Sugar Mountain Road: Vintage Smoking Jackets, Never Out of Style~

Ever wonder what's up with smoking jackets? Why do men wear them? When did it all began?
I did a little research and according to Wikipedia "A smoking jacket is an over garment designed to be worn while smoking tobacco, in the form of pipes and cigars."

It first began, as far back as the 17th century when men were seen in paintings wearing long satin or silk robes covering their attire. These robes later were shortened into the mid-thigh length we have come to expect to see Hugh Hefner wearing.

Interesting. And when did the modern day definition begin? Both Wikipedia and duchessclothier.com agree, back in the 1850s, the Gentlemen's Magazine of London defined the smoking jacket as 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."

Apparently, men took their smoking very seriously, heading into a smoking parlor after dinner and donning a smoking jacket over their clothes. Why? Because they did not want their clothes to smell of smoke, get clothes dirty with ash or worry about nasty cigarette hole burns. I would venture to say that weekly baths, no washing machines and wives with bundles of socks to darn, also had something to do with the use of the jacket. Real gentlemen also donned smoking caps and slippers, in an effort to keep the smell of the smoke completely off of themselves.....think Ebenezer Scrooge.

Smoking became all the rage. The Crimean War assured an abundance of Turkish Tobacco flowing through England and smoking's popularity spiked in the mid 1800's.

Also it was popular to dress specifically for an occasion; if a person road a horse, they wore certain clothes, dinner was another choice and apparently smoking was also such an instance.

Enter the early 20th century and the smoking jacket took on a casual home entertaining attire choice. If a jacket was too dressed up and a sweater too dressed down, the popular and excepted smoking jacket was the stylish choice.

Oscar Wilde in his favorite smoking jacket.

The 1950's re-established the popularity of the smoking jacket with actors such as Dean Martin and Fred Astaire seen handsomely smiling at the camera, wearing same. Fred Astaire was actually buried in his favorite smoking jacket!