The White Dinner Jacket

Though difficult to keep clean, a little too conspicuous, and very evening, the white dinner jacket is a surprisingly versatile piece to own. I purchased my lightly structured white linen dinner jacket from a vintage store in Amsterdam, and was lucky to have it fit me perfectly; all I had to do was have my tailor hem it to today’s very wearable cropped length.

vintage white linen dinner jacket from Amsterdam, tank top courtesy of Blood is the New Black, J. Crew belt, H&M jeans, Paul Smith pink suede Chelsea boots

I like to wear my dinner jacket with a tank top to look as if I got into a fistfight, lost my shirt, emerged unscathed, but never bothered to pick my shirt off of the floor. But you could wear it with anything from a slouchy t-shirt, to a gingham plaid shirt, to a real tuxedo shirt with a bow tie and tailored pants, and the jacket will lend a distinguished debonair air to your look. I had received this top from Blood is the New Black a while back, and have been wearing it out a lot, despite only blogging about it now. The fit and fabric are superb, and it features a Brian Lichtenberg print that pays tribute to one of my most favorite designers, Martin Margiela.

Nobody embodies the iconic-ness and illustrates the versatility of the white dinner jacket like silver screen legend Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942):

Humphrey Bogart wears it to jam at a piano bar. (photo via Orbemusical)

Humphrey Bogart wears it to sip tea with a lovely lady in a qipao. (photo via Tout Le Cine)

Humphrey Bogart wears it to play an intense game of chess. (photo via Wesleying)

A closer look at my outfit:

Note the light drapiness of the surprisingly wrinkle-resistant white linen.

These Paul Smith pink suede boots were a whimsical, caution-to-the-wind purchase. It was a hot day, and I thought these sherbert-hued shoes would take me well into summer while still letting me have my boot moment.

Paul Smith pink suede Chelsea boots

When the weather gets warm, I like my shoes to look just as refreshing as my frozen snacks.

photos by Pop, Bop, and Snap