Pink Napkins

Do people still wear napkins/serviettes in their collars at restaurants?

Do men put the napkin on their laps in posh restaurants and tuck them when eating at a downtown dinner.

Public Comments

1. i haven't seen anybody put a napkin in their collar in a loooooong time. laps still happen though.
2. Surely everyone puts a napkin on their lap. If you go to a posh restaurant the waiter pulls out your seat and with a flourish offers your napkin to your lap. If you are eating spaghetti or lobster it is a good idea to tuck it around your neck.
3. Tucking a great big napkin in their collar is something men used to do a hundred years ago. You saw it in historical movies set in that era. Nowadays that's no longer considered polite. Diners of both sexes open out their napkins and place them in their laps. From time to time, if need be, they can dab food or drink off their lips with the napkin. At the end of the meal, they fold the napkin neatly but loosely, so that it's not mistaken for a new one, and place it to the left of their place. It's true that at lobster places and barbecue restaurants, diners are often offered plastic bibs to tie around their necks. This is because of the drippy sauces served there. Napkins can cause some problems. If your clothes are made of slippery material, or your legs slope downward, your napkin might fall off. It's OK to discreetly tuck it into your waistband, or into a fold you create in your clothing. Some napkins are made of paper, even in a fairly nice restaurant. The slightest breeze would waft them away. You can either tuck yours in as above, or keep it on the table and not use it until the end of the meal. (It's not polite to have a dirty napkin on the table during a meal.)