Barathea is a fine English cloth, closely woven with a slight diagonal weave in appearance and a broken rib effect. It has a granular, or pebbled, surface but it feels smooth to the touch. Mainly used as a suit or uniform fabric, it can also be used in men’s evening clothes. It is a heavier fabric than we tend use in tuxedos today, but you will definitely feel like 007 wearing it.
If you want the real James Bond look, Barathea from Abraham Moon is your choice.
For the ladies we can thank the late, great actress Marlene Dietrich for making the tuxedo a must-have for the stylish woman’s wardrobe, albeit stylized to provide a more feminine touch. Nowadays, black tuxedos worn with high pleated pants and with silk revers on the jacket are all the rage again. In fact, they have never been out of style!
Photo: Marlene Dietrich in Morning-suit with silk package in the movie Morocco (1930).