The London Lounge

Eugenio Montale wrote:Happiness, for you we walk on a knife edge. To the eyes you are a flickering light, to the feet, thin ice that cracks; and so may no one touch you who loves you.

1950, Wimbledon Common Pond - people ice skating and playing ice hockey (image HERE)

Thanks, Frederic.

My pleasure, Oliver. I just noticed the interesting waistband of the trousers of the man on the foreground on the right hand side of the image, holding his bike.

Frederic Leighton wrote:My pleasure, Oliver. I just noticed the interesting waistband of the trousers of the man on the foreground on the right hand side of the image, holding his bike.

You'll easily obtain the same if you wish from an Army surplus store - he's wearing WW2 issue battle dress.

Thank you, Russell! I was sure about the coat, but the trousers - which appear to be striped to me - left me wondering. Also, nice socks

Frederic and Russell,

the waistband belongs to the jacket not the trousers, and the trousers are chalk-striped suit trousers (civvies), not battle dress.

workwear dandy wrote:Frederic and Russell,

the waistband belongs to the jacket not the trousers, and the trousers are chalk-striped suit trousers (civvies), not battle dress.

You may be right as admittedly the trousers do look appear to have faint vertical lines but then again so does some of the clothing of other people who are unlikely to be wearing chalk or pin stripes so it could be a printing effect. I’d need some convincing that he’s risking his office kit on a bike without a chain guard (I speak from experience ).

That gentleman aside, it would have been interesting to have seen the colours (or lack of them) in a 1950’s London winter.

workwear dandy wrote:[..] the waistband belongs to the jacket not the trousers, and the trousers are chalk-striped suit trousers (civvies), not battle dress.

Thanks Workwear Dandy. The waistband, though, seems to be striped to me..

Russell,

mix n match odd trousers / old suit trousers with sports jackets or short military jackets would have been commonplace in Britain in the post war years.
not sure why you think it unlikely that anyone would be wearing pin/chalk stripes on a day like that. there's one guy (with leather strap over shoulder) who clearly is.

Frederic,

i think the stripes on the jacket waistband are simply creases.

workwear dandy wrote:Russell,

mix n match odd trousers / old suit trousers with sports jackets or short military jackets would have been commonplace in Britain in the post war years.
not sure why you think it unlikely that anyone would be wearing pin/chalk stripes on a day like that. there's one guy (with leather strap over shoulder) who clearly is.

You may well be correct but I didn’t actually write that it was ‘unlikely that anyone would be wearing chalk or pinstripes’ – I wrote that similar faint vertical lines appear on some people who are unlikely to be wearing chalk/pin stripes - (such as on the shoulders of the boy in the blazer; the back of the lady with the pleated skirt). They can also be seen on the trousers of the man in the light grey suit to the right of the chap in distinct chalk/pinstripes.

As you quite rightly say it wasn’t uncommon for people to mix & match fairly diverse garments but I wonder if someone is likely to cycle on an exposed chain bike wearing their business trousers 'bagged' in such a way.

In any event, I think the little lad (left of centre) wearing an eared balaclava & his dad’s sawn off trousers is great. He may have gone bespoke for the trousers of course - to an 'off the row' tailor ).

Russell, the light suit looks like grey flannel with subtle off-white chalk-stripes (common enough). the lady and boy are probably sporting some sort of
subtle window-pane. i'm afraid i don't see any stripes in the image that appear to be 'noise'... the only noise is film grain. i still insist the guy with the bike is wearing striped civilian trousers.

vancehn,

if that's the waistband of the trousers, then you're proposing that the jacket -which has it's own waistband - is neatly tucked into those trousers ?
(google WW2 British battledress jacket to see how thick the waistband of that jacket is).

also, where are the belt loops or brace buttons of the trousers if that is the 'waistband' ?

Frederic you've opened a can of worms with this nice photo !

workwear dandy wrote:vancehn,

if that's the waistband of the trousers, then you're proposing that the jacket -which has it's own waistband - is neatly tucked into those trousers ?
(google WW2 British battledress jacket to see how thick the waistband of that jacket is).

also, where are the belt loops or brace buttons of the trousers if that is the 'waistband' ?

Frederic you've opened a can of worms with this nice photo !

I admit I'm not too certain now, but it looks very much the trousers one could buy in army dumps in the Netherlands way back then, where conscripts attire looked awefully much like this. If you bought those trousers (and stangeley enough a lot of bricklayers did) cause it helped your back in lifting. As a youngster (then) your only purpose was to rebel.....