FORMAL NIGHT ATTIRE

I have many pursuits... many pleasures... many passions in life.  I believe that a person should "live" life.  I have had the opportunity to spend lots of time with people approaching the end of life, and I have never heard anyone spend a lot of time lamenting the activities they enjoyed.  What I have sensed, however, is the sadness of dreams unfulfilled.   The deliciousness of life un-tasted.  The risks not taken... the rewards un-obtained. 

I have learned that one should live while we can... fully... work hard, play hard, love, dance, sing, forgive... move on to the next adventure.  I have also learned that one should dress for the occasion.  When I ride my motorcycle, I wear leather.  Yes, I do.  Heavy black "biker" leather.  I don't ever plan for my body to leave the saddle and hit the hard dark pavement beneath me, but in the unlikely event that I do... I want to have some nasty, thick cowhide, between my tender flesh and the rock hard concrete roadbed. 

There truly are many "uniforms" that we wear in life; each one suited to the particular endeavor in which we pursue.  Cruising is no different.  Cruising has its necessary attire.  There is casual wear for strolling about the Ports.  There is beach wear for while sitting around the ship's pool, or beneath an umbrella on some beautiful sandy beach.  Perhaps I will take time in a subsequent post to talk about "hats".  But... for now... I want to talk about "Formal Night" attire.

Continuing my preparations for this upcoming Cruise, I wanted to obtain a new off-white Dinner Jacket.  This past week (Black Friday) I found one at a very good price at Jos. A. Bank.   When I ordered it, I was told that it would probably be a month before it would arrive.  "No problem", I confidently replied.  There are advantages to preparing early.  So... I was pleasantly surprised when I got call early this week that the jacket had arrived.

A Dinner Jacket is not a necessity for Formal Night.  Most Cruises do not "enforce" a dress code for Formal Nights.  They typically offer "suggestions" for how to dress for usually two Formal Nights.  Most ladies will be wearing tea-length evening dresses or long gowns.  Many men will be wearing "jacket -n- tie".  Sadly, a few will be wearing Cruise Casual on Formal Nights.  However... I found long ago that I enjoy showing up as if I know what Formal Night really is.  Maybe it is a ZZ Top, "Cause every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man" sort of thing.

Some years ago, as we were nearing a departure date for an upcoming cruise, I had dropped Joni off at the Salon for her routine "whatever".  I decided that I would use the few minutes available to go out to our local Mall.  When I picked Joni up about an hour later, she noticed something hanging from the hook behind the driver's seat. 

"What is that?", she asked. 

"Oh, nothing..." I responded.  "I just bought a Tux." 

"A what?!?!"

If you're going to a party, you should dress for the occasion; right?   Sure you should.  And that purchase has served me very well over the last several years.  But, this year I wanted to add to my Formal Night wardrobe.  And... I think that a white Dinner Jacket will be a very nice addition.  I also think that it will look very good as Joni and I Foxtrot our way over the hardwood dance floor on the Jewel of the Seas.  Yes?