Leonard’s Victorian Tuxedo

One of the events my friends and I planned to attend at Venetian Carnevale 2020 was the Napoli Ball, and 1860s evening attire was requested. But Victorian ballgowns bore me, so I decided that Leonard should branch out from the 18th century. I bought a black wool tailcoat tuxedo, a waistcoat, and a shirt. I already had a vintage top hat. I found a local tailor who did an excellent job recutting the suit to fit me, plus making a few small modifications so it was in a more period style. I accessorized with a purple silk bow tie, a set of vintage shirt studs and cufflinks, and a silk flower boutonnière that I made.

I was able to wear this before the ball to go out for drinks with friends at the beautiful Metropole Hotel’s Oriental Bar. This suit proved to be a comfortable and stylish outfit that was definitely a smart investment!

For the Napoli Ball, my friend Leia was wearing a white dress, and as we walked to Cafe Florian to meet up with folks beforehand, shopkeepers in the doorways shouted out “Congratulations!” We realized they thought we were just married, what with her white dress and my tux. Thus we had an engagement at the cafe and a first dance at the ball!

On the way home from the ball, I had to do a little vogueing in a lighted colonnade along Piazza San Marco.