It's hard to believe that it has been nearly three decades since the release of Richard Curtis's film Four Weddings and a Funeral. The Mike Newell-directed flick was filmed in just six weeks on a budget of under £3 million, and went on to gross $246 million! A feel-good film like no other, it follows the romantic adventures of Charles (played by Hugh Grant) and his eclectic circle of friends as each one finds him- and herself struck by Cupid's arrow in some shape or form. Andie MacDowell stars as Charles's love interest Carrie, with Kristin Scott Thomas, James Fleet, Simon Callow, John Hannah, Charlotte Coleman, David Bower, Corin Redgrave, and Rowan Atkinson in supporting roles.
The inspiration for the film is almost as hilarious as the film. It came from screenwriter Richard Curtis's very own experiences as a wedding attendee. Curtis had worked out that he had attended some 65 weddings over an 11-year period, and at one particular wedding he found himself being propositioned to by a fellow guest! As it happens, he turned her down and regretted it forever after (a situation he applied to the story of Charles and Carrie).
Ivory Davenport Silk |
Victoria Sky Silk Linen |
Cream Belvoir Cotton |
Why are we writing about Four Weddings and a Funeral some 28 years after the fact? Well, Favourbrook was in its infancy at the time, producing waistcoats and quite esoteric waistcoats at that. As a company, we were finding our feet in the wedding market. As soon as the movie was released, the trend in hand-painted waistcoats blew up, at which point we started selling them like hot cakes. All of a sudden Favourbrook was piggybacking on one of the biggest and most popular films of the 90s! Serendipitous yes, but you make your own luck and we haven't looked back since!
Sky Belvoir Cotton |
Rose Davenport Silk |
Red Winnington Silk |
It's fair to say that we no longer produce hand-painted waistcoats of the style that Simon Callow is wearing in the film. The 90s were most certainly a different era! But the fact remains that one's waistcoat is truly the only way to express one's personality in morning dress, so if eccentricity is to be displayed then let the waistcoat do the displaying! More muted styles are of course more popular these days, with soft pastel tones in linen, wool and silk being excellent choices for modern weddings, but waistcoats featuring ornate patterns and geometric styles can also be perfectly sophisticated.
There's no better way to understand the type of waistcoat you prefer than to come into our waistcoat store in the Piccadilly Arcade, or to our flagship store on Pall Mall and try them on for yourself with a morning coat.
