Smoking jacket

Designed in the 1850s, a traditional smoking jacket has a shawl collar, turn-up cuffs, and is closed with either toggle or button fastenings, or with a tie belt.

Originating in the 1850s, The Gentleman's Magazine of London, England, defined the smoking jacket as a "kind of short robe de chambre [i.e. a banyan], of velvet, cashmere, plush, merino or printed flannel, lined with bright colours, ornamented with brandebourgs [i.e. frogs], olives or large buttons.

—Diary, 30 March 1666[2]In the 18th century, gentlemen often referred to a specific style of "night gown" called the banyan, a knee-length robe, a more comfortable design than the justaucorps, onto which shawl collars became prevalent.

Famous wearers included Fred Astaire (who was buried in a smoking jacket), Cary Grant, Dean Martin, Jon Pertwee, and Frank Sinatra.

[1] While smoking jackets declined in popularity from the 1950s, a minority of wearers still persisted; Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner was a notable example.

A smoking jacket in burgundy with the typical shawl collar , frog fastening and turn-up cuffs . From the 1944 film Gaslight .
James FitzGerald (1818–1896) wearing a smoking jacket in 1868.
A smoking jacket from the 1860s exhibitioned at the Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York City , United States .
A silk smoking suit with shawl collar and gold facings from 1912.
A gentleman in a smoking jacket smoking a cigarette (1930)