Lorillard at Tuxedo Park, N.Y., in 1886. Thus was born the “Tuxedo?” For some time the tuxedo was thought of as a novelty not to be worn at affairs where ladies were present. To this day, the French refer to the tux or dinner jacket as “Le Smoking. ” Of course, the dinner jacket (tux) is now con- sidered to be eminently correct for wear at events which ladies attend. : In the strictest interpreta- tion of the rules of dress, the tuxedo is considered to be ‘semi-formal” — ‘formal’ indicating that white tie and tails are required for evening wear, For daytime formal wed- dings, the “cutaway coat” and gray striped trousers are cor- rect. The “stroller” (a dark gray coat cut like a business suit) worn with gray striped trou- sers is accepted for daytime semi-formal weddings. In Mexico, some grooms wear white intricately embroi- dered and pleated ‘‘wedding shirts” in lieu of a jacket, top- ping off white pants. dress is used in the Phillipines, too. In parts of Europe such as Scotland, Bavaria, Hungary, Poland and the cantons of Switzerland, it is not uncom- mon for both brides and ditional native costumes for wedding ceremonies. At home in the United States, the groom has the op- tion of going contemporary and wearing colors other than black or gray — some prefer a choice of many pastel shades in both tuxedos and tailcoats —or abiding by the traditional conservative outfits that have come down through the years from the style of Beau Brum- mel. ... THESE LINES — Orrefors Tiffin Gorham Atlantis Lenox Mikasa Colony Noritake Val St. Lambert compliments. Bartikowsky Jewelers’ Bridal Department has exquisite gifts to make her wedding memorable. Elegant crystal. Fine bone china. A beautiful silverware collection as well as Stoneware and stainless flatware. Our professional bridal staff can help you make the per- fect selection. ; Every Day Discount Prices JEWELERS i SINCE 1887 1 il 14150. MAIN STREET, WILKES-BARRE FREE ATTENDED STORE SIDE PARKING .. AMERICAN EXPRESS—VISA—MASTERCARD HONORED MON. & THRUS. 10:00 TO 8:45, TUES.,WED.,FRI.,SAT. 10:00 TO 5:15 P.M.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers