Dressing Up For The Nobel Prize Dinner

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NPR Science Correspondent Joe Palca observing the Nobel Committee niceties and etiquette. NPR hide caption

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NPR

NPR Science Correspondent Joe Palca observing the Nobel Committee niceties and etiquette.

NPR

And you can't just pull any old thing outta your closet. NPR Science Correspondent Joe Palca recently discovered that proper attire goes far beyond a prohibition on white shoes after Labor Day. He passed on the following dress code instructions he received:

For gentlemen who are at the Nobel Banquet in Stockholm, this means wearing a black tailcoat with silk facings, sharply cut away at the front, black trousers with two rows of braid down each leg, white stiff-fronted shirt, white stiff wing collar attached to the shirt with collar studs, white bowtie, white low-cut waistcoat, black dress socks and black formal shoes. Shirt studs and cufflinks should be silver or white. A white handkerchief is usually worn. Those who have been awarded state decorations usually wear them: miniature medals plus up to four breast stars, a narrow neck riband and a broad riband or sash.

One can purchase the proper threads at Hans Allde a men's outfitter/tailor in Stockholm, Sweden where many of the male Nobel attendees are fitted for and rent or purchase their attire for the Nobel festivities. Women's rules are less onerous, although we'd probably all love to see the good, the bad and the um, different.

For ladies, being a guest at the Nobel Banquet in Stockholm, the choice of evening gowns is endless. There are no restrictions to color and design, or even taste, and there is no dress code police who goes around reprimanding the guilty, although one might feel a need occasionally. Accessories nicely round up the perfectly chosen gown: purse or handbag, jewelry, and a pair of elegant shoes. Some wear long gloves and shawl, which are optional.