Fashion on Board the Titanic

A Look at Men's Fashion During the Titanic Era

It’s hard to believe that it has been 100 years since the Titanic tragedy. Indeed, the sinking of the Titanic has become one of the most well-known events in history, and the 100 year anniversary has a lot of people going back to analyze exactly what happened. Before the tragedy occurred, however, the maiden voyage of the Titanic was viewed by many as being synonymous with luxury and high society, with first-class individuals being some of the wealthiest people in the world. Given the extreme class disparities present on the Titanic, it should come as no surprise that passengers exhibited a wide-range of style. The following are just a few things that characterized the fashion of those who boarded the Titanic for the first and last time.

First-Class Passengers
The first-class passengers on the Titanic certainly used the ship’s maiden (and, unfortunately, final) voyage as an excuse to pull out all the stops. Men in first-class made it a point to wear tuxedo-style suits, characterized by bleach-white bow ties (typically made from pique fabric), elegant top hats and black dress shoes exhibiting an extremely luminous sheen. Pomade was a huge part of men’s fashion at the time, with many Titanic passengers applying it liberally in order to slick their hair back. In the ship’s famous Palm room, full dress was expected at all times; men wore the finest clothing they’d brought with them. This was, after all, the “Gilded Age;” a time when wealthy individuals wore luxury on their sleeves, and weren’t afraid to flaunt it.

• The Tailcoat
  A very popular item of clothing for first-class men aboard the Titanic, the tailcoat was the epitome of “white-tie” formal attire at the time. Constructed out of thick, heavy fabric, the tailcoat kept its shape in ways that modern suits typically do not, and thus gave off the appearance of being exceptionally well-fitted to just about anyone who wore them. Tailcoats were typically paired with formal black, pleated pants, a white waistcoat, white bow tie, and silk top hat (sometimes also made from beaver fur), resulting in an extremely attractive ensemble.


• Collars
  One aspect of men’s fashion that was unique to this era was the collars typically featured in dress shirts. Dress shirt collars were typically turned over, or occasionally pressed into wing shapes. Typically, the collars found on Titanic would have been quite stiff and tall, featuring rounded corners. A narrow, 4-in-hand necktie was usually worn, with ascots being common during the day, and bow ties being more suitable for formal evening attire.

Second-Class Passengers
Titanic passengers who found themselves in second-class tended to be successful individuals (lawyers, doctors, engineers etc.), yet lacked the extreme wealth that characterized those in first-class. As a result, their attire was far more non-descript than that worn by first-class passengers, and typically included classic suits rather than formal tailcoats and beaver fur top hats. The biggest difference compared to the wealthy first class passengers however was noticeable in the small details. First class passengers commonly displayed their affluence with luxury jewelry, golden pocket watches, and very exotic silk and linen ascots and neckties.








Third-Class Passengers
Passengers riding in third-class tended to be working families with eyes on emigrating to America. It should come as no surprise that third-class passengers were, for the most part, quite poor, which was reflected in the clothing they wore. Britches and plain shirts were the norm for men below deck, mostly exhibiting drab colors and ragged patchwork. As one might expect, third-class passengers cared very little about impressing anyone with their appearance, spending a great deal of their time below deck and apart from other passengers on the ship.







Takeaways for the Modern Man
If modern men take anything away from fashion aboard the Titanic, it should be that first-class passengers had no qualms about putting a large degree of effort into looking their best. The fashion-forward man of today should realize that going the extra mile when putting together an ensemble is more than worthwhile; a three-piece suit can make even the most average-looking man appear exceptionally attractive, and can be worn more often than most people realize.

One of the biggest takeaways from the Titanic era fashion however, is properly fitted clothing. A hundred years ago there was no such thing as ready-to-wear, of the rack clothing, produced in mass quantities. Instead men were passionate about bespoke tailoring. Even if the basic dress of the 1910s and 1920s showed very little variation in cuts, colors, and style, it was the perfectly tailored craftsmanship and attention to detail that made this period of the most stylish eras of the 20th century.

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