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

[Mark Seitelman]

To Etutee:

Thanks for the excellent pictures and commentary. This is what makes the Lounge special.

To Dopey:

I called the Oxxford Store. I made further inquiry as to whether they could make the coat with the belted back with pleats and swing back that you saw in a vintage line drawing framed on the wall because I recall that they carried a similar coat in both a sports suit and a sportscoat.

The answer is a qualified yes.

They made a similar coat for in-store stock (RTW) a few years ago. Therefore, the pattern should be on file as well as a line drawing. They should be able to make the model MTM. However, I doubt that they could deviate much from the model.

We can explore this first hand at our next meeting on June 2nd at the store.

Since the swing back and belted back are based in part on the Norfolk jacket an excellent candidate for this type of coat would be Leonard Logsdail. Mr. Logsdail also makes hunting clothes.

[stagfoot]

Many thanks. Surprising to see a vest with a DB. Was this common in the thirties?

p.s. I can't get the kent picture to appear for some reason

[Etutee]

p.s. I can't get the kent picture to appear for some reason

Dear stagfoot,
the Kent db picture should be visible now.

I posted a few of these AA/esky illustrations under “Duke of Kent” thread with descriptions. Another one was posted under the “silk suit” thread started by Mr. Seitelman.

The 3rd series is almost ready...it got a bit delayed due to the picture work I did for the duke of Kent DB thread. Those Astaire DB pics (clear ones) were really hard to obtain.

sincerely
etutee

[stagfoot]

Thanks once again Etutee, it's all much appreciated.

[Mark Seitelman]

To Stagfoot:

Yes, a vest with a DB was fairly common in the 1930's. In the movies of that period you will often see a man with a DB open coat with his hands on his hips with the vest in full display. When the coats have been buttoned, you have to look carefully to see the vest.

I believe that the rationale (indeed, if you could call it a rationale) is that it was improper for a man to show his entire shirtfront since historically a shirt was considered underwear. You would often hear a movie character say "put your coat, ladies are present." In "Double Indemnity" Edward G. Robinson, who appears at a meeting wtihout his coat but with his vest, is admonished by his boss as to the lack of a coat. This convention relaxed during and after WWII when the two piece suit gained greater acceptance.

I believe that the vest went out of fashion for DB during WWII because of cloth restrictions. Furthermore, after WWII, the ex-GI's had a more relaxed attitude in clothing which they caught from their service years. (Dress uniforms are two piece, and the service uniforms of WWII were less formal than the preceding war.)

I have a DB with a vest, and I recall Alan Flusser showing DB with a vest at his old premises at Saks.

Cheers.

[alden]

This post has now been restored as well.

Great work Russell

Cheers