In the DVD commentary for "Top Hat," film historian Larry Billman literally says, for those of you wondering if people really dressed like that, they did (i'm paraphrasing). Obviously, Fred and Ginger mostly portrayed people who were wealthy (esp. in the early films), and Ginger's outfits were probably a little more spectacular than even the Vanderbilts, etc would wear, but Fred's outfits are probably pretty realistic for the time and the social status of the character he was playing.
But as far as "Swing Time" where Fred is running around with a groom's costume on, I agree with the earlier comment, that his attire is addressed in the film, in that he was very dressed up, but he was supposed to be married that day. The rest of the film, he is dressed normally.
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parisel
17 years ago
i was talking about the top hat...Charles Coburn wore one in the park on a normal day. And fred has too in other movies with no wedding...It's amazing...Guess they really did wear them in the daytime.
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cnb
17 years ago
Astaire is wearing an ensemble that was known as "men's morning dress."
According to Wikipedia: "The name originated from the practice of gentlemen in the 19th century riding a horse in the morning with a cutaway front, single-breasted morning coat. It was originally a more casual form of half dress but as the 19th century progressed it gradually became acceptable to wear it in more formal situations instead of a frock coat. In the Edwardian era it took over from the frock coat as the standard daytime form of men's full dress. When it was regarded as a more casual coat, it was common to see it made with notched lapels, but as it took over from the frock coat in formality it began to be made with the more formal peaked lapels."
By the 1930s this 19th-century fashion was already associated more with daytime weddings than anything else, and as others have said, it would be a bit odd for Fred to be wandering New York's streets in 1936 in this attire. The policeman does treat him with elaborate respect, however, because of that association that could be made with earlier "wealthy man's daytime wear."
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parisel
17 years ago
Pleeeeeeze...Get past that one scene.. so he was dressed for a wedding. I get it...But there are numerous other examples in other movies where men were wearing top hats in the day time...Charles Coburn did in that too. No wedding, just out and about during the day.
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buxtehude99
15 years ago
Thank you cnb. AND since he was getting married in the daytime, he wore "men's morning dress". Only after dark can you really wear white tie and tails.
When the Philadelphia Orchestra plays a matinee, they wear dark suits, as opposed to an evening performance, where they wear white tie and tails. I once saw a conductor (Antal Dorati) conduct a matinee in which he wore the full morning dress. He looked fantastic!
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