VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

One of Our Favorites from Sears

I sold this suit two years ago, but it is in our “short list” of favorites. It was (is) a metallic suit from the late 60s. Although it is from the tail end of the decade, it has major mod sensibilities with its Italian cut and slim collar placement that we would place just a couple years earlier.

Tailor tags can be very important in dating menswear, especially because the classic suit doesn’t change as rapidly as ladieswear and is sometimes harder to pinpoint in less than a 5 year period even if one is very knowledgeable. Of course, there are “of the season” cutting edge looks available for the fashion forward, but for the average man, a suit is an investment piece. They want to be stylish, but they don’t want to look dated the next year, especially if their employment or social outings do not require a suit for daily wear.

This particular suit came from Sears. The tag is not specifically a tailors tag of a custom suit, but the date the suit was altered for the original buyer. Unlike high fashion magazines that show what the designers introduced each year, the Sears catalog was a very good record of what the average person was actually wearing that year, just like the paint colors represented what was actually in the average homes of America. It may not be nearly as exciting as haute couture, but is invaluable for historians, re-enactors, vintage lovers, and costumers alike.
In the fall of 1968, the year of this suit, though the Brits had moved onto more fluid lines, American Mod was still showing an influence on American fashion and was interpreted in a little more of a relaxed fashion.
At the tail end of the 60s, because of the new synthetics, shades that could never be achieved before were everywhere. I have seen quite a few menswear in the jewel tone blues, greens, and teals during this time period in many eye tricking fabrics and hues that begged the question “Is that blue or is that green? Greenish Blue?”. I have often needed a second or third opinion myself!
Having a specific date always makes me wonder if the date had been around a special occasion. I always imagined with the suit being tailored in proximity to Halloween, that perhaps someone bought it who went to an alternate event. They might have gone to a performance at a concert hall instead of a costume party that night. Or maybe it was just a coincidence, just another day.

April’s Worst Shirts: Maybe Not THAT Bad

The New York Magazine fashion blog, The Cut, opined on the best and worst fashion editorials for April 2010.  On the “Loser” list were these selections from the April issue of Details

Worst Men’s Shirts – Details

There is maybe one acceptable shirt in these two pages, and that is the white one in the top left that is barely visible. The girl in the yellow dress with her hands in her ears screaming “LA LA LA LA LA” has the right idea.

Do we agree?  No and Yes.  Fashion is sometimes about the appropriateness for the application and how confidently one can pull it off.  Fashion is surely the ability to identify what is best suited to one’s frame and personality and come up with a look where the person and not an overbearing shirt or hat is what is the first thing noticed.  However, sometimes we are in danger at scoffing at creativity.  “Creative” dressing is snidely and condescendingly relegated to someone who is an “artsy” type and it is assumed one is referring to baggy and unkempt.

While the delivery may not be what the editor of this “worst” gallery would like to see, the man on the right is sporting a look that could easily be pulled together using vintage clothing elements as long as it was worn with confidence.  The shirt pattern and color combination may be too casual for the suiting material and boutonniere hole by traditional views or tried and true styling rules. However, it seems that the editor is objecting to the shirt rather than the suit.  To me, the shirt is what is setting the tone here and my eye instantly goes to wanting to alter some details of the jacket to make it work a little better. There is nothing innately wrong with that shirt for the right gent if one can carry it off.  In trying to aspire to this look, pair a vintage shirt with a jacket of a different era, otherwise you will look like you are playing “dressup.”  If you are a 20 year old hipster, you may get away with it, of course.

If you are looking for a patterned shirt to try the first look in your own way…here are three worthy candidates from three different decades going with a cooler color palette. Hawaiian shirts purposely omitted, as that throws things into a whole atmosphere.

Left to right: “Jailbird” 50s striped shirt from FastEddiesRetroRags, Polyester oxford on Etsy from stephaniegeisler, 1960s Atomic shirt from DressThatMan.com

However, the gents in the upper left don’t fare as well, individually, unless they were aspiring mimes.  In numbers, however, it appears that this is some sort of “happening,” or they a part of a deliberate group. I am not sure what the “group” is set out to do. I most likely would steer clear of the whole bunch. While the shirts may not be as noxious paired with jeans, the ties are what influences me to believe someone put this together to be ironic.   Oddly enough, I looked again and there are only two striped shirts here, and two ties, but not both on striped shirts.  I suppose my feelings about the shirts just made me believe there were more of them out there.

Robert Talbott: A Brief Bio

Robert Talbott was founded by Robert and Audrey Talbott in the 1950s. Audrey, prior to her marriage to Robert, was a clothing buyer. As a hobby, she created bowties for Robert and his friends. With her skill and Robert’s dream to manufacture a true quality product, Robert Talbott the company was born. By 1955, the business was a success and they were traveling the world for silk.

In 1958, the first Robert Talbott store opened in Carmel, New York with a second opening in Pebble Beach in 1968. 24 years later, in 1992, a Madison Avenue showcase store was opened. Dress shirts were added to the Robert Talbott line in 1990, which had been exclusively ties up until this point. Casual shirts and outerwear followed.

Today, Audrey Talbott has shifted her focus to high quality ladieswear and her eponymous line is featured at many boutiques throughout the country.

A woven SILK tie…square bottomed and skinny. Robert Talbott for Jacobson’s from the 80s…

This bio that I wrote appears in the Vintage Fashion Guild label resource. If you are a trivia junkie or a fashion lover, you should check it out.

How Skinny Can You Go?

These hot red and black vintage ties were on  sale in the “Fit for a Vintage Gent” section of InColdStorage.Etsy.com in honor of this blog.  They have long since sold, but they are still worth mentioning. One is a standard width at 2 1/2″, is textured silk that was sold at Marsh’s.  The other is a black skinny tie at only 1 3/4″ wide with fluer de lys.  It was made by Pilgrim.

One could definitely take these two ties on a trip where the ability to be a clothes horse is limited.  One could stretch your wardrobe without having to bring an additional suit, as the two go with the same color palettes, yet differe in width and look to make one look like they are wearing a whole different outfit.  The condition is impeccable, and they would be equally suited for the collector, or for someone who just wants to look good.

It made me think of how skinny ties have been as far as mainstream fashion goes.  Does a bolo count?  If not, to me, 2″ seems to be the thinnest.  What’s the thinnest that you have seen?

Polka Dot Tie…Oh Man Oh Man

When I saw this tie from Arrow, that darn song kept running through my head. Make it stop! All of the “vintage” films of this song don’t seem to work, so here is a more recent performance of Dodie Stevens singing the song that can’t get out of my head. Now it is in yours. Ha Ha

If you would like to sing along:

Now I’ve got a guy and his name is Dooley
He’s my guy and I love him truly
He’s not good lookin’, heaven knows
But I’m wild about his crazy clothes

He wears tan shoes with pink shoelaces
A polka dot vest and man, oh, man
Tan shoes with pink shoelaces
And a big Panama with a purple hat band

Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh

He takes me deep-sea fishing in a submarine
We got to drive-in movies in a limousine
He’s got a whirly-birdy and a 12-foot yacht
Ah, but thats-a not all he’s got

He’s got tan shoes with pink shoelaces
A polka dot vest and man, oh, man
Tan shoes with pink shoelaces
And a big Panama with a purple hat band

Now Dooley had a feelin’ we were goin’ to war
So he went out and enlisted in a fightin’ corps
But he landed in the brig for raisin’ such a storm
When they tried to put ‘em in a uniform

He wanted tan shoes with pink shoelaces
A polka dot vest and man, oh, man
He wanted tan shoes with pink shoelaces
And a big Panama with a purple hat band

Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh

Now one day Dooley started feelin’ sick
And he decided that he better make his will out quick
He said
“Just before the angels come to carry me
I want it down in writin’ how to bury me.”

A’wearin tan shoes with pink shoelaces
A polka dot vest and man, oh, man
Give me tan shoes with pink shoelaces
And a big Panama with a purple hat band

Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh

And a big Panama with a purple hat band!!

A Golf Tie That is Actually Classy

Golf ties, and Christmas ties for that matter, sometimes make me cringe just thinking about them.  They are often cheaply made, brash, and embarrassing for some to wear.  Here is one that breaks the rules.   There is a golf tie offered on Etsy for a limited time.  How long is limited, you might ask? Until it sells. It is available for the bargain basement steal of $8.99, which includes shipping. How can you beat that?

This tie is of the square bottom, skinny variety from the 1960s.  It is considered a novelty print, as it is not an “all over” print, but depicts a theme or a scene.  It features a print on cotton of a golfing scene. Colors are primarily green and brown.  Condition is listed as excellent, with no apparent flaws.

To check it out, or to snap it up and get it in your hot little hands before anyone else, CLICK HERE.

Sizing Notes for 70s menswear

It might be very tempting to occasionally trade in your double breasted suit, and with 70s elements always seeming to pop up everywhere in fashion, you are probably tempted to try it.  But for you, a modern imitation will not do, you want the real thing. There are a few tips to consider when shopping for 1970s wear online or in a shop

• Do not be surprised if a size on all platform shoes are not printed inside. Usually they are, but occasionally the ink has faded with time or it wasn’t there to begin with.  Always try them on. If you cannot, and are shopping online, follow the lead of the ladies. Gals are more accustomed to measuring the inside of a similar pair of shoes of a similar pair and choosing “new to you” shoes that way. Look at what the platform shoe essential is at the basic level. Is it a loafer, a sandal, a boot, or and measure comparable shoes accordingly.

• The arm holes on most trendy blazers and suit coats were cut higher and smaller than modern suit coats. If you have a slim build, you may find that 70s jackets may flatter you well.  If you don’t, or broad shoulders, you may want to see if the next size up fits you better.  Remember, though, that the fit in many things is supposed to be slim and your size regular size may indeed fit. You just have to get used to the cut.   Most clothing was not made to be baggy with miles of “ease” room.

• Not everything was poly.   Polyester was a big staple of the 70s, but if you have an aversion to it, there are plenty of other choices.   Wool and other classic fabrics were still used in abundance.   The idea that people have is that if it was wool in the 1970s, it must be boxy and plaid.   Some of the other popular cuts were actually available in wool.

Dress That Man is a site that I had stumbled by quite some time ago, and can’t believe I have yet to mention in the “Daily.” The 1970s are alive and well and expressed in fashion at the site. Hipsters, Rockers, and Halloween party attenders alike can find something to love. Browse the aisles and try on a pair of sky high platform shoes or a shirt.  Of course, you can’t really “try them on,” you have to know your size.

New! Fit for a VintageGent: Golf Tie

Now, at InColdStorage at Etsy, there is a section named after this blog of items from the collection that are things I would select.   Look for the section “Picks for a VintageGent” and you will see one or two items at a time that may be something that you are interested in snapping up.   That’s right, for now there will be one or two items and when they are gone, they are gone.   They may sell, or they may just switch them out to keep you on your toes, and we’ll see how fast they go.

Of course, you might want to look at the other items in the shop, such as handbags, kitchenware, and books which are all great too.   Now, however, it will be like your own personalVintageGent or VintageGent-ette selecting items for you that you may just have to have, or at least are a little bit unique.

The inaugaral item is a nifty square bottom tie from the 60s with a golfing theme.  Where is the rule that golf themed ties have to have Mickey Mouse on them or be polyester?  Well, not in this case.  This one, I think would be great for even someone who does not care to golf.  The graphics are just so cool and a definite “throwback.”

The price is $9.00, with shipping just a little bit more, or buy another item in the store and combine shipping.

Why Vintage? Reason #2

A frustrated teen wrote to Dear Abby and  speaks about her neighbor that gives her old clothing. Abby educates her about vintage. Imagine that!

Dear Abby: I go to church with a woman who is generous and means well, but she likes to give away her old hand-me-down clothing. Recently she gave me two old dresses that fit me, but I wouldn’t be caught dead in. I’m 15, and she doesn’t understand that.

I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so when she asked if they fit and if I liked them, I told her they did and they were pretty.

My mom is planning to donate the dresses to charity. But now the woman is saying she wants to give me more of her old dresses. I don’t know how to handle this. — Secondhand Teen

Click here and scroll down to see what Abby advuses for the “Secondhand Teen”!

Maybe the Secondhand Teen would stumble across our prior article: “Why Vintage. Reason #1: Originality”

We attended a party where the attire was semi-formal and three ladies showed up wearing the exact same dress! Luckily they had a good sense of humor about it. There was only really one or two stores to go to for formal dresses and they both evidentally lived near the same one.

And that also brings us to Reason #2: Vintage is Environmentally Friendly.

When you purchase a piece of vintage clothing or are gifted it from a relative, you are doing your part to recycle. It is giving an additional and new life to an item once, twice, three times or more.

Choosing vintage keeps the items out of the landfills. Some vintage is made of more natural or sustainable materials such as cotton and wool. However, over the years many synthetics were invented that have fallen out of favor due to taste, safety in manufacturing, or the invention of something better. Many won’t possibly decompose in the next few hundred years.

Also, by taking a piece of clothing that is languishing in the cellar, you are preventing it from falling prey to mold and creating a biohazard. In that case, it may not be able to be salvaged or can create medical issues.

Talking Ties

I have been reading Burl Veneer’s Tie Blog for a few years near. He reports that his tie wearing has decreased, but still gives us the scoop when he does.

As I went out exploring, I found that there are quite a few gentlemen who chronicle their tie choices for the day.

Michael, on Knot a Blog has an ongoing chronicle as well. In his most recent post, he discusses Lenten Ties. I have never really thought of ties in connection to Lent, except, of course, in the sense that perhaps people are a bit dresser for the season while attending church. He brings up a whole new concept of “Tie Deprivation” as something to offer up for Lent, or at least for Ash Wednesday. He doesn’t give up ties, just goes for a tie that is much more dour and less expressive. In otherwords, perhaps a solid or basic red and blue stripe that surely is in every man’s closet.

In the meantime, Will Stuivenga, librarian, musician, and vintage tie aficionado is celebrating the 100th tie to grace his blog.

The Great Coat and Tie Experiment was born from rebellion. Because everyone was going casual, this software engineer rebelled by donning a coat and tie. The blog doesn’t seem to have been updated since ths summer, so I wonder of the rest of his colleagues followed his trend, and therefore he has gone back to casual attire.

When wanting to know what’s new or what’s old but has stood the test in time in ties, don’t wait for a fashion editor to tell you. Look around at what other men who are not in the fashion business but take their ties seriously have chosen to get hear the “word on the street.”

Do you or someone you know keep a fashion diary online? Comment and tell me about it!

Until next time,

1947: Creepy Bathing Suit

Tommy Goodwin, well known in golfing circles, here wears the wrap-around handkerchief suit. This probably will not become a broadly accepted type of swim trink, but it does in its way typify the Nassau idea

- Fairchild’s Mens Wear, March 7, 1947

Creepy wasn’t owned and patented by the 1970s, though the 70s definitely must have had the “creepy moustache” trademarked.  There were plenty of fashions in eras that were supposed to be considered “the time of the classic and timeless attire” that had its own corner on the “what were you thinking factor. The Speedo may have been the 70s answer to the creepy bathing suit that few really should have a license to wear. The 1940s had the wrap front trunk.

Although the trade publication above doubted that it would catch on, it seemed notable enough to include in a special Southern Resort Wear Issue.  It may be an exciting and sought after fashion footnote to collectors, but a sigh of relief to the general public that it didn’t catch fire.  In fact, I have never found another reference on the internet or in a book so far for it.  I am sure once this is published, I’ll find out that there are 42 books written about it.

Tommy Goodwin was referred to “Suntanned Tommy Goodwin” in a 1949 New York Times article, and perhaps the nom de vis was an explanation of his mental state.  Perhaps too much Bahamian sun caused him to have heat stroke and influenced his swimwear decisions in years prior.  He had actually spent much of his time in Nassau by then.

So, the next time you look down your nose, thinking the 40s were the epitome of style, manners, and grace, and the 70s was a sleazy time of tacky swimwear and bad hair, remember the wrap front swim trunk.

Until next time,