| Ah, the smoking jacket: a fashion that has gone away, | | | | smoking jacket, trapping the odors in that jacket |
| fallen into the clothing abyss with leg warmers, hoop | | | | instead of his everyday clothing. The jacket also |
| skirts, and beloved parachute pants. On occasion, you | | | | served as protection for the underclothing from ash |
| might glimpse a smoking jacket, seeing one in an old | | | | and tobacco burns. |
| movie or an oil panting hanging over a fireplace mantel. | | | | Smoking jackets are typically expensive, which helps |
| But, chances are, you don't come into contact with | | | | make them almost nonexistent in today's society. Their |
| these types of jackets very often. Truth be told, they | | | | high expense is due to the high priced nature of the |
| are a thing of yore: the concept of the smoking jacket | | | | materials use. However, in defense of the smoking |
| has been smoked out. | | | | jacket, the expense may be worth it: they usually last |
| Still, like the past of many things, the history of the | | | | a lifetime. |
| smoking jacket is interesting. Though you wouldn't | | | | Sometimes a smoking jacket is accompanied by a |
| know it now, they were once very popular, almost like | | | | smoking cap, at least for people who aim to wear the |
| the jean jacket of the 1980's, the Disco jacket of the | | | | entire smoking outfit. The smoking cap, though also |
| 1970's, or the straight jacket of the 1960's. Originally | | | | prevalent during Victorian times, was never quite as |
| developed for people to wear during times of smoking | | | | popular as its jacketed counterpart. It did, however, |
| pipes and cigars (and occasionally cigarettes) smoking | | | | serve a similar aim: like the smoking jacket, the |
| jackets are waist length and typically made of | | | | smoking cap purposed to appease women by keeping |
| expensive material, namely velvet or silk. The jackets | | | | the odor of tobacco smoke out of the hair of men. For |
| include turn up cuffs, fastenings, and a high collar. | | | | this reason, many smoking caps were made by wives |
| While they can be any color, the ones of the past | | | | or given as gifts to tobacco indulging husbands. |
| were usually made of hues that knew how to be | | | | Today, smoking caps and smoking jackets are hard to |
| anything but subtle. Burgundy, forest green, and dark | | | | find, though some are available online or in vintage |
| red were common colors used. | | | | clothing stores. The demise in their popularity could be |
| During Victorian times, the smoking jacket was among | | | | from many things. They might be too expensive, and |
| the most popular of clothing items. Its development is | | | | they might be too pretentious, but it's most likely that it |
| believed to have been perpetuated by the belief that | | | | turns out women don't really dislike the smell of |
| females were sensitive to the odor of tobacco. Thus, | | | | tobacco smoke after all. |
| before a man lit a pipe or a cigar, he would put on a | | | | |