nona50

I am treating my son to tea at the London Ritz for his birthday but it is at the beginning of a 3 week vacation and he, understandably, does not want to haul a dress coat along for that one occasion.
Does anyone know if the Ritz would provide a "loaner"?

nona1

I know they keep ties in stock as Mr N stubbornly refused to wear one when we went (I did tell him) and he got dragged off upstairs 'to change'. He did have a jacket though, so I'm not sure if they supply those or not.
Best give them a call or send them an email to check really, rather than relying on us.

AnthonyGA

You're paying them, not the other way around; why do you let them dictate to you what you must wear for the privilege of paying them?

No wonder the Ritz has been having problems.

Padraig

Anthony wrote "You're paying them, not the other way around; why do you let them dictate to you what you must wear for the privilege of paying them?"

Part of what you pay is a premium price to keep out the riff-raff -- you know, those people who do not have nice jackets. It works: I don't go there. Providing jackets on loan would undermine their policy.

Nona, consider this: your son seems not to be given to formality. Is it really a treat for *him* to have tea at the Ritz?

ira

HI N,

>he, understandably, does not want to haul a dress coat along for that one occasion.

I don't understand.

A sports jacket is not a "dress coat".

I agree with P, is this a treat for your son, or do you want an escort when you have tea at the Ritz?

If the latter, Son needs a jacket and a tie.

Christina

Maybe the Ritz wants some standards to be held for the general ambience of the place, and the experience of other guests. I don't know, as the whole idea of tea at the Ritz for a guy who won't wear a jacket sounds like a bad idea. The whole idea of that entire tea ritual thing is something I don't care for (I don't like tea itself that much, but it's not the drink per se, but what people are referring to when they talk about tea on vacation at a fancy place).

Is this something your son is really dying to have for his birthday, or is it something you want?

ComfyShoes

I have used loaners from Ritz in couple different cities. Chances are the answer is an almost certain yes. Still, why not just send a mail and confirm it.

Nothing wrong with drinking tea in Ritz, specially of all places, in London! Have some stock answers ready when you are asked "Would you care for some tea" (here is how I would answer "No, I don't. I merely want to drink it&quot and have some fun AFTER you have borrowed their jacket.

Cimbrone

This is the first time I have heard of someone actually making plans to use a "loaner" jacket or tie. I think of it as something that is embarrassingly foisted upon those who are somehow unaware of the dress code. I certainly would not particularly enjoy having my experience start by being told, in not so many words, that I don't know how to dress.

If he wants to go to tea at the Ritz, he should bring a jacket and tie. Appropriateness is something I'd want to teach my son. Just my opinion.

Dukey

Ira, sounds like you would fit right in as the keeper out of riff-raff at the Ritz.

Nona, who <b>really</b> wants to have tea at the Ritz...you or the kiddo?

He has time to to the &quot;gentile&quot; stuff after he gets more bored with life..leave him alone.

Dukey

Sorry, that should have been &quot;genteel&quot; but you get my drift.

nona50

Thanks for all the input.
I did send the Ritz an e-mail inquiry.
In response to the other comments...
I gave my son some options for his b-day celebration and he is the one who wanted the Ritz. He celebrated his 17th birthday at the Jules Verne - so I was hoping to make his 21st special in a similar way. His grandmother is English and he has always loved her cream teas.
He is very aware of what is appropriate (good parenting, I'm sure!) but the space required to bring a sport coat - to use once- in his backpack or me adding it to what I will be schlepping on and off trains for 2 weeks is not appealing.
Besides - it is the Ritz so won't the coats be really, really nice ones ?

Cimbrone

It's nice to know he's looking forward to this experience. Personally, I'd rather buy a second hand jacket while in Paris for a few euros. If he's going to be there for three weeks, mightn't he--a young man who chooses to have tea at the Ritz--be likely to go to a church concert, out to a nice dinner, etc? Sorry, maybe it's just me, but I like to show up ready for an occasion and not have a staff member finish dressing me.

ira

&gt;Ira, sounds like you would fit right in as the keeper out of riff-raff at the Ritz.&lt;

That's why they have a doorman. dukey.

nytraveler

I too don't get this &quot;dress&quot; jacket business. Are they asking he wear a mornng coat with tails? A tuxedo? A white dinner jacket? A suit and tie?

No - just a jacket. Agree - if he won;t bother with a jacket - even just a blazer - I can;t imagine he would enjoy the whole experience.

janisj

A sports coat is a great thing to have on any trip to Europe. It can be dressed up w/ a collared shirt - or dressed down w/ a t-shirt and jeans. What was he planning to wear in the evenings elsewhere on the trip. A sports coat takes up no more luggage space than any other jacket.

Or he can go into a thrift shop or street market and buy a decent one very inexpensively. And then he'll have one for the rest of the trip and can toss it if he wants. If he wants to go to the Ritz he can wear grown up clothes.

Padraig

Janis, I will take it on myself to speak for the riff-raff. We are a poorly-organised rabble, so others might also speak.

I do not pack a suit for a leisure trip and I will usually not pack a sports jacket. I do not have a problem managing my holiday wardrobe, and I doubt if many would think that I do not wear &quot;grown-up clothes&quot;. I range between smart casual and casual casual, and I am comfortable.

You imply contempt for people who prefer informality. Tough.

janisj

Padraig: &quot;<i>You imply contempt for people who prefer informality. </i>&quot;

absolutely not! I didn't mention the &quot;riff raff&quot; thing. A casual trip is a wonderful thing. Hiking in Ireland or Scotland or whatever. But these folks are going to the Ritz for pete's sakes.

twk

A sport coat isn't something I like to just fold up and pack, tightly, in my limited luggage space on these kinds of trips. Nevertheless, I'm going to have to take one for my UK trip in June. Can't decide whether to pack it and suffer the wrinkles (no time to get it pressed before I will have to use it) or wear it on the flight (and with temperatures and humidity at IAH likely to be in the 90s, that will be one sweaty jacket by the time I get to London). It's a major pain in the butt, but sometimes one that can't be avoided.

Padraig

Janis, I am more likely to do my hiking on the boulevards of Paris or Budapest, and do not find myself in need of a sports jacket. In general, something like a parka is more useful because it has lots of pockets and hangs better when the pockets are filled -- and it presents a less clear target to the pickpockets that so many people here worry about.

barbarajo

To comfy shoes,is your idea of fun to be sarcastic? Also have some fun after you have their jacket? You sound like the silly tourist people try to avoid.If you cant go to a classy place and behave yourself, stay home and dont annoy others.