The London Lounge

start of section I of this Post

Here is the latest and long awaited installment of the AA series. Its been a while now since the last one and I took that time to go over a few things. In this post things are slight different from the posts of past two years. Form now on wards for the most part the focus will be on more “options” and variables of dress rather than “correctness” & other detailed intricacies that we all like to discuss in these threads. Reason being, its been two & half years since we started this series (2 years on this new forum) & most of the basic details and “rules” have been discussed in great detail. If you are reading this post it is assumed that you already are familiar with all the rules and regulations that govern (or used to) these fields of men’s apparel. If you see me cross referencing to other posts it is because all of this is heavily related and I like to make it a case for the newcomers to understand what has been discussed in the past. Plus, it is really not productive to repeat the same discussions over and over.

So, we move forward with other examples while remembering what we have discussed. This does NOT mean that there won’t be anything discussed about proper dressing in this post… quite the contrary… you will find at least two-three new concepts discussed in great detail that have been only hinted-at previously. If there is a need for something to be discussed, it will be-- may that be repetition or not But the genuine need has to be there. Mere theoretic discussions about these matters, no matter how poetic is more a less waste of time and energy (when more practical things can be discussed).

That said, I have included an entire section of semi-formal day wear. This is repetition to some extent as I discussed these matters about year & a half ago in detail. Here is the thing… 3 years ago when I posted a grainy Saalburg sketch of two gents in formal day wear (still rotates around here and else where) there was hardly a peep of response from readers. For the most part it went unnoticed. But in the past 6-8 months there have been a wave of formal day wear related posts on internet, more than past 3-4 years of discussion combined! Whether this new increase of interest is all theoretical… that is… limited to the confines of internet discussion… or it is actually is carried out in everyday life by readers is something I don’t know honestly. I am willing to give people a benefit of the doubt… but not much. Thereby I have decided to include a section of formal day wear –esp. semi formal day wear- in this article to comply with this recent serge of interest.

Since Easter is coming up soon consider this (section II) as an early Easter present from me to LL readers.

However, note that this discussion (in Section II) is only aimed to provide you with various options or alternatives NOT to discuss the proper wear / correctness “rules”. You should know all of that prior to reading that section & I have provided links to pervious post that go over that.

Section I is a short article covering the state of London haberdashery in between the world wars, section II is formal day wear, section III is illustrations and their discussion & finally section IV is a small neat article about Wardrobe Manners & its care. You can read that to see what was considered “proper” care of clothes back then as opposed to these days.

So let us get started.


In this post you will find many interesting examples of dressing, many examples that are (or were) really classic but have so long fell out of use that it seems like a bold statement to re-deploy them.


From winter 34-35

LONDON PORTFOLIO

A journey to the capital of the men’s fashion world ought to be in the itinerary of every men’s apparel merchant: take it now via this photographic chronicle.

Even if you were the proprietor of the oft-projected “ideal” men’s apparel store, you would still not necessarily be sitting on top of the world. A lot would depend on the city in which your ideal store was located. Therefore, to carry imagination to its logical conclusion, let us visualize the component elements that would go to make up the ideal city for the “ideal” men’s apparel store.

In the first place, the city should e a large one, not only because the potential number of customers is limited to the actual number of the residents, but also because certain types of formal and social activities are in frequent evidence only in large cities. Another factor is that outlaying sections of the city, devoted to facilities for sports activities of all kinds, should be readily accessible from the more densely built up business and metropolitan residential centers.

Let us now designate this hypothetical city as the national seat of government, with diplomatic functionaries contributing a certain color and formality which would be highly valuable from the stand- point of a men’s apparel store. Likewise, the presence of the government itself would demand the usual military bodies that would further add to the male population of this city.

This utopia would also constitute the financial district of the nation, with those large establishments which represent the headquarters of “big business” of both national and international scope. In fact, the city would be the center of industry of all kinds, except those which come under the classification of mills and heavy product plants.

Bringing it closer to home m our imagination, we can see a composite picture of New York, with its theatres and hotels, its museums and public buildings, and Washington, D. C., with its national capital and all that it encompasses. The details have not been filled in, but this, in a general way, sketches the main features of the “ideal” city.

By this time you have guessed that the conception of this hypothetical city, although generalized, is a bit too well defined to be altogether imaginary. As a matter of fact, while there is no such locality in the United States, the city we have been describing comes very close to being the counterpart of London, Eng- land. All the elements mentioned are to be found in London and are direct contributions to its prominence as a men’s apparel center.

Indirectly, the factors that have contributed to the pre-eminence of England as a source of supply for men’s apparel are many in number and have been part and parcel of the fashion position of London itself. There are ample reasons, not to mention a sound commercial basis, for the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the men’s apparel picture as it presents it- self in London. While no one expects to see that picture, or any major portion of it, reproduced in this country, nevertheless. American members of the men’s apparel fraternity have much that they can learn from their British cousins.

It is well to keep in mind that England’s present degree of leadership in the apparel arts and the fabrics that pertain to them is not something that suddenly sprang into existence. England’s most important industries and these go back through the long history of the empire are closely related to the weaving and knitting of textiles. Most of the great advances in the processing of fabrics have taken place with- in the confines of England and Scotland.

Hand in hand with the ability to produce a wide variety of fabrics is the desire and the occasion to wear them in a manner that is in keeping with good taste handed down for generations. Formality is the natural heritage of a country grown old with romantic and historic traditions that are perpetually re-enacted in accordance with the dictates of form and custom. The manifestations of this attribute are everywhere apparent in the activities and dress of the better class Englishman.

The Royal Family, on the male side, is a widely recognized pace-setting element in the world of fashion. It may be inferred that the members of the Royal Family are not altogether unaware of the commercial benefits received by the nation in general from their influence in the matter of dress.

The same prerogative that is a matter of course in military dress is followed out by the leadership in civilian affairs of the King, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York and other members- of the Royal Household. Naturally, there is no current edict as to what these personages will wear at any given function, so that they carefully follow the traditional dress, whether it be military or civil. Others :tending the same function are certain to be attired in keeping, basing their dress on what they know has long been in vogue.

Thus, the importance given to slight changes in costume on the part of these Royal fashion leaders is a natural result of the emphasis that has been placed upon traditional attire. The direct effect is always immediately apparent, since any change, whether slight or drastic, is soon reflected in the dress of other Englishmen.

Another factor which is dependent for its effectiveness upon the Royalty is the prestige accruing to some men’s apparel retailers through the possession of a “ “Royal Warrant.” Those who have been provided with this treasured document are empowered to state that they are furnishers of this or that commodity to Royalty “by appointment.” Needless to say, the direct value of the “Royal Warrant” is considerable. Not only does it place the merchant in a position to state to his customers that his establishment is of sufficient standing to warrant royal patronage but, in the case of the apparel dealers, they are able to produce for others the identical details of dress that are being worn by Royalty.

To be sure, the members of the Royal Family are not the only ones who con- tribute to the fashion pre-eminence of London. The existence of a leisured class is in itself a vitally important element. For every handful of individuals in this country who enjoy true leisure, there are thousands in England, both in and out of the-aristocracy, who have time to indulge in every form of recreation, sport and social intercourse. The inevitable result, of course, is that they require a wide variety of apparel and, more than that, maintain the sartorial standards of the nation by reason of the fact that’ they have ample means, time and taste to de- vote to their apparel.

One factor which contributes strongly to England’s present position in the apparel world is in fact that the nation has always been a trading nation and everything is done to foster the development of the home textile industries. The producing of textiles, as a matter of fact, has long been a major industry. But more vital by far than any artificial stimulation are the natural advantages of England apotheosized in the city of London as a center of men’s apparel.

The Military

Even the British solider at least as personified on this page in the members of the King’s picked regiments—bears arms in advancing the standard of the London fashion cause. The first reason: the rigorous discipline these men undergo in the meticulous care of their uniforms seems to be carried over into the personal selection of their civilian clothes, with the result that on those occasions when they do not appear in military dress they represent one of the best dressed classes in the city. The second reason: with the exception of the members of the actual household regiments, the British soldier gets around to be an officer, in disseminating London fashions not only throughout England itself but to the far corners of the British Empire.

Ace of Social drawing cards: The London Season

Resembling in some respects a gigantic social world’s fair, except that it is a permanent attraction rather than a temporary one, the London Season holds forth sufficient magnetism in the way of events, activities and celebrities to draw each year not only the ”best people” of the nation but of the entire world. What the London Season does for apparel, in disseminating fashion ideas to all parts of the globe, may be readily understood.

The actual season, so-called, runs from late April through October. But the height of the season, during which some of the most important ceremonial and social events take place, occurs in the month of June. In this month, London is truly jammed, not merely with tourists and lookers-on but with the world’s foremost socialites.

Every hotel is crowded and the shops not the least of them being the men’s apparel stores do a roaring business. All forms of well-bred desires and fancies find an outlet during this period and it is during this time that the socially qualified are accorded the coveted privilege of a formal reception by the King and Queen.

The “June Calendar”

Eloquent evidence of the eventfulness of the busiest month of the London Season is the June Calendar which simply lists the most important event being held on each day of the month. The featured event for the first day of last June was the Amateur Golf Championship and the main public attraction on the last day was the Royal Air Force Display. In between were such minor “shows” as the Epsom Derby, the Wightman Cup Tournament and the Royal Ascot.

Meanwhile, every active form of sport reaches its apex .it this time. Golf, tennis and rowing championships are held and the horsey set have an opportunity of viewing the spectacle of the Derby at Epsom Downs, the Ascot and numerous other famous and semi-famous race meetings. The Richmond Royal Horse Show and the international horse show are the two high points of interest for those interested with the art of horse breeding. As for polo matches, they are held almost every other day, contributing not a little to the general atmosphere of action and activity.

In the interim, of course, the military is not idle. Its two main offerings on the altar of the London season are the trooping of the colors on the king’s birthday and the far-famed aldershot tattoo, both of which takes place during this season. Both Oxford and Cambridge are spots of great activity, what with their intramural crew races attracting the attention, and whenever possible the attendance, of every undergraduate and graduate .

Sports of the English: Four parts spectacle, Six parts tradition

It is a common belief, at least among Americans, that America is the foremost sporting nation in the world. And if you want to take sports pre-eminence to mean leadership as judged by championship titles and competitive records, then there need be little debate on this point. But when one thinks in terms of sport-minded- ness, rather than athletic proficiency, then the chances are that he will feel obliged to hand the palm to England.
Perhaps the chief reason for this attribute of this English is the fact that through the years sports have become more of a tradition with them than with any other people. Men attend the Oxford-Cambridge crew races not only because it is a great spectacle but also because it is a part of the tradition of the nation, in many cases ingrained in them during their undergraduate days at one of the two schools.

It is this flavoring of tradition which influences the apparel of the spectators at sports events and places them high in the ranks of fashion with respect to spectator sports wear. The Richmond Royal Horse Show, for instance, is always an excellent hunting ground for fashion scouts.

The focal point of English sports, as of almost everything else English, is of course London. This great metropolis, with its sports arenas easily accessible to the center of population, offers everything in the realm of sports. Here are golf tournaments, polo matches, the Derby and other fashions horse races, tennis tournaments, crew races, horse shows everything that at a sports-minded individual could possibly think of attending. And that sports-minded Londoners not only think of attending these events but actually do, in great numbers, is a factor that makes London prominent in any consideration of the subject of spectator and active sports fashions.

Through these portals pass the best dressed men in London

Nowhere else in the world are there as many fine-one might almost say superfine-men’s apparel shops as are to be found packed side by side in that section of London known as the West End. Here tailors crowd shirt- makers, shirt makers crowd hatters and hatters crowd boot makers but with the dignity of century-old establishments, rich in prestige.

And the men who patronize these shops are no less pre- eminent as wearers of clothing than are the shops them- selves as clothing purveyors. Through such storied streets as Old and New Bond, Conduit and Dover, pass men whose leadership in the world of fashion is second only to that of their most famous member, the Prince of Wales. Chief symbol of the prestige of the shops (listed below) is the fact that scarcely a one of them but possesses a Royal Warrant from the King, the Prince of Wales or some other member of British or Continental royalty. To be able to say that the Prince of Wales trades at your shop is to be able to say that you are in a position to purvey the exact clothes which he wears. And to Englishmen, as to Americans, that ‘is saying a great deal.

These shops, it need hardly be added, are not without their influence on the fashion picture in other countries. Prominent American socialites, taking part in the London Season, pick up many an article of apparel which they take back to the United States with them, wear at activities in Long Island or other fashion centers in this country and thus start on their long downward spiral through the channels of fashion dissemination.

There are, to be sure, a number of shops in London which are altogether comparable with our own modern men’s stores and men’s apparel sections in department stores. There is, in fact, a current tendency on the part of many members of the younger generation, whether through Jack of adequate funds or a feeling that modern is as modern does, to patronize these newer shops. Slow in development though that tendency seems to be, it may yet in its cumulative effect and in the course of many years sound the death knell of the old-established, tradition- bound shops of London’s West End.

But that eventuality is far off. The shops shown here, and others of their kind, still get the cream of the fine trade of Londoners and visitors to London. Each one still retains that special touch of personality which it manages to inject into the merchandise that it purveys and which no “upstart” modern merchant could ever succeed in copying, even if he tried.

Nor does the threat of competition, assuming that any of them sense it, drive the proprietors of these shops into a belated program of modernization. A few the exceptions that prove the rule are truly modern. But the remainder cling to their antiquity, their hoary fixtures, their time-tested formula of window display and their venerable store furnishings with an affection which is as permanent as the streets on which their shops stand.

At that, they possess something which it would be foolish to surrender. They possess by birthright that indefinable quality which some stores attempt to achieve through the use of period fixtures but can never attain in anywhere near the degree that is to be encountered where “the real thing” exists. Certainly, a shop like Tremlett’s on Conduit Street, the birthplace of the necktie which bears its name, has something which money cannot buy. And the same thing can be said for Maxwell’s, the famous boot- makers, or Izod’s, who specialize in fabulous furnishings.

No one can blame the proprietors of these establishments, then, for their reluctance to “modernize.” To change would be to lose something that only the years have been able to give them.

Here are the names of some of the esteemed shops that were often mentioned in pages of AA.

Anderson & Sheppard
Piccadilly arcade
Tremlett on conduit street
Maxwell on dover st
Hilditch & Key
Kilgour French on dover st
Turnbull & Asser
Hawes & Curtis
Tuczeck on Clifford st
Turnbul on Duke St
Lock on st. james
Herbert Johnson on bond st
Burlington arcade
Meyer & Mortimer on conduit st
Izod on conduit st
Huntsman on savile row
Morgon & Bull (Piccadilly shirt makers)
A. Sulka
Swaine Adeney & Brigg
Edward and Butler
Lords
Henry Poole on Savile Row

* One thing I would like to clarify is that this list is by no means exhaustive. These are the names that were often spotted on the pages of AA/Esky. There are other tailors that were also mentioned every now & then… most of them are listed in George Frazier’s historic article “The Art of Wearing Clothes”. You should read that also before doing any further reading. Below is a link to that article.

The Art of Wearing Clothes by George Frazier

This above is a phenomenal article & you should take from it as much as possible. More than 75% of the people that were mentioned in the article were a source of inspiration for these illustrations.

Edit for addition

Up to this point I have been extremely reluctant to discuss any "names" or "labels" in these posts mainly because they are of little help to what is explained here. You must find out (for your own sake) what works for you & more importantly why it works for you. If you only know what works but don't exacty know why then you will be at the mercy of those handful of ensembles that you know work for sure & your personal style will never evolve. So both of them are equally important & if you can't do that then shopping at men's warehouse or Knize makes little to no difference. Merely spending money at the above mentioned names isn't exactly going to make you stylish.

END OF SECTION I OF THIS ARTCILE

START OF SECTION II OF THIS POST

First presented in this section are two short articles from Spring of 35’ season. Then there are numerous illustrations to depict what is discussed in these articles.

From Spring 35’

Semi-Formal Attire

If formality in dress is here, can the trend toward semi-formal day wear be far behind?

Periods of Great social change are generally accompanied by revivals, as if in the process of transition people did not wish immediately to lose all contact with the past. The Italian Renaissance was, as the name itself implies, not only an era of sweeping social changes but a period during which progress in the arts was paralleled by a revival of interest in Greek and Roman culture. In a lesser way the repeal of prohibition, which for many observers stands as one of the symbols of this period of social change, brought with it a revival of pre-prohibition manners and dress.

The two decades before the dry years were essentially romantic in character. The gilded and glittering bars, the pretentious hand carvings on tables and walls, the crystalline chandeliers, the flounced and bustled women, the tail- coated men all belonged to that romantic past, and seemed to have no relation to the age of realism which immediately followed. Manners and dress then be- came simpler. Women discarded bustles. Hard bitten business men drove home shrewd deals in tighter jackets and form fitting waistcoats. The ornate bars were closed, and there was no need for a tail- coat in dark underground speakeasies.

But just before the dawn of repeal the speakeasy came out of hiding. Palaces of drink were built in the remodeled interiors of brownstone mansions. They were still, of course, under the shadow of the law, but no statute limited their choice of interior decoration or the manners and dress of their habitués. The furnishings, ultra modern and functional, were a distinct departure from tradition. Dress, on the other hand, seemed to reflect a revival of the past.

This “blossoming out” of the speakeasy was only a prelude. For when prohibition’s barriers were at last let down, the bars in fashionable hostelries were completely renovated in the modern manner. Cocktail lounges were installed where women drank with men in amiable accord.

It was the presence of women, perhaps, that put men back into tailcoats. At any rate it was only natural that men who were meticulous about their dress, men who dressed correctly for all occasions would, among other things, look again for more formal apparel. Thus the tailcoat returned, only slightly modified, as the correct formal attire after six o’clock.

Nor was the trend toward formality restricted to the tailcoat. It was Likewise extended to semi-formal day wear. Here again, men returned to the apparel with which they had been previously familiar, or, perhaps had not entirely discarded. The single-breasted oxford grey or black jacket was worn with striped worsted or cheviot trousers. The single or double-breasted waistcoat matched the jacket, was made of a light washable material. Black shoes with a plain last, a demi-bosom or pleated bosom shirt of white, or a pale color with white starched collar and cuff’s, a derby hat, gloves, cane, and usually some type of black and white neckwear completed the ensemble.

The same general outfit is as correct today as it was years ago. It appears, however, to have become more informal, and at the moment is having quite a vogue among the smart young blades about London, with a promise of being taken up more extensively than ever in this country.

But revivals are never wholly untouched by the age in which they occur. They are bound to return some- what altered by the prevailing customs and tastes. The illustration on the left testifies to the successful compromise that has already been made between conservative traditionalism on the one hand and radicalism on the other.*

* Have look at the stroller illustration painted at Cloud-Club below. They are referring to an outfit of that sort.

The result is an effective semi-formal outfit for day wear which may have a double-breasted oxford grey jacket of cheviot or some other soft woolen material. The cheviot trousers frequently have definite checks and plaids, with grey the predominating color. Plain black shoes, sometimes with cloth button tops, are worn. Even quarter brogue models are seen. Soft colored shirts have supplanted white. Shirts of blue, tan, grey, pink, and helio are worn usually with white starched collars set off by colored ties of the Spitalsfield type. Some of the best dressed men in London are wearing soft or starched collars that match their colored shirts. The black Homburg hat seems to have replaced the derby for spring and warmer weather.

One of the interesting features of this new outfit is its adaptability. It is not only correct for business, but with the colored boutonniere and colored handkerchief, it may be appropriately worn at the smart new hotel cafes during the cocktail hours, and is not out of place at formal day weddings. With this ensemble, dress bow ties of heavy silk are quite correct, and even the Ascot tie may be worn with I folded or wing collar.

The new type of semi-formal dress is only one of the symptoms of change and revival (one might correctly say survival) in the realm of fashion. It is simply another link in the long chain of fashion progress through the years.

FORMAL DAY WEAR

Notes on a classification of apparel that has been forced to take the comeback trail

Whether or not the mood following the culmination of the world war had anything to do with the decline of formal day wear in America, it is true at least that that period provides a convenient era for dating the beginning of what turned out to be an increasing lack of interest on the part of the average American male-in formal day apparel. With the exception of undertakers, politicians and staunch members of the old guard, daytime formality became a more or less neglected art with the passing of the years.

Today, however, with the revived interest in formality in all its phases, formal day wear is looking up. And as a result, it would be well at this time to check up on current fashion trends and fill in the gaps that have been left in the formal day wear picture. But to accomplish this objective we turn, with all due respect, not to the standard-bearing undertakers and politicians but to the English with whom the type of apparel under discussion has always been an essential adjunct of the well dressed man.

The first point that the check-up on formal day wear reveals is the fact that no longer does one find silk braid on the cutaway coat. This is a detail that has seen its best days and one that is rarely observed except on elderly men. And there are other changes which will perhaps seem even more radical to those who can remember formal day dress as it flourished before the war.

The wing collar, for instance, has lost much of its prestige with this type of attire, although it is still correct and may especially be worn appropriately at weddings. For most other occasions, the white starched fold collar is worn, and it is with a sigh of regret that members of the old guard will note that the luxurious silk ascot tie has shared the partial eclipse of the wing collar. Today one finds the best dressed men in England and in this country wearing a White starched fold collar with a regular Spitalsfield or Macclesfield four-in-hand tie. The necktie today is even no longer black and white or grey, although very often the predominating color of the tie is grey with the addition of such colors as fawn, light grey, pale yellow and blue-grey.

Again, instead of the usual white starched or pleated bosom shirt that was worn ‘way back when, one is more likely to find a soft colored negligee shirt, particularly in blue and grey. The cuffs of these shirts are sometimes white, starched linen or very often may be of the same material as the shirt, laundered soft. The waistcoat worn by the younger men is double breasted and in such colors as fawn, light grey, pale yellow and blue-grey. In some cases, of course, the waistcoat matches the cutaway, but during the warmer weather especially a colored fancy waistcoat is favored. Trousers are usually of light weight cheviot in grey ground stripes, and recently there has been a preference shown for checks, with Glen Urquharts even being seen occasionally.

With respect to footwear, the plain black shoe of calfskin, usually in a plain toe-cap or quarter brogue model, is in wide- spread favor. More meticulously dressed men, however, are again turning to the black calfskin shoe with light colored cloth button tops. These shoes are quite often worn in preference to spats, which have fallen into discard and are usually worn only at summer weddings.

An essential concomitant of formal day wear has, of course, always been the top hat. In England, during warm weather, the grey top hat is worn for racing, garden parties and other formal day occasions, but in the country only the black silk top hat is worn. Whether the color of the hat be grey or black, however, only the top hat is correct with the cutaway.

Opposed to that strict injunction, on the other hand, is the latitude provided for in the matter of neck dress. The wing collar, ‘when worn, may be accompanied by a bow tie, Ascot or four-in-hand. Likewise, the white fold collar may be worn with any one of the same three types of neckwear. Consequently, a man actually has a choice of six different styles of neck dress, all of them correct.

Gloves should match the fancy waistcoat of fawn, pale yellow, white or grey. If, however, the waistcoat is of oxford grey to match the cutaway, then grey gloves are preferable. As for jewelry, the white pearl stickpin is indicated, while cuff links of modest character and a heavy gold watch chain may be worn. With the relaxation of many of the old rigid rules, one naturally finds the wrist watch worn with formal clothes today. Colored boutonnieres are very much in vogue at the moment. These may be of dark blue cornflowers or a dark red or lemon yellow carnation. Custom has seemed to reserve white boutonnieres more or less exclusively for elderly men, who often favor a white gardenia.

Overcoats and topcoats to go with this classification of dress naturally take on a more formal appearance, so that one finds the single or double breasted Chesterfield type of coat in either oxford grey or navy blue commonly worn. The Guard’s coat is also considered proper, while light tan natural color covert coats may be worn correctly. At race meets in England, where damp weather must be accepted as a matter of course, one often finds raincoats worn with formal day clothes. These are usually in light tan or oyster white and are worn with regular formal day dress and either a black or grey topper.

Another type of attire that comes under the same category as formal day wear is the short black jacket and striped trousers. This, of course, is classified as semi-formal day dress but may correctly be worn for the same occasions which call for formal ;it a wedding. For most formal occasions, semi-formal day dress, although not quite so formal as the cutaway coat, is double breasted. With a single breasted jacket a light colored double breasted waistcoat may be worn, while with a double breasted jacket a single breasted light colored waistcoat is proper. With single and double breasted jackets alike, the trousers are the same as with the cutaway coat, either striped or checked and in cheviot or worsted.

The black or grey Homburg or bowler may be worn correctly with this outfit. No other hat, in fact, is correct. It is true that at the race meets in England a grey top hat is occasionally worn with a short jacket, but this is rare. Other accessories, such as shirts, collars, ties, gloves, shoes and boutonnieres, are the same as for the cutaway coat.

It is interesting to note that an outfit which has been in considerable dominance at the English races consists of grey sharkskin cutaway with double breasted waistcoat and trousers to match. This ensemble is reserved primarily for the races. When the formal outfit consisting of cutaway coat or a black jacket is worn for mourning, a waistcoat to match the coat is worn with a white shirt, white collar and black tie. No color is permissible in this ensemble.

While it cannot be said that formal day clothes have made what might be described as a startling comeback, retailers in the larger communities can assuredly find in them today a profitable classification of apparel. From the standpoint of good merchandising, however, it is important that they be sold for the correct occasion. Formal day clothes find their chief occasions in wear for church attendance, weddings, state functions, political occasions and sometimes funerals. But their scope is broader than that. In some metropolitan cities, business executives wear this type of dress to the office, this vogue being especially. Prevalent in the financial district of New York.

Easter is, of course, a season that offers an excellent setting for clothes of this character and provides a ready opportunity for prompting formal day wear. Furthermore, with the cocktail hour in hotel cafes becoming something of a daily institution in the larger cities, still another occasion is provided for formal day wear. Formal day dress is never correct after 6 P.M. except . on Sundays, when it may be worn throughout the entire day. For such occasions as one where an afternoon wedding is called for 5 or 5:30 P.M., with the affair naturally expected to run well beyond 6 o’clock, the cutaway coat is worn throughout.

In general, there is ample scope for formal day wear and its promotion is something that deserves more than haphazard attention. Attention. In England, the selling and the wearing of this type of apparel has seen its most extensive development. All the men’s shops m England, preceding Ascot week, have their windows filled with wing collars, top hats, fancy waistcoats, gloves hosiery and other requisites of formal day attire. It is one of the most profitable selling periods of the entire year. While Ascot week is the peak period for this type of attire, a profitable business is done on formal day clothes all the year around, since they are worn to a great extent for the various occasions in keeping with them and, for example, a typical sight during the season in London on a Sunday is that of a group of men out for a walk wearing the formal day ensemble. in a recent issue of Apparel Arts an article was devoted to the comprehensive analysis of the fashion picture as its exists in London today. Almost every photograph in this article provided testimony of the extent to which formal day wear is worn in London not as “something special” but as a matter of course.

To be sure, the contrast between the business done in formal day wear by retailers in England and those in this country is hardly a fair one. Given customers with the English predilection for formal attire, retailers in this country would readily promote formal day wear with all the zeal of their British counterparts, if not a great deal more. But half a loaf is better than none, and Americas formal day wear half loaf certainly provides sufficient nourishment to make it worth eating.

Alright then… now with the basic text out of the way lets us look at different variations in formal day wear especially semi-formal day wear. As explained at the start of this section we are NOT strictly discussing the “correctness” of these ensembles here. If you are reading this, it is already assumed that you have done all the prior reading mentioned above and are aware of the “rules” pre se. Unless, specified the sole purpose of these illustrations in this section is to be able to visually see the different levels of formalities observed in semi-formal & formal day wear.

Below are two links to the posts that contain vital information about correctness in formal day wear. In the first one you will find that I have included a detailed version of the full page Ascot illustration.

Vol. I No. III (May 05') AA / Esky series

Manton’s detailed article on Wedding wear goes over not only “rules” but also various other topics pertaining to dress wear.

Wedding Attire

Starting of with the first illustration we have both version in one picture. This is from spring 36’



We venture the assumption that this little genre scene depicts a Sunday afternoon at home, a, quiet little gathering dedicated to the avoidance of ho-hum. In any case, the men have on their Sunday clothes, these being the nearest modern equivalent to the old time dress up costume known as the Sunday-go-to-meetin-suit. The younger man’s dress comprises a double breasted unfinished worsted jacket carrying only four buttons, with the lapel rolled to the lower ones, cuffless trousers of Glen Urquhart cheviot, plain black shoes, a colored soft shirt, “white stiff collar and cuffs and a dark Spitalsfield tie with a fine white over stripe. The host wears a one button peak lapel morning coat with a double breasted “waistcoat of fawn linen, striped worsted trousers, black shoes with cloth button tops, a soft striped broadcloth shirt with starched collar, and a gold animal stickpin in his Spitalsfield tie.

The reason why I presented this illustration is two-fold. First it is to remove any possible remaining doubt as to what a stroller is & how exactly is it different from a morning coat. You can see both of them together in this illustration. Secondly, the striped trousers on right are of interest. Why? These are not your average stripes but BOLD with a capital B. These in reality (if you have observed the ones made from 20s-30s) are even more bolder than what is today considered “city-of-London worsted stripes”. This goes to show you that bold black & white striped trousers were worn & were correct. These days my advice would be against it… UNLESS you are quite sure of what you are getting. Semi-formal / formal day wear is odd enough as it is… let alone paired up with trousers of this nature. If you are getting your first pair of formal striped pants, you will be much better off having the more subtle version depicted in the “cloud club” illustration below.

Observe the shirt on the gent at the right. It is of fine striped pattern with a white starched collar. Note that it is correct to wear fine horizontal striped shirts with formal & semi-formal daywear. Their use is about at least 8 decades old if not more. It is exactly as correct as the use of pale-color in shirts for formal day wear. However, there are some exceptions to this such as when worn with an ascot for example. However, the stripes whether horizontal or vertical should be of thin variety.

The stroller on the left is worn with cuff-less trousers. This IS the correct way. It should go without saying that whenever using Glen Urquhart trousers as semi-formal day wear, they should be without any colored over plaid. That was the traditional correct way. However, if you are in mood for some modernization… I guess you can do a lot worse than a subtle colored over check.

Below is another example of the bold striped Cheviot trousers but paired up with more somber accessories than in the illustration above. This is from Easter 41'



Note here that except the trousers there is nothing (visually) strong in this ensemble. The oxford grey peaked lapel cutaway is paired up with a light grey waistcoat & wing collar shirt is paired with a macclesfield pattern ascot. Shoes are plain black oxfords. You can take this vest out and replace it with a match oxford grey vest and it will be even more sombre. This exact same combo can work for semi-formal daywear also with the exception of wing collared shirt & ascot (replace trurndown collar & four-in-hand tie).

Second illustration is from early 35’ season



Fashions scouts hanging around the entrance to St. James palace were likely to see prince of Wales stroll forth of a morning wearing an outfit not unlike the one pictured above. In fact, so compelling was the prince’s town attire, even to the yellow carnation in the button hole, that the tout ensemble has become the favorite town garb of many a young Londoners. The jacket is a double breasted oxford grey and the trousers (shepherd check) are tailored from a black and white cheviot material. The shirt has soft blue stripes and white cuffs. The wide white collar is a London favorite of the moment. Draped over the arm of the chair is a navy blue overcoat, and resting on it is a black homburg hat, a smart pair of buffed hogskin gloves and a sleek Malacca cane.

Here pay close attention to the cut of the stroller, especially the skirt area. These are cuffed trousers here. You should already know that cuffless trousers are most correct & these were presented as a “fashionable option” NOT what was considered correct. These depicted here are of shepherd check but can perfectly well be of houndstooth variety. In both cases the check should be devoid of any color.

THE PRINCE OF WALES SPEEDSTHE RETURN OF AN ANTE-BELLUM COLLAR

Erase everything but the collar on the opposite page, insert a black tie, a bronzed face, a scraggly moustache, a flashing smile, pince nez glasses on a black cord, and you might conceivably get an acceptable portrait of Theodore Roosevelt. For the white starched collar on the opposite page suggests a throwback to the first decade of the 20th century. During the last three years, however, this collar has perhaps been photographed as much as any other collar because it has been worn by none other than the prince of Wales. Although the prince’s collar is a bit extreme, it has set a definite trend in collar styles so that the average collar one sees in the smart shops of London’s west end have wide spread openings for the knot. This revival has already been accepted by the best dressed men in the east, and it is of importance to note in passing that even the soft collars suitable for sportswear have been influenced by it.

AT LAST THE AMERICAN’S SEMI-FORMAL DAY ENSEMBLE ACKNOWLEDGES THE EXISTANCE OF COLOR

With color coming to formal evening dress* it is not surprising that the blacks, whites, and greys of semi-formal day ensembles should be supplemented by accessories a little more colorful. The rule of the neutral shades has at least been broken and soft colored shirts and neckwear have begun to brighten up the town attire. In England, where this trend originated, color with semi-formal or even formal day dress has been prevalent for some time.

**when they say color coming to formal evening dress, they specifically mean the use of a colored (usually red) flower with white-tie. See Vol. II No. II “Nothing-but-Tails” post to read more about this phenomenon.

Next one is from Spring of 36’



In Praise of Champagne Color shirt

Color has been creeping into semi-formal day dress, slowly but steadily, for some while back. The break-up of the monotony of black and white has been most noticeable in southern resort evening wear, but in semi-formal day dress, too, the encroachment of color has been just as steady if less spectacular. Here, for instance, is a, jolt of bright- ness achieved by the addition, to the dignified greys and blues, of the new champagne color in a soft shirt of fine zephyr broadcloth, worn with a starched collar in the accepted widespread model. Note the comparative gayety, too, of the gold animal figure stickpin against the navy blue of the Spitalsfield tie. The jacket is of Oxford grey worsted with waistcoat to match. The trousers are of light weight cheviot in a fine Glen Urquhart plaid with a blue over check. Yellow chamois gloves, black Homburg and shoes, blue cornflower boutonniere.

This is basically a variant of the very first illustration but with two noted exceptions. First it is a DB stroller worn with a matching vest. You can also opt for a light colored vest here. Secondly, it is worn with the pale-yellow “champagne” color shirt. This is a VERY useful color & much ignored today. In this post you will see this color & model (with white collar) of shirt in 3 separate illustrations. First one is above and 2 below when worn with lounge suits. Done correctly, it can be stunning.

On a side note… observe the butler’s clothes on the left. You will realize that he is wearing a tails with striped formal trousers. Of course that is incorrect in the traditional sense of rules but as depicted here (as part of a uniform) it is correct! By making servants wear wrong articles of clothing… they were distinguishable form their masters.

Next we have a stunning illustration from 35’ painted at the historic NY “Cloud Club”



Quite something isn’t it? Well, here on the right you have the stroller worn in the Most formal way it can be possibly worn (with the exception of notch lapels instead of peak). You have a black stroller paired up with starched collar blue shirt, checked tie, fawn colored DB vest & striped grey trousers. Note that this stroller is in 3-button roll lapel model & the red flower at the lapel.

On the left we have a solid brown cheviot 3-pc suit with jacket that is 3-button roll lapel model with ticket pockets. Note here again the use of champagne color shirt with white starched collat. Tie is yellow, red & green striped.

The two gents in the back ground: the one on the right wears a 3-pc solid navy suit with black shoes, striped shirt & polka dotted tie. The one on the left wears a glen plaid suit with brown shoes.

Next we have a combination of illustrations from Easter / spring 36 season



Here we have two more variations on semi-formal day wear. The one on the left wears a black jacket with matching vest and black, grey & white striped trousers. The interesting note here is the use of pink colored shirt with white collar. Tie is of checked pattern.

The one the right wears a DB stroller with a matching vest. Trousers are of shepherd’s check and shirt is blue with white starched collar. Tie is a combination blue-green.

Note that the one on the left wears a light red carnation (matching with pink shirt) & the right one wears a blue colored flower.



On the left we have a full-morning day garb worn in the Most formal of all options. The shirt is winged collar with grey small patterned Spitalsfield ascot and a unique grayish-Lavender colored waistcoat. Note the yellow follower.

On the right we have a SB peak lapel black jacket with matching vest. Worn with it is a light blue pleated bosom shirt and blue dotted bow tie. Note that the use of small neat patterned bow-ties is correct with semi formal day wear (& in some cases with formal also). Observe that the gent on the left carries a top hat while the one on the right carries a homburg.

Below are two variations on morning coats



Here on left you have the morning coat in Full formal garb (with the exception of wing collar shirt & an ascot). Morning coat here is with matching vest—worn with white “slip” of pique / Marcella (often also called “demi”), white striped black worsted trousers, fine grey striped broadcloth shirt with high starched collar & bronze colored spitalsfield tie, silk top hat, cloth top black shoes and chamois gloves.

On right: two button notched lapel morning coat, biscuit colored Db vest, grey crash tweed trousers and grey and maroon tie. In case you can’t tell… his shirt is of pale-yellow color with white starched collar.

Finally we have a full accessories chart of semi-formal day wear from Spring 35’ season



1. yellow shirt with white starched collar.
2. Tan mocha gloves.
3. DB 6X2 black jacket.
4. Shepherd checked trousers.
5. grey hose with yellow clocks.
6. black antelope cigarette case and silver license holder with automobile key.
7. lavender pleated shirt with white starched collar.
8. snake-wood cane with gold band.
9. Malacca walking stick.
10. a pair of black shoes with grey cloth button tops.
11. blue clocked hose.
12. blue pleated shirt with white starched collar.
13. lavender hose with clocks.
14. shepherd check bow tie.
15. midnight blue homburg hat.
16. black antelope bill fold and a white pearl stickpin.
17. blue address book.
18. blue enameled pencil and a black cigarette holder.
19. SB grey waistcoat.
20. yellow buckskin gloves.

Well, there is that! We won’t be discussing semi-formal / formal day wear for quite sometime now.

END OF SECTION II OF THIS POST

START OF SECTION III OF THIS POST

So we move to over main section with illustrations and the descriptions. The main theme for this post (beside formal day wear) is unique suitings / articles of clothing or even unusual matching as we will see. In almost each of these illustrations you will find something that is very unique… most of these articles if worn correctly (read adjusted to our times) can be quite dashing not to mention stylish. Read, understand & try for yourself to see what works & what doesn’t.

This is probably the most illustrative section I have done. I hope you gents enjoy it.

Let us start…

Firstly I would like to introduce a suiting pattern that I have not been able to describe much in the past and certainly with only two or three illustrations. This is the genuine time honored herringbone pattern that I am referring to. I have seen many a few patterns & types of suits discussed on these threads and the only time I ever hear herringbone mentioned… it is usual either in coatings, odd jackets or micro / self weave in suitings / shirts.

But, I am not referring to the quite self herringbone seen in worsteds these days. I am referring to honest-to-God old-fashioned Bold herringbone pattern in suitings of Cheviot types with rough & hairy textures. So for the first four illustrations it is… herringbone, herringbone, herringbone!

From early spring 36’



The hard part is to apparently arrange an unavoidable business trip into the trout country at the right time. The broker, busily pouring himself a drink of water, at least believes in looking business- like and therefore wears a sedate outfit consisting of a dark Oxford grey double-breasted suit, a blue broadcloth shirt, white starched collar and dark Spitalsfield tie. The other loafer is wearing a two- button peaked lapel suit with the fullness left under the arms, made up in a very fine soft Saxony fabric of which the pattern is an arresting version of the old herringbone. In place of the conventional waist- coat he wears a short sleeveless Alpaca sweater. His broadcloth shirt is in a blue Glen Urquhart pattern with a, widespread collar to match.. A dark blue Spitalsfield tie with a gold animal figure sporting pin completes his turn-out, except for the light weight wool horizontal striped hose and crocodile shoes.

As mentioned above, note carefully the cut / lines of the suit. This is vital to its elegance or shape whichever you want to refer it with. This is not the body-tracing suit of modern Italian designers. Note the fullness due to the drape at the chest (under-arms) area. If this guy on the right was a size 40 his pants at hem will be at least 19”-20”. These are not cylinder type “straight leg” pants but are of the tapered shape even though you may not believe it. They follow the shape that of a cone than of a cylinder and that is vital to its “fall” or proper line.

If drape is not your cup of tea then you can obviously trim the lines of the jacket but do it as minimally as possible because this is not intended to be a close fitting business suit. Adjust the trimness in the trousers as well so as to maintain the proportions.

There is nothing wrong with wearing trim fitted suits but they should not be "plastered-on" as it is seen more or less these days. Secondly, certain type of cloth is know of their bulk & that is precisely what makes them elegant in the first place. Cheviots, Shetlands, Flannels are some of the examples of this. If you want a trim fitted suit, you should obviously know that worsteds are the best place to start as it adapts well to trimmer lines. Similarly shoulders can be exact, they don't have to be extended always BUT they should never be narrow as to interfere with proper "fall" of the cloth at the sleeve head.

Next one is a 3-pc herringbone suit with a bold pattern with a brown stripe through it.



You will note that the collar of the shirt shown in the sketch has relatively long points and sits rather high on the neck. This collar has taken the place which was held by the old Prince of Wales tab collar for almost ten years. When the tab collar finally gained mass acceptance it was only to be expected that it would soon lose caste among those who set the fashions for the rest of the world to follow. Last year in London the very men whose original acceptance and long adherence to the tab collar This resembles the old tab collar in that it gives the appearance of a stiff collar with the comfort of a soft one. This is accomplished by the inserted slot which keeps the tie and the collar itself in place. Note the trench coat. The model now favored has buttons inside to hold a detachable camel’s hair lining.

This 3-pc suit is with a jacket that is 2 button peak lapel. Fabric for this is Cheviot or any of the soft & rough types or Saxony. It is a bold herringbone (certainly bold by today’s standards) with a stripe through it of brown color. Note that hat and shoes do not match in this case. Cut of the suit is exactly the same as the one in pervious illustration.

While on the topic of herringbone it would do you some good to look at the DB model as well. This below is from fall of 34’



This is a DB black & white herringbone suit of cheviot, soft pink shirt with black stripe (starched matching collar) black tie with pearl stickpin, black homburg hat, light grey mocha gloves & oxford grey single breasted topcoat.

If this gent were to move is right arm you would spot a ticket pocket as well. Another smart shirt to be worn with this type of a suit is in oxblood color (discussed before) with a black tie. Prior to this I have only used one illustration for a DB herringbone in rough fabric. If you are to go through the tailoring route to get such a suit made… my advice would be to opt for a SB version first then try the DB. Nevertheless, you have it here in front of you as a visual option so remember it.

4th Herringbone suit of this post is from early 34’ season



Here, gentlemen, reading from left to right are the farthest points South and North, respectively, in clothes for wear to the office. The bright young man at the left is a bit too obviously the young alumnus for our private taste, and we have a sneaking hunch that the lowering of his right arm would reveal some collegiate gadget on his watch chain. But that is poking our big nose in where it doesn’t belong, since our function is simply that of serving up the facts, and it is a fact beyond dispute that a great many young men in business like to carry over the campus manner for a few years after graduation. This is the way to do it. Note the looseness and length of the jacket and the carefully calculated carelessness of the tweedy effect as a whole. At the right, on the other hand is the way to dress if you are so sure of yourself, under the New Deal, that you are unafraid of offering a striking similarity to the Socialist cartoonist’s conception of a Capitalist. Since a good appearance is about all that’s left to the Capitalist, now, anyway, why not go ahead and enjoy it? We warn you, however, that acceptance, without wide-eyed wonder, of an outfit like this is still pretty much confined to the metropolitan area, meaning the three or four largest cities. Colored shirt and neckwear proves that you know what you are doing in wearing this outfit to work, and that you didn’t stray in under the impression that the affairs of the day were a morning musicale and an afternoon tea.

Here on the right you have basically a watered-down version of semi-formal day wear / stroller. This is about as far on the left side as you can lean with formal day wear. Even though the black DB jacket is correct, it is paired up with faint striped trousers of grey with cuffs. Shirt is of lavender color with white starched collar and tie is of black with lavender stripes. To take this to another step over to the left end… replace the striped trousers with a plain grey ones and you have nearly removed some essential parts of semi-formal day wear. Compare this illustration with the one above with Db jacket & shepherd check trousers (where gent is next to the fire place).

Observe the shoulder lines on both jackets carefully.

Ok now we are done with herringbone suits… at least in this post. Let us look at some brown suits. This one below is from fall winter 33-34 season



So what is so special about this suit you ask? & I reply… a solid brown tweed suit with bellows pockets in an easy-fitting manner. This is very rare in the Americas… where solid brown hairy suits are as rare as a good hot cup of breakfast tea.

I will let you read the text from Esky for this one, it is much more amusing than AA’s version.

While, or with, abroad (to revive a classic line once used by one of our brighter young writers of men’s fashion) one cannot be too careful of one's appearance. The clothes worn by the motor tourist should be such as will withstand the rigors of travel without retaining more than the irreducible minimum in the way of wrinkles and bagginess. The lightweight brown tweed suit that is sketched here offers a combination, both in cut and in cloth, calculated to help it keep its shape under the most trying climate conditions. The jacket is loose and roomy, with an eye to comfort and convenience. Just as much in line is the light weight flannel shirt with medium long pointed collar attached, and the white alpaca pullover sweater. The latter serves to rescue the outfit from an otherwise too pronounced tendency toward a monotony of somber tones. One of the occasions on which you may wear a checkered cap without incurring a suspicion that you are a gunman at large is when you are driving an open car. Even then, tough if the cap is to look at least as smart as the car, it must have a one piece top. Brown shoes, quite apart from the fact that they are currently given the call over black, are indicated as a matter of course with the outfit. Wool hose, as a matter of convenience and comfort, are indicated too. The most suitable overcoat, to complete the costume, is a long roomy one of the polo type, or English balmacaan. The one sketched here is completely noncommittal as to model, having been left hanging over the car door in apparent confidence that honestly, as well as thriftiness, is a characteristic of the French peasant. In either model, Harris tweed is a suitable cloth.

Here also observe the pitched shoulder line, the extreme cutaway front quarters & the drape effect present at the chest area. The breast pocket is also patch with a flap over it. This type of suit can also perfectly carry a sports back if you are in the mood to make it truly unique. Since it is solid brown tweed, it should be fairly easily adaptable to our modern times (non-business occasions).

Next we have a 3-pc brown suit with a rare DB vest from winter 33-34 season



The lack of ready cash may be betrayed, upon occasion, your features, but shouldn’t, under any circumstances, be indicated by your dress. This is not spoken by way of preamble lo a, revival of that trite and tiresome and obviously untrue maxim that clothes make the man, but merely by way of business objectives. In business suits there are two types of construction, one the so-called lounge model which features ease of line and rougher fabrics, the other the sack jacket which is built along: body tracing lines and is best adapted to the smoother cloths. With the present vogue for rough suitings, the lounge model is in the ascendant. With it, it has brought back the double breasted at least for business wear, for several at least for business wear, for several years. (At the risk of stressing the obvious, it might be mentioned that the double breasted waistcoat is worn only with single breasted suits.) The details of this waistcoat’s cut are worthy of note, with particular attention to its collar and to the slant of the buttons. The jacket repeats the ticket-pocket-with- flap note that has been so important this year. While the more easy going shirt models are sketched, the effect of the starched collar, as pictured on the figure, offers eloquent argument that it has a definite place with business clothes. Overcoats that go well with this dark cheviot lounge suit are the various types of fleecy fabrics, such as the one sketched, which happened to be a town Ulster. Over coatings with an overplaid are especially suitable with rough textured suitings. Striped neckwear is very definitely on the way back up.

This suit above carries a elegant vest that is DB with a 8 button front (keystone shaped). Note the ample width of the lapels which from the sketch bellies out so much as to almost give the impression of a shawl lapel. Shirt is of pale-yellow color with rounded starched collar here with a red, yellow & brown foulard tie.

To observe this type of over coating in detail please see the post below

Vol. I No. VIII (Oct 05') Fall / Winter Items

Other than that for those who still are wondering what the lapels on DB vest should look like… below is an illustration from Fall of 34’



Now that we are done with solid brown suits we will look at 3 striped ones. The first one is from early summer of 37’



A father & son gathering at the zoo. Provided of course they are indeed father & son… so perhaps it is better to refer to them as “man” and “boy”.

Typical of the current tendency toward semi-sports outfits, a type of turnout that may be worn either for informal occasions in town or for spectator sports in the country, the keynote of this costume is a double-breasted suit of brown lightweight worsted flannel with chalk stripes. Note that the jacket has a four button front instead of the customary six buttons and that the lapel is rolled to the lower button, a conceit that is still affected by many of the better dressed mea both in New York and in London. The shirt is of striped madras with lounge collar to match, worn with a foulard tie with lounge collar to match, worn with a foulard tie with spaced figures, the medium toned brown felt hat has a fairly wide brim and unpinched crown. The shoes are reversed calf. Note the plain white breast pocket handkerchief. The boy’s outfit consists of a short fly-front covert cloth topcoat, a blue suit with shorts, school cap, white shirt and striped tie.

Here even tough the depicted fabric is worsted flannel, my advice will be for genuine west of England woolen flannel chalk stripe. Reason being, you are very highly unlikely to find this type of stuff in RTW and if you are going through the long route of the tailors might as well make it unique / special in our times. This discussion of stripes has been discussed before in great detail so I will skip it here.

This next one is actually a worsted stripe suit in brown. From Feb 36’ It is an Esky exclusive (to the best of my knowledge) & was brought to my attention by our member Anthony Jordan.



The text from Esky is quite witty here so I will let you read that and then explain a thing or two afterwards.

What has fashion to say, this bright winter’s morning, is that the fullness in chest, so characteristic of the English drape suit, is now outré. The fullness is now left under the arms instead. The blond is having the trouble with the short hand outline for the word outré, so fashion backs up and says that he merely meant to say that the successor to the out-going three-button English drape, with its pouter pigeon breast, is this new two-button peak lapel suit with the excess material giving fullness under the arms instead of the chest. He further records that the stripes are polychromatic and the trousers are full and break at the instep, and that this suit, in this multi-colored striped worsted, is a fashion forerunner for the spring season. The blond is impressed because she had noticed only the freshness of his linen and his dark red carnation. Who says men dress for women?

Wow! Now, away from the blond and towards the stripes we focus for a minute. These here are multi colored stripes on a worsted fabric. Personally, speaking 7 decades later after these were originally presented… if you are to take a pick between flannel chalk stripes & the worsted stripes… my favor will be towards the flannel as depicted in the zoo sketch. Bear in mind that flannel by its nature lends very well to drape so if you are to move way from drape towards more slim lines then opt for a worsted striped suit instead. A slim-fitting woolen flannel stripe suit, these days is a waste of good cloth! Do that in worsteds if you must.

The distinction between the older full-drape version as opposed to the more newer version (as depicted in illustration ) that came later during 30s was a cleaner chest but full retained under the arms & the blade area. This was discussed in detail a few months back.

The last brown suit for this post is from spring of 34’ and a rare stripe at that.



Okay so what is unique here? Hint: it is the guy at the right. Read on.

“Costly is thy habit as thy purse can buy” –and from there on it’s strictly up to you. Last month we showed the two extremes in business wear, but we couldn’t begin, in many a month, to show you the thousand and one permissible variations in between. You can bring into the office fabrics and colorings that were once considered sacred in the confines of the country club, or you can veer in the other direction towards a formality that would pass muster for an afternoon among the diplomats. Here, at any rate, are two outfits that are recommended as being on the sunny side of formality. The double breasted blue suit, of fine unfinished worsted, is rescued from austerity by the gray soft shirt which has a separate soft collar of the same gray broadcloth. The latter should always be worn pinned. The tie is of blue foulard with red polka. Dots, and the shoes are black calf, straight tipped. The seated figure shows a soft drapey suit of brown cheviot with a green stripe running through it (take our word for it that the stripe is green), made up in a three button notch lapel model with a, soft rolled front. The solid colored shirt is a, tab collar model, deservedly an established favorite for business wear because it preserves such a pleasant balance between easy informally and trim, almost military, neatness. The tie is a deep maroon Spitalsfield. Light colored hose with dark clocking show to advantage with an outfit like this. The shoes, as a matter of course, are brown, and their model, as a matter of choice, may well be the neat semi-brogue that is sketched here. Both these outfits could be classed as informal, although the one at the right is several degrees more so than the one at the left.

yes so we have a 3-pc suit of brown fabric in “reversed-stripe” effect. This concepts was discussed in Vol. II No. I University Styles post in great detail (see that for further detail). Even though the stripe here is of dark green there is no reason why it cannot be of dark brown either, which actually will be better in some respect than green.

So its has been brought to my attention that I have been ignoring the “usual” hard-finished worsteds in favor of “exotic” type ensembles… well I aim to please or at least try… so to counter that criticism below we have a beautiful hard-finished worsted suit from spring 35’



That is quite an illustration and Very well matched in terms of accessories. All in all quite nice… that is (if you let go of the blatant racism).

Smooth fabrics have had rough going for the last couple of seasons, with the trend favoring soft hand shaggy woolens even for town wear. But fashion’s only consistency is its certainty to change, so it isn’t surprising to see the smooth hard finished worsted back in the picture. Sharkskin is the hardest and smoothest of all the worsteds in fact you can almost call it shiny, as this finish imparts a slight luster to the cloth. This one is blue grey, with a self overplaid, made up in a three button peak lapel single breasted model. With it are smartly combined a grey and white striped soft broadcloth shirt, worn with a, white stiff collar with the fashionable wide spread opening, a blue and white hound’s tooth check silk tie, grey horizontal striped hose, black calf blucher shoes, a grey herringbone topcoat and a derby and, of course, the permanent (feather-made) maroon carnation.

There are four basic types of textures in men’s woolen fabrics.

1. Hard & rough finished
2. Soft & rough finished
3. Hard & smooth finished
4. Soft & smooth finished

For an elegant and well-balanced wardrobe you should generally avoid 1 & 4 as extremes & the bulk of your wardrobe should be from 2 or 3 except where need by special circumstances such as climatic condition and whatnot. You should indulge in 1 & 4 sparingly. Flannel & Shetlands fall into No. 2. Sharkskin & Serge are usually No. 3. The Last one #4 usually compromises of modern luxury type fabrics with cashmere or silk blends… Not a durable combination (usually speaking) in my opinion.

Next we have another hard-smooth finished suit from winter 36’ season



Both of the outfits shown on this page tend distinctly toward the more formal type of business wear and to that extent endow their wearers with what might legitimately be called an executive appearance. The man at the left wears a two-button peak lapel single breasted suit with piped pockets and plain back, made up in a hard finish clear cut worsted in silver blue. The model is a favorite of London’s leading tailors and is attaining fashionable acceptance in this country. The accessories include a champagne colored silk shirt with laundered stiff collar, shepherd’s check tie, blue silk hose, and plain black town shoes. The man at the right is wearing the smart new chesterfield in the single breasted fly-front peak lapel model with set-in sleeves, real cuffs, slanting flap pockets and hooked center vent. The suit is of dark grey hard finished worsted and is worn with a blue broadcloth shirt with white stiff widespread collar, Charvet silk tie with gold Grecian stripe, blue Homburg hat, black town shoes, and yellow buckskin gloves.

we are not quite done with blue suits so here is one with an interesting “twist” that you don’t see often these days. From fall 35’



we hear pretty frequently that these pages devote insufficient attention to the wants of the average man. Readers keep writing in telling us they wouldn’t care to be found dead in the too colorful outfits that we are prone to illustrate and describe. Stuck for an answer, we merely say that we wouldn’t exactly enjoy it ourselves. But here, praise be, is a plain blue suit, wherewith we hope to mollify the ire of the plain reader. The model is the three button single breasted with peak lapels, always a favorite in England and lately accorded increased acceptance over here. You will note that the lapel rolls to all three buttons fastened, as shown here, or, equally well, with only the center one buttoned. The fabric is a diagonal weave. The shirt is a blue batiste with white widespread laundered collar and a Grecian striped tie. The shoes are of black calf.

almost sounds like exactly what I wanted to say a few paragraphs up—about the “exotic” ensembles. Anyways, this here is a suit with heavy diagonal weave which gives it a very interesting but sedate visual effect of diagonal self stripes. Almost never observed in RTW, this is a hallmark of a tailor made suit. Pay attention to the shape of the peak lapels here. They are well drawn.

The tailor on the left of course wears a correctly matched semi-formal day wear garb with cuff less striped formal trousers. His shirt is plain white by the way & the tie is solid green.

Next one is from summer of 33 & sports an odd vest worn with a chalk striped suit. Note that the stripes on this suit are yellow and white, which is a very interesting twist.



So, this concept of wearing an odd vest with a suit has been discussed in great detail before (last year) but since we are on the topics of unique concepts… these needs a re-visit.

From the top of the properly proportioned straw to the soles pf the well cut summer weight shoes, this outfit is the essence of correctness. The distinctive touch, aside from the distinction that is inherent in the flannel suit itself, is provided by the shirt and waistcoat. The former has a body of true deep-toned colors, in light-weight batiste, With attached collar and French cuffs of white pique, or linen. The waistcoat, for general in-town wear, is at its smartest when made of white linen, but, for spectator sports and out of town wear, the Tattersall waistcoat 1s equally correct and fully as distinguished. The latter, by the way, is now highly favored in that smart new color combination, grey and yellow these colors being employed to form the Tattersall check pattern against a ground of white flannel. The flannel suit is a hardy perennial among summer fashions and has become especially popular since the introduction of dusted chalk stripes. The ties are cotton, in smart new stripings of hopsack weave.

THE SHRT WITH WHITE COLLARS AND CUFFS AND DEEP TONED BODY

This is a new fashion that has caught on very quickly and is already well established. It gives the general effect of the most formal type of shirt – that with white starched collar and cuffs- yet it others all the comfort of the soft shirt. A particularly smart touch is the use of the small eyelet holes for the collar pin thus avoiding the unsightly look that most shirts get from being pinned in different places.

CHALK STRIPES SERVE TO HEIGHTEN THE PERENNIAL POPULARITY OF FLANNEL

Chalk striped flannel, which fashion observers have noted as one of the most popular summer suitings, not only among the undergraduates at Princeton and Yale but on the smartest appearing men in town as well, has definitely shown widespread acceptances. Varying shades of gray and the more staple blue are always good, of course, and brown has recently come up high in favor. Worthy of particular attention is the revived popularity of the outside cash or ticket pocket, which always carries a flap. It is particularly convenient in the topcoat less months when extra pockets are appreciated.

REGIMENTAL STRIPES ARE BACK BOTH IN HAT BANDS AND IN TIES

The fancy hat band, which originated among club men and military men when in civilian clothes. Was, of course, used with a strictness that has long since gone by the boards. Certain color combinations designated either club, regiment, school or other organization colorings, and a gentleman would have felt it almost as much a crime to wear somebody else’s colors on his hat band as to sign somebody else’s name to a check. Even today, it is better (particularly if you travel abroad) to stick to the colors of some organization m which you have a membership. But this is a rule that is very frequently broken.

THE ODD WAISTCOAT OF LINEN OR TATTERSALL FLANNEL IS HIGHLY FAVORED

The last few seasons have seen a steadily increasing acceptance for odd waistcoats in the summer months, for business clothes as well as country clothes. The white linen waistcoat is better adapted to town wear, while the Tattersall flannel seems more at home outside the city limits. But both are welcome today in the wardrobe of the well dressed man.

The next illustration is perhaps the 2nd most unique in this post mainly because of it what depicts. It is from summer of 33’



For wear on the dock or on the deck, this is the smart summer outfit. Once, we would have hesitated to feature a yachting ensemble, feeling that its appeal would be limited to a mere handful of multimillionaires along the eastern seaboard. But, yachting, almost as much as golf, has ceased to be exclusively a rich man’s sport. Of course, wearable for active duty abroad either a small boat or large yacht adhere strictly to the purpose, and where the yachtsman in surroundings of luxury dresses up to the occasion, the small boats man dresses down only to the essentials. Ashore, however, both types of men like to embody some of the traditional character of yachting fashions in their turnouts. That is what has been accomplished here. The salt tang of sea is in these jaunty lines and yet, as not all of us can afford to devote outfits to one purpose exclusively, it is correct for general summer resort wear as well. The jacket is of gabardine, slacks of black & white shepherd’s check flannel.

THE SMARTEST SHADE MADE IN GABARDINE IS THIS NEW ONE OF HAVANA BROWN

When the gabardine suit first came in, it was almost invariably seen in light natural tan. The vogue for wearing gabardine jackets with odd slacks, however, has led to increased acceptance of this darker shade which appears to exceptional advantage when worn with black and white shepherd check slacks. The double breasted model, with cash pocket, is especially practical the summer months.

Now, this concept has not been discussed in the past in detail so I will further elaborate on it here. Have a good look at this ensemble & you will realize that it is the opposite of how people these days understand the concept of odd-jacket-trouser combinations. Mostly these days a darker jacket of patterned fabric is paired up with a lighter shade of solid neutralizing or harmonizing trousers. The art of wearing a patterned trouser is long lost. You should also bear in mind that even though this EXACT SAME concept works for semi-formal day wear articles this is Not related to that in any ways. Look at any of the semi-formal pictures to glance at the theme of darker solid jacket paired up with a lighter patterned trousers. This brings up another point as well which is mere substitution of a dark solid jacket with lighter patterned trousers does not necessarily makes for a formal ensemble as depicted in this sea shore illustration.

Your 4 basic odd combinations are as follows.

1. Dark patterned jacket with solid light-colored pants
2. Dark solid jacket with patterned light-colored pants
3. Light solid jacket with dark-colored patterned pants
4. Light patterned jacket with dark-colored solid pants

Now out of these four No. 1 & 4 is most often deployed, the others 2 & 3 while being perfectly correct are extremely rare & take a careful study of pattern / color matching skills. To see the concepts of 3 & 4 discussed in detail please see the following post.

Vol. I No. II (March 05') AA / Esky

But back to the first two concepts… the first one is the most common one readily used and hence no need to discuss that any further. The second one is the one depicted in this illustration above. You can take this ensemble to a further level by wearing this exact outfit with a patch-pocketed blue jacket (NOT with metal buttons). If you can visualize that you will realize quickly that it is indeed a smart combo. Other rare but tasteful combination would be to pair these shepherd checked trousers with light grey DB flannel jacket. Personally, that would be my favorite if I can execute that is that very light grey shade… it will not only go well with the trousers but supremely well with the white buck shoes also.
This is an important pattern matching combination that ins not encouraged by many these days. If you understand the reasoning behind this & like the idea… I recommend that you test it out to see if it “works” for you.

THIS BLACK AND WHITE CHECK MAY BE USED FOR EITHER JACKET OR SLACKS

The effect that is obtained by combining the Havana brown gabardine jacket with black and white shepherd check slacks of Saxony worsted flannel is extremely good looking, as the Fellows drawing on the opposite page eloquently testifies. It should be borne in mind, however, that this combination is equally effective when “reverse English” is applied using the black and vvhite check for the jacket and the Havana brown gabardine for the slacks. In this case, however, the jacket ought to be of single breasted cut. This takes away some of-the nautical flavor and makes it primarily a spectator sports or country wear costume. Both combinations are correct.

OTHER ACCESSORIES CONTRIBUTE TO AN AIR OF COOLNESS AND COMFORT

The dark colors that are now so popular in shirtings do not look particularly cool, but an open, semi-porous weave makes them so. And a rough texture shirting is especially smart. The plain white buck shoe without toecap but with a good heavy red rubber sole and heel is ideal for this costume, since it is at its best when worn with other than white clothing.

One article that I have been meaning to discuss in these posts for a while now is the genuine old-fashioned tennis blazer with contrasting trimmings. This is a time honored jacket that must be a part of every well-rounded (esp. athletic) gentleman. From summer 33’



This is the type of the garment that younger people can flaunt much more efficiently than the older. Mainly because it is athletic or mainly because its only remaining connotation left is that of the “preppy” culture… at least in US that is… nevertheless it is an attractive garment done right. However, the problem is that this is one of those things that is unlikely to be on most people “to-be-commissioned” garments list. Hence, that leaves the door open for RTW. In the good old days the French firm of Lacoste used to make some nice tennis blazers in various colors and assortments. However, I don’t suspect they do it any more… maybe in France it is a bit different than in US but I doubt that also.

In the older days this used to be the correct type of a jacket that you could wear for morning breakfast while at a resort setting. These days, however, you can take them wherever you please…anywhere where tennis shoes are permitted, which is to say 95% of the places in America without causing much ire.

It is an unwritten law of tournament tennis that the players costumes present an unbroken expanse of pure white, while on the court. As a result, tennis fashions, at least for actual play, vary only, from season to season, in details of material and design. The short sleeved pullover type of tennis shirt is now considered smarter (and is certainly much more practical) than the ordinary coat style shirt. And tennis trousers of white flannel, or that fine weave known as cricket cloth, are preferable to the somewhat more plebian white ducks. Otherwise, the tennis costume is as tradition bound as the etiquette of the game. But off the courts, the blazer and the silk or terry cloth muffler can make up, with a vengeance, for the colorlessness of the on-court attire. Big Bill Tilden’s best tennis days are indubitably over, but his heavy cable stitch sweater, with the ornamented deep V neck, still goes marching on. The blazer is usually ornamental with the player’s initial, club or school crest on the pocket.

THE SHORT SLEEVED MESH SHIRT IS A PRACTICAL ALL AROUND SPORTS FASHION

Men whose only game is tennis will want to stick to white, in buying the pull-over type of mesh shirt that is sketched on the opposite page. But those who also go in for golf, fishing and other active outdoor sports, will welcome the variety that is offered by the different pastel shades in which this type of shirt is now being made up. These shirts let the body breathe they don’t cling or get clammy as the ordinary shirting is so apt to do in the course of strenuous exercise.

TILDEN’S TENNIS SWEATER WAS AN ENGHSH FASHION HE MADE HIS OWN

The cable stitch sweater, with the ornamented deep V neck, which everybody knows and recognizes today as “Tilden’s sweater” was not actually originated by him, but was an established English sports fashion, upon which the mark of his personality was so strong as to make it seem his own creation. But regardless of who started it, the fact remains that it is at once the most practical and perhaps the most handsome of all tennis sweaters and that it will doubtless be recognized as such after Tilden has put his rackets away in the press for the last time. The color choices vary, of course.

THE TENNIS JACKET IS STILL CALLED A BLAZER THOUGH THE BLAZER STRIPES ARE GONE

The tennis blazer nowadays is almost invariably a plain color cloth, preferably bound in contrast to the color of the body of the jacket, the two colors thus used usually representing the colors of club or school. Some tennis teams still adhere, simply because of tradition established lone ago, to rather wild zebra effects, but in general these are pretty completely outmoded. Usually where the wearer represents a definite organization the crest or seal of that organization is embroidered on the breast pocket. Unattached prayers, however, may with perfect propriety wear their own initials in this place.

THERE ARE SMALL ACCESSORIES, TOO, THAT ARE LARGE IN THEIR IMPORTANCE

Experienced players wear ankle length tennis socks, in place of the usual half socks, having come to realize that it is important to have the legs left bare as it is to have feet well cushioned. The tennis muffler is another small item but one that has a large bearing upon one’s comfort.

Okay, next we will observe two suits that are so rare that on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the solid navy / gray) they would score at least a 9. The first one is from fall of 33’



For no good reason, except that matters of fashion seldom run along the line of logical reasoning, this suit of black and gray checks, that once would have yelled “racetrack” to the discerning, now basks in the sunlight of fashionable favor. It is not by accident, either, that it is pictured on an older man, because age has proved no barrier to the invasion of the mode for business and town wear by fabrics that were once considered suitable only for country and sports clothes. Note, however, that the out-doorish aspect of the cloth does not necessarily imply a similar informality in the accessories. The carnation of Harvard red, the laundered collar and the off white gloves once these would have been regarded as the apex of incongruity, as running mates for a rough finished checked suiting. And that’s as good a way as any to account for the feat that they are now calmly accepted, even by oldsters, as the last word. The topcoat, too, falls in line with the big parade toward soft handling rough textures, but does it, so to speak, with fingers crossed, because its outward conformity to this trend is only a mask for an inward adherence to the practical demand for longer wear than the soft fabrics can give. Its back is a sturdy hard-wearing worsted, although the outer surface is a soft handling cassimere. Topcoats get such a deal of knocking around that this compromise between the fashionable and the practical would seem to be very –well advised. Horizontal ribbing, instead of the usual vertical, gives a new quirk to plain colored shirts, and the combination of satin and basket weave stripes does the same thing for rep neckties. Appenzell initialed handkerchiefs are good.

a few things worth mentioning here. Take note of what they say about the suit pictured on an older gent. Even to this date I still think this is one of those thing that is better suited to older gentlemen, not that younger can’t wear it… but there has to be caution. 7 decades have passed by since it was presented and still even today it is unimaginable to wear this type of thing to almost ANY business setting in US or abroad. Fascinating isn’t it? Despite all the changes and the overall degradation there are still some articles that are un-wearable even after all this time. Heck, I will go forward and say that it is harder to wear now then it was back then even in a country / resort type of setting (exception being of UK). And you will ask yourself, I wonder what is causing this phenomenon? The answer to that will be “Boldness of Pattern”. Which actually brings forth another very interesting question.

When you gentlemen think of boldness, do you think in terms of pattern or boldness in terms of color?

If you observe carefully you will realize that back in that era there was very little to no boldness of pattern, whenever they thought of something bold, “out-there” it was usually in terms of color or cut (but we are not discussing cut / style). Back then there were patterns that you won’t switch from country to city but apart from that stripes / checks plaids were all there and boldness was usually in color… especially in accessories where a flash of color was considered very dashing our out-going. We live in a very pattern-less age where everything more and more is becoming solid especially for men.

This is a very broad topic that is best saved for another discussion but I thought of at least mentioning it here.

Next we have a suit that is a 10 in terms of rarity scale. This is from 39’



In here we are only concerned with the gent on the extreme right in a DB suit. Excuse the rusty illustration as this is from a badly damaged book.

What do you say? When was the last time you saw a DB houndstooth suit (in UK or anywhere else)? Exactly! This here is about as rare as they get. Now, it is unlikely that you already own a suit of houndstooth or shepherd check variety… if you do, kudos to you and pat your self on the back. However, as with most, if you don’t… & are ever interested in getting one than my advice would be for the single breasted version of this picture in the pervious sketch. Young or old does not matter… the styling of the suit is an issue here. DB is a metropolitan cut & this pattern is about as far removed from city as outskirts of Scotland from city of London. If you want to create something truly special then go for DB… it will be a stunning suit if you can wear it comfortably (not getting self conscious). Note that in both cases (DB & 3-pc) the fabrics are black & white and do NOT carry any other colored over plaid of the sort. Neither of these suits is the multi-colored gun-club check.

In either of these models make sure that the size of the check is small to medium but definitely not large. It is hard enough as it is and you don’t want the scale of the pattern to cause you any further obstacles. Bear in mind that this is not a plaid where alternating the scale of pattern will have a direct effect on your visual element. This is a small check and no matter how large it gets it still will be small… at least when compared to a glen plaid. Best fabrics are Saxony, and other soft-rough finished fabrics (No. 2 in the list described above). Oh & BTW his shirt is light blue broadcloth (looks very grey to me), navy blue tie with gold clasp & semi-sports light green hat with narrow silk band.

Please don’t wear a green hat with a DB houndstooth checked suit these days… unless…

That should take care of the illustrations for this post

END OF SECTION III OF THIS POST

START OF SECTION IV OF THIS POST

Here is a neat article about wardrobe manners or more exactly how to properly take care of your clothes. This is a pure fun read as you can compare some of the things that were considered important back then with the way we do things these days.

From summer 35’

WARDROBE MANNERS

How a man treats his clothes, after you have sold them to him, is his own business but it won’t hurt him (or you) knows how to manage that business with dispatch

Those men who have acquired a reputation for smart appearance and whose clothes invariably give an impression of good grooming do not achieve that enviable state of near perfection by accident. It is true that their attire may express an effect of non- chalance, but no one need be fooled by that. Such an effect is more than likely to be the result of a studied carelessness in dress, which is a direct outgrowth of the axiom that “a man should take two hours to dress and look as if he took ten minutes.”

While the fashion tendency is to steer clear of specific rules and regulations, there are nevertheless certain, principles as applied to the care of –the wardrobe which any man must observe if he would score par in smart appearance. First of all, he must wear correct clothes, well styled and of good quality and construction. Secondly, he must dress for the occasion. And third, he must take scrupulous care of his clothes.

It is with the third principle that this article is concerned. The first and second points have always received their due measure of attention in these pages, but the question of taking care of one’s clothes is certainly worthy of at least minimum consideration. It is a point most frequently overlooked by the average man and yet one which he will find the easiest to follow and the most productive in contributing to his appearance.

The proper care of clothing is frequently a matter of personal preferences and habits. Fundamentally, however, there are many things which, no matter how simple, should not be neglected by anyone. When these basic rules are followed by someone who has previously disregarded them, the results are apt to be surprising. The valet seen in the illustrations on this and the opposite page is purely a figure of speech. The average man of moderate circumstances does not need a valet nor must he expend a great deal of time to be well groomed. All that is required is that he know how to take care of his clothes and devote a few minutes of his time each day in the application of this knowledge.

Beginning at the top of the ensemble, the first point relates to the proper care of hats. Hats should be placed on a shelf above the clothing in a wardrobe closet or in any other closet with a shelf on top within convenient reach. To retain the appearance and original shape of felt hats and derbies, they should be placed on the shelf in an upside down position with the hat resting on the crown and one side of the brim. Opera hats should always be placed in a box and left “sprung” (open), resting flat on the crown. Silk top hats should be accorded the same treatment. A sennit straw hat should rest on its brim and a panama should be placed in the same position preferably in a box. If a sennit straw is kept from one season to another, it is best to put it in a card- board hat box and to wrap the box in camphorated tar paper in order to preserve the color of the hat.

Felt hats should be brushed regularly before and after wearing, while silk opera hats should also be brushed regularly but with a softer brush. It is best to go over silk top hats with a velvet pad, but if the top hat has been exposed to the rain it becomes necessary to have it ironed. This operation, incidentally, is simple enough to perform at home with a small hat iron. When silk top hats are ironed the felt pad should be moistened with gasoline before ironing. Soft felt hats should be cleaned and blocked when necessary. Caps should be kept in a flat position in a cardboard hat box, while tweed hats should likewise be kept in a box since they easily collect dust.

With respect to sack dress, particular care should be exercised in the choice of hangers for the jacket and trousers of suits for business and lounge wear. The best hanger “is one of the wishbone type with an attachment for hanging trousers by the cuffs. When suspended from the cuff, the full weight of the trousers is brought to bear in retaining an unbroken crease down the leg. Hangers of the wishbone type, however, are not always available and those having a bar in the center over which the trousers may be folded are practical. Odd trousers and flannels should be held in place by small trouser hangers, suspended from the cuff, as shown in the illustration of the clothing rack. It is desirable that there be a felt pad inside the wooden clasp in order to avoid as far as possible any wrinkling of the trouser cuffs.

Suits should be brushed regularly both before wearing and before hanging away, and for this purpose a whisk broom is preferable to the ordinary clothes brush. Contrary to general opinion, too frequent pressings should be avoided for the sake of preserving the vitality of the material. When pressing becomes necessary, steam-pressing is best, since it does not produce a shine. For cleaning, which should be done only when necessary or at the time when the suit is laid away for a period, gasoline or benzene may be used effectively. A suit which is to be laid away should first be dry cleaned and then pressed before wearing.

Outer coats may be accorded the same treatment as suits, but for coats with velvet collars the velvet should be steamed and pressed on a special silver board devised for the purpose. Flannel trousers of fine materials, such as doeskin, may be washed; but other flannels, even cricket cloth must be dry cleaned. Odd jackets of tweed, flannel or gabardine and golfing clothes require the same treatment as sack and dress clothes. Golfing knickers which are correctly pressed never have the crease in the front but at the side.

Formal clothing demands the most exacting attention and care of all. With the exception of silk trim, however, the treatment is the same as that for business clothes. Formal clothes should be brushed regularly with a whisk broom before wearing and before hanging away. Again, they should not be pressed too frequently nor they should be cleaned except when necessary. A hot iron should never be applied to the surface of a silk facings, but the pressing may be accomplished by ironing the reverse side of the material.

Accessories of sack dress should be accorded attention second to that which is devoted to the suits themselves. A practical plan is to maintain a special drawer for shirts, with the shirts arranged in respective stacks of soft shirts, starched and pleated bosom shirts and dress shirts. The shirts should be piled into alternating position so that, in each case, the collar or neckband of a shirt is at the opposite end of shirt on top of it. Soft collared shirts, incidentally, should be, laundered soft, reserving the starch for regular starched collars only.

Another simple and practical arrangement is provided by utilizing three separate drawers above the shirt compartment, one to hold starched collars and separate soft collars, one to hold handkerchiefs, and third to hold such accessories as collar pins, collar buttons, key-chains and similar incidental articles. In a systematic arrangement the compartment under the one devoted to shirts might well be reserved for pajamas and underwear, with pajamas in one stack and the underwear in another.

The drawer underneath the compartment used for underwear and pajamas might conveniently be devoted to hosiery with belts and suspenders kept in the same drawer. The same systematic procedure used in storing apparel in the home should be applied in the packing of a suitcase, not so much in this instance for the sake of convenience as to preserve the press of suits and to avoid crushing smaller articles of apparel. Most men pride themselves on their expert ability to pack a suitcase, particularly the knack of squeezing a great deal of clothing into a small space. But one point to bear in mind is that, in packing, clothes should always be put in the bottom of the suitcase with lighter articles, such as underwear, shirts and neckties, at the top.

Few men have so extensive a wardrobe that they are apt to forget the various articles of apparel of which it is composed. Yet the matter of remembering which article has been laundered last is another question, and this brings up a point in the storing of clothes which has a direct bearing on the amount of wear which an individual derives from his garments. After shirts, underwear and pajamas have been laundered, they should be placed at the bottom of their respective stacks so that one will always wear them in order. Thus, more wear will be derived from the articles of apparel in question and the extent of wear will be spread over the entire wardrobe in logical succession rather than haphazardly allowing a few articles’ to bear the brunt of the burden. The device suggested here, that of placing freshly laundered articles at the bottom of the stack, makes this logical succession automatic instead of leaving it to the vagaries of uncertain memory.

With respect to the proper care of neckwear, ties should be placed on a rack on the inside of the wardrobe closet door. The best arrangement is perhaps that provided by a double rack, the lower rack extending beyond the one above. In this manner, ties may be arranged in order and are always in full view, allowing the wearer a selection at a moment’s glance. Ties should be steamed and pressed at regular intervals; the proper method of pressing a tie is to brush it lightly against the surface of an upturned iron. In that way there is little danger of bringing such pressure to bear on the tie that the under seam makes a cross down the center of the front.

Not the least important element in a well-ordered wardrobe ;ire the shoes. They may conveniently be arranged in the bottom of a closet on two shelves, placed at an angle with a thin strip of wood at the top to allow the shoes to rest in place by supporting them at the heels. All shoes and boots should be kept on trees when not in use, and shoes should be polished every time they are worn.

Brown shoes may effectively be polished with Probert’s Royal Navy dressing of red mahogany color which preserves the leather and gives it a rich dark hue. Black shoes should be cleaned with a white Meltonian cream in order to keep them well preserved and highly polished. Brown suede shoes should be brushed regularly with a small wire brush. Trimmings of calf on white sport shoes may be cleaned in the same manner as leather of a similar color on black or brown shoes. A white liquid preparation is best for white buckskin shoes, regardless of whether a flat white or a polished surface is desired. The polished surface may easily be achieved, after the application of the liquid preparation, by rubbing with a soft clean rag. A neat and stylish touch may be effected with white buckskin shoes by varnishing or enameling the soles black. The same touch may be applied to brown buckskin shoes.

Not every man rides, but the number of those who do is rapidly increasing and for those who have just taken up the sport, not to mention those equestrians of long standing who have never devoted much attention to the proper care of their riding apparel, a word or two about the care of boots is very much apropos. As a matter of fact, the correct treatment to be accorded boots perhaps comes closer to approaching a fine art, if that phrase can be used in this connection, than is the case with any other article of apparel. After riding, boots should be rubbed well with saddle soap and left to stand with trees in them for at least twenty- four hours. They should then be brushed with a soft brush and polished with white Meltonian cream. This treatment will age the leather beautifully and will result in the much- desired coloring which is an important part of the appearance of a good pair of riding boots.

Incidentally, while on the subject of the proper treatment of shoes, it should be mentioned that patent leather shoes should be polished by rubbing with a cloth of soft flannel or similar material. Occasionally, the smallest touch of Vaseline should be applied to the shoes, after which they should be rubbed with a soft rag.

In the end… go over this slowly with one thing at time. Try to understand the original manner in which these things were presented so that you are able to incorporate them into your daily life with some modification or exactly.

This should be sufficient for your reading pleasure…

Regards
etutee

END OF SECTION IV OF THIS POST

Obviously I have not had time to read this (it just went up, it seems) but I will get right to it. I feel safe in conveying my praise now, because I have no doubt that it will be (as ever) superb.

Some of the illustrations above appear to depict plain-tip oxfords with morning dress. Until recently, I had always thought that this was the most correct option for daytime formal and semi-formal. Manton's article on the subject brought that view into question. In researching the subject, I couldn't find a definitive answer: although some illustrations clearly show toe-caps, others are unclear; while the text is likewise opaque. I no longer doubt that toe-caps are correct, but are plain oxfords (not necessarily wholecuts) also an option?

Stephen

As always, excellent work! The Lounge owes you a real debt of gratitude for this exhaustive work.

I must have a bit of flash taste that seeks to show itself; the two ensembles I liked best were the sharskin and the older gent's black and white checked suit. Tasteful sobriety hasn't finished me off yet!

masterfred wrote:As always, excellent work! The Lounge owes you a real debt of gratitude for this exhaustive work.!

I couldn't agree more. Thank you Etutee. We should throw you a party of some sort.

Thanks Etutee for another wonderful collection of sumptuous pictures and pearls of wisdom. I haven't seen the ideas of rough and smooth covered so well, and the various unusual outfits provide a great way of appreciating the loose boundaries of convention. I like the DB houndstooth most of all, although I know there will only be about a week in August at the age of 48 when I'd be able to pull it off. So sad. But so cool.

Now I go back to read it again, and try to understand how they make a champagne shirt look so appealing...

Tutee, three of the pics are not coming through for me. Has something gone wrong with the hosting, or is the problem at my end?

manton wrote:Tutee, three of the pics are not coming through for me. Has something gone wrong with the hosting, or is the problem at my end?

hmmm... everything appears to fine from my end. Which ones are you having problem with? Imageshack was acting unsual yesterday so that could be it... but like I said when I am looking at it.... all of them are there.

let me know & I will send them to you
etutee

Etutee,

Magic in every post! Loved the herringbones.

Thank you again for your obvious efforts in compiling these wonderful monographs.

There is such a dearth of cloth for formal trousers. Anyone else interested in a Cloth Club project for some checked cheviot?

Etutee, you've outdone yourself again. Thank you for your Easter gift, but you're really the one that deserves a large heavy golden Easter Egg.

You keep hinting about not wearing a green hat. I can't help wondering if Chinese culture is very familiar to you!

I was impressed by the sidewards pointing wings of the wing collar in the drawing found in your post as shown below:-



and will be using it for my upcoming formal shirt project.

I had no idea there were so many possiblities for formal and semi-formal day dress; your post definitely surpasses the tastiness of any chocolate Easter Egg found in this World.

Thank you Etutee - superflous though superlatives may be, I simply have to say that was indeed wonderful.

I was still secretly hoping that frock coats might manage to get a mention - alas my hopes were dashed!