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And I’d bring back formal dress for the inauguration, striped pants and claw-hammer coats with top hats.

Reagan wore a morning coat for his inauguration.

A certain dignity is associated with such good taste. I think our culture has let the dignity of the individual slip - there's way to much cynicism and not enough grace these days.

BTW, how can you tell Reagan was wearing a "morning coat"? I've never heard of a "morning coat". What is it?

BTW, how can you tell Reagan was wearing a "morning coat"? I've never heard of a "morning coat". What is it?

I can tell because I remember it being reported when he was inaugurated. Sorry I couldn't get a better photo.

Here is the Wikipedia info on the moring coat:

Morning coat

A morning coat is a single-breasted coat, with the front parts usually meeting at one button in the middle, and curving away gradually into a pair of tails behind, topped by two ornamental buttons on the waist seam. The lapels are usually pointed (American English peak), not step (notch), since the coat is now only worn as formalwear. When it was first introduced, the step lapel was common, since it was worn as half dress. The coat can be grey or black as part of morning dress, and is usually worn with striped, or very occasionally checked, trousers.

The morning coat may also be worn as part of a morning suit, which is mid-grey with matching trousers and waistcoat.

The modern morning coat (or cutaway in American English) is a man's coat worn as the principal item in morning dress. The name derives from morning nineteenth century horseback riding exercise for gentlemen. It was regarded as an informal form of half dress. Gradually it became acceptable as an alternative to the frock coat for formal day wear or full dress. Since the nineteenth century it is normally only seen at weddings, at formal baptisms, and in England, at races such as Royal Ascot and the Derby where it is worn with a contrasting waistcoat, usually light grey or sometimes 'fancy'. It is very occasionally seen at funerals but more often it is used as day wear at formal luncheons, especially civic occasions under formal gowns, when worn with a black matching waistcoat (or 'vest'). Male members of the cabinet of Japan wear it in their first public appearance following the formation of the cabinet.

The Marshal and Clerk of the United States Supreme Court wear morning coats when the justices are appearing in public wearing their traditional robes, for example when the court is in session, or when attending the President's State of the Union address. At one time all attorneys appearing before the court wore morning coats but they now wear standard business attire. The United States Solicitor General (when the office is held by a male) and his or her male deputies continue the tradition of wearing morning dress when arguing before the court.[3]

During the Victorian and Edwardian era, in America morning coat referred to a single-breasted frock coat, so the British then made fun of the fact that Americans were unable to distinguish between morning coats and frock coats. In modern American English, morning coats are referred to as cutaway coats.

“BTW, how can you tell Reagan was wearing a “morning coat”? I’ve never heard of a “morning coat”. What is it?”

A morning coat also known as a “cutaway” is a style of tail coat that in modern times is now only worn at very formal functions during the daytime. It is usually worn as a part of formal “morning dress.” See...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_dress

What Reagan wore at his first inaugural was technically a “stroller” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroller_(style) not a morning coat. However it is also considered to be at least semi-formal as opposed to the simple suit and tie that has become the norm.