Nowadays, chances are the only time you’ll see someone wearing a smoking jacket is on Halloween when guys dress up in cheap Hugh Hefner knockoffs. Other than that, the once popular garment has seemingly met its fate. There was a time, however, when gentlemen donned one for good reason. Here is a look back at the iconic smoking jacket.
Image: Cigar Emperor Ltd
1600s Earliest Inspiration
The earliest inspiration for the classic smoking jacket popped up at this time. As fine silks began coming into Europe from India, China, and the Americas, it became increasingly popular for the wealthy to want to be depicted in paintings wearing a silk robe de chambre or banyan. These fine and leisurely garments would be the inspiration for the smoking jacket a few centuries later.
1850 Defining The Smoking Jacket
Gentleman’s Magazine of London put out the earliest description of what a classic smoking jacket would look like, saying it was “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.”
1853 The Spread of Turkish Tobacco
The Crimean War popularised Turkish tobacco in England during the 1850s. Men began to retreat after a meal to enjoy a pipe or cigar with some brandy. The smoking jacket had evolved from the longer robes of the 1600s into a mid-thigh length jacket that served two purposes: to keep ash off the clothes, and so the man wearing one wouldn’t smell like smoke when returning to the women. Men would remove their formal tailcoat before going into the smoking room, put on their smoking jacket, and change once more before heading back to the table.
1860 The Smoking Cap
It was common for men at this time to not only wear a smoking jacket, but also a smoking cap. The cap protected the man from even more of the odor. An embroidered smoking cap was a common gift from a fiance.
1865 No Longer Just For Smoking
The man who really made the smoking jacket popular for more than just an after dinner cigarette was Edward VII (Prince of Wales at the time). He commissioned Henry Poole & Co. (Savile Row) to craft him a blue silk one that he would often wear to meals. This ushered in a new wave of acceptance for the piece of loungewear as a sort of comfortable yet formal article of clothing.
Late 1800s The Dining Jacket
While the ornate design and luxurious velvet would remain in the construction of some smoking jackets, others started to become something much plainer. This plain version would slowly morph into a simple, loose-fitting dining jacket.
1926 The Derek Rose Smoking Jacket
The Derek Rose smoking jacket (no relation to the NBA star) combined the classic design with an even more relaxed feel. Their version did away with the frogging and the flair. The tartan pieces resemble a modern pajama top for guys.
1940s The Rat Pack
The smoking jacket received another bump in popularity thanks to the likes of Cary Grant, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra. The Rat Pack and others ushered in a new wave of popularity that would last for a couple of decades.
1960s Hugh Hefner
While the smoking jacket was no longer a staple of the average man’s wardrobe, there was still one bastion of hope: Hugh Hefner. After starting Playboy Magazine in the 1950s, Hefner adopted his trademark silk smoking jacket look. He owns over 200 different smoking jackets/pajama tops that are custom-made for him.
1999 The Return of the Smoking Jacket
Cigar Aficionado published a piece on the return of the smoking jacket. While it never returned in full force, designers like Tom Ford and brands like Louis Vuitton would reintroduce it as a piece of high fashion.
