officers mess jackets

[mcvarmit]

nanook, i apologize for giving up, the wife says i don't explain things very well.

spencer tracy and kate hepburn were both movie stars in the 30's-50's and made quite afew movies together. in some of these movies he wore a
formal tux with tails. hence they refer to this style as a spencer or a tracy
or a spencer tracy. i hope that helps some, let me know if it doesn't.

slick

[Nanook]

spencer tracy and kate hepburn were both movie stars in the 30's-50's and made quite afew movies together. in some of these movies he wore a
formal tux with tails. hence they refer to this style as a spencer or a tracy
or a spencer tracy.

That might be the misplaced motivation but the "tux without tails" was called a Spencer jacket long before Mssr Tracy was born. The style first caught on at the end of the 18th century. The style is named after the first Earl Spencer (1734–1783). Legend has it that his tails caught fire from an open flame and so he had them removed to the delight of London fashion. Whatever the origin these short top coats without tails were widely called "Spencer coats" by the 1790s. At that time they were worn with loads of military medals but we need only look at the evolution of the modern suit (born on Saville Row) to see the clear connection to officers uniforms.