White Suit Company
ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT
Gleaming all white suits like the one worn by John Travolta in 70s disco flick Saturday Night Fever are making a comeback, it emerged yesterday (weds).
In the past only rappers, gangsters and Essex boys were brazen enough to don the attention-grabbing white attire.
But a string of celebrities, such as Brad Pitt, P Diddy and Peter Andre being photographed in white, has led to an unlikely resurgence in popularity of the once-comical white two-piece.
Other contributory factors include the soaring number of young couples who are choosing to wear all white for beach weddings in sun-drenched foreign climes.
The booming cruise industry has also played a part along with the rising number of second marriages, where men take advantage of the fact brides opt for a darker shade of dress than the virginal hue they wore first time round.
Yesterday John Ansell, of www.WhiteSuitCompany.net - the UK biggest retailer of white suits - said sales had risen by more than 65 per cent over the last 18 months.
He added: ''Sales have been so strong we have had to take on extra staff to cope.
He added: ''The white suit is on the way back, like it or not. Five years ago only gangsters and Travolta wannabes would have worn white suits.
''Now a white suit can be worn on any occasion. We have found men like to wear them for nights out, weddings, cruises and even for dinner dates.
''There is something special about a white suit, always has been and always will be. They ooze style, class and sophistication and stand out in a crowd.''
Although Samuel Pepys was rumoured to have been a fan of white suits back in the 17th Century, American author Mark Twain did as much for them as anyone.
Twain wore his throughout the year, on nights out and at home.
When appearing in before Congress in December 1906 at the age of 71, he told journalists: ''I have found that when a man reaches the advanced age 71 as I have, the continual sight of drab clothing is likely to have a depressing effect on him.
''Light coloured clothing is more pleasing to the eye and enlivens the spirit.''
The white suit's major UK breakthrough came thanks to 1951 Ealing comedy The Man In The White Suit starring Alec Guinness.
The film tells the story of Sidney Stratton's ultimately unsuccessful bid to market a super-durable stain proof white suit.
Movie merchandise depicts one of the final scenes with Guinness's character being chased by a crowd seconds before his suit begins to unravel, leaving him standing in the street naked.
In more modern times authors Peter O'Toole and Tom Woolfe and the late, great king of pop Michael Jackson have dared to try white - and pulled it off.
Last summer Brad Pitt opted for all white when appearing at the Time Traveler's Wife premiere in New York City.
And rapper and entrepreneur P Diddy is often seen in his gleaming white designer suit.
This side of the Atlantic, Peter Andre nudged it back to the forefront of fashion late last year when he wore a white two-piece to launch his The Next Chapter television show.
But everything is not always all white on the night - as Peter O'Toole once found to his cost.
After his Lawrence of Arabia film won a best movie gong O'Toole bought a white suit and hired a white Rolls Royce in which to cruise along Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles waving at at passers-by.
He later told a friend: ''No-one took any ******* notice, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.''
