Elegance and costume at the Palais Royale

Alex Pangman and Her Alleycats Band.

I had the enormous pleasure of spending last Friday evening at Toronto’s Palais Royale for their 20s themed “Speakeasy.” The evening featured a 4-course meal and live jazz in one of this city’s only remaining dance halls from the 1920s. The space, which I’d never before visited, was stunning. With art deco features and black feather centrepieces on every table, I felt transported to another time. I arrived after dinner, for the dance section of the night, and was thoroughly impressed by Alex Pangman. Her and her band’s 20s jazz sound was spot on, and they did it with such relish and joy, they transcended the era. Meanwhile the dance floor was graced by a troupe of Lindy Hoppers who seriously wowed everyone with their moves.

Lindy hoppers doing their thing on the dance floor.

But since this is a site all about men’s style, I will focus on what the guys were wearing. Specifically, what I hoped they would wear versus what they actually did wear.

You may not know this, but in the #menswear world there is an underlying anxiety about dressing well versus wearing a costume. It has been five decades since most men wore a jacket and tie every day. So when we look for style inspiration, we can’t help but look back to the early part of the 20th century, the last time guys put effort in to the way they look. But is there a difference between drawing inspiration and wearing a costume?

The “Speakeasy” was this issue writ large. A fair number of men were simply well dressed – 3-piece suits, blazers, a few tuxedos. Many were in costume, with over-the-top combinations you would not have seen in the 1920s, including fedoras worn indoors. There were also a few gentlemen I couldn’t place – did they always dress this well or was it a costume for them?

Finalists in the “Best Dressed” competition.

The “Best Dressed” competition brought this issue to light for me. On one hand was Peter Marshall, the creator of blacktieguide.com, the definitive online encyclopedia about all things dinner suit. He looked stunning. And in fact, he was one of the only men true to the period: in the 1920s, at a swank evening dinner and dance, practically every man would have worn a tuxedo. He took it one step further and included a wing collar shirt and white waistcoat, vestiges of white tie that were common in the 1920s before black tie fully evolved into its own look in the 30s. Sadly, I think only Peter and a handfull of people were aware of these subtleties. In fact, the winner of the contest – by audience applause – was the gentleman on the far right, in a rather creative combination of vintage evening and day wear. It was all for fun, of course, but perhaps the contest should have been called “Best Costume.”

Peter Marshall (creator of blacktieguide.com) and his husband Brandon Taylor.

My choices for “Best Dressed” slant more to the classic and elegant side. Peter is obviously my choice in the black tie category (with his husband Brandon coming in a close second). What topped off Peter’s outfit were the vintage mother of pearl studs in his shirt and waistcoat.

Detail of Peter Marshall’s pique front shirt and waistcoat, featuring vintage mother of pearl studs.

Outside of black tie, Aldous Choi (pictured below) was my choice for “Best Dressed”. His combination was subtly vintage – club collar shirt, stripped tie and understated three piece. He wore it so well, with such an air of confident nonchalance.

My choice for non-black tie Best Dressed: Aldous Choi.

I wore my double breasted tuxedo, which I will be the first to admit were not very common in the 20s. To counter that forward fashion statement, I wore my full-dress shirt with stiff wing collar and piqué front. On Peter’s guidance, I too wore mother of pearl studs to suggest white tie. My only nod to the 21st century was via my hosiery – navy and red ribbed over the calf socks by Fort Belvedere. A guy’s gotta party, after all.

Sorry about the glare; I must of have spotted a guy wearing his fedora indoors.

There were plenty of other well dressed men, in my humble estimation. Some wore variations on black tie and lounge suits, but each showed a bit of flair.

Hogtown Rake reader Adrian Ma with a great touch of evening colour in his accessories.

The dapper John Warwick in a red velvet bow tie.

Toronto Vintage Society’s Stefan Wittmann in a dashing ascot.

Oz Omar sporting a vintage 3-piece glen check tweed.

A well-dressed and elegant couple (the gentleman had a blue blazer – of course – draped over his chair back).

And there was one particularly striking couple, Joanna Genova (who won for the evening’s “Best Dressed” lady) and Kevin Miller. They had come “in costume” and danced up a storm. No, seriously, they really know what they are doing on the dance floor.

Kevin Miler and Joanna Genova (winner of the female “Best Dressed”)

But it was Kevin’s outfit that struck me. While Joanna’s is a beautiful example of early 20th century women’s fashion, Kevin’s look, outside of this context, is not necessarily “vintage.” Look through the world of contemporary menswear and you will find collar pins, tie clips and contrasting waistcoats. With Kevin, and in fact with much of my own wardrobe, the line between functional, contemporary clothing and vintage costume blurs. If something is worn for every day life, even if it includes items from the past, is it still vintage? Is it still a costume?

I suppose this debate is all about expectations. When I saw the words “1920s Speakeasy” and “period clothes”, I saw it as a chance to wear, in all earnestness, clothes that were classically elegant. For most others, they thought “costume party”. But did it really matter, when we were there just to have fun? Obviously not. All of my hand-wringing about the state of men’s style aside, I sincerely hope the Palais Royale puts on another such event in the near future. And more men wear tuxedos.

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