Etiquette of Dress for a Butler

At the head of the pantry department is the butler who, in very large house holds, has a very important position. In America, where housekeepers are even more rare than butlers, butlers often engage and dismiss all the rest of the staff.

Note: it is a primary rule of appearance that butlers and footmen must be clean-shaven. 

Traditional and Formal Dress

Morning:

1. A dark sack suit.

2. White shirt.

3. Stiff fold collar.

4. Black four-in-hand tie.

5. Black shoes.

6. Black socks.

Luncheon time, afternoon, and teatime: 

(This is not worn in the evening.) 

1. Black dress coat (the same as that worn in the evening; see below). Or, to be most technical, a cutaway coat.

2. Gray-and-black striped trousers

3. A black double-breasted waistcoat, stiff white shirt, stiff white wing collar (or, less formally, a fold collar), and black four-in-hand tie; or black bow tie with wing collar.

4. Low black calf oxford shoes and black socks.

Dinner and the evening:

1. Stiff-bosomed white shirt, wing collar, small gold studs (as small as collar buttons)

2. White bow tie

3. Black waistcoat and tail coat.

4. Black trousers without braid or stripes.

5. Black shoes and socks.

Less formal variations (black calf oxfords and black socks are also standard with all of these):

Afternoon and Evenings: Gray-and-black striped trousers with a short black single-breasted sack coat, black waistcoat, soft white shirt and stiff fold collar, black four-in-hand tie; or

Less formally, a black alpaca coat with striped trousers worn with a soft white shirt, black waistcoat, semi-stiff collar, black four-in-hand tie.

Hot weather: Gray alpaca coat (with three buttons) with black trousers with soft white shirt and collar, black four-in-hand tie; or

White linen or duck double-breasted coat worn with black trousers, white shirt and collar and black four-in-hand tie. (This may be worn both afternoon and evening.) Another very good white coat is white linen or duck with black, or colored, collar and cuffs, which may be solid colors— the “house” color and, for evenings, a wing collar and bow tie; or, for afternoons, a fold collar or striped like a footman’s waistcoat. This coat is worn with black trousers and black four-in-hand tie. — From “Vogue’s Book of Etiquette,” 1948

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