The Morning Coat, or Tailcoat has changed throughout the years, not only in its style but where and for what occasion it is worn.
A Little History
Going back to the 18th Century it is shown that the Tailcoat was greatly influenced by the uniform worn by the British Naval Officers, it was also very similar to a riding coat which was split at the back to accommodate the horse but still cover the rider.
It was initially called the New Market coat, and was generally worn during the Morning riding activity hence its other name the Morning Coat.
Moving through the 19th Century, the Morning Coat became less formal and more casual daywear. It was still less formal than the traditional Frock Coat and was considered to be less elegant and sophisticated than it is thought of today.
Despite its low reputation the Morning Coat had slowly evolved over the years, to become a main part of every gentleman’s wardrobe.
Around the 1900’s the Morning Coat was a well-used garment for formal and casual occasions. It was teamed with trousers in grey striped for certain events, but the popular choice, which is still available today, is to team the jacket with the same material for the trousers and make a suit.
The Morning Coat over took the Frock Coat in the use for formal occasions completely around the 1930’s where George V attended a show in a Morning Coat instead of a Frock Coat, and many decided to follow his style. Another is when King Edward VII abolished the Frock Coat as court dress and replaced it with the Morning Coat.
Therefore the Morning Coat became the garment for formal occasions. Its style slowly changed further by popularity with a single button and peaked lapels.
However this was short lived, as after the war its popularity fell and it was then only seen on grooms and the upper classes. Due to the factor of grooms only wearing the item once on their wedding day the option to rent became available.
The Morning Coat continued to fall in popularity and is now only worn at formal occasions (weddings) and at certain Horse Races like the Royal Ascot.
The formal and elegant garment had lost its style and popularity with the modernising world for day to day wear. However it has held its own in the choice for Grooms and formal weddings. Browse our collection of mens wedding suits.
Features and Styles
The traditional Morning Coat can be worn in various ways, for weddings and formal occasions, a matching or slightly contrasting waistcoat can be worn, light grey is a popular choice.
A more ‘fancy’ design or bolder colour could be chosen for an event like the Races.
It consists of peaked lapels and a single breasted one button front that meets in the middle and curves away to create the tails behind. There are 2 ornamental buttons on the lower back, these were originally used to button the tails up out of the way when travelling on horseback.
It can be worn with matching trousers or formal wear or with grey or striped trousers for masonic or other formal occasions.
There are no lower hip pockets on the Morning Jacket to keep the look as clean and as elegant as possible, but there is a top breast pocket.
Rupert The Tailor
We have created a number of our own Masonic Morning Suits and Tailcoats at Rupert The Tailor, take a look at them below with their brief explanations.
The Franklin Morning Suit
This is made from 100% British Wool and has all the traditional features of the masonic morning suit, with a matching waistcoat (you can choose a contrasting colour like grey as shown in the photo) to add something a little different to the overall look. A stunning suit for a fantastic price with the perfect fit.
The George Morning Suit and the Edward Morning Suit
These two Morning Suits are very similar apart from the colours; we have designed one in Bold and Exotic colours (George) and one in subtle pastels and creams (Edward). These are perfect for matching to wedding themes or for a Wedding abroad. Both are available with matching or contrasting waistcoats, you will be spoilt for choice with over 100 colours to choose from.
If you wanted something a little less extravagant, we have plenty of other Rupert The Tailor Suits on the website so take a look, you may find your perfect suit!
Other information
If you have any other questions about any of the garments we have on the website, or if you can’t find what you are looking for, please don’t hesitate to contact us by email here, call us on 01335 361287 or use the online chat available on the website.
We also stock larger mens size suits, call us for more information.