One of the most stirring images that I have of Bobby Darin is from one of his appearances on the Andy Williams Show.  He is in the middle of singing Once In A Lifetime.  As he comes to the line “I feel like a giant,” his arms are outstretched, his clenched fists emphasize the growling giantness of his feelings, and he beams his power directly through my television set into my heart.  He is fabulous.  He sounds fabulous.  He looks fabulous.  He is impeccably dressed in an elegant garment known to us as the tuxedo.  It fits him like a glove and ripples around his body in a very sensual manner.  He moves around in it with style and grace.  I become curious about this look that seems to suit him so well and begin to wonder about the mystique of
this wonderfully evocative garment.  An internet trip to Wikipedia reveals its interesting history.

The word 'tuxedo' came into our language from the Algonquin tribe of native Americans. They would commonly label an area of land by naming it after the sachem of the tribe occupying it.  In the mid-seventeen hundreds, a piece of land approximately forty miles north and west of what is now New York City was known as P’tauk-Seet-tough.  Translated into English, the phrase means home of the bear.  By the 1850’s, the wealthy, high society Lorillard family purchased land in this area.  They planned to create a walled park of homes for high society millionaires, a place where the hoi-polloi could hunt and fish and mingle with other rich folk.  The Lorillards named it Tuxedo Park.

How does one get from the name of a piece of land to the name of a piece of clothing?  This is how it came to be.   Rich members of the high society of the Gilded Age formed clubs and held balls where the elite could meet.  In 1886 the Autumn Ball was held for the first time.  It was here that the 'dinner jacket' made its first appearance.  Tuxedo club member James Potter had been introduced to the idea of the dinner jacket by the Prince of Wales.  No doubt, bringing the elegant manner of dress of the future king of England to the grandees of Tuxedo, New York was a temptation not to be denied by Mr. Potter.  The dinner jacket was tailless and had scarlet satin lapels.  It caused a sensation to the traditionally dressed men wearing white tie and tails.  From this day on it became known as the tuxedo.  Its beautiful elegance caused the tuxedo to become the ideal attire for the important events and moments in people’s lives - rich or poor, and whenever formal wear was de rigueur.

From 1886, it is just a hop, skip, and jump to move from Fred Astaire to Frank Sinatra to Bobby Darin - all of whom looked quite posh wearing a tuxedo.  Darin wore his tux like a second skin. As our Darin buddy Michael Macomber states, “Darin was born to wear one - from the dresser drawer to the tux.” 

Macomber reminds us that Bobby became tuxified at quite a young age. As a teenager, he got them made of tailor’s seconds created from irregular, rejected pieces of cloth.  No matter.  Bobby Darin looked breezy and elegant anytime he wore a tux.  As a performer, he was always impeccably dressed and used the sinews of the tuxedo to enhance his performance.  He was a joy to watch, so much so that even when Bobby Darin was not wearing one, he retained his essential Tuxness.

      
. . . with thanks to Michael                                       

home | reina's riffs | riff archives | www.darintodream.com