Before we start onto our fall series, I though about doing something on the side track. I decided to do a quick “little” post on arguably the most influential man...(at least from 20th century)… where sartorial matters are concerned; The Duke of Windsor. You will notice that I wrote “little” in quotations because…even though it is probably the most detailed post I have written, it is quite small when discussing a topic as broad as Duke’s sartorial influences. I have tried to present many accurate commentaries from the actual era rather than the ones that were written decades later in recent years. Primary reason being that there is a lot of misinformation out there and many little details are never mentioned, which were also attributed or credited if you may…to him.
As always what is presented here is not merely for the sake of exact copying (although you may without anyone ever hardly complaining) but for the sake of helping you establish fresh ideas in innovative new ways, just as some of these people were doing about 75 to 80 years ago. As long as the current business lounge suit model holds, this, what is presented below will be relevant. Of course, the day current business model dies most of this naturally, will become rather irrelevant. But till that day comes…read on in the best of your health. You will read about many (hopefully) interesting things, some of the text I have selected is one of those rare ones where actual specifications and weights are listed. All of this is to help accompany the subject as much as possible.
This is post is about David, also known as Prince of Wales (1910-1936), Edward VIII (1936), and then Duke of Windsor (1936-1972), a man who during some 16 years from 1920 to 1936 had no peers in fashion world. From Fred Astaire to Adolphe Menjou & all the other well known sartorial giants of the era were at least somewhat impressed by his ability in sartorial matters…Never mind his political views or his political abilities. This is a forum about sartorial matters, NOT politics and let’s keep it that way.
Remember that 80% of his fame came during his travels around the globe as Prince of Wales especially from 1920 to 1935. Then some 10% when he was Edward VIII, and then remaining from his later days as Duke of Windsor. Once the apparel retail industry realized him as someone whose image was marketable there was no ending to his fame as a fashion arbiter & innovator. Much of this push form the industry came after 1929 stock market crash and during the worst days of depression. He was used thoroughly as a poster boy during the days of hardship, when the retail industry dealt with public that by this time, had clearly separated the items that were indeed appropriate and sort of “needed” apart from the "wants" of days gone by. 1920s had its share of extravagances that simply were not feasible in early 30s, so during the depression public reverted to the basic “need” rather than “want”. Now of course there was some grey area in between as not all purchases during 20s were “wants” and not all in 30s were that purely dictated by “needs”. So great was his influence that at his abdication in December 1936 the esteemed British apparel magazine; The Tailor and Cutter wrote:
Our King is gone, and with him a mixture of esteem and love.
with that in mind…let us start.
All in italics is from original text rest is my commentary. Click on the links to view the pictures. Note that many of them can be zoomed in, if you pc screen resolution is small.
This is from AA spring of 33’. The title is “Beau of our Times”
Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David- whose whims in matters of dress, though often unorthodox, are almost always influential—from Whitehall to Harlem
“If there were no God,” said Voltaire some little time before he embraced Catholicism, “it would be necessary to invent Him.” Today the apparel industry echoes with religious fervor, “If there were no Prince of Wales, it would be necessary to invent him.” The National Association of Clothiers and Furnishers, during their meeting in Atlantic City in February of 1932, unanimously agreed that, of all the men in the world, England’s gallant Edward Albert alone deserved the title “Beau Brummel.” The one other male, it was naively recorded, who approached the Prince even remotely in the matter of influence was insouciant Mayor James Walker. And their report neglected to state whether the power exerted by this blithe individual should be praised as beneficial or condemned as corrupting and evil because of its jazzy sausage-causing lines and Broadway eccentricities.
It was the Prince who brought the derby—or, as the English would say, the bowler—back to popularity after the War. Appearing in a bowler, he brought the reign of the soft hat to a sudden and timely end: derby sales in Piccadilly doubled overnight.
It was the Prince who, when he donned a brilliantly hued Fair Isle Sweater knitted for him in the Shetlands, led the weavers of that locale out of the darkness into international limelight. Though he wore the sensational sweater for only a single hour on the links at St. Andrews, Shetland weaving trade jumped over a million dollars a year. University undergraduates at Nebraska and Illinois subscribed, without a second thought, to monastic diets to corral funds enabling the purchase of these rather gaudy pullovers.
It was the Prince who, at Le Touquet, golfed in black and white plus fours, bright blue shirt, and a salmon pink sleeveless jumper…sent outfitters scurrying madly. That very night an airplane, loaded with salmon pink jumpers, nosed out of London for Paris.
It was the Princely predilection for pith helmets that caused Rio de Janeiro shops to move 5000 of them in short order during his Brazilian visit…a Princely sojourn in Buenos Aires that caused local clothiers to market more evening clothes in one week than ordinarily they sell in a year.
So rigorous in fact is this Walesian influence that it is fascinating to conjecture just how far his followers would go. Until Edward Albert vetoed the custom, it was considered de rigueur to wear gloves with formal evening dress. Once when the Heir Apparent rose with a cigarette between his lips, everyone thought the move signaled the introduction of a modern fashion. But it was merely an oversight: the Prince apologized, and males relinquished the prerogative of shrouding their dancing partners in tobacco some to Apache exponents.
But when Prince walked down the gangplank on his return from South America sporting a boater, London haberdashers, caught completely off guard, sent frenzied wires to wondering suppliers demanding posthaste delivery of stiff straws.
H.R.H. initiated the combination of the white waistcoat, and though Alfonso, formerly King of Spain, is accredited with its creation, the double breasted dinner jacket worn over a soft shirt constituted no fashion actuality until Wales took it up.
He made of every Parisian florist a devoted slave by wearing a boutonniere, a deep red carnation (a whimsy in keeping with gay night club peregrinations) to add a suitable fillip to informal evening dress.
When in 1924 all America favored the narrow brim hat turned up all the way round, Edward of Wales’ wide brim snapped down…shaded his royal eyes from the sun as he witnessed the International Polo matches at Meadowbrook. The American fashion pendulum reversed its direction the moment he took his place among the spectators: within a year narrow brims had become museum pieces.
On the memorable visit in ’24 his repeated choice of a red and blue Guards stripe necktie worn always with a blue shirt sent this fashion quirk from his own solitary perch on its apex downwards through the stratas of the fashion pyramid to the broad base made up of the cut-price customers of Lennox Avenue.
H.R.H. may be held responsible for the second to last revival of Glen Urquhart Plaid clothing. By favoring double breasted suits in chalk stripes over a blue flannel ground, he sent woolen designers into epoch—making conferences. The most important note in London Spring woolens is provided by flannels with chalk stripes…reddish Havana brown with white chalk stripes…grey flannels in many tones with pale blue chalk stripes. Edward Albert revolutionized the fur coat, transformed it from an unsightly amorphous thing into well—cut garment with as much swagger and smart good look as any form fitting cloth contemporary. He even set the style for the Boy Scouts by appearing, after the War, in shorts.
Today retailers can thank the Prince for the popularity of the hacking scarf, the backless dress waistcoat, the wide spread collar with its accompanying big knot necktie, the tab—collar shirt, and the polka dot foulard muffler. The fact that he is at present favoring a cap (of his own introduction) with one piece top sewn on to the brim in patterns of bold brown and white hound’s tooth check, and in his own Rothsey plaid…that he wears flannel shirts, cream colored ground with Tattersall pattern checks of yellow and black, blue and black, and brown and yellow…and that his fur trimmed coat flaunts a black Persian lamb collar…carries as much weight with acute members of the apparel industry (from manufacturers to retailers) as do car loading figures to Stock Market Statisticians. It has become an automatic procedure for manufacturers to “put the Prince into their line.” It has become axiomatic for clothiers’ salesmen from the finest metropolitan shop down to the street hawker who vends his wares with a weather eye peeled for the cop on the corner—to use as a weighty closing argument: “The Prince of Wales is wearing it.”
…On every selling trip this royal traveling salesman has been dogged by newsreel photographers and reporters. His moments of privacy, out of eye—shot of the entire civilized world, are few and far between. Of consequence, as prime ambassador of the Empire, it is absolutely vital that he should appear—at all times royal…in manner…in attire.
Now good taste in selecting clothes is not an invariable adjunct to royal blood. King Edward, for all his reputation for bonhomerie, leaned toward bizarre in dress…London will never forget his trousers, creased at the sides. Today Queen Mary’s hats have given many a Paris couturier the migraine. And though David has exhibited his impatience with convention by appearing in a dinner jacket with a pullover sweater for a waistcoat,* and is rumored to have donned (at view of the London Police in Hyde Park) with formal black coat and silk topper, a pair of rough tweed trousers with rolled cuffs, ** his natural interest in detail usually makes him the best turned out man in an assemblage.
*This is confirmed through various sources…no doubt about it. This act was abhorred by Tailor & Cutter magazine, which was stricter in rules and regulations than AA / Esky. One prime example where merely following anyone blindly, may lead to utter ridicule and can be of dire consequences. No matter who ever tried something like this, I would highly discourage against such a practice. Actually, it may have been one of the instances where the Duke himself realized that he went a little too far…as he certainly didn’t made a habit out of it.
*This is of course as they said is “rumored”. The practice of wearing crash-tweed trousers with formal daywear was often observed throughout 30s, especially on race courses. Whether it was started by the Duke is tough to say. However, as with many things he certainly may have helped popularizing it. Now this other business of “rolled cuffs” is different. Firstly, keep in mind that they said “rolled” which suggests the natural turn-up or a cuff that is merely formed by folding up straight hem pants; a common practice in the 20s and 30s…especially on pants with heavier cloth. Now, if the duke indeed rolled up his pants that certainly suggests that at least they were cut properly by the tailors (i.e. straight / plain hem). This practice (of rolling up ones formal day pants) is also not well advised, as formal pants are never to carry cuffs…especially with morning coats. Strollers (semi-formal day wear) are different. In certain conditions they (strollers) can take the cuffed pants. This is rather complex and is dictated by the occasion and other extremely finer details. It will take a long time and I will only attend to it…if somebody specifically asks for it. For all other intents and purposes, just remember that no cuffs on formal pants.
It may be true that he appeared at a luncheon given in his honor in Copenhagen on the occasion of the opening of the British Trade Convention in a cutaway coat with a soft collar, but as a rule his sense of responsibility throttles these youthful uprisings in the face of tradition. He may be interested in countless affairs from aviation to socialism, from re-forestation problems to welfare of England’s unemployed, but he still finds time to select his own clothes. And he has a fine flair for pattern, color and cut. In fact, while examining swatches, he may even say, “I like this, but I would like to see it with a yellow over plaid.” The tailor passes this information to the mills: “His Royal Highness likes this piece, but wishes to see it with a yellow over plaid.” The mill cooperates and the Prince has created a new design.
Only the most deserving firm receives the royal warrant. And though they receive the greatest part of his trade, shops other than those he has honored in this fashion, get some of his business. After a store has served him well for some years and has also earned an enviable record with the Prince’s acquaintances, it is granted the privilege of displaying the crown with the three plumes and the legend “Ich Dien” over the words “By Appointment to H. R. H. The Prince of Wales.” Should the appointed, through some unforeseen catastrophe, fail, the management automatically loses the royal warrant.
The Prince’s wardrobe comprises what may be labeled without fear of refutation, the largest single collection of male attire in the modern world.* There are the ceremonial robes, the accessories to the court dress, the ancient tartans of the Lord of the Isles which H. R. H. wears in Scotland, his Guard’s dress, army and navy uniforms, the magnificent robes prerogative to the title Wales, Boy Scout uniforms, university robes, together with all the accoutrements incidental to formal day and evening, informal and sports wear. Unfortunately the inquisitive reporter cannot gain entrance into the wardrobe chambers of York House to make a detailed accounting of what would be found there. Nor are there extant press agent accounts of its treasures as there might be if Wales were a cinema star. None but the royal valets, who find year round employment caring or the princely habiliments, know just how many hats, and ties, just how many pairs of shoes, just how many overcoats and pairs of gaiters Edward Windsor owns.
* WE know now 75 years later that this is just not true. Actually, see below for further evidence against it. Some of the film stars in Hollywood during the 20s (heyday of economic prosperity) had wardrobes much larger than that of the Duke’s. Actually extravagance is what truly comes to mind when thinking of movie star wardrobes during the “Roaring” 20s. For example Adolphe Menjou’s wardrobe…during the 20s& 30s on any given day would have given the Duke a really hard time. To get an idea of how much of a clothes horse he was, read his autobiographical book; “It took Nine Tailors” published in 1948 I think.
British biographers grow a bit self-conscious when they discuss their Prince’s fame as the well-dressed man. Somehow or another they seem to think this sort of distinction might be interpreted as a slur against his manliness. For example… “He follows his own tastes to a large extent, but a feature of his garments is their masculinity.* …Although the Prince requires the services of two valets, he personally superintends his own wardrobe and regularly inspects his clothes in order to see that they are well preserved and that his stock is not too extensive. He does not believe in purchasing clothes above is ordinary requirements…As a rule H. R. H. has a horror of appearing different from other men, but in the matter of dress he can carry uncommon fashions (before they are imitated) with perfect ease and shows no embarrassment on those occasions when he happens to be dressed differently form his companions. On one occasion when he was attending a banquet with his father and brothers, the Prince of Wales was the only person present who wore a flower in his buttonhole. It would have been an easy matter for him to remove it without notice, but the Prince preferred to follow his own fancy and the blossom graced his lapel throughout the function.”
* This is further discussed (see below) in detail in an excerpt from a report on the Duke, which appeared in Tailor and Cutter Archives & also from a book by Evelyn Graham titled; “EDWARD P. - A NEW AND INTIMATE LIFE STORY OF H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES” 1929.
That the Prince possesses fifty suits is regarded by the biographer a canard—nevertheless, a recent press dispatch from London reveals that when H. R. H. left the capital for a week’s sojourn in the country, his luggage included eight suitcases, two hat cases, and three trunks, all tightly packed. No one has ever accurately reported the impedimenta necessary to a major Walesian journey.
Any competent analysis of the royal wardrobe must take into consideration at the very outset the fact that this charming citizen of the world is ever playing a dual role. For in his official capacity as prime figure in all Court ceremonies, as the Prince of Wales at a garden party at Buckingham Palace, or as the Great Steward of Scotland at some age old function, he is himself dictated to by the potent forces of tradition and convention. On such occasions, as also in the matter of formal and afternoon wear (where the only variations possible affect the placing of the buttons on the jacket sleeve or binding of braid), his dress approximates that which other holders of the title have worn before him. Only when he becomes the diplomat at large and salesman extraordinary has he a genuine opportunity to dictate the fashions in men’s apparel. Even then his choice of clothing may be determined by affairs of state: he wears Irish tweeds in Belfast, Scotch woolens at St. Andrews.
Fashion reporters will tell you that, in reality, clothes to the Prince of Wales are a bore. That he dresses merely for the trade. And that the limelight really belongs to Prince George, and to the Duke of Westmoreland, who is responsible for the recent revivals of both the two--vented jacket and of the Glen Plaid.*
* This is an interesting note. There is certainly some truth to it, as Duke’s brother; Prince George also known as Duke Of Kent was indeed a fashion innovator in his own sense, with many styles and fashions attributed to him. (See the grey check DB illustration below for further comment on this.) Of course once the Duke gained popularity as source of interest for the apparel industry (sometime early 20s)…everyone climbed onto the “bandwagon” and helped boost his popularity even further.
In contradicting these contentions, one refutes the reference to the Prince’s apathy by alluding to the fact that he still sees to it, at times, that one tailor makes his coat, a second, the trousers, and a third, the waistcoat, because H. R. H. feels some experts make certain parts better than others…answers the charge of waning influence by quoting a recent Belfast report which states that on the latest Irish trip hats stores were completely cleaned out of toppers by citizens eager to meet their Prince suitably attired.
First off before we go into other matters, let me discuss the above mentioned aspect of Duke’s wardrobe and how the British Press discussed it as. Below is an excerpt from a thoroughly detailed report written by Evelyn Graham, who wrote the 1929 book on the Duke (back then Prince of Wales). I have the full version of this but sadly it is too long to be discussed here. However, the part discussing is wardrobe is presented here.
…That air of simplicity which the Prince shows in his dealings with his subjects is well borne out in the arrangement and the habits of his home. There is not a room in York House that could be considered luxurious. His bedroom is of the simplest, an ordinary rather narrow wooden bed, two chairs, and a very beautiful but simple old chest of drawers comprise the sole furniture. Two doors lead off from it. One to his bathroom, white—tiled and cheerful, but less luxurious than many an ordinary bathroom in an American hotel. The other door leads to his wardrobe.
Here certainly there is not the simplicity that is such a feature of the rest of the suite. Naturally the Prince of Wales has to possess a very large number of uniforms for use upon official occasions, but that does not by any means account for the whole of his Royal Highness’s wardrobe. For he takes a real and careful interest in clothes as such. Greatly exaggerated stories have been circulated as to the number of lounge suits that his Royal Highness possesses. I myself have seen figures in the Press putting number at several hundred. That, of course is untrue. The Prince would never have time to select several hundred lounge suits, considering the time he takes over selecting even one. But the number of his suits for ordinary wear easily surpasses the twenty mark, and each of them has been carefully chosen and criticized by his Royal Highness in person. And as a reward for this purely altruistic pride and interest in clothes, I suppose it is not unfair to say that the Prince of Wales is generally looked upon as the best dressed young man in the world,* and this reputation has not been without its commercial value to London tailors as a whole.
* We should be well aware of the fact that these days the word “world”, contains more than Europe and North America. Even if limited to the scope of western clothing, it still is not limited by these two continents. However, back then things certainly were different.
This Spartan simplicity about everything in the Prince’s suite, except his wardrobe, is fully borne out in the routine of his daily life when he is in London. His meals are always of the simplest description when he is at home, and even at public banquets it is very noticeable how he avoids any food that is starchy or rich, and restricts himself to small helpings of the simpler dishes of the menu.
Lets start then with some of the looks that were shown in the fashion pages of the time. First and foremost is what can be best described as Duke’s trademark look. The grey DB with chalk stripes and brown buckskin shoes. This below is from summer of 34’
Image 4-16-18 at 19.08 (3) by The London Lounge, on FlickrStarting from the top the hat is a light weight felt in telescope crown with interesting side ventilation holes as shown above, which is undoubtedly an English invention. The suit is a DB in a gray flannel fabric with white chalk stripes that are about three quarters of an inch apart. This is worn here at middle button with bottom on left un-done, which is not typical of the times (20s & 30s). Note that it carries a ticket pocket, which was not something that Duke necessarily preferred on his chalk stripe suits. He did, however, wore them often in country. Jacket is full chested with slim hipped lines, the tapered sleeves and the full width of the trousers which taper slightly at the cuff and carry a bare minimal break. The model shown here is intended to be in a 3-pc version, with its vest left out in the above instance or in summer months. Shirt is blue broadcloth with a medium pointed collar attached, worn with it is a dark blue crepe with white circles. About two and three quarter inches was the recommended length for this type of a collar point, worn above pinned. Shoes are brown buckskin, on a town last (important to note) with black varnished leather soles and heels (Not brown).
If you are a LL member you may also see this DB thread below for more pictures, illustrations and great discussions.
Kent Style DB Thread
Since we are discussing chalk stripes let me mention a thing or two about them. Kindly view the three chalk stripe fabric samples below. Sadly most info on these fabrics is lost, however I have presented the weight where ever it was available.
Move back a few feet from screen to best view them.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.08 (4) by The London Lounge, on Flickr
Image 4-16-18 at 19.09 by The London Lounge, on FlickrAll of these stripes are ¾” to 1” apart. The reason why I have presented them here is for you to study the “fuzzy” or “hairy” nature of these fabrics. This is an absolute Must. You see, these are not to be confused with the stripes that one often finds in RTW market these days. They have a very fuzzy nature and because of that the stripes do not “jump” out at you, unlike some examples seen today. True, they are bold but they are subtle also. It is somewhat tough to explain this phenomenon but if you were to observe them on someone, say from a distance of 15-20 feet you will hardly notice the stripes. Yet when you move closer to the person the stripes become much more prominent and are immensely pleasing to view. There is something subtle about them that is lost when they are converted to super-worsteds. I am not saying that you should not wear stripes in super worsteds, it is just that if the stripes are bold, the super-worsted ones have a tendency to appear “gaudy” much more so than the fuzzy ones. The similar effect is discussed below when discussing plaids.
ON TAIL COAT STYLING AND OTHER EVENING WEAR
Duke of Windsor’s influence on the formal evening wear needs an entire chapter by itself as there is so much that is attributed to him. Nevertheless, I will only touch on few aspects here. To start with this illustration below is from winter 35-36’.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.08 (1) by The London Lounge, on FlickrNote that the tails are both slightly wider and shorter, the waistline is natural and the chest undraped, but cut with an extreme fullness under the arms. The old-fashioned waistline seam is preserved, and the sleeves carry false cuffs. There is no breast pocket…a useful thing to remember. The waistcoat is backless with pique to match the shirt and tie, and carry neither lapel nor points at the bottom. The shirt is a two stud open front model. The wing collar is high and broad wings which extend a bit beyond the ends of the semi-butterfly tie. The wings should always be behind the tie, never at front. Shirt cuff shows about an inch beneath the sleeves. All of these above fashion notes are his doing.
On the gent at the left, observe the overall length of the tails, the slanted hem and the double stripe of the trousers. Note that the shoes are plain toe oxfords.
And here is something unique and as rare as it gets. Read this excerpt from AA winter 32-33’ issue regarding evening clothes.
The best tailors, following the lead of Scholte, the highly successful (and very independent) tailor to the Prince of Wales, are making evening clothes that combine two different weights. The coat of a 15 or 16 oz cloth, the trousers of a 19 or 20 oz. This gives the trousers a nicer hang, permits the coat a more graceful drape.
What do you gents think? I think it is a neat little idea although not quite practical (economically) for evening wear per se. Remember that it means the cloth only varied in weight but not in texture or anything else. So the same type of fabric was created in 2 different weights with one used for jackets and other for trousers. However, can’t you use this same principle for other fields of men’s wear like; Odd trousers and sports jackets or formal day wear? You bet…absolutely you can!
Another interesting invention of Duke’s is the use of blackish buttons on the white-tie waistcoat. This new design below was also popularized by him. From Late Fall 34'
Image 4-16-18 at 19.07 by The London Lounge, on FlickrNote that this is the "w" shaped DB vest and while the design is certainly older than 30s its introduction to white-tie vests is attributed to the Duke. The origin of this is from formal day wear / lounge suit vests in early 20s and even prior to that.
In addition to this style, a cutaway style rounded vest was also his invention. This was the exact same style that Fred Asatire so immensely admired and sought out to have copied by Hawes and Curtis. See the link below to view the cutaway end vest.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.07 (1) by The London Lounge, on FlickrRegarding Duke’s influence on Lounge Suits as recalled later by Esky editors
…British influence. During the twenties and early 30s no man wielded greater fashion influence than the Prince of Wales. For almost two decades he was a source of inspiration and income to menswear manufacturers and retailers on both side of the Atlantic. At the peak of his power his influence was so extraordinary that a wealthy Chicagoan left standing orders with Scholte, the royal tailor at the time, for a duplicate of every suit the Prince had made, His visit to the US in 1923 raised the morale of British trade and aroused the interest of fashion-conscious American men.
Red ties were considered effeminate until the Prince of Wales chose to wear the reddest red tie that he could find. Brown suede shoes were considered vulgar until he wore them. Single handedly, he relieved a depression affecting the Fair Isle, in the Shetland Islands, where he chose to appear on the golf links wearing one of the fine hand—knit sweaters made there. In short order, Fair Isle sweaters were selling in American shops for as much as $35 each. When the Prince turned up at Belmont Park, Long Island, wearing a big Panama hat of a type that had not been seen in the US for a decade, almost overnight the panama hat was back in fashion.
More than any other individual, he made London the men’s fashion capital of the world, and during the prosperous twenties, when increasingly large numbers of affluent Americans traveled abroad, British influence affected the wardrobes of American men as never before.
A new style called the “English look” became prominent in the spring of 1923, was promoted by the more expensive American stores, and reached its peak in the fall of 1924. The suit jacket had broader shoulders and its relatively loose lines draping from the shoulders obliterated the waistline. Lapels measuring 3.5 inches* in width rolled to the top button or just below it. In many models the jackets had no vents.
* It should be noted that here that only the generic model is being discussed here. The lapels on Prince’s DB suits were about 4.75” wide during the 30s and on wards. His jacket lapels were a bit on the narrower side during the 20s…at least when compared to the ones he wore in 30s & 40s.
By the following year this silhouette has assumed a more honestly British character. Retail advertisements that autumn were featuring the English look under varying names. Essentially, however, they were all describing a single breasted suit with broad shoulders, a deep chest, a dandified waist, and snug hips. To the masculine, athletic American this was an attractive look and found instant acceptance. Waist suppression was the chief change, but American manufacturers settled for only moderately dandified waist. The trousers had pleats at the waistband and measured 17.5 inches at the bottoms.
Since we are on the topic of lounge suits here is another one from Fall of 39'. This has Prince of Wales written all over it.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.07 by The London Lounge, on FlickrThis above in the illustration is one of the ever interesting District checks (from Scotland). The pattern is authentic “Red Mohr”, and shown here in a SB 3-pc “paddock model” in which the jacket carries only 2 buttons that are placed higher. Note the position of the bottom button, which is at the waist line, incidentally calculated carefully to give height to the wearer. The trousers are tapered and without cuffs. Worn here with a faint grey broadcloth shirt, starched white collar, and a maroon / deep red pin dotted tie. The color of the flower in the lapel is also deep red, which not only harmonizes with the tie but that of the red over plaid. Hat is a rough finished derby (another of Duke’s favorite) and brown reversed calf shoes with dark grey 6x3 rib wool hose. In the gent’s hand is an umbrella not a walking stick. Note the taper on the sleeve and the fact that they contain 4 buttons. You will remember that the Duke often was spotted in his country state wearing a jacket or complete suit made in the “District Checks”.
Observe the fabric detail below. Kindly see the link provided.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.08 by The London Lounge, on FlickrYou should take note that the Duke himself preferred a 2 button SB model with buttons placed quite a bit apart. However, in Duke’s case the bottom button was a bit lower than the actual waist line of the jacket thereby making it slightly different than the true paddock model. I will present further examples of this tasteful red and grey combination in our next fall series. However, before we proceed let us have a closer look at the hat and the umbrella, which was also popularized by him.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.06 (2) by The London Lounge, on FlickrInteresting little note about the pencils...won't you say?
And of course the hat style which he loved immensely. See the link below. The note about the brim shape is crucial. He usually perfered this in rather rough finishing.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.04 (1) by The London Lounge, on FlickrMoving along...
In the mid-twenties flannel became a markedly popular fabric, in another tribute to the fashion impact of the Prince of Wales, who during his 1923 visit showed a partiality for the DB gray flannel with a white chalk stripe and lapel measuring 3.75 inches in width. Worn with a wide knot tie and a widespread collar to accommodate it, the suit had a bold but well-bred look. The glen urquhart plaid suit, which was to become a great favorite with American men in the 30s, first came into prominence in the US when it was worn by the visiting Prince in a single breasted style,* with a snap brim felt hat and coca brown buckskin shoes that until then a few American men would have thought suitable for wear with a town suit.
* This should be noted that the Duke always preferred to wear the Glen plaid or Prince of Wales check pattern in an SB style with a vest. Many reports indicate that Prince wore DB glen plaid suits also but this was certainly Not true for the 20s and early 30s. Sometime later in 30s he started appearing in DB glen plaid suits but the instances were almost 9 to 1 ratio with 9 being that of the SB suit. I have yet to witness a picture of Duke from 20s or early 30s in true glen plaid DB suit. Now, this is not the same for windowpanes and other checks. He certainly wore them in DB manner and was photographed often in them. His brother; Prince George is actually credited with the introduction of DB plaids more than him.
It is interesting to note that the DB glen plaid suits were never reported (during 30s) from London by the AA / Esky fashion people. London, had the strictest set of rules for any town…preceding well over NY…and such an act would have been abhorred by Londoners. AA / Esky “officially” recognized the glen plaid DB suits for proper town wear in early 40s. Even then, it was not the most advisable thing to do for business wear in London. Actually, glen plaid pattern on an overcoat in DB model appeared more or less first on London streets than the lounge suit version.
So with that note lets have a look at another illustration relevant to the topic at hand. This is from summer of 36’
Image 4-16-18 at 19.05 by The London Lounge, on FlickrNow, this above picture has actually more to do with Duke of Kent than the Duke of Windsor but since he supported this style also and again popularized it even further, there is need for it to be discussed in this post. This is a suit of light grey flannel with white over plaid worn with a wide spread collar shirt of grey Oxford cloth and a tie of blue foulard with white “shower” spots. Note the thicker knot of the tie to accommodate the space between the wide spread of the collar.
Jacket style is authentically that of Duke of Kent* with 4 buttons instead of customary 6. Pockets are jetted here and the hat is sennit straw with blue and white colored band. Shoes are of dark brown calf.
*Duke of Kent also known as Prince of George was Duke of Windsor’s brother and number 5th in their family. He is not to be confused with King George VI, who was also Duke of Windsor’s younger brother (2nd in family).
Over here carefully study the overall effect achieved by harmonizing accessories and the flower in the lapel buttonhole. The tie can be of neatly placed fine dotted variety (actually better than what they suggested)…in the same blue and white colors. Study this illustration along with the Glen-plaid red district check one to learn the effect of proper matching.
Now below is another variation of the same check presented above. This one is from early summer of 35’
Image 4-16-18 at 19.05 (1) by The London Lounge, on FlickrThis is a DB 3-pc suit with a bold blue over plaid, which is cut with a wide flaring effect given by the long sweep of the lapels. Worn with a blue & white checked shirt with a starched white collar and a navy blue and white polka dotted tie. Pocket square is of blue and white foulard that harmonizes but does Not match perfectly with any of the other items. Hat is a city Homburg with black band all around. Gloves are beige chamois or of suede variety. Db jacket here is of 6 buttons with lapel rolled to the bottom button and carry jetted pockets.
For the sake of detail and clarity kindly see the details of the fabric below. This is more closely related to the 2nd DB grey suit with blue over plaid, as it is more square-ish rather than rectangular in appearance
Image 4-16-18 at 19.04 by The London Lounge, on FlickrThere are 3 items of extreme interest in this fabric presented above. First off is the color. This is one of those rare shades of grey that has a ever so slight hint of green in it like Lovat-Grey. The over plaid is of off-white / cream color. It is grey for the most part but upon closer inspection definitely carry green in it. Second most interesting item is the size of the check. This is about 2 7/8” X 2 5/8” in size and the stripe is 5/8 cm thick, which is to say that it is quite bold, large and true to its country roots. Finally its weight and texture. It is a softer tweed from Scotland that can be described close to Shetland in quality. It is about 450 grams and pure “blanket” at that…meaning very warm and “fuzzy” or “hairy”.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.05 (3) by The London Lounge, on FlickrIt should be noted that this effect is best kept within the fuzzy or hairy realm. Part of its beauty comes from the fact that it is indeed a tweed and this pattern will nowhere be nearly as elegant were it to be on a super worsted type fabric.
Influence on sports jackets during the 20s and 30s
The influence of the Prince of Wales, incognito or otherwise, all but defied description. The yellow haired heir to the throne was, with little or no effort at all, the greatest traveling salesman the British menswear industry ever had. His visit to US in 1924 was front-page news, and photographers trailed him from the Long Island estates of America’s wealthiest families, where he lunched with President Calvin Coolidge—with detours to the races at Belmont Park and the polo matches at Meadowbrook. And wherever the Prince traveled, what he wore was a matter of deep interest. Before he had even stepped ashore, he was snapped on the bridge of the S.S. Berengaria, wearing a black and white glen-urquhart jacket and cap, with gray flannel trousers. It was even considered news to report that the only article of jewelry worn by the Prince was a medium size plain gold signet ring worn on the little finger of his left hand.
ON sporty events in 20s
The popularity of the raglan style was enhanced when, in 1929 the Prince of Wales arrived at the Epsom racecourse for the start of the Derby wearing a dark grey worsted raglan. A fashion maverick, he also wore what a Men’s Wear writer described as a
racy flat brimmed tall hat; in other words, he wore that model which one would expect to see with hunting and riding kit, and not the conservative hat which he usually wears in London or with formal clothes.*
* This above is from Men’s Wear (July, 1929)
Fashion innovation was not confined to the Prince, for that day his brother in law, Viscount Lascelles, wore a raglan overcoat of a dark grey covert, and the fashion press remarked that it was unusual to have a double breasted front on a smart raglan coat.
Only a short time after the Prince of Wales appeared at the Derby, prices on The New York Stock Exchange collapsed. It might have been expected that the Crash would threaten the bond that linked the fashion conscious, trend setting American with his British counterpart, but it proved to have just the opposite effect.
No one in this decade was indifferent to the fashion influence of the Prince of Wales, whose name appeared in Esquire with such regularity that in April 1935, the fashion editors simply referred to him as the “P. of W.,” adding
We hope you can’t penetrate this incognito because every month we swear off mentioning his name in these pages again.
Yet it would have been impossible to write of men’s fashions without mentioning him, and the next month Esquire was the first to admit it:
Every third or fourth issue we swear off mentioning the Prince of Wales, getting sicker, if possible, of talking about him than you are of hearing about him. But it seems you can’t keep him out of a discussion of the origin of new fashions as they come along. And the way we feel about these discussions of origin is that it is better for you to hear it from us than from the other boys out on the street corners.
In the fall of 1936, AA devoted a double page spread to what it called “the prince of Wales topcoat,” recounting its adoption by the Prince, which automatically meant its subsequent adoption by his affluent admirers in England and the US:
From Fall of 36 about Raglan sleeved tweed Topcoat
He simply saw the original garment in the window of a retail store in Edinburgh, like it and went inside and bought it. The Prince first wore the coat in London a year ago and others were not slow in taking up this fashion. The coat was originally made up in llama type fabric and it is a short, loose fitting raglan sleeved single breasted fly-front topcoat with a blunt, stubby peak lapel
Here is a picture of it below from Spring of 35'
Image 4-16-18 at 19.06 by The London Lounge, on FlickrThis is rough Scotch tweed with fly front, peaked lapels, raglan shoulders and turned back cuffs. The loose fit is an important feature here. The grey oxford shirt also depicts the Walesian touch in its wide spread collar opening.* The suit is a bluish-grey Cheviot and other details are a Macclesfield striped tie, the narrow flat brim of the derby, the brown suede shoes on a town last, and finally the pale yellow shade of the buckskin gloves. In the picture above you should note the very natural raglan shoulders with loose fitting armhole, the self cuff, the flare at the bottom of the coat, the vertical slash pockets and the short blunt peak lapels.
* The Derby Hat is shown above ( in magnified detail) in a separate illustration. The two other items; brown buck shoes and the wide spread collar are below.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.06 (1) by The London Lounge, on FlickrNote that the shoes have black varnished soles.
Now at the time the Prince of Wales first wore the coat, it was shown in AA and Esky and many younger men, particularly undergraduates at the Eastern universities, adopted this fashion. Since then the garment has gained a much greater measure of acceptance.
The coat seen in the accompanying photograph, worn by a well known American turf man who is considered one of the best dressed men in this country, is identical in model to that worn by Prince of Wales. It too is a single breasted fly front raglan sleeved coat with slash pockets and double breasted lapel.
This garment is especially appropriate for young men, but by no means need it be reserved for university and country wear. It may also be worn in town with a snap brim or derby hat. * Although the garment should be made up in tweeds, since this fabric imparts the desired effect and swagger to the lines of the model, it should be remembered that it is still fashionable to wear tweed or semi-country clothing in town. A recent cable from London states that men of all ages are wearing a similar coat in bold pattern with raglan sleeves, fly front and a double breasted lapel in town as well as in the country.
* This is something that Tailor and Cutter of the day would have never even dared to publish in their pages. London followed grimly strict rules even compared to NY as a metropolis. Even the fashion conscious circle (that had a following) was quite somber when present within the perimeters of London city.
Now for those of you who are detail oriented here are the exact details. For a size 37 (which was the Duke’s size) regular, the coat length was 44.5”; the width of the cuff, 2.5”; the widest part of the lapel, 4.5” and the length of the lapel from tip to first button, 10.5”.
This model has all the characteristics of the true raglan with narrow, natural shoulder, and should come only an inch or tow below the knees.
The suggested fabrics includes a cheviot tweed in a shadow check, a district plaid cheviot in a large, colorful glen-urquhart pattern like the one above called “Red Mohr”, and a large hounds tooth check Harris Tweed.
See the link below for an actual photograph of Duke wearing the same coat.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.05 (2) by The London Lounge, on FlickrThe only difference in here is the absence of fly front as shown in the illustration. The lapel is turned over by Duke...probably to ward-off foul weather...but it is the same lapel alright. Note the under collar fabric and the tweedy checked cap. The cap and the coat need not match perfectly and is actually better if it harmonizes rather than exactly match.
Before we end this little post, kindly observe the fabric swatch below.
Image 4-16-18 at 19.08 (2) by The London Lounge, on FlickrHere is a true hounds-tooth check in rather bold pattern with vivid colors. It has 4 colored over plaid; red, rust, green and light blue. Back ground color is beige / tan like and as such it casts a predominantly brownish color from a distance. It is a rough tweedy fabric that weighs a solid 850 grams and wears like iron. The texture and feel is rather rough and is supposed to be that way. Did anybody mention the word “Drape”?
In the end I hope you learned a thing or two from this post and that is what should matter all. Take whatever you see useful and use it accordingly in today’s world. Do Not copy, you will not get very far but try to understand the whole movement or concept behind it. Read it well because the next series may be a while away.
Hope you like it.
Sincerely
Etutee
