Tuxedos from 1905

The shawl-collar is sometimes preferred in full dress; either style is quite correct; these coats were made to custom fit perfectly around the neck and shoulders. In 1905 it was normal for many upper class men to have full dress suits, although these were expensive even for them.

Above are single and double breasted suits from 1905 that cost approximately $25 dollars at that time. The equivalent in our market today would be roughly $689.28, so these suits were worn by the wealthy. That being said, remember that people in 1900 something did not own many suits or dresses. They would perhaps purchase one or two new pieces every few years. People did not wear a different change of clothing daily, however, their clothing was made of excellent materials. The full dress suits above would have been made from a very fine wool and would have lasted for many years. A gentleman would have changed over his dress shirts, shoes, vests and ties frequently enough, but not his entire suit unless he was quite wealthy.