Introduction to the Smoking Jacket
From Practical Protector to Black Tie Alternative
In this guide, we will explore the origins of the smoking jacket and chart its progress through history before concluding with how you can wear and style a smoking jacket as part of your wardrobe and have the best experiences wearing this luxurious, timeless classic.
Tracing its origins back to garments worn by gentlemen to ward their fine evening clothes against ash and tobacco smoke, the smoking jacket is synonymous with elegance, the comforts of home, and the refined seclusion of a stately drawing room or library.
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But as you’ll learn in this guide, the men’s smoking jacket is not a bygone relic of a rarefied age, nor is it the exclusive domain of smokers. In fact, we believe that the smoking jacket could be an excellent fit for any gentleman’s at-home attire, and in some circumstances, it can even serve as a Black Tie alternative. Read on to learn more about the smoking jacket and its history to determine if it might have a place in your wardrobe.
The History of the Smoking Jacket
How 17th Century International Trade Made a New Status Symbol: A Robe
As international trade and colonial expansion exploded in the 1600s, exotic goods and riches poured from the Americas, Africa, and Asia into Europe, fueling a boom for luxury goods and attire.
Included amongst these riches were coffee, textiles, spices, and tobacco, and the elites of Europe were not content with merely owning these treasures: they wished to exhibit them as well. One such article can be considered, in some respects, the spiritual precursor to the smoking jacket.
The Robe-de-Chambre Breaks Down the Barrier Between Public and Private Ostentation
Conspicuous Consumption: A Passion for Portraits in Expensive Domestic Garments
Despite the fact that the robe-de-chambre was ostensibly a garment for private wear, many gentlemen, like Samuel Pepys, had their portraits made wearing one. This fact, along with the gorgeous detailing that decorated many robes-de-chambre, would seem to hint at preferences for a public function for this private garment.
Changing ways of enjoying tobacco, another luxury good from the New World, would soon find another opportunity for the display of the robe-de-chambre in luxurious comfort.
A Vogue for Tobacco Necessitates a New Garment: The Smoking Jacket
How a Shift from Snuff to Smoking Affected the Development of the Smoking Jacket
For most of the 17th and 18th centuries, the preferred method for enjoying tobacco, especially in Great Britain and Europe, was by taking snuff, in which ground tobacco was inhaled directly into the nasal cavity.
By the early 19th century, however, smoking tobacco, in a pipe or as a cigar or cigarette, had increased in popularity, and it was a common sight at parties or quiet evenings at home to see men retire to a drawing room or den to chat and indulge in a smoke. Many homes even featured designated smoking rooms. However, this new trend had serious implications for the wardrobes of those who participated and led to the creation of, essentially, a smoking jacket robe.
The Smoking Jacket Evolves from the Robe-de-chambre
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The Smoking Jacket in the Victorian and Edwardian Eras
The Smoking Jacket in the 19th Century: A Classic Takes Shape
Beginning with the coronation of its namesake, the British monarch Queen Victoria in 1838, the Victorian Era was a significant period in the development of the smoking jacket.
Easier access to modish Turkish cigars following the conclusion of the Crimean War in 1856 cemented the popularity of smoking, and the smoking jacket was a ubiquitous sight in menswear.
The Smoking Jacket of the Mid-19th Century
Illustrating the popularity of the smoking jacket, the Gentleman’s Magazine of London, England provided the following substantive definition: “A kind of short robe-de-chambre, of velvet, cashmere, plush, merino or printed flannel, lined with bright colours, ornamented with brandenbourgs, olives, or large buttons.”
- “Brandenbourgs” refers to a type of braid detailing associated with the city of the same name.
- “Olives” are oblong wooden buttons covered in fabric that somewhat resemble olives.
Like a robe-de-chambre, many smoking jackets of the Victorian Era would have been closed with a sash, although large toggle buttons, like the aforementioned olives, were also common. The garment had largely assumed the traditional silhouette we recognize today.
The function of the smoking jacket would remain largely static in Victorian society until undergoing another evolution, courtesy of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and future King Edward VII.
Changing Roles: Edward VII takes the Smoking Jacket from the Drawing Room to the Dining Room
James Brown Potter and the Tuxedo Club: Introducing the Smoking Jacket to North America
There are two competing stories that explain how the smoking jacket as a formal evening garment was introduced to the United States. Both involve James Brown Potter, a wealthy American banker and financier.
The Smoking Jacket Becomes a Black Tie Alternative
The Smoking Jacket and the Dinner Jacket: Understanding the Differences
The Smoking Jacket in the 20th Century
The Smoking Jacket Thrives in the Golden Age of Menswear
The smoking jacket continued to be worn, both as a domestic garment and a Black Tie alternative, into the 20th century. By the 1920s and 1930s, it underwent further stylistic variations, including the popularization of peaked lapel varieties, drawing from the contemporary development of the dinner jacket.
In the public psyche, smoking jackets remained associated with social elites, and in addition to the magnates and millionaires of the time, celebrities, especially singers and film stars, were foremost in that cadre.
Film stars like Clark Gable or William Powell would often appear, on camera and off, in smoking jackets or similar robes-de-chambre, reviving in the minds of their audience the ideal of the stately gentleman in his luxurious robe. Later wearers like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin added a further playful element to the garment.
During the 20th century, several famous men became particularly associated with smoking jackets, making the garment an iconic aspect of their personas.
Modern Men Associated with Smoking Jackets: Noel Coward, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, The Rat Pack, and Hugh Hefner
The Late 20th Century Decline of the Smoking Jacket
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As the 20th century wore on, the smoking jacket declined in popularity due to a variety of converging factors.
The Revival of the Smoking Jacket
Despite these reverses, the smoking jacket never fully disappeared from the realm of menswear, maintained by stalwart devotees of the Classic Style and tobacco enthusiasts.
In their January/February of 1999 issue, the lifestyle periodical Cigar Aficionado published a piece entitled “Return of the Smoking Jacket,” trumpeting the garment’s resurgence in the smoking community as a decadent treat and the ultimate loungewear essential while enjoying a smoke. The article covered the storied history of the smoking jacket and touched upon its utility as a practical item for dedicated smokers, touting its value in the present day.
Meanwhile, Black Tie dressers of the 2000s turned an eye to vintage styles and the smoking jacket saw something of a revival as a dashing, unique item to add personality to formal ensembles.
The Smoking Jacket in Contemporary Men’s Fashion
The Smoking Jacket is Not Just a Halloween Costume
Despite its relative decline in popularity, the smoking jacket has persisted through the 20th century, and there is certainly a place for it in 21st-century menswear. You should not assume that this garment must be consigned to thrown-together fancy party costumes; it remains a viable fashion choice, as illustrated by the men of style who have kept the smoking jacket alive today, for casual occasions, a truly exceptional loungewear experience, a statement outfit, or the very best experience for casual Black Tie.
Who Wears Smoking Jackets Today
The Contemporary Smoking Jacket
Having brought the smoking jacket up to the present, we will now summarize the styles and features of the contemporary smoking jacket.
Smoking Jacket Styles
Closure Method
There are essentially two varieties of contemporary smoking jackets that vary in their styling and the occasions for which they are appropriate. Most often, these jackets are classified by their closure method.
Additional Details
Length
Smoking jackets can vary in length from breaking at the knee to breaking similarly to a suit jacket or blazer. However, the most classical length will land around the mid-thigh with a shorter length.In general, a sash smoking jacket will have a longer skirt, while a buttoned smoking jacket will more closely resemble the length of a dinner jacket. Generally, any length beyond the mid-thigh will be considered more informal and most suitable for home wear.
Smoking Jacket Colors and Patterns
Traditional Colors: Jewel Tones in Blue, Red, and Green and Black
Rick, dark colors, often in jewel tones, are traditionally associated with classic 20th-century smoking jackets and will ensure a timeless look, especially when setting off a crisp white shirt.
Modern Colors: From Purple to Gray and (Nearly) Everything in Between
Colors like mustard, brown, gray, purple, and bright shades of blue and red have become more popular for smoking jackets since the 2000s and as such present a slightly more au-currant appearance. That being said, it should be noted that many of these colors were also seen in 19th-century smoking jackets, illustrating the cyclical nature of fashion.
Patterns
In addition to solid colors typical of velvet examples, there are several patterns usually associated with silk smoking jackets. A classic pattern can be very fetching, but be aware that anything too complex could be distracting, especially in a public setting.
Smoking Jacket Fabrics
Smoking jackets can be made from nearly any fabric, but an important consideration will be the desired use of the jacket. If you intend to use your smoking jacket for smoking, a functional pile fabric like a cotton-rich velvet pile or heavy silk is strongly encouraged. Otherwise, a wider variety of fabrics can be employed for jackets that are styled like a smoking jacket but will not be worn primarily when smoking.
Fabrics to Avoid
Many lightweight fabrics, like linen or certain weaves of cotton, can make excellent summer robes or bathing wraps but lack the heft and appearance to serve as good smoking jackets. Conversely, synthetic fabrics are stuffy, overly shiny, and can even be highly flammable, and should thus be avoided in general.
Sham Smoking Jackets? Stylistically Similar Garments
Smoking Jacket Features
Lapel
Lining
The most traditional lining for a smoking jacket is silk satin, but bemberg, a type of rayon, is common in many smoking jackets today, along with other synthetic materials. A cotton liner, sometimes of Egyptian cotton fabric, will often appear on a luxury cotton jacket.
Pocket Squares to Complement Any Smoking Jacket from Fort Belvedere
Detailing
Piping
In addition to piping around the cuffs and lapels, some smoking jackets have additional decorative piping along seams or the body in general. Be aware that excessive piping may appear overwrought.
Trimming
Many smoking jackets also feature trim, usually in the same material as the lining, but sometimes in other materials, like braiding. This trim is evocative of the exposed cuffs and lapel, and when done tastefully, is in keeping with a traditional smoking jacket style.
How to Wear a Smoking Jacket
When deciding whether you ought to invest in a smoking jacket, your first consideration will be how and where you wish to employ it. Although originally intended for exclusive use at home, the smoking jacket can, under the right circumstances, make public appearances.
Appropriate Dress Codes for a Smoking Jacket
Because of its origins, the smoking jacket is not ideally suited for all public occasions. You should take the nature of the event and stated dress codes into consideration when deciding whether to wear a smoking jacket and which style to wear.
Although a smoking jacket can be a Black Tie alternative, traditionally, it should not be worn for occasions specified as Black Tie, for which your host will likely prefer you in a proper dinner jacket ensemble. Instead, save a smoking jacket for dress codes that invite personalization, like Black Tie Optional, Creative Black Tie, or Festive Black Tie, or dress codes lower on the Formality Scale in which you feel you can comfortably, and politely, dress up.
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The following outline offers basic guidance on wearing a smoking jacket under various circumstances. When planning your ensemble, note that a buttoned smoking jacket will generally be more formal than a sash smoking jacket.
The Smoking Jacket as Domestic Attire
The Smoking Jacket as a Smoking Accessory
The Smoking Jacket as a Black-Tie Alternative
A Special Consideration for Weddings
To provide a convivial atmosphere, many weddings, even Black Tie weddings, invite creative dress from guests. When considering whether to don a smoking jacket under such circumstances, keep in mind that you may, very likely, be the only gentleman at the event wearing a smoking jacket.
Accordingly, there is an outsized chance that you might be mistaken for the groom, as you, and he, might be the only male attendants uniquely garbed. Therefore, unless your social circle tends to favor wearing smoking jackets, they might be best avoided at weddings to avoid any awkward confusion.
Styling a Smoking Jacket
Establish the appropriate level of formality with the correct neckwear
How to Buy a Smoking Jacket
High-quality smoking jackets can be difficult to locate on the market today. However, with the information contained in this guide and a bit of research, you will be able to find the perfect addition to your wardrobe.
Selecting Styles and Features
When investing in a smoking jacket, select a model that fits your needs and the occasions on which you intend to wear it, taking into consideration the suggestions made in the above How to Wear a Smoking Jacket section. The most important consideration is that you find a smoking jacket that you can actually wear, and wear well.
Hallmarks of a Classic Smoking Jacket
For those of you interested in a smoking jacket typical of the Classic Style, we have provided the following general suggestions.
Dark-Colored Velvet
Velvet is the iconic fabric for smoking jackets and was favored over heavy silk for most of the 20th century. Dark solid colors, usually reds, blues, greens, and black, were common because of their versatility.
Shawl Collar or Peaked Lapels
Single-breasted smoking jackets were the most common in the 20th century. They usually had silk or quilted satin shawl collars and turn-up cuffs. Double-breasted smoking jackets were very popular as a Black Tie alternative, and during the Golden Age of Menswear usually had self-faced peaked lapels, although shawl collars were also worn.
Frog Toggles or Covered Buttons
Because it is less versatile, if you only own one smoking jacket, we suggest opting for a buttoned style over the sash style.
To distinguish your smoking jacket from a velvet dinner jacket, consider toggle frog closures for a unique and visually striking effect. For something more sedate, cloth-covered buttons are also an excellent choice.
Sizing and Fit
In general, because of its bulky fabric, a smoking jacket should be cut more generously than a dinner jacket. However, while a sash-style smoking jacket can be more voluminous, a buttoned smoking jacket should still be fitted, so consider having alterations done by your tailor.
Hallmarks of Quality
Reputable Brands
Smoking jackets are a favored item for both legacy and new manufacturers, and you will have many options when making your selection, although many may not comport with classic styling conventions. An important initial consideration will be whether to purchase off-the-rack or made-to-measure, for which you will want to take advantage of our numerous resources on that subject.
In general, many fashion houses offer some variety of smoking jacket, but be aware that in many cases there will be a steep mark-up. Conversely, a bespoke smoking jacket may require a sizable outlay of initial capital, but it will often result in a garment of superlative quality.
To help you get started, here are a few brands worth considering:
A Smoking Jacket for Every Budget
A new smoking jacket can represent a sizable investment, as indicated in the following table. For sizable savings, consider secondhand buying options, discussed below.
Secondhand Smoking Jackets
Because of their former extreme popularity, smoking jackets can often be found at very reasonable prices secondhand. A vintage purchase can allow you to acquire a jacket of superior quality at a reduced cost, provided you know what to look for and have a little luck on your side.
The existing Gentleman’s Gazette catalog offers numerous resources for second-hand shopping, but below are some points to consider when seeking out a smoking jacket in particular.
Second-Handing Shopping Sources
An Example of a Smoking Jacket Outfit
Conclusion
The magnificent smoking jacket is a unique article in menswear that encapsulates considerable personality and a long and storied history of opulence. Whether you don a men’s smoking jacket for at home aperitifs while enjoying a fine cigar on relaxed weekends or while spending a night out on the town, you can be sure that you’ll attract attention and add one more story to the legacy of a garment that has seen everything from the stately halls of Sandringham House to the glittering gaming floors of the Sands Casino. Both the epitome of luxury loungewear with unparalleled comfort and unrivaled softness as an exquisite robe and a formal evening garment with incredible flair, a gentleman’s smoking jacket invites compliments whether worn in the early mornings or late evenings.
Do you own a smoking jacket? If so, how do you like to style it? Let us know in the comments!
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