Cheryl, I've fretted about this before with unsatisfactory results. My latest treasure trove to dig in, and this is for a period later than yours, is the LOC archive of dance manuals www.loc.gov. Several of them have photos of famous dance teachers in their most formal evening wear. I'm interested in the ragtime dance craze just prior to WWI. I'm also interested in mens' wear for the 1920s dance & by the 20s, well things had changed, but all that's outside your era of interest.
Anyway, try the LOC dance manuals. I havent been looking in the 1890s books. Also, RLShep has a large catalog of reprints of turn of the previous century tailor's manuals. I'd believe the writing of an 1890s tailor over Esquire magazine. While both are motivated to sell clothes, at least the guy from 1890 was there at the time of interest. 'Luck! --cin Cynthia Barnes [EMAIL PROTECTED] My students are designing a production of "Dracula" (1897) and are required to do research and designs for the costumes. There has been a lot of discussion of vest colors and appropriate coats for various occasions. I learned (Esquire Book of Men's Clothing, mostly) that the rule of thumb is white tie and vest with tails, black tie and vest with tux. A man in black tie and tails would be a servant ie butler or waiter. So my students have found a lot of research contrary to what my assumption was. I have seen pictures of white vest and black tie with tails, white vest and white tie with tuxedos, black vest and tie with tails on gentlemen who would never be mistaken for servants and all other permutations. The research they have found is secondary, meaning drawings from the period rather than actual photographs. Cheryl Odom College of Santa Fe _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
