KYT - Know Your Terms: The Chesterfield

I realize the chesterfield is of little interest to many, including myself (well, to some degree I actually get geek-ed up about learning how certain things came about).  All of the information below was taken directly from The Gilt Manual.  What interested me the most about this post was the tagline "formality, for all it's rules and regulations, is relative".  I couldn't agree more!  I've always found it interesting that the way a man should dress be based on traditional formalities. I have always thought that a white oxford, black tie and a dark pair of blue jeans looked quite a bit more flattering than the "proper" accompanied slacks.  In my opinion jeans with an oxford and a tie is the best a man can look, not in a suit. (certainly this is subjective) So traditional formalities carry weight.  Isn't that interesting?  I would venture to say it's the same with facial hair.  Why is it inappropriate for a man to wear facial hair as an attorney, business man, or the President? A BEARD LOOKS WAY BETTER!  I had a buddy tell me recently that back in the day a man was deemed "not trustworthy" for wearing a beard. What variations play into the subjectivity behind clothing formalities and variations?   The Chesterfield below is a perfect example. Perhaps some post's on this very subject will come later, I may be on to something here.......:)      

Dress well gentlemen.

Formality, for all its rules and regulations, is relative. Case in point: The Chesterfield, the British overcoat introduced around 1840 and subsequently named for the sixth Earl of Chesterfield. Though it’s currently one of the most formal overcoats a guy can wear, it actually rose to prominence as a casual alternative to the Victorian frock coat, replacing the former’s heavily suppressed waist seam with simple vertical darts for shape, and favoring a straighter, streamlined silhouette.

But aside from the reworked lines of the thing, the Chesterfield isn’t all that different from its ancestor. Like the frock coat, it’s a full-length overcoat cut from dark, heavy wool and worn over a sport coat or suit jacket. Single-breasted versions are marked by a fly front, in which a cloth placket covers the buttons so they can’t be seen when the coat is closed. Double-breasted versions also exist, but feature exposed buttons. In either case, pockets are flapped and hit at the hip, and a single vent at the back gives your legs some room to move. And though it’s not technically a requirement for a coat to qualify as a Chesterfield, most versions feature a velvet collar. Originally worn by the wealthy as a sympathetic nod to the beheaded, aristocratic brethren who fell during the French Revolution—think about where a guillotine hits your neck—it also served a far more practical purpose: The velvet section could easily be removed and replaced after it became soiled. Longer hair was the style at the time, and as bathing was a once-in-a-while kind of affair, the oils that built up in a guy’s locks tended to transfer to the collar in short order. Seems that hygiene, like formality, is a relative thing as well.