The short answer: The Mayfair Shawl Lapel Velvet Dinner Jacket (£169.00) is a single-button velvet dinner jacket with a contrast black satin shawl lapel and jetted pockets. It comes in Burgundy and Navy, in sizes S–XXL, in a slim tailored cut — if you prefer room for a knit underneath, the product record advises sizing up.
WARDLEY London is our own store — prices and product facts below are taken from our own listings.
What is a velvet dinner jacket?
A dinner jacket is the tailored jacket worn for black tie and evening dress, and a velvet one uses a pile fabric instead of a smooth cloth. The Mayfair keeps the formal outline — a shawl lapel, a single-button front and jetted pockets — in velvet, with the lapel picked out in black satin. It is a party and evening jacket, not a daytime blazer.
How we chose these: the velvet jackets below are compared on price, sizes offered and the fit exactly as stated on each product's record — from our own product data. The Mayfair is the only one of the four whose record publishes garment measurements and a colour choice, so it is the worked example in full.
How does the Mayfair dinner jacket fit?
It is a slim fit, cut close through the body. The record's own advice is plain: if you prefer room for a knit underneath, size up. Garment measurements are published in full, so the check takes a minute:
| UK size | Chest (cm) | Length (cm) | Sleeve (cm) | Shoulder (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 100 | 71 | 62 | 45 |
| M | 104 | 73 | 64 | 46 |
| L | 108 | 75 | 65 | 48 |
| XL | 112 | 77 | 66 | 49 |
| XXL | 116 | 78 | 67 | 50 |
These are flat garment measurements as supplied, with the chest doubled; allow 1–2 cm tolerance. Best for a closer evening fit: your usual size. Best for wearing over a roll neck or knit: one size up, as the record advises.
What colours does the Mayfair come in?
Burgundy and Navy — two colours, five sizes (S–XXL), at £169.00, with the black satin shawl lapel on both. Burgundy is the warmer party colour; Navy is the quieter one, and the record's styling routes below are built around that difference.
How do you wear a velvet dinner jacket?
The record gives two routes. Best for black tie: Burgundy with a white shirt and a black bow tie — the satin shawl lapel carries the formal part. Best for a modern take: Navy over a black roll neck with black trousers, no tie. For the trouser half of either route, the Opera Satin Stripe Dinner Trousers (£59.00) are the store's dinner trouser: slim, black, flat-front, with a tonal satin stripe down each leg, in waist sizes W30–W38.
Can you wear it without a tie?
Yes — that is one of the questions the product record itself answers. Over a roll neck it works as smart-casual; with a white shirt and bow tie it reads as black tie. The jacket does not change between the two — what sits under it does.
What is the fabric, exactly?
The record lists the fabric simply as velvet, with a black satin shawl lapel, and publishes no fibre-percentage breakdown — so none is claimed here. The details that are published are the construction ones: a single-button front, jetted pockets and a slim, tailored cut.
How does the Mayfair compare with the other WARDLEY velvet jackets?
| Product | Price | Sizes | Fit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfair Shawl Lapel Velvet Dinner Jacket | £169.00 | S–XXL | Slim fit | A shawl-lapel dinner jacket with measurements and colours published |
| Lechlade Slim Velvet Blazer | £199.00 | S–XXL | Tailored fit | A velvet blazer rather than a dinner jacket |
| Marlow Velvet Tuxedo Jacket | £199.00 | S–XXL | Tailored fit | The tuxedo-jacket form in velvet |
| Cookham Slim Velvet Dinner Jacket | £199.00 | S–XXL | Tailored fit | Another slim dinner jacket, at £199.00 |
The short version: choose the Mayfair (£169.00) when you want the shawl lapel, a choice of Burgundy or Navy, and published measurements to check the fit against. The other three are tailored-fit velvet jackets at £199.00, each in S–XXL.
Frequently asked questions
Should I size up in the Mayfair?
Only if you prefer room for a knit underneath — then the record advises one size up, because the cut is slim. Otherwise take your usual size and check it against the measurements table above.
Can I wear the Mayfair without a tie?
Yes. Over a black roll neck with black trousers it works as smart-casual; with a white shirt and a black bow tie it is the black-tie route.
What colours and sizes are available?
Burgundy and Navy, in S, M, L, XL and XXL — ten variants, all at £169.00.
Is a fibre breakdown published for the velvet?
No. The product record lists the fabric as velvet and publishes no percentage breakdown, so this page does not invent one.
How long does delivery take?
Free tracked UK delivery: dispatch 1–2 working days, delivery 3–5 working days from order. For a party date, order ahead of the week of the event, not in it.
More in the same spirit: our guides to Christmas party outfits for men and black tie for men.
All WARDLEY orders come with free tracked UK delivery: dispatch 1–2 working days, delivery 3–5 working days, with 30-day returns on unworn items.
