Dear members,
Here is the long awaited next part of the AA / Esky series. This is the MOST detailed of all posts I have done so far (both in illustrations and text). There was a long 4 month wait between this & pervious one… and I hope after reading this part you will feel that it was worth it. Due to my circumstances it is getting harder and harder to maintain with these posts so I am not sure if there will be another one before this year ends or not. Which is why I have focused on this one a lot more. This post was written over the course of 3 odd months and as such is quite detailed. It primarily deals with the broad topics of Out of Town wear, Horse & Hunt, Rainwear, Fall Fabrics & University Clothes.
All of these topics can be separately turned into a post of this length but that is certainly not a good idea (well not for me). There is a HUGE amount of cross-over or overlap between these topics, which is primarily the reason why I have addressed them altogether. This overlap is hardly accidental as you will discover in your reading. So without much delay let us start with the topics.
It is divided into 5 sections. The first one is the most complex of all and involves some of the critical processes involved in cutting. This is a the reminder of where we left of last time. Kindly see the link below to be directed to last post. In there see the Section I for further detail.
Vol. II No. V (June 06) Summer Items
Beginner readers can skip over this section as it deals with some advanced concepts
From 1928-33’ era Tailor & Cutter...
WAIST SUPPRESSION
Waist suppression, or the distribution of width at waist, is not merely a matter of size. Its effect is much more than local. Like so many features in cutting and fitting, it proves that sections are interdependent, and that cutting is a matter of co-ordination. A garment is a sort of organism, each part having some bearing on the others. You cannot isolate a section, or even a principle, that seems to have only a restricted influence. A shoulder is altered and chest, scye, and other parts are changed. You tighten at one place and throw loose- ness at another. That a coat may fit admirably until the sleeves are in has become a cutting-room platitude; a collar may turn a fit into a convulsion!
Therefore, waist suppression has more ramifications than appear on the surface. It affects the blades and the hips, and acutely influences balance. Incorrect distribution of width at waist throws a coat entirely out of gear; a garment may be large enough in actual size and yet not “ meet” in front. Cuts in the forepart, by the way, often make a coat tight-fitting unless an extra allowance has been made. Sometimes shoulders have been carefully adjusted; and yet blades are full, front of scye tight, and shoulders creased, through over-hollowing at waist. The fact is that the waist is a vital point, and too much consideration cannot be given to it At the risk of repetition, it may be said that the upper and lower sections are mutually dependent’; and if they are not cut in harmony with each other, and in unison with the figure, trouble ensues.
Reverting to the question of sizes and suppression: some figures are hollow at back, others are hollow at sides, and others still may recede at front, and yet all may be the same size. From these varieties or inequalities in the hollowness of the figure it will be seen immediately that suppression is dependent on the form of the waist and its relation to other parts of the figure, independently of the actual circumference. To give concrete instances: one may be quite normal in size of waist and yet be fairly flat at back, with either extra hollow at sides, or a receding front waist; or extra hollow at back with a forward front Some men with increased waist measure require just as large suppressions at sides and back as a normal figure. Just as large suppressions at sides and back as a normal figure. Big men sometimes require comparatively large hollowing, while men whose waist girth is normal may need them small. The shaping of the back depends on the attitude of the figure, while that at the side is governed by the form of the waist. To sum up: we come to the axiom that suppression is affected by attitude and form rather than size.
It has been said above that suppression governs balance; but it is also true that balance governs suppression. Over suppression will throw the balance out, but incorrect balance will nullify or modify suppression. As an instance of this, it may be pointed out that the suppression may be quite correct for the figure at the back, and yet, let the back balance be short, and the coat will not fit in to the waist.
It has often been said that the principle on which waist suppression should be based is, to find provision for prominences, to create fullness. This statement or definition is open to argument. As a rule the hips and chest are larger than the waist, it is true; but when cutting a coat it is made large enough at hips and chest and then taken in to fit indentations of waist.
Presuming that you had cut a perfectly straight or loose- fitting sac for a man and then wished to make it close-fitting at waist, you would carve out, shape, and suppress not to find receptacles for prominences and curves, but for fitting into or indenting the hollows. The same thing applies if you cut close-waisted coat to start with.
That to take in or suppress unduly will throw a round or fullness at another place may be admitted, but not that it is the primary object of waist suppression. If you take the case of the suppression between back and side-body, and say that it throws a round over the blades, one may ask whether this could not be done by overlapping the side-body as was done in the old days.
And that brings me to an interesting point. If you look at old systems, such as the “ Old Thirds” which were drafted with closed parts, what is the conclusion to which you are inevitably led ? That the problems of waist suppression, as we understand them to-day, are the outcome of the modem method of drafting coats in the square. If you draft a coat with closed parts it is then merely a question of size and balance.
The following methods of distribution of width have been given in respect to corpulence:
(i) When the waist measure only increases and the chest and seat remain normal, the increase should go to the front.
(ii) When the seat and waist increase proportionately from the normal, the increment should be added at the sides only.
(iii) When the seat only increases half the amount of disproportion at the waist, the increase should be distributed equally at front and sides.
(iv) When the seat only increases and the waist and chest remain normal, the side-body indentation should be reduced and a cut taken out of front waist.
It will be as well to consider the methods adopted in a few systems of dealing with suppression. A well-known method, first published over fifty years ago, was founded on a combination of height and width measures, following Wampen in this respect. The authors direct special attention to the arrangement of the elements of height and width in the system, as governing the depression at waist. This important point is based upon the degree of affinity existing between the two particular quantities of length of waist and size of chest or scale, and varies according to their difference. The waist length must be taken with the greatest care between the collar-bone and the point on a line with the greatest indentation of waist.
To regulate this hollow of waist in the system, the two above- mentioned quantities must be found, and then, by comparison, ascertain the smaller of the two; this is the one always to be used as the standard for finding the exact depression.
In the case of 24” chest and 17” natural waist length, the latter, being the smaller quantity, the twelfth of that1 3/8”, would give the depression. If 16 ½” chest and 18” natural waist, the chest, in this case being the smaller, would be used.
But we may fairly ask: Is this principle a correct one? If you follow it out to its logical conclusion it means, often, that the taller the man the greater the depression, irrespective of the size of waist. Height should not enter into this subject at all.
The old method adopted by Wampen and many others before and since was to take the 30” waist and 36” chest as a standard, or, rather, 6” less waist than chest as a strictly proportionate size. Modem authors have taken 4” less as a proportionate standard, such as 36”, 32”.
It may also be noted that some men have discarded this as a base from which to work. It has been argued that, although these may be the dimensions of a standard figure, the dimensions of a figure are not the mathematical standard. The square is the mathematical standard, therefore the square of the chest or an equality of chest and waist is the real basis or standard of departure. Then one-third of the excess would be placed at side and two-thirds at front.
STRAIGHTNESS AND CROOKEDNESS, OR THE LOCATION OF THE NECK-POINT
There is nothing which has caused so much discussion in the tailoring trade as the position of the neck-front The reason for this is that so many have thought there should be a fixed position which, when found, would solve a number of difficulties. But it may be said at once that it is impossible definitely, rather than approximately, to locate the neck-point.
Geometricians tell us that a point is that which has position but not length, breadth, or thickness; but the unfortunate neck- point has not an assured position, and I’m afraid nothing can be done to give it permanent stabilization. Its position is governed by many factors, and because of varying influences must always remain approximate. If everything could be arranged with mathematical exactitude, there would be less art in tailoring.
The nearest approach to a solution of the problem is by a sweep from the front of scye intersecting a line squared up at a certain position in advance of the front of scye; or of a sweet from the ‘front of scye intersected by another sweep from the centre of front on the chest line the latter having a quantity added sufficient for the working up of the fronts.
If the centre of front is arranged correctly, and, following that, the position of the front of scye by the across-chest or other measure, and the length of front shoulder by the front shoulder measure, then the basis of a good-fitting front is assured. The position of the line squared up in advance of front of scye (or the amount added for second sweep) is flexible because of the varying requirements.
THREE GOVERNING FACTORS
The position of the neck-point is influenced by the diameter of neck prominence of chest, and the amount of manipulation that is to go into the garment. These, in their turn, are governed by subsidiary causes. The point is this: the breast is round, but the centre of breast is not. If the right length of cloth be given up the centre of front to shoulder, there must be some superfluous cloth either near the scye or at the front edge; and one must decide where this is to go. A straight cut forces the cloth towards the scye; a crooked one pushes it towards the front. If the latter,” then it may be removed by means of levees or manipulation.
Of course, it must not be forgotten that the exact position of neck-point is also influenced by the type of figure in various ways. If a man is broad across the chest the front of scye will be backward; the converse holds good in case of a narrow front.
Again, supposing the figure is long in the neck, the front- shoulder measure will be increased and the neck-point raised, independently of other considerations, and vice versa with a low neck.
To move the neck-point forward or backward, in a straight horizontal line, is not true straightness or crookedness; this partakes more of openness and closeness.
In forwarding or receding, the arc should be pivoted from front of scye; therefore a straighter cut is slightly depressed and a crooked one raised. The location of the neck-point is affected, as has been said, by the amount of manipulation to go into the coat This is governed by various considerations. If a customer is prominent in the chest and erect, the neck-point must be receded, to give more length to the centre of front; this extra length allows for working up, or taking out levees, to give form to the chest.
The class of trade is another feature which has a bearing on the subject. In some high-class trades it is notorious that a more crooked cut is desirable, because of the extra manipulation. But there are also some famous houses which cut their shoulders decidedly straight and short thus to allow for lot of straining out with the iron. Where little manipulation is expected, a relatively straight cut should be given.
Makes of material should also affect the placement of the neck-point. Some materials do not lend themselves to working up, hence the necessity for a straight shoulder. The style of coat will also directly influence the cut. For instance, ff a coat is to button up to the neck, it will take a less crooked shoulder than if it rolled to the waist. A coat that is always to be worn unbuttoned requires a relatively crooked cut, and for this reason: A straight cut, as stated above, forces the material towards the scye, while a crooked cut throws it on the front; obviously an unbuttoned coat, haying no support in the way of fastening, needs the treatment which will not tend to pull it away from the front of chest.
END OF SECTION I OF THIS POST
VOL. II NO. VI (Oct 06') Out Of Town Clothes AA
Last edited by Etutee on Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
START OF SECTION II OF THIS POST
In this section II we will go over different fabrics that are (or were) usually observed in Fall months, especially a lot of what was worn in country & sporty events of such nature.
From Fall of 33’
Fabrics for Fall
Some of the Fall fashions are news of the first order and deserve “front page” exploitation, both here and in your store-herewith some suggestions of ways and means
Both in new colors and in new textures, the fabrics for the coming season offer “a new deal” sufficiently important to warrant our giving them greater attention than has heretofore been customary in the pages of APPAREL ARTS. Throughout this issue, and beginning right here, your attention will be called to the promotional possibilities of these new colors and new textures.
SUITINGS
From a color standpoint, there is a pronounced favor for grayish browns, Lovat greens, and black cloths.* The latter, of course, is the most radical departure of all. Lovat greens have been on the way, gaining ground slowly, but surely, for some time. If you have watched our fashion reports for the past year, you have noted increasing mention of them through- out that period. But the swing to black is somewhat sudden and rather startling. It is distinctly a London fashion and has been given pronounced stress in all the recent reports from our London observer.**
• Remember, this is striped black cloth that they are referring to here. Never, solid black.
• I have mentioned this before, unlike all the other atrocities US is credited with (by our European counterparts) this favor for black cloth is a genuine west end, London phenomenon.
At present, it is of chief importance (and of approximately equal importance) in hats, neckwear, and suitings. The leading importers of woolens in this country are now showing many fabrics with a very definite black ground. Many of these have silk stripe effects.
As for pattern, most of the newer suitings carry stripe effects in lighter or contrasting colors. Small check effects are noticeable as well as tri-color Glens and plaids, many of the latter being of the softened or indistinct variety.
Aside from the importance of these three most favored colors, grayish browns, Lovat greens, and black, the most important trend of the season, in suiting fabrics, is the marked swing toward rougher and softer cloths. This has been evident for some months now, and has been gaining in importance steadily, as we have reported from time to time. Cheviots, Shetlands, flannels, Saxony, tweeds and homespun all loom large on the fashion horizon. At such important centers as Wall Street, Yale and Princeton, Long Island Hunt laces, Belmont Park, and similar gathering places of the world of fashion, one sees a significant dominance of this rougher type of fabric. The men who are most influential in these circles may almost be called “international commuters,” many if them being fully as much at home on the other side of the water as they are over here. Their clothes are usually made by Saville Row tailors, in London’s West End and they reflect prevailing English tendencies in dress. It is particularly among this group that we have noticed an emphasis, virtually to the exclusion of all else, upon fabrics of the rougher and softer types.
The hard worsted fabric, of the sharkskin type, is conspicuous by its absence. As for Glen Urquharts, they are still popular, although chiefly in the modified, less distinct, versions. Small Shepherd and gun club check effects also retain their popularity.
The “smoothie” has had his day, at least as far as suitings are concerned. New fabrics are rougher. Paradoxical as it may sound, the/re softer, too. Rougher and softer suitings, that’s the word for Fall. We’ve had it from Yale and Princeton, and from Cornell and Harvard, too. It’s an established trend –no doubt it. Cheviots, Shetlands, flannels, Saxony, tweeds and homespuns—all loom large on the fashion horizon. It’s a good idea—they make up into grand soft comfortable clothes and, wearing them, you avoid that soaped-and-shining “dressed up” look. There’s a debonair nonchalance about them that’s very becoming to almost all men. So consider, when you’re planning your Fall wardrobe additions—maybe it’s time for some rough stuff!
ODD JACKETS
The horsey set on long island have gone whole hog on scotch district plaids. We mean the authentic colorful originals not modified, toned down, or ‘adapted.” At the recent Spring United Hunts meeting there were so many of these dazzling coats that we feared for cases of eye strain to develop among our observers. Reds and browns, oranges, blues and greens all are mixed in these very colorful district plaids. This, of course, is only added confirmation of what we lave been pointing out for some time the tendency toward a most pronounced increase in the colorfulness of sports attire for men.
SHIRTINGS
There is a tendency, still rather slight, toward green, among the better dressed men. Though it has not yet reached major proportions it is, nevertheless, the most important news note, indicating the remarkable acceptance that this color, long shunned as “poison” by the majority of men, is winning ‘throughout the entire masculine wardrobe. With brown suitings, Lovats, and blacks, it is to be expected that green shirts will grow in importance. Cheviot (heavy oxford) shirtings, in even candy stripes, are reigning favorites, as a natural concomitant to the upswing in the rougher type of suitings. The influence of checks and plaids is still noticeable. Stripes are more colorful and of bolder designs. Flannels have marked acceptance at Yale and Princeton, both in solid colors and in tattersall checks—the later being regarded as especially smart for country wear.
NECKWEAR
Here, again, black is very important. Ties with black grounds and high color stripes and spots will be very prominent.
Spitalsfield and Macclesfield ties are having a great run, at the moment, in London. In silk neckwear, there is a very definite trend toward homespuns and rough effects. Well dressed men who exert a distinct influence upon the national acceptance of new fashions in this country have already indicated their favor for this type of neckwear, and it should not be surprising to find, by this Fall, a distinct revival, as high fashion, of the old Spitalsfield squares and tweed effects. In commenting on the importance of deep toned neckwear, such as the black already mentioned, the importance of the new deep shade of bottle green should not be overlooked.
For country wear, crochet stripes and Argyle plaid wool ties are of the utmost importance.
Many additional notes on the feature fabrics and fashions of the season are to be found elsewhere in this issue, notably in the Fashion Forecasts, which are interspersed with the feature articles virtually all the way through the editorial section, and in the Fashion Survey itself. Suggestions for their proper exploitation, through carefully planned promotions, are also given.
One note of warning, however, we feel duty bound to sound: don’t get too far out in front of your public. It is as bad to overplay your hand, m this business of fashion promotions, as it is to underplay it as dangerous to be too far ahead as it is to be too far behind. We don’t mean, by that, that you ought to hold up on your first presentations of the new fashions until you feel that ‘they have already begun to “catch on” in your locale. We simply mean that they ought to be nursed along. For example, as this is written the white mess jacket is a very lively item in the big cities. That means that it can be displayed, and should be, in the smaller communities. But if a merchant “in the sticks,” taking our word for It that the white mess jacket was going to be “hot” this summer, as a high fashion, had loaded up with them in late April or early May, then we’d be very sorry and we venture to guess that he’d be sorrier still.* For it is a foregone conclusion that, by its very nature, a fashion of this kind is not going to sweep the boards in a few short weeks. And, in these things, it is much better to put. A cautious foot into the water first, before plunging in headlong off the pier.
*Touché! In the end time showed that probably both the merchant and AA were sorry for this mishap. It is one of the few fashion “blunders” of AA. They simply overestimated mess jacket’s importance and its significance. However, it is still wise to notice that such suggestions were never mentioned in the correct dressing charts and guides, which are probably to this date most accurate of all info there is.
We don’t want to give the impression trying to hedge on our bets. Every bit of fashion news we give you is authentic—never a sentence or a sketch, in all our fashion reporting, has ever been based on guesswork, personal opinion, or anything so intangible as a hunch.* At the same time, however, we cannot too strongly emphasize the necessity of maintaining one’s sense of proportion, in promoting the new fashions as they come along.
* The critical claim from editors of AA.
By way of concrete example we may cite the case of the black Homburg hat. As our copy indicates, this hat is, at the moment, “very popular on Bond Street.” It has gained some acceptance in this country. Chiefly in the uppermost social circles, and represents what might be called the highest of high fashion at the present moment. A store whose clientele is largely made up of Wall Street brokers and Long Island playboys would be justified in stressing this hat strongly for the Fall season because, to this type of clientele, it represents an established and arrived fashion. But nothing could be more stupid than for the average store in the average American city—say South Bend or Dubuque—to plunge on this hat. For, this to the average clientele, a fashion like this must be pointed out with a spyglass so to speak, as a dim and distant speck on the fashion horizon. Now it is as wrong, on the one and, for that type of store to fail to point out an arriving fashion of this kind as it would be, on the other hand, for it to court disaster by loading up on the hat as . if it were already an arrived fashion.
In direct contrast to the “take it easy” advice that we have to offer in case of the high fashions of limited appeal of the kind we have just mentioned, is our exhortation to “give her the gun” on the new fashions that are ripe for intensive promotion, at least to the better trade, on the part of the better class of store.
Take the vogue for green, for example. : deserves a healthy whirl. If it can be put over, and all signs indicate that it is due for widespread acceptance, it will have a most wholesome and beneficial effect. It will stir up stagnant wardrobes faster than anything else.
Similarly, brown shoes are at a point ‘here they deserve a whole hearted play. We refer to that rich ruddy shade, far removed from the yellowish kind of tan, which we have called briar brown.
The rich, dark, reddish casts have everything in their favor, from a promotional standpoint, the color being one that suggests things traditionally dear to the masculine heart the smooth dark gleam of a man’s favorite old briar pipe the deep polished surface, almost shell-like in its depth of luster, of well kept and much used saddlery. These are the things to tie to and stress, in promoting brown shoes. And, at last, the full tide of fashion is with you—you are going with the current and not against it. At some of the social events that are of focal importance on the fashion calendar, brown shoes this year actually outnumbered black. This is a healthful sign for the shoe industry a splendid opportunity for the retail merchant. Climb aboard the bandwagon and beat the drum for shoes of briar brown.
The snap brim Homburg is another fashion that now lies in the path of least resistance. It has been coming slowly, but surely, for what may seem to have been a terribly long time, but its progress is sufficient that it will now reward promotion. The round collar attached shirt is another that is well worth a play. This one offers the advantage that always accrues to a revival that of possessing some familiarity to those who remember it “from last time.”
END OF SECTION II OF THIS POST
In this section II we will go over different fabrics that are (or were) usually observed in Fall months, especially a lot of what was worn in country & sporty events of such nature.
From Fall of 33’
Fabrics for Fall
Some of the Fall fashions are news of the first order and deserve “front page” exploitation, both here and in your store-herewith some suggestions of ways and means
Both in new colors and in new textures, the fabrics for the coming season offer “a new deal” sufficiently important to warrant our giving them greater attention than has heretofore been customary in the pages of APPAREL ARTS. Throughout this issue, and beginning right here, your attention will be called to the promotional possibilities of these new colors and new textures.
SUITINGS
From a color standpoint, there is a pronounced favor for grayish browns, Lovat greens, and black cloths.* The latter, of course, is the most radical departure of all. Lovat greens have been on the way, gaining ground slowly, but surely, for some time. If you have watched our fashion reports for the past year, you have noted increasing mention of them through- out that period. But the swing to black is somewhat sudden and rather startling. It is distinctly a London fashion and has been given pronounced stress in all the recent reports from our London observer.**
• Remember, this is striped black cloth that they are referring to here. Never, solid black.
• I have mentioned this before, unlike all the other atrocities US is credited with (by our European counterparts) this favor for black cloth is a genuine west end, London phenomenon.
At present, it is of chief importance (and of approximately equal importance) in hats, neckwear, and suitings. The leading importers of woolens in this country are now showing many fabrics with a very definite black ground. Many of these have silk stripe effects.
As for pattern, most of the newer suitings carry stripe effects in lighter or contrasting colors. Small check effects are noticeable as well as tri-color Glens and plaids, many of the latter being of the softened or indistinct variety.
Aside from the importance of these three most favored colors, grayish browns, Lovat greens, and black, the most important trend of the season, in suiting fabrics, is the marked swing toward rougher and softer cloths. This has been evident for some months now, and has been gaining in importance steadily, as we have reported from time to time. Cheviots, Shetlands, flannels, Saxony, tweeds and homespun all loom large on the fashion horizon. At such important centers as Wall Street, Yale and Princeton, Long Island Hunt laces, Belmont Park, and similar gathering places of the world of fashion, one sees a significant dominance of this rougher type of fabric. The men who are most influential in these circles may almost be called “international commuters,” many if them being fully as much at home on the other side of the water as they are over here. Their clothes are usually made by Saville Row tailors, in London’s West End and they reflect prevailing English tendencies in dress. It is particularly among this group that we have noticed an emphasis, virtually to the exclusion of all else, upon fabrics of the rougher and softer types.
The hard worsted fabric, of the sharkskin type, is conspicuous by its absence. As for Glen Urquharts, they are still popular, although chiefly in the modified, less distinct, versions. Small Shepherd and gun club check effects also retain their popularity.
The “smoothie” has had his day, at least as far as suitings are concerned. New fabrics are rougher. Paradoxical as it may sound, the/re softer, too. Rougher and softer suitings, that’s the word for Fall. We’ve had it from Yale and Princeton, and from Cornell and Harvard, too. It’s an established trend –no doubt it. Cheviots, Shetlands, flannels, Saxony, tweeds and homespuns—all loom large on the fashion horizon. It’s a good idea—they make up into grand soft comfortable clothes and, wearing them, you avoid that soaped-and-shining “dressed up” look. There’s a debonair nonchalance about them that’s very becoming to almost all men. So consider, when you’re planning your Fall wardrobe additions—maybe it’s time for some rough stuff!
ODD JACKETS
The horsey set on long island have gone whole hog on scotch district plaids. We mean the authentic colorful originals not modified, toned down, or ‘adapted.” At the recent Spring United Hunts meeting there were so many of these dazzling coats that we feared for cases of eye strain to develop among our observers. Reds and browns, oranges, blues and greens all are mixed in these very colorful district plaids. This, of course, is only added confirmation of what we lave been pointing out for some time the tendency toward a most pronounced increase in the colorfulness of sports attire for men.
SHIRTINGS
There is a tendency, still rather slight, toward green, among the better dressed men. Though it has not yet reached major proportions it is, nevertheless, the most important news note, indicating the remarkable acceptance that this color, long shunned as “poison” by the majority of men, is winning ‘throughout the entire masculine wardrobe. With brown suitings, Lovats, and blacks, it is to be expected that green shirts will grow in importance. Cheviot (heavy oxford) shirtings, in even candy stripes, are reigning favorites, as a natural concomitant to the upswing in the rougher type of suitings. The influence of checks and plaids is still noticeable. Stripes are more colorful and of bolder designs. Flannels have marked acceptance at Yale and Princeton, both in solid colors and in tattersall checks—the later being regarded as especially smart for country wear.
NECKWEAR
Here, again, black is very important. Ties with black grounds and high color stripes and spots will be very prominent.
Spitalsfield and Macclesfield ties are having a great run, at the moment, in London. In silk neckwear, there is a very definite trend toward homespuns and rough effects. Well dressed men who exert a distinct influence upon the national acceptance of new fashions in this country have already indicated their favor for this type of neckwear, and it should not be surprising to find, by this Fall, a distinct revival, as high fashion, of the old Spitalsfield squares and tweed effects. In commenting on the importance of deep toned neckwear, such as the black already mentioned, the importance of the new deep shade of bottle green should not be overlooked.
For country wear, crochet stripes and Argyle plaid wool ties are of the utmost importance.
Many additional notes on the feature fabrics and fashions of the season are to be found elsewhere in this issue, notably in the Fashion Forecasts, which are interspersed with the feature articles virtually all the way through the editorial section, and in the Fashion Survey itself. Suggestions for their proper exploitation, through carefully planned promotions, are also given.
One note of warning, however, we feel duty bound to sound: don’t get too far out in front of your public. It is as bad to overplay your hand, m this business of fashion promotions, as it is to underplay it as dangerous to be too far ahead as it is to be too far behind. We don’t mean, by that, that you ought to hold up on your first presentations of the new fashions until you feel that ‘they have already begun to “catch on” in your locale. We simply mean that they ought to be nursed along. For example, as this is written the white mess jacket is a very lively item in the big cities. That means that it can be displayed, and should be, in the smaller communities. But if a merchant “in the sticks,” taking our word for It that the white mess jacket was going to be “hot” this summer, as a high fashion, had loaded up with them in late April or early May, then we’d be very sorry and we venture to guess that he’d be sorrier still.* For it is a foregone conclusion that, by its very nature, a fashion of this kind is not going to sweep the boards in a few short weeks. And, in these things, it is much better to put. A cautious foot into the water first, before plunging in headlong off the pier.
*Touché! In the end time showed that probably both the merchant and AA were sorry for this mishap. It is one of the few fashion “blunders” of AA. They simply overestimated mess jacket’s importance and its significance. However, it is still wise to notice that such suggestions were never mentioned in the correct dressing charts and guides, which are probably to this date most accurate of all info there is.
We don’t want to give the impression trying to hedge on our bets. Every bit of fashion news we give you is authentic—never a sentence or a sketch, in all our fashion reporting, has ever been based on guesswork, personal opinion, or anything so intangible as a hunch.* At the same time, however, we cannot too strongly emphasize the necessity of maintaining one’s sense of proportion, in promoting the new fashions as they come along.
* The critical claim from editors of AA.
By way of concrete example we may cite the case of the black Homburg hat. As our copy indicates, this hat is, at the moment, “very popular on Bond Street.” It has gained some acceptance in this country. Chiefly in the uppermost social circles, and represents what might be called the highest of high fashion at the present moment. A store whose clientele is largely made up of Wall Street brokers and Long Island playboys would be justified in stressing this hat strongly for the Fall season because, to this type of clientele, it represents an established and arrived fashion. But nothing could be more stupid than for the average store in the average American city—say South Bend or Dubuque—to plunge on this hat. For, this to the average clientele, a fashion like this must be pointed out with a spyglass so to speak, as a dim and distant speck on the fashion horizon. Now it is as wrong, on the one and, for that type of store to fail to point out an arriving fashion of this kind as it would be, on the other hand, for it to court disaster by loading up on the hat as . if it were already an arrived fashion.
In direct contrast to the “take it easy” advice that we have to offer in case of the high fashions of limited appeal of the kind we have just mentioned, is our exhortation to “give her the gun” on the new fashions that are ripe for intensive promotion, at least to the better trade, on the part of the better class of store.
Take the vogue for green, for example. : deserves a healthy whirl. If it can be put over, and all signs indicate that it is due for widespread acceptance, it will have a most wholesome and beneficial effect. It will stir up stagnant wardrobes faster than anything else.
Similarly, brown shoes are at a point ‘here they deserve a whole hearted play. We refer to that rich ruddy shade, far removed from the yellowish kind of tan, which we have called briar brown.
The rich, dark, reddish casts have everything in their favor, from a promotional standpoint, the color being one that suggests things traditionally dear to the masculine heart the smooth dark gleam of a man’s favorite old briar pipe the deep polished surface, almost shell-like in its depth of luster, of well kept and much used saddlery. These are the things to tie to and stress, in promoting brown shoes. And, at last, the full tide of fashion is with you—you are going with the current and not against it. At some of the social events that are of focal importance on the fashion calendar, brown shoes this year actually outnumbered black. This is a healthful sign for the shoe industry a splendid opportunity for the retail merchant. Climb aboard the bandwagon and beat the drum for shoes of briar brown.
The snap brim Homburg is another fashion that now lies in the path of least resistance. It has been coming slowly, but surely, for what may seem to have been a terribly long time, but its progress is sufficient that it will now reward promotion. The round collar attached shirt is another that is well worth a play. This one offers the advantage that always accrues to a revival that of possessing some familiarity to those who remember it “from last time.”
END OF SECTION II OF THIS POST
START OF SECTION III OF THIS POST
This section goes over a beautiful article written by the famed Esky editor O. E. Schoeffler over Rain wear during the 30s & then touches on the related topics of hunting (especially shooting) clothes & riding wear. I have tried to recover much of it but it is still not complete (bulk of it was written 4 decades ago in 60s). Hope you like it.
On Rainwear
The waterproofed oil slickers of 1900-1910 were now being seen on most college campuses. The college man eschewed the black in favor of the –bright yellow and often wore with it sou’wester hat of the same material and color. Since the slicker came almost to the ankles, and since he wore black galoshes as well, it’s safe to assume that the college man of the 1920s was the driest man in the country on rainy days.
By 1928, however, reports from the highly fashion-conscious campuses of Yale and Princeton indicated that the trench coat or the French aviation coat (very similar to the trench coat) was about to displace the slicker in popularity. Some of these Ivy leaguers preferred a trench coat of a rubberized fabric lined with flannel, while others chose a gabardine with flap pockets. The aviation coat, on the other hand, particularly admired at Yale, was most often a double-breasted raglan sleeved gabardine lined with one thickness of oiled silk and one of a lightweight, brightly plaid wool, a combination that made the coat both waterproof and warm. These aviation coats featured all-around belts and straps of gabardine at the ends of the sleeves, and they could be worn unbuttoned or fastened snugly at the neck. Like the trench coat, the aviation coat was being worn on even the sunniest days, thus giving promise of becoming an all-weather coat too. One observer at Yale and Princeton reported that students starting off for spring vacation often carried these coats on their arms despite the fact that they were wearing topcoats.
Men’s Wear, discussing the popularity of the aviation coat, noted:
The current of style from Princeton and Yale to other parts of the country is he same now as it was five or six years only today styles move more rapidly. These young men, who were photographed as they were leaving New Haven and Princeton, were taking the French aviation coats to their homes in all parts of the country. To their friends and members of their sets, the style will be absolutely new, and immediately other boys of their social standing will wonder where they can get them at their local retailers. If the retailers are on the job, they will have these coats in a short time and tell the history of the coat . . . because the young men know that these coats are the ones favored by the students at Princeton and Yale (Men’s Wear Chicago Apparel Gazette, Apr, 1928).
And just in case there were still some retailers who questioned the fashion authority of the Ivy Leaguers, Men’s Wear listed the customers of New haven’s leading tailor, who specialized in the English type of clothing favored by Yale men a long, impressive list headed by F. W. Pershing, son of General Pershing.
The trench coat and the aviation coat were expensive garments (often priced as high as $100), well beyond he reach of the average workingman who quite often ordered his rainwear 3m the pages of the Sears, Roebuck catalog, which, in 1927, offered “Absolutely Waterproof!” coats and rain suits that sold for about $5. “Let it pour!” boasted the Sears, Roebuck writer. The catalog also sold Slicker Oil Compound for recoating and preserving oiled slicker clothing. A 1-pint can cost 28 cents.
In 1929 Jack Murdock, covering the Derby day races in England, wrote “t never before had he been so impressed with fashions from the point of view of mackintoshes, waterproofs, raincoats and tall hats. Furthermore, the coats were standardized, for the man about town, the smart Englishman who goes racing, finds it’s necessary to wear the right kind of coat for battling against the English climate, even though he patronizes the more exclusive members’ stands and enclosures at Epsom and Ascot. Hence rubberized materials supersede the lightweight coverts and raglans (Men’s Wear Chicago Apparel Gazette, July, 1929).
Accompanying this report was a photograph of the Marquis of Londonderry wearing a military waterproof with his morning coat, trousers, and top hat.
In England, where the raincoat and rolled umbrella are as complementary to each other as whisky and soda, the man of fashion had long been determined that rainwear need not be unimaginative to be utilitarian, and in the next decade his American counterpart, traditionally an Anglophile in matters of fashion, would also learn how to defy the elements without sacrificing style.
The 30s
American fashion reporters were now focusing more and more attention on well-dressed British, whose fashion impact was greater than ever. And, naturally enough, a great deal of attention was given to British rainwear. After all, a Men’s Wear writer put it:
In England, where rain is taken not as a dispensation of Providence but rather as routine weather, the raincoat is an integral part of the wardrobe and is worn on all occasions, including the most formally dressed outdoor affairs, such as the race meetings held at Ascot. Judging from the clothing style trends and from high style advices from abroad, it is pretty safe to predict the belted raincoat is a swanky and tempting garment to almost any man. When such a coat has a swing and a swirl to it, there is all of the romance clinging to its skirts that is to be found in the Highland kilt. Generally speaking, the cut of the better grade coat for Fall will be looser, with fuller skirts and more ‘drape.’ This is in conformity to the greater informality and ‘sporty’ aspect of men’s clothing.
Weight and ventilation being always a factor in the rubberized fabric groups, considerable attention is being ,given to the development of rubberized materials with a base of light- weight silk, either real silk or a substitute. Some of these silk base, three-ply fabrics are finished in tweed effects, some in suede finishes.
Cotton gabardines are being styled for those who like a smart as well as a serviceable garment at a fair price. The lighter weights are unlined, or else lave skeletonized linings, but there is also a decided set in this grouping toward the ‘reversible’ type. Some of these ‘reversible’ coats may actually be turned inside out and worn with either face outside; others are double thickness, but are not designed to be worn on both sides, although their full lining is of the same material and the coat is finished practically the same on both sides. A novelty in the reversible style is a cotton gabardine made in two tones, one a tan the other a deeper tone, and this coat may be worn with either side out, two coats in one.
Oiled cottons, because of their lightness, their lack of bulk, their durability and real water-shedding properties, are favored by those who want a raincoat for service. Such a coat is ideal for the sportsman or the city man who is forced to face inclement weather in large gobs. An innovation in model is a new coat designed primarily for sport wear, which opens to e waist with a slide fastener and is donned by the pull-over route. This at has raglan sleeves and sufficient fullness across the chest and through the body to be worn over a shooting coat or sweater and still allow perfect ease of movement. It also has a hood which will protect the back of the head and neck and which also projects well over the forehead, the hood being held in place by strings at the throat, which also serve with a snap fastener to secure and close the body of the coat after the slide fastener has been drawn shut. There are sleeve tabs and a tie belt at the waist and large, squarish, useful pockets. Being wide-skirted, there is nothing to impede the sports- man’s movements either above or below, as it were.
In fact, the wide-skirted, loose hanging coat was the American raincoat of the mid-1930s, favored in the words of this writer
by those who really know. There is a multiplicity of good reasons for the full-skirted coat. in the first place, the full, loosely draped coat is actually a better medium for keeping off the wet than a coat which fits tightly, the reason for which is that most of the untreated or lightly treated fabrics are not entirely waterproof. They are only water shedding because of their particular weave-construction or surfacing. A certain amount of moisture will seep through. A coat is like a tent. An ordinary tent of canvas will not leak in a driving shower, as long as you do not h or scrape its under side. Touch the underside and the water will begin seep through instead of shedding off. The same principle applies to a loose fitting coat. The loose coat does not rub, is not so likely to be stretched taut across the shoulders for instance, and therefore will not allow the water to seep through as readily as a tight- fitting coat of the same material (Men’s Wear, July, 1934).
Furthermore, the full coat with wide skirts had scope and sweep true bravura style.
That said let us look at an illustration from spring rain season of 37’
This here was painted in London, outside ‘FRIBOURG & TREYER’S’, a renowned snuff shop formed in the whereabouts of 1720’ I guess. Many famous clients including Beau Brummell. Maybe our tobacco aficionados can fill in for more info. Anyways, the gent on the right wears a rubberized hunting coat, preferable of the Hunt community both Long Island and Englishmen. At the front on the inside of the coat the two straps through which legs are passed when in the saddle. The wide skirt lets the rain run off fore and aft without wetting the shoes or the trousers. This coat was also often spotted on Ascot racecourse. Along with the rain raincoat he wears navy chalk stripe suit with black punched cap brogues, white shirt and a dark dotted motif tie. Note the string gloves and the bowler.
The one on the right wears the “carvanetted” rain coat with fly front and stitching along the edges like a covert coat. He wears a gray worsted flannel suit with dark reddish brown wingtip brogues. Note that his hat is a brown snap brim, which goes well with the flannel suit and relaxed shoes.
Meanwhile, patterns were starting to replace solid colors in British raincoats. These patterns were made up in cotton fabric with a rubber back and had a decidedly sporty appearance that very soon would affect American designs. Most of these new coats had raglan sleeves, a great fullness in back, and a center seam and vent. But for those Britishers who were still wedded to solid colors there were gabardine coats in all shades of green, navy, greens and blues shot with purple, and rust tones. Never before had there been such a variety of styles and colors. As one writer put it, with typical British understatement, It must be admitted that style is entering into the mackintosh end of the business.
Back in the United States, swagger raincoats clearly showing the British influence held sway on the opening day of the 1934 autumn racing season at Belmont Park, Long Island. A fashion journalist covering the event that drizzly day wrote:
One of the most fashionable looking coats that passed in review in the paddock was the fly-front raglan style, extremely full cut n the skirt, borrowing somewhat from the toga mode. This model made its appearance in whitish grey rubberized cotton and tan worsted gabardine of fine texture, the latter draping beautifully. Some of the polo players who turned out for the races wore very light-weight rubberized coats in raglan style with button-through front. Belted double-breasted coats that had a noticeable flare to the bottom were worn in worsted and cotton gabardines and rubberized cotton. The regulation trench coat was seen, and a few smartly dressed men wore single- breasted belted raglan coats, usually in rubberized cotton. Some who came through the general admission gate were wearing oiled cotton coats {Men’s Wear, Sept, 1934).
This below if from spring of 35’
This here was sketched at one of those steeplechase events during a heavy downpour. This is actually an oyster color fly-front raglan raincoat with large patch pockets and gusseted back vent with a very full skirt and the wrist tabs. Note the ticket patch pocket, which were rarely observed… but here correct in accordance with the nature of the garment and its context.
The rest of the ensemble was typical of the horsey / hunting set; a yellow silk and wool hunting shirt, with a foulard rat catcher stock, tweed breeches and canvas button puttees with leather cuffs, heavy blucher riding shoes and on his head a green light weight felt pork pie hat. All of these things are explained to satisfy your ever growing curiosity about the illustration. The main focus of discussion here is the raincoat, which despite of all your prejudices must be taken seriously as an alternate design or option.
But before we leave the illustration, note the bold glen Urquhart plaid rain coat in brown with the upturned collar.
At the Yale-Columbia football game played in the Yale Bowl during a steady downpour in October, 1934, the cheering section on the Columbia side was filled with every sort of water-repellent garment, even rubber ponchos. On the more fashion- conscious Yale side, however, there were predominantly the reversible coat and the gabardine raincoat. Insofar as the spectators were concerned, there were trench coats galore as well as rubberized coats, both coated and rubber-backed. Yet it was the Yale man’s preference for the reversible and gabardine coats that counted most in fashion circles. (And it was also noted that many a Yale undergraduate arrived at the stadium with a terry cloth towel draped around his neck like a muffler. It was judged a practical rainy-day accessory, and in view of the Yale man’s fashion leadership, merchants and designers were encouraged ) follow his lead and bring out towels styled after popular muffler patterns.)
Esquire that year trained its sights on two new British-inspired rainwear fashions: the white raincoat and the shorter raincoat with full sweep:
From Spring of 34’
The term ‘white raincoat’ is really a misnomer, as the smart shade that is indicated by this general designation is an oyster color. Pure white raincoats are still reserved for the on-duty wear of dairymen and traffic cops. The model hat is sketched here is the roomy double-breasted type with raglan sleeves and a convertible collar which, when buttoned up, is strongly reminiscent of wartime pictures of the Crown Prince. For wear in really dirty weather, the sleeves are provided with extra tabs which may be buttoned over.
As for the new raincoat short but with full sweep, a favored fashion in England had very wide lapels and two enormous flap pockets and came only a few inches below the knee.
In 1935 Men’s Wear observed that silk was making great strides in masculine esteem as a lightweight rain shedder. Like the cotton coats, the great majority of these silk garments are made in the balmacaan model, many to button through, but some of the fly-front variety. Inasmuch as the objective is usually lightness, single- breasted are the rule. Some of the cloth is treated and some of it is rubberized, and it is reported that retailers are more and more interested in the silk raincoat when accompanied by an envelope to match so that the garment may be carried conveniently in travel or may be left in the pocket or compartment of an automobile.
Men’s Wear also advised that, in those rarefied heights where men were willing to pay $45 or more for a raincoat,
attention should be paid to the new leather reversible coat which is rainwear, storm-wear, blizzard-wear, all in one. The outside is of the softest tanned sheepskin, smooth, of course, and the inner fabric is worsted gabardine. Again the style is balmacaan. It would seem that the battle is joined between the balmacaan and the trench coat.
Let us view an illustration from fall-winter of 39’
Killing 3 birds with one shot… that should be the suggested subtitle of this illustration. The three “birds” being, the three different ensembles sketched above. Now, this is (or rather was) straight from United Hunts race at Belmont park although at first glance you probably could mistake It for the English gentry because the garments are certainly heavily influenced by Englishmen.
Starting with the gent at the right; he wears a 3-pc SB 3 button houndstooth checked suit of Harris tweed with slanting pockets and side vents. Note the cutaway front with a flare at the skirt) and a break on the trimmed cuffed trousers. With this he wears a tan broadcloth shirt in a checked pattern with a white separate collar, red foulard tie and red goatskin gauntlet gloves. He carries a cream colored Balmaccan style raincoat over his arm with heavy plaid lining for warmth. (Note to Burberry designers—keep your logos inside the garment…Not outside). His shoes are brown reversed calf bluchers. Note the color scheme here from white, tan, brown to red. Moreover, note that his hat is a black bowler.
The gent in the center is wearing a hunting style raincoat with military collar, long flared skirt with inverted pleat in back and all-around belt. His suit is a Lovat pin-check cheviot tweed, worn with a regimental stripe tie, lightweight Lovat / Greenish Cavalier hat and brown wingtip shoes. Note the red goatskin gloves with three color knitted back, which are effective with tweed and country clothes.
Finally, in the back ground at the left we have a gent in a Glen Urquhart suit, blue broadcloth shirt in a cornflower shade (unusual), white starched collar, blue foulard tie, bowler hat and black blucher shoes. His coat is an easy fitting, short raglan sleeved covert coat with long side vents at the back. It carries conventional stitching around the edges and a fly front. (More on covert coats below)
In 1935 the trench coat still had a loyal army of admirers who regarded it as more than just a coat and were willing to pay $100 and more for an import, the styling of which had undergone virtually no appreciable change since it was introduced twenty years earlier. Another survey made that year revealed that the oiled-cotton raincoat was the leader in countrywide sales, with cotton gabardines in second place. Prices ranged from $5.50 to $10.50.
About this time some trade writers were criticizing certain retailers for their failure to merchandise rainwear more aggressively and imaginatively. Too many merchants,” said one writer, “content themselves with placing a few rainwear garments hurriedly in their show windows at the first sign of rain, possibly a display near the front entrance, while others merely paste a sticker on their windows bearing the legend ‘Raincoats,’ and let it go at that {Men’s Wear, July, 1935).
One prominent New York retailer, however, had the proper promotional spirit, which, in the opinion of this writer, other retailers might emulate:
to promote rainwear in its class rainwear for town, for country, for work, and for play. In short, any raincoat would not do for any purpose. “Women have already been made keenly style conscious about rainwear,” the writer stated, “and there is no earthly reason why men should not also know and feel that they cannot afford not to be as smart when they are wet as when they are dry. A progressive merchant who worked well should be able to sell a prospect at least three coats where he is now buying one, emphasizing style, health, efficiency and utility.
The writer also reminded retailers chat although no one doubts that rain is the best stimulant for selling waterproof clothing, some of the best business in some stores is done on clear days. One drenching is usually all the average man needs to remind him of his wet weather clothes requirements. Save him the drenching and urge him to get a raincoat before it rains.
Esquire had already made a practice of pinpointing certain raincoats for specific wear. In its November, 1935, issue, for instance, it showed “a new short raincoat with side vents for country spectator wear”; and a few issues later, “the- short raincoat of imported gabardine with side vents for wet weather in the country.”
A raincoat survey in 1936 revealed that the two leading types of raincoats, from the point of view of volume of sales, were the oiled cottons and the processed cotton gabardines the leads for the second time. Suedes, however, showed considerable strength in the East and Middle West, selling fastest at $5. The best-selling model was the double-breasted style, chiefly the belted raglan, representing 46 percent of sales throughout the country. Second to it was the single-breasted button-through raglan, which accounted for 21.4 percent.
When retailers were asked what they found to be the best waterproofing process, it was found that the pattern of sectional choices in types of garments was pretty closely followed. In the East, where cotton gabardine was the leading fabric, the retailers chose Cravenette as their favorite; in the fiddle West and South, where oiled-cotton raincoats sold best, the retailers designated oiled fabrics, and on the West Coast virtually all favored the Cravenette process.
Whipcord raincoats retailing about $50 increased in popularity during the last half of this decade. Their weight made them practical topcoats as well as raincoats. Tan was considered the best shade, and the majority of these coats were fly-fronted balmacaans.
The family of rubberized coats became increasingly diversified during this period. There were rubber-covered garments, rubber-backed garments, and some that had a layer of rubber between the outer and inner layers of cloth in accordance with Charles Macintosh’s concept. Coats were shown in rubberized silk, rubberized poplin, and rubberized tweed as well as in rubberized jersey and rubberized gabardine; rubberized gabardine had been treated so that to all intents and purposes it appeared no different from regular gabardine cloth. The rubberized silk coat, which retailed for about $10, often weighed no more than 12 ounces.
Coats with all-around belts were as popular as ever and in the better-grade raincoats were being made broader in the body, to allow more efficient ventilation and to reduce perspiration on warm days. During the late 1930s inside pockets of many of the new styles featured waterproof slide fasteners, and most pockets were of the slash type.
Although the reversible coat was generally regarded as being more in the topcoat class than in the rainwear class, it had become so popular by the lat no discussion of rainwear would be complete without mention of the tweed-and-gabardine reversible. There were, of course, many different kinds of reversible raincoats: the higher-priced coats of a tweed or Shetland shell backing a worsted gabardine, and others of a very fine cotton gabardine or twill.
The popularity of oiled-cotton fabrics continued in 1938, with worsted gabardine a prime favorite in the upper price brackets (many of the gabardines were made with an iridescent effect). Poplin and plain twill cottons were reported very popular on college campuses and were appearing at fashionable races and hunts as well. Linings were also very much in the news that year, with the cotton twill or poplin of the coat also being used For the lining. It was claimed that the main virtue of this particular construction was the added protection of the second layer of processed cotton.
The removable lining was also a strong selling point. And rubber-coated fabrics were being shown most frequently with the rubber on the inside of the coat. Double-breasteds, which had once dominated the fashion scene, were by 1938 overshadowed by the single-breasted styles.
By the end of this decade waterproof blouses were growing increasingly popular with golfers and sports-men. These were raglan-shouldered cotton blouses with a slide-fastened front and bag pockets, roomy through de body but snug over the hips. Some f these blouses also featured elastic band cuffs.
The problem of finding a truly protective raincoat light enough for comfortable wear in the warmer months had been solved by 1938. The leading styles that year included a tan worsted gabardine topcoat with a 77-inch sweep to the bottom; a pale tan cotton twill with white pearl buttons covered by a fly front; a green oiled-cotton coat; a self-lined poplin coat with an inside cash pocket; a rubber-backed gray silk; and a slide-fastened cotton twill. The same year john Wanamaker of New York promoted its new high-count cotton fabric raincoats under the name “Duckweather,” inviting customers to come in and sprinkle water on the fabric. Wanamaker’s pima cotton cloth had 540 threads to the square inch (the general run of raincoat fabrics had approximately 120 threads), and in addition to being so closely woven, the surface of Duckweather was slightly sueded.
Shooting Clothes
Turkey hunting was the first American sport born out of necessity. After the early settler days, however, man’s innate hunting instinct had less and less to do with survival and more and more to do with pleasure. No longer faced with the alternative of score or go hungry, the hunter became increasingly aware of his attire.
By the late 1920s Americans had grown tremendously sports-minded and fashion-conscious a combination of qualities that, among other things, produced a market for an all-wool hunting suit which, according to an advertisement of the Woolrich Woolen Mills in 1929, possessed the distinct advantage of being “noiseless.” The suit was said to be warm and comfortable without being bulky and to be well tailored, with all the seams double-stitched and bound for long wear. It was further claimed to be “as nearly waterproof as possible” by virtue of a fulling process that “closes the pores yet retains softness and beauty.” The suit had deep pockets, plus a double game pocket running from seam to seam across the back with openings on both sides, inside waistbands, a five-button fly front, and adjustable tabs on the sleeves.
Wealthy sportsmen of the British Isles had been stalking the Scottish moors for years in pursuit of grouse, partridge, and pheasant, but it was not until the early 1930s that wealthy Americans joined their ranks in impressive numbers. In November, 1934, Esquire, taking note of this fact, paid homage to the shooting season that begins in Scotland each August. Some splendidly togged sportsmen and their kilted host were sketched amid damp grass and heather, and the caption writer reminded the reader:
In a real siege of wet weather, short rubberized jackets are worn over the tweed shooting jackets, also an extra pair of outer rousers, made of the same water- proofed material and cut off at the calf. Heavy outer coats are never worn, being supplanted by heavy cashmere or Shetland sweaters.
In the same issue the fashion department showed outfits suitable for bird shooting and for bigger game. The outfit recommended for all types of upland shooting was
typical of the kit affected by well-dressed sportsmen on the Scottish moors for grouse and partridge shooting. It consists of a single-breasted, notched lapel tweed jacket and knicker breeches in a bold Scotch plaid, worn with a heavy green sweater, checked flannel shirt, knitted tie, heavy wool hose, stout brogue shoes, leather anklets and a checked one-piece top cap.
For bigger game, such as moose and deer, a recommended outfit for cold weather should, said the editors, consist of
matching Mackinaw jacket and breeches, made of heavy, all-wool material that is processed to be water-repellent. A heavy turtleneck sweater, and under that a heavy flannel shirt, and under that our own vote goes to the good old wool underwear in that delicate shade known as Fireman’s Red. Heavy wool lumberman’s socks, smoked elk moccasin boots and the usual peaked red hunting cap.
Apparel Arts in the fall of 1935 devoted an article to skeet shooting, a year-round sport. It not only described what the fashionable skeet shooter wore but offered its readers a history of what the editors called “the most difficult and yet the most fascinating form of clay bird shooting ever devised. And almost as interesting as the game itself are the clothes that’ go with it.”
As for those clothes, the editors said:
The skeet shooter dresses in a Norfolk type jacket of woolen material. Usually in woodland colors, brown being preferred. This type of jacket has the Norfolk straps, buttoned down on the two patch pockets to keep them from sagging and ripping under the weight of shells. The sleeves are of waterproof silk material and the right shoulder has a large recoil patch of chamois. The arm pits are full cut and roomy and the lapels are fashioned to button over in cool weather.
Another skeet jacket is the windbreaker type of chamois leather, reinforced at the shoulder with self-recoil patch. Sometimes these garments are lined with lamb skin; the sleeves, however, are unlined and full cut and may or may not have knitted wristlets.
Skeet trousers are the usual slack type, with tweeds predominating, particularly Lovats and soft woodland browns. Brown snap brim hats are the customary headwear… some men preferred a Tyrolean-type hat or a round-crown visored cap,… and glasses must always be worn by all skeet shooters to protect them from paper wads and bits of the incoming clay birds.
Shoes are generally ankle high, although the oxford is also worn. These may be the Norwegian calf brogue or the various heavy suede and should have leather soles studded with soft hob-nails to prevent slipping. Hose are of wool, while the shirt may be either the flannel woodman’s shirt or the button-down collar oxford shirt, preferably in solid colors. Club colored neckwear or knitted striped ties are to the fore
Here is an illustration that is from the above article.
Here in this illustration note that the jacket of such types usually weighed 20oz-30oz tweed, with average around 24oz. The trousers here on left are shepherd checked tweed and usually were observed in 16-18oz range. This jacket (on left) has neither collar nor lapels & the pockets are designed to hold a full quota of extra shells and, of course, there is a leather gun pad on the shoulder. The back of this jacket is shown on the other figure (at right). Note that it is pleated to allow freedom for arms and shoulders.
In November, 1936, Esquire’s fashion department offered a selection of clothes for hunting and shooting neatly spread across a full fashion page:
For deer shooting. A practical ensemble includes shirt, coat and breeches of a heavy Mackinaw cloth, moccasin boots and two pairs of wool socks. The bright red cap is a favorite of men who shoot in the big woods.
For field trials. The majority of men at field trials wear tweed knicker suits and dress similarly to the men who shoot in Scotland. Note the canvas anklets, the tweed grouse helmet, heavy brogues.
For upland shooting. Many men wear the white duck shooting coat with khaki breeches, high boots, flannel shirt and a felt hat.
For duck shooting. Demands warm, waterproof garments since one spends many hours motionless in the blind. Heavy flannel shirts and chamois underwear are recommended. [Duck-shooting parkas are immensely practice. Made of closely woven cotton, they feature alpaca lining and interlining between two layers of a coated nylon to make the coat absolutely waterproof.
By 1938 enough sports-minded Americans had rediscovered the wild turkey’s attraction as a game bird to prompt Esquire to focus attention in its March issue on a man’s need to hunt it in style. This, said the fashion staff, meant wearing one of these outfits:
An English kit consisting of a lightweight jacket with an all-around belt and large bellows pockets, with breeches to match, made of a cloth that was windproof and thorn proof; a red flannel shirt; 16-inch elk-hide moccasin boots; high gray wool socks with red tops; and an authentic Tyrolean hat with a cord band and brush.
A light shooting coat of very coarse white or khaki cotton with large game and cartridge pockets and cotton drill trousers.
In fall of, 1939, the AA fashion pages depicted a pair of handsomely turned-out sportsmen dressed for upland shooting.
The crinkle-eyed Nordic type on the left wore a Norfolk-model cotton windproof shooting jacket with large shell pockets and detachable inside game pockets, an authentic Tyrolean hat, a flannel shirt in a glen pattern, a red wool tie, trousers of tan waterproof cotton with horsehide reinforcements in front of the legs, and high waterproof boots with moccasin fronts. His pipe-smoking companion was dressed in a checked Harris Tweed jacket with knicker breeches to match, a flannel shirt and sweater, a blue silk scarf with white spots, a tweed shooting helmet, heavy wool hose, ankle-high blucher brogues, and leather anklets.
Riding Clothes
Hacking. The term “hacking” is traced to the hack, or hackney, the saddle horse chosen for ordinary riding as opposed to the horse used for hunting or jumping. The most widely worn riding clothes are in the hacking style, and the choice of individual items of apparel for hacking or country riding depends on the quality of the ride. The hacking jacket, for example, has certain general styling features, but a more informal ride dictates that its material be tweed rather than the more formal Melton or cavalry twill.
Regardless of its material, the hacking jacket usually has a three- or four- button front, leather buttons, high- fronted, short lapels, a throat tab, a long center vent, an ample skirt that is tail-lined with waterproof material, two side pockets, a ticket pocket, and an outside breast pocket with flaps, and a large inside hare, or poacher’s, pocket. The pockets are larger than the normal size and sometimes are cut m a slant. The jacket cuffs are some- times fitted with wind-resisting wrist lining, and the back of the jacket is usually lined with a checked wool material.
For the more formal style of hacking, the jacket can be in dark gray, tan, dark brown, or a neat tweed design. A hard bowler hat (a man’s rising bowler) is worn; it weighs between 6 to 8 ounces, and the crown is loaded with shellac* and reinforced with a shellac gossamer tip. A riding shirt usually of an absorbent material such as flannel or wool has a soft collar and is worn with a solid-color tie. The shirt should have detachable collar so that it may also be used for wear with a stock for hunting.
In place of a tie, the rider may prefer a colored stock fastened with a gold pin. A classic stock often referred to as the “ratcatcher stock” * has a front buttonhole, a slot in the back, and a loop for the back stud or button at the back of the shirt band.
*Ratcatcher: A term going back to the days when a horseman preparing for a country ride often had to contend with the rats that infested the hayloft in his stable.
For more informal hacking, a soft felt hat or cap is worn in place of the hard bowler along with a collar attached shirt and tie or a knitted turtleneck pull over. As noted earlier a hacking jacket of tweed is correct with this outfit.
For either formal or informal country riding, breeches and high boots or jodhpurs and jodhpur boots are correct. The newmarket boot most often seen with breeches is quite light in weight and is usually made with canvas legs lined with leather. The jodhpur, originally a cotton trouser from the Indian city of jodhpur, was introduced into England as a rising garment during the last decade of nineteenth century. Its upper part is much the same as breeches tapering down to a close-fitting knee, calf, and ankle. Jodhpurs may be cuffed or cuff less, and some have straps to slip under the jodhpur boot. This ankle high boot evolved from the polo boot and became popular during the 20s. It is usually available in a strap model or in one with an elastic side. In lieu of jodhpur boots, stout ordinary shoes may be worn with jodhpur gaiters to hide the gap between the bottom of the jodhpurs and the top of the shoes. Breeches and jodhpurs are acceptable only in stone, fawn, or tan color; footwear may be either black or brown.
Town or park riding. The traditional kit, consists of a black cutaway coat in a two- or three-button model, a white flannel shirt with a white wing or fold collar, a puff tie, a tattersall or plain waistcoat, dark blue saddle trousers with heavy black braid on the sides and straps under the feet, patent-leather gaiter boots and box spurs, a silk hat with a guard, and white buckskin gloves. A white stock may be used instead of the puff tie, and in either case a sporting pin is used.
Field or dress. The ensemble consists of a black or dark gray cutaway coat, a matching primrose or tattersall waistcoat, white moleskin or cord breeches, a white stock, black leather boots with patent-leather tops, white gloves, and a silk hat.
Semiformal dress. The silk hat gives way to the derby, and the cutaway is supplanted by a three-button riding jacket in black, gray, or dark brown. Colored breeches may be substituted for white breeches, and plain black calf boots without tops are worn in place of patent-leather-top boots.
Hunting. The well-dressed sportsman wears the “pink,” or scarlet, coat, which has an interesting history. According to Sydney D. Barney in Clothes and the Horse (Hutchinson Publishing Group, Ltd.),
Professionals and Hunt servants refer only to scarlet coats. Some say that only non-hunting laymen use ‘pink.’ Others say it is an accepted term to cover the elderly field coats which have lost their brilliance and bloom through frequent cleaning and washing. One old saying runs, ‘Fight in scarlet-hunt in red-dance in pink.’ “Nevertheless, there is evidence that the word ‘pink’ was in common use early in the nineteenth century. Perhaps it was an early slang term. In an article in an Oxford sports magazine, 1826, one reads ‘even in the strictest college, “pink” could walk unmolested across the court.’ In 1834 Disraeli in a letter to his sister wrote ‘. . . in pink, the best mounted men in the field. . . .’ Since it cannot be wrong to say Hunting Scarlet perhaps it would be more diplomatic not to mention ‘pink’ in mixed company.
Whether the hunting coat is called pink or scarlet, it is a three- or four-button cutaway model, a four- or five-button frock coat, or a six-button shadbelly swallowtail coat. If the wearer is a member of the hunt, the club colors are shown at the collar; if not, the collar matches the coat. Brass buttons on club members’ coats carry the club insignia, and those of non- members are plain. The odd waistcoat, in a postboy or a plain long style, may )e in white, hunting yellow, or tattersall check in the colors of the club. A white stock with a sports pin is the correct neck dress with this outfit, and the breeches may be in white moleskin or a heavy cord material. Boots are in black calf with pink or mahogany- color tops, and boot garters are in plain white to go with the breeches. Nonmembers of the hunt should wear boots without tops. The hunting silk hat is usually about 5/8 inch lower in the crown than the formal silk hat. The crown and brim are constructed of laminated twill and calico impregnated with shellac, each layer being ironed on individually, making for an extraordinarily strong hat. The body is then covered with silk. Finally the brim is shaped, and the hat is ready for trimming with a wide leather band and a drawcord that must be adjusted so that the head will be cushioned inside the hat in the event of a fall. The tall silk hat is worn by everyone except the master of foxhounds, secretary, and servants, who wear black velvet caps.
The setting and time of the show determine attire:
Morning or afternoon formal show. A gray top hat, a black oxford gray or dark lounge suit, black shoes, light hog skin gloves, and a gray or fawn plain knee rug with a strap to buckle at the back.
Evening formal show. A black silk hat and full evening dress; or a dark lounge suit or black jacket with striped trousers, a bowler hat, black shoes, gloves, and a rug.
Formal country show. A black bowler, a dark lounge suit, black shoes, gloves, and a rug.
Informal country show. A black bowler, hat, a subdued tweed jacket and trousers, dark brown or black shoes, gloves, and a rug.
Rainwear. The earliest examples of equestrian rainwear are said to have been large squares of woven fabric treated with latex taken from the rubber tree. In 1823 Charles Macintosh of Glasgow produced a waterproof fabric by cementing two pieces of cloth together with a solution of naphtha and crude rubber. He used his fabric to create a waterproof garment called the “mackintosh.” The waterproof riding mackintosh of today is distinguished by taped and sealed seams; a long back vent, at the top of which is a fan of the same material to cover the saddle and allow plenty of skirt when seated; and knee flaps to protect the knees or a strap to keep the coat in position in windy weather. A covert cloth coat, though not waterproof, is shower proof, and a thigh-length style is used mostly for lightweight coats for riders.
Riding raincoats are generally of two basic types: an extra strong, translucent plastic; and a three-quarter- length style of fine cotton poplin laminated with rubber, with pommel and cantle Haps to keep out the rain, leg straps, wind sleeves, and underarm ventilation. A ventilated vinyl rain suit that slips over riding clothes is suggested for showing and hunting. The jacket has snaps and elastic at wrists, and the pants have elastic at :he waist and stirrups to prevent slipping. A rain suit expressly designed for exercising horses is made of waterproof nylon coated inside and out, with a corduroy collar for warmth, elasticized wrists and ankles, snap buttons, and a protective gusset.
Now, this is a very broad topic but for the most part rather un useful to most of us… so I will leave it there. However, to sum up everything written above visually speaking… observe this detailed lavish illustration from Spring of 36’
This was painted in England and was titled “Chasing in the Shires”. If you pay attention you will observe more ensembles in here than 4 other illustrations combined.
END OF SECTION III OF THIS POST
This section goes over a beautiful article written by the famed Esky editor O. E. Schoeffler over Rain wear during the 30s & then touches on the related topics of hunting (especially shooting) clothes & riding wear. I have tried to recover much of it but it is still not complete (bulk of it was written 4 decades ago in 60s). Hope you like it.
On Rainwear
The waterproofed oil slickers of 1900-1910 were now being seen on most college campuses. The college man eschewed the black in favor of the –bright yellow and often wore with it sou’wester hat of the same material and color. Since the slicker came almost to the ankles, and since he wore black galoshes as well, it’s safe to assume that the college man of the 1920s was the driest man in the country on rainy days.
By 1928, however, reports from the highly fashion-conscious campuses of Yale and Princeton indicated that the trench coat or the French aviation coat (very similar to the trench coat) was about to displace the slicker in popularity. Some of these Ivy leaguers preferred a trench coat of a rubberized fabric lined with flannel, while others chose a gabardine with flap pockets. The aviation coat, on the other hand, particularly admired at Yale, was most often a double-breasted raglan sleeved gabardine lined with one thickness of oiled silk and one of a lightweight, brightly plaid wool, a combination that made the coat both waterproof and warm. These aviation coats featured all-around belts and straps of gabardine at the ends of the sleeves, and they could be worn unbuttoned or fastened snugly at the neck. Like the trench coat, the aviation coat was being worn on even the sunniest days, thus giving promise of becoming an all-weather coat too. One observer at Yale and Princeton reported that students starting off for spring vacation often carried these coats on their arms despite the fact that they were wearing topcoats.
Men’s Wear, discussing the popularity of the aviation coat, noted:
The current of style from Princeton and Yale to other parts of the country is he same now as it was five or six years only today styles move more rapidly. These young men, who were photographed as they were leaving New Haven and Princeton, were taking the French aviation coats to their homes in all parts of the country. To their friends and members of their sets, the style will be absolutely new, and immediately other boys of their social standing will wonder where they can get them at their local retailers. If the retailers are on the job, they will have these coats in a short time and tell the history of the coat . . . because the young men know that these coats are the ones favored by the students at Princeton and Yale (Men’s Wear Chicago Apparel Gazette, Apr, 1928).
And just in case there were still some retailers who questioned the fashion authority of the Ivy Leaguers, Men’s Wear listed the customers of New haven’s leading tailor, who specialized in the English type of clothing favored by Yale men a long, impressive list headed by F. W. Pershing, son of General Pershing.
The trench coat and the aviation coat were expensive garments (often priced as high as $100), well beyond he reach of the average workingman who quite often ordered his rainwear 3m the pages of the Sears, Roebuck catalog, which, in 1927, offered “Absolutely Waterproof!” coats and rain suits that sold for about $5. “Let it pour!” boasted the Sears, Roebuck writer. The catalog also sold Slicker Oil Compound for recoating and preserving oiled slicker clothing. A 1-pint can cost 28 cents.
In 1929 Jack Murdock, covering the Derby day races in England, wrote “t never before had he been so impressed with fashions from the point of view of mackintoshes, waterproofs, raincoats and tall hats. Furthermore, the coats were standardized, for the man about town, the smart Englishman who goes racing, finds it’s necessary to wear the right kind of coat for battling against the English climate, even though he patronizes the more exclusive members’ stands and enclosures at Epsom and Ascot. Hence rubberized materials supersede the lightweight coverts and raglans (Men’s Wear Chicago Apparel Gazette, July, 1929).
Accompanying this report was a photograph of the Marquis of Londonderry wearing a military waterproof with his morning coat, trousers, and top hat.
In England, where the raincoat and rolled umbrella are as complementary to each other as whisky and soda, the man of fashion had long been determined that rainwear need not be unimaginative to be utilitarian, and in the next decade his American counterpart, traditionally an Anglophile in matters of fashion, would also learn how to defy the elements without sacrificing style.
The 30s
American fashion reporters were now focusing more and more attention on well-dressed British, whose fashion impact was greater than ever. And, naturally enough, a great deal of attention was given to British rainwear. After all, a Men’s Wear writer put it:
In England, where rain is taken not as a dispensation of Providence but rather as routine weather, the raincoat is an integral part of the wardrobe and is worn on all occasions, including the most formally dressed outdoor affairs, such as the race meetings held at Ascot. Judging from the clothing style trends and from high style advices from abroad, it is pretty safe to predict the belted raincoat is a swanky and tempting garment to almost any man. When such a coat has a swing and a swirl to it, there is all of the romance clinging to its skirts that is to be found in the Highland kilt. Generally speaking, the cut of the better grade coat for Fall will be looser, with fuller skirts and more ‘drape.’ This is in conformity to the greater informality and ‘sporty’ aspect of men’s clothing.
Weight and ventilation being always a factor in the rubberized fabric groups, considerable attention is being ,given to the development of rubberized materials with a base of light- weight silk, either real silk or a substitute. Some of these silk base, three-ply fabrics are finished in tweed effects, some in suede finishes.
Cotton gabardines are being styled for those who like a smart as well as a serviceable garment at a fair price. The lighter weights are unlined, or else lave skeletonized linings, but there is also a decided set in this grouping toward the ‘reversible’ type. Some of these ‘reversible’ coats may actually be turned inside out and worn with either face outside; others are double thickness, but are not designed to be worn on both sides, although their full lining is of the same material and the coat is finished practically the same on both sides. A novelty in the reversible style is a cotton gabardine made in two tones, one a tan the other a deeper tone, and this coat may be worn with either side out, two coats in one.
Oiled cottons, because of their lightness, their lack of bulk, their durability and real water-shedding properties, are favored by those who want a raincoat for service. Such a coat is ideal for the sportsman or the city man who is forced to face inclement weather in large gobs. An innovation in model is a new coat designed primarily for sport wear, which opens to e waist with a slide fastener and is donned by the pull-over route. This at has raglan sleeves and sufficient fullness across the chest and through the body to be worn over a shooting coat or sweater and still allow perfect ease of movement. It also has a hood which will protect the back of the head and neck and which also projects well over the forehead, the hood being held in place by strings at the throat, which also serve with a snap fastener to secure and close the body of the coat after the slide fastener has been drawn shut. There are sleeve tabs and a tie belt at the waist and large, squarish, useful pockets. Being wide-skirted, there is nothing to impede the sports- man’s movements either above or below, as it were.
In fact, the wide-skirted, loose hanging coat was the American raincoat of the mid-1930s, favored in the words of this writer
by those who really know. There is a multiplicity of good reasons for the full-skirted coat. in the first place, the full, loosely draped coat is actually a better medium for keeping off the wet than a coat which fits tightly, the reason for which is that most of the untreated or lightly treated fabrics are not entirely waterproof. They are only water shedding because of their particular weave-construction or surfacing. A certain amount of moisture will seep through. A coat is like a tent. An ordinary tent of canvas will not leak in a driving shower, as long as you do not h or scrape its under side. Touch the underside and the water will begin seep through instead of shedding off. The same principle applies to a loose fitting coat. The loose coat does not rub, is not so likely to be stretched taut across the shoulders for instance, and therefore will not allow the water to seep through as readily as a tight- fitting coat of the same material (Men’s Wear, July, 1934).
Furthermore, the full coat with wide skirts had scope and sweep true bravura style.
That said let us look at an illustration from spring rain season of 37’
This here was painted in London, outside ‘FRIBOURG & TREYER’S’, a renowned snuff shop formed in the whereabouts of 1720’ I guess. Many famous clients including Beau Brummell. Maybe our tobacco aficionados can fill in for more info. Anyways, the gent on the right wears a rubberized hunting coat, preferable of the Hunt community both Long Island and Englishmen. At the front on the inside of the coat the two straps through which legs are passed when in the saddle. The wide skirt lets the rain run off fore and aft without wetting the shoes or the trousers. This coat was also often spotted on Ascot racecourse. Along with the rain raincoat he wears navy chalk stripe suit with black punched cap brogues, white shirt and a dark dotted motif tie. Note the string gloves and the bowler.
The one on the right wears the “carvanetted” rain coat with fly front and stitching along the edges like a covert coat. He wears a gray worsted flannel suit with dark reddish brown wingtip brogues. Note that his hat is a brown snap brim, which goes well with the flannel suit and relaxed shoes.
Meanwhile, patterns were starting to replace solid colors in British raincoats. These patterns were made up in cotton fabric with a rubber back and had a decidedly sporty appearance that very soon would affect American designs. Most of these new coats had raglan sleeves, a great fullness in back, and a center seam and vent. But for those Britishers who were still wedded to solid colors there were gabardine coats in all shades of green, navy, greens and blues shot with purple, and rust tones. Never before had there been such a variety of styles and colors. As one writer put it, with typical British understatement, It must be admitted that style is entering into the mackintosh end of the business.
Back in the United States, swagger raincoats clearly showing the British influence held sway on the opening day of the 1934 autumn racing season at Belmont Park, Long Island. A fashion journalist covering the event that drizzly day wrote:
One of the most fashionable looking coats that passed in review in the paddock was the fly-front raglan style, extremely full cut n the skirt, borrowing somewhat from the toga mode. This model made its appearance in whitish grey rubberized cotton and tan worsted gabardine of fine texture, the latter draping beautifully. Some of the polo players who turned out for the races wore very light-weight rubberized coats in raglan style with button-through front. Belted double-breasted coats that had a noticeable flare to the bottom were worn in worsted and cotton gabardines and rubberized cotton. The regulation trench coat was seen, and a few smartly dressed men wore single- breasted belted raglan coats, usually in rubberized cotton. Some who came through the general admission gate were wearing oiled cotton coats {Men’s Wear, Sept, 1934).
This below if from spring of 35’
This here was sketched at one of those steeplechase events during a heavy downpour. This is actually an oyster color fly-front raglan raincoat with large patch pockets and gusseted back vent with a very full skirt and the wrist tabs. Note the ticket patch pocket, which were rarely observed… but here correct in accordance with the nature of the garment and its context.
The rest of the ensemble was typical of the horsey / hunting set; a yellow silk and wool hunting shirt, with a foulard rat catcher stock, tweed breeches and canvas button puttees with leather cuffs, heavy blucher riding shoes and on his head a green light weight felt pork pie hat. All of these things are explained to satisfy your ever growing curiosity about the illustration. The main focus of discussion here is the raincoat, which despite of all your prejudices must be taken seriously as an alternate design or option.
But before we leave the illustration, note the bold glen Urquhart plaid rain coat in brown with the upturned collar.
At the Yale-Columbia football game played in the Yale Bowl during a steady downpour in October, 1934, the cheering section on the Columbia side was filled with every sort of water-repellent garment, even rubber ponchos. On the more fashion- conscious Yale side, however, there were predominantly the reversible coat and the gabardine raincoat. Insofar as the spectators were concerned, there were trench coats galore as well as rubberized coats, both coated and rubber-backed. Yet it was the Yale man’s preference for the reversible and gabardine coats that counted most in fashion circles. (And it was also noted that many a Yale undergraduate arrived at the stadium with a terry cloth towel draped around his neck like a muffler. It was judged a practical rainy-day accessory, and in view of the Yale man’s fashion leadership, merchants and designers were encouraged ) follow his lead and bring out towels styled after popular muffler patterns.)
Esquire that year trained its sights on two new British-inspired rainwear fashions: the white raincoat and the shorter raincoat with full sweep:
From Spring of 34’
The term ‘white raincoat’ is really a misnomer, as the smart shade that is indicated by this general designation is an oyster color. Pure white raincoats are still reserved for the on-duty wear of dairymen and traffic cops. The model hat is sketched here is the roomy double-breasted type with raglan sleeves and a convertible collar which, when buttoned up, is strongly reminiscent of wartime pictures of the Crown Prince. For wear in really dirty weather, the sleeves are provided with extra tabs which may be buttoned over.
As for the new raincoat short but with full sweep, a favored fashion in England had very wide lapels and two enormous flap pockets and came only a few inches below the knee.
In 1935 Men’s Wear observed that silk was making great strides in masculine esteem as a lightweight rain shedder. Like the cotton coats, the great majority of these silk garments are made in the balmacaan model, many to button through, but some of the fly-front variety. Inasmuch as the objective is usually lightness, single- breasted are the rule. Some of the cloth is treated and some of it is rubberized, and it is reported that retailers are more and more interested in the silk raincoat when accompanied by an envelope to match so that the garment may be carried conveniently in travel or may be left in the pocket or compartment of an automobile.
Men’s Wear also advised that, in those rarefied heights where men were willing to pay $45 or more for a raincoat,
attention should be paid to the new leather reversible coat which is rainwear, storm-wear, blizzard-wear, all in one. The outside is of the softest tanned sheepskin, smooth, of course, and the inner fabric is worsted gabardine. Again the style is balmacaan. It would seem that the battle is joined between the balmacaan and the trench coat.
Let us view an illustration from fall-winter of 39’
Killing 3 birds with one shot… that should be the suggested subtitle of this illustration. The three “birds” being, the three different ensembles sketched above. Now, this is (or rather was) straight from United Hunts race at Belmont park although at first glance you probably could mistake It for the English gentry because the garments are certainly heavily influenced by Englishmen.
Starting with the gent at the right; he wears a 3-pc SB 3 button houndstooth checked suit of Harris tweed with slanting pockets and side vents. Note the cutaway front with a flare at the skirt) and a break on the trimmed cuffed trousers. With this he wears a tan broadcloth shirt in a checked pattern with a white separate collar, red foulard tie and red goatskin gauntlet gloves. He carries a cream colored Balmaccan style raincoat over his arm with heavy plaid lining for warmth. (Note to Burberry designers—keep your logos inside the garment…Not outside). His shoes are brown reversed calf bluchers. Note the color scheme here from white, tan, brown to red. Moreover, note that his hat is a black bowler.
The gent in the center is wearing a hunting style raincoat with military collar, long flared skirt with inverted pleat in back and all-around belt. His suit is a Lovat pin-check cheviot tweed, worn with a regimental stripe tie, lightweight Lovat / Greenish Cavalier hat and brown wingtip shoes. Note the red goatskin gloves with three color knitted back, which are effective with tweed and country clothes.
Finally, in the back ground at the left we have a gent in a Glen Urquhart suit, blue broadcloth shirt in a cornflower shade (unusual), white starched collar, blue foulard tie, bowler hat and black blucher shoes. His coat is an easy fitting, short raglan sleeved covert coat with long side vents at the back. It carries conventional stitching around the edges and a fly front. (More on covert coats below)
In 1935 the trench coat still had a loyal army of admirers who regarded it as more than just a coat and were willing to pay $100 and more for an import, the styling of which had undergone virtually no appreciable change since it was introduced twenty years earlier. Another survey made that year revealed that the oiled-cotton raincoat was the leader in countrywide sales, with cotton gabardines in second place. Prices ranged from $5.50 to $10.50.
About this time some trade writers were criticizing certain retailers for their failure to merchandise rainwear more aggressively and imaginatively. Too many merchants,” said one writer, “content themselves with placing a few rainwear garments hurriedly in their show windows at the first sign of rain, possibly a display near the front entrance, while others merely paste a sticker on their windows bearing the legend ‘Raincoats,’ and let it go at that {Men’s Wear, July, 1935).
One prominent New York retailer, however, had the proper promotional spirit, which, in the opinion of this writer, other retailers might emulate:
to promote rainwear in its class rainwear for town, for country, for work, and for play. In short, any raincoat would not do for any purpose. “Women have already been made keenly style conscious about rainwear,” the writer stated, “and there is no earthly reason why men should not also know and feel that they cannot afford not to be as smart when they are wet as when they are dry. A progressive merchant who worked well should be able to sell a prospect at least three coats where he is now buying one, emphasizing style, health, efficiency and utility.
The writer also reminded retailers chat although no one doubts that rain is the best stimulant for selling waterproof clothing, some of the best business in some stores is done on clear days. One drenching is usually all the average man needs to remind him of his wet weather clothes requirements. Save him the drenching and urge him to get a raincoat before it rains.
Esquire had already made a practice of pinpointing certain raincoats for specific wear. In its November, 1935, issue, for instance, it showed “a new short raincoat with side vents for country spectator wear”; and a few issues later, “the- short raincoat of imported gabardine with side vents for wet weather in the country.”
A raincoat survey in 1936 revealed that the two leading types of raincoats, from the point of view of volume of sales, were the oiled cottons and the processed cotton gabardines the leads for the second time. Suedes, however, showed considerable strength in the East and Middle West, selling fastest at $5. The best-selling model was the double-breasted style, chiefly the belted raglan, representing 46 percent of sales throughout the country. Second to it was the single-breasted button-through raglan, which accounted for 21.4 percent.
When retailers were asked what they found to be the best waterproofing process, it was found that the pattern of sectional choices in types of garments was pretty closely followed. In the East, where cotton gabardine was the leading fabric, the retailers chose Cravenette as their favorite; in the fiddle West and South, where oiled-cotton raincoats sold best, the retailers designated oiled fabrics, and on the West Coast virtually all favored the Cravenette process.
Whipcord raincoats retailing about $50 increased in popularity during the last half of this decade. Their weight made them practical topcoats as well as raincoats. Tan was considered the best shade, and the majority of these coats were fly-fronted balmacaans.
The family of rubberized coats became increasingly diversified during this period. There were rubber-covered garments, rubber-backed garments, and some that had a layer of rubber between the outer and inner layers of cloth in accordance with Charles Macintosh’s concept. Coats were shown in rubberized silk, rubberized poplin, and rubberized tweed as well as in rubberized jersey and rubberized gabardine; rubberized gabardine had been treated so that to all intents and purposes it appeared no different from regular gabardine cloth. The rubberized silk coat, which retailed for about $10, often weighed no more than 12 ounces.
Coats with all-around belts were as popular as ever and in the better-grade raincoats were being made broader in the body, to allow more efficient ventilation and to reduce perspiration on warm days. During the late 1930s inside pockets of many of the new styles featured waterproof slide fasteners, and most pockets were of the slash type.
Although the reversible coat was generally regarded as being more in the topcoat class than in the rainwear class, it had become so popular by the lat no discussion of rainwear would be complete without mention of the tweed-and-gabardine reversible. There were, of course, many different kinds of reversible raincoats: the higher-priced coats of a tweed or Shetland shell backing a worsted gabardine, and others of a very fine cotton gabardine or twill.
The popularity of oiled-cotton fabrics continued in 1938, with worsted gabardine a prime favorite in the upper price brackets (many of the gabardines were made with an iridescent effect). Poplin and plain twill cottons were reported very popular on college campuses and were appearing at fashionable races and hunts as well. Linings were also very much in the news that year, with the cotton twill or poplin of the coat also being used For the lining. It was claimed that the main virtue of this particular construction was the added protection of the second layer of processed cotton.
The removable lining was also a strong selling point. And rubber-coated fabrics were being shown most frequently with the rubber on the inside of the coat. Double-breasteds, which had once dominated the fashion scene, were by 1938 overshadowed by the single-breasted styles.
By the end of this decade waterproof blouses were growing increasingly popular with golfers and sports-men. These were raglan-shouldered cotton blouses with a slide-fastened front and bag pockets, roomy through de body but snug over the hips. Some f these blouses also featured elastic band cuffs.
The problem of finding a truly protective raincoat light enough for comfortable wear in the warmer months had been solved by 1938. The leading styles that year included a tan worsted gabardine topcoat with a 77-inch sweep to the bottom; a pale tan cotton twill with white pearl buttons covered by a fly front; a green oiled-cotton coat; a self-lined poplin coat with an inside cash pocket; a rubber-backed gray silk; and a slide-fastened cotton twill. The same year john Wanamaker of New York promoted its new high-count cotton fabric raincoats under the name “Duckweather,” inviting customers to come in and sprinkle water on the fabric. Wanamaker’s pima cotton cloth had 540 threads to the square inch (the general run of raincoat fabrics had approximately 120 threads), and in addition to being so closely woven, the surface of Duckweather was slightly sueded.
Shooting Clothes
Turkey hunting was the first American sport born out of necessity. After the early settler days, however, man’s innate hunting instinct had less and less to do with survival and more and more to do with pleasure. No longer faced with the alternative of score or go hungry, the hunter became increasingly aware of his attire.
By the late 1920s Americans had grown tremendously sports-minded and fashion-conscious a combination of qualities that, among other things, produced a market for an all-wool hunting suit which, according to an advertisement of the Woolrich Woolen Mills in 1929, possessed the distinct advantage of being “noiseless.” The suit was said to be warm and comfortable without being bulky and to be well tailored, with all the seams double-stitched and bound for long wear. It was further claimed to be “as nearly waterproof as possible” by virtue of a fulling process that “closes the pores yet retains softness and beauty.” The suit had deep pockets, plus a double game pocket running from seam to seam across the back with openings on both sides, inside waistbands, a five-button fly front, and adjustable tabs on the sleeves.
Wealthy sportsmen of the British Isles had been stalking the Scottish moors for years in pursuit of grouse, partridge, and pheasant, but it was not until the early 1930s that wealthy Americans joined their ranks in impressive numbers. In November, 1934, Esquire, taking note of this fact, paid homage to the shooting season that begins in Scotland each August. Some splendidly togged sportsmen and their kilted host were sketched amid damp grass and heather, and the caption writer reminded the reader:
In a real siege of wet weather, short rubberized jackets are worn over the tweed shooting jackets, also an extra pair of outer rousers, made of the same water- proofed material and cut off at the calf. Heavy outer coats are never worn, being supplanted by heavy cashmere or Shetland sweaters.
In the same issue the fashion department showed outfits suitable for bird shooting and for bigger game. The outfit recommended for all types of upland shooting was
typical of the kit affected by well-dressed sportsmen on the Scottish moors for grouse and partridge shooting. It consists of a single-breasted, notched lapel tweed jacket and knicker breeches in a bold Scotch plaid, worn with a heavy green sweater, checked flannel shirt, knitted tie, heavy wool hose, stout brogue shoes, leather anklets and a checked one-piece top cap.
For bigger game, such as moose and deer, a recommended outfit for cold weather should, said the editors, consist of
matching Mackinaw jacket and breeches, made of heavy, all-wool material that is processed to be water-repellent. A heavy turtleneck sweater, and under that a heavy flannel shirt, and under that our own vote goes to the good old wool underwear in that delicate shade known as Fireman’s Red. Heavy wool lumberman’s socks, smoked elk moccasin boots and the usual peaked red hunting cap.
Apparel Arts in the fall of 1935 devoted an article to skeet shooting, a year-round sport. It not only described what the fashionable skeet shooter wore but offered its readers a history of what the editors called “the most difficult and yet the most fascinating form of clay bird shooting ever devised. And almost as interesting as the game itself are the clothes that’ go with it.”
As for those clothes, the editors said:
The skeet shooter dresses in a Norfolk type jacket of woolen material. Usually in woodland colors, brown being preferred. This type of jacket has the Norfolk straps, buttoned down on the two patch pockets to keep them from sagging and ripping under the weight of shells. The sleeves are of waterproof silk material and the right shoulder has a large recoil patch of chamois. The arm pits are full cut and roomy and the lapels are fashioned to button over in cool weather.
Another skeet jacket is the windbreaker type of chamois leather, reinforced at the shoulder with self-recoil patch. Sometimes these garments are lined with lamb skin; the sleeves, however, are unlined and full cut and may or may not have knitted wristlets.
Skeet trousers are the usual slack type, with tweeds predominating, particularly Lovats and soft woodland browns. Brown snap brim hats are the customary headwear… some men preferred a Tyrolean-type hat or a round-crown visored cap,… and glasses must always be worn by all skeet shooters to protect them from paper wads and bits of the incoming clay birds.
Shoes are generally ankle high, although the oxford is also worn. These may be the Norwegian calf brogue or the various heavy suede and should have leather soles studded with soft hob-nails to prevent slipping. Hose are of wool, while the shirt may be either the flannel woodman’s shirt or the button-down collar oxford shirt, preferably in solid colors. Club colored neckwear or knitted striped ties are to the fore
Here is an illustration that is from the above article.
Here in this illustration note that the jacket of such types usually weighed 20oz-30oz tweed, with average around 24oz. The trousers here on left are shepherd checked tweed and usually were observed in 16-18oz range. This jacket (on left) has neither collar nor lapels & the pockets are designed to hold a full quota of extra shells and, of course, there is a leather gun pad on the shoulder. The back of this jacket is shown on the other figure (at right). Note that it is pleated to allow freedom for arms and shoulders.
In November, 1936, Esquire’s fashion department offered a selection of clothes for hunting and shooting neatly spread across a full fashion page:
For deer shooting. A practical ensemble includes shirt, coat and breeches of a heavy Mackinaw cloth, moccasin boots and two pairs of wool socks. The bright red cap is a favorite of men who shoot in the big woods.
For field trials. The majority of men at field trials wear tweed knicker suits and dress similarly to the men who shoot in Scotland. Note the canvas anklets, the tweed grouse helmet, heavy brogues.
For upland shooting. Many men wear the white duck shooting coat with khaki breeches, high boots, flannel shirt and a felt hat.
For duck shooting. Demands warm, waterproof garments since one spends many hours motionless in the blind. Heavy flannel shirts and chamois underwear are recommended. [Duck-shooting parkas are immensely practice. Made of closely woven cotton, they feature alpaca lining and interlining between two layers of a coated nylon to make the coat absolutely waterproof.
By 1938 enough sports-minded Americans had rediscovered the wild turkey’s attraction as a game bird to prompt Esquire to focus attention in its March issue on a man’s need to hunt it in style. This, said the fashion staff, meant wearing one of these outfits:
An English kit consisting of a lightweight jacket with an all-around belt and large bellows pockets, with breeches to match, made of a cloth that was windproof and thorn proof; a red flannel shirt; 16-inch elk-hide moccasin boots; high gray wool socks with red tops; and an authentic Tyrolean hat with a cord band and brush.
A light shooting coat of very coarse white or khaki cotton with large game and cartridge pockets and cotton drill trousers.
In fall of, 1939, the AA fashion pages depicted a pair of handsomely turned-out sportsmen dressed for upland shooting.
The crinkle-eyed Nordic type on the left wore a Norfolk-model cotton windproof shooting jacket with large shell pockets and detachable inside game pockets, an authentic Tyrolean hat, a flannel shirt in a glen pattern, a red wool tie, trousers of tan waterproof cotton with horsehide reinforcements in front of the legs, and high waterproof boots with moccasin fronts. His pipe-smoking companion was dressed in a checked Harris Tweed jacket with knicker breeches to match, a flannel shirt and sweater, a blue silk scarf with white spots, a tweed shooting helmet, heavy wool hose, ankle-high blucher brogues, and leather anklets.
Riding Clothes
Hacking. The term “hacking” is traced to the hack, or hackney, the saddle horse chosen for ordinary riding as opposed to the horse used for hunting or jumping. The most widely worn riding clothes are in the hacking style, and the choice of individual items of apparel for hacking or country riding depends on the quality of the ride. The hacking jacket, for example, has certain general styling features, but a more informal ride dictates that its material be tweed rather than the more formal Melton or cavalry twill.
Regardless of its material, the hacking jacket usually has a three- or four- button front, leather buttons, high- fronted, short lapels, a throat tab, a long center vent, an ample skirt that is tail-lined with waterproof material, two side pockets, a ticket pocket, and an outside breast pocket with flaps, and a large inside hare, or poacher’s, pocket. The pockets are larger than the normal size and sometimes are cut m a slant. The jacket cuffs are some- times fitted with wind-resisting wrist lining, and the back of the jacket is usually lined with a checked wool material.
For the more formal style of hacking, the jacket can be in dark gray, tan, dark brown, or a neat tweed design. A hard bowler hat (a man’s rising bowler) is worn; it weighs between 6 to 8 ounces, and the crown is loaded with shellac* and reinforced with a shellac gossamer tip. A riding shirt usually of an absorbent material such as flannel or wool has a soft collar and is worn with a solid-color tie. The shirt should have detachable collar so that it may also be used for wear with a stock for hunting.
In place of a tie, the rider may prefer a colored stock fastened with a gold pin. A classic stock often referred to as the “ratcatcher stock” * has a front buttonhole, a slot in the back, and a loop for the back stud or button at the back of the shirt band.
*Ratcatcher: A term going back to the days when a horseman preparing for a country ride often had to contend with the rats that infested the hayloft in his stable.
For more informal hacking, a soft felt hat or cap is worn in place of the hard bowler along with a collar attached shirt and tie or a knitted turtleneck pull over. As noted earlier a hacking jacket of tweed is correct with this outfit.
For either formal or informal country riding, breeches and high boots or jodhpurs and jodhpur boots are correct. The newmarket boot most often seen with breeches is quite light in weight and is usually made with canvas legs lined with leather. The jodhpur, originally a cotton trouser from the Indian city of jodhpur, was introduced into England as a rising garment during the last decade of nineteenth century. Its upper part is much the same as breeches tapering down to a close-fitting knee, calf, and ankle. Jodhpurs may be cuffed or cuff less, and some have straps to slip under the jodhpur boot. This ankle high boot evolved from the polo boot and became popular during the 20s. It is usually available in a strap model or in one with an elastic side. In lieu of jodhpur boots, stout ordinary shoes may be worn with jodhpur gaiters to hide the gap between the bottom of the jodhpurs and the top of the shoes. Breeches and jodhpurs are acceptable only in stone, fawn, or tan color; footwear may be either black or brown.
Town or park riding. The traditional kit, consists of a black cutaway coat in a two- or three-button model, a white flannel shirt with a white wing or fold collar, a puff tie, a tattersall or plain waistcoat, dark blue saddle trousers with heavy black braid on the sides and straps under the feet, patent-leather gaiter boots and box spurs, a silk hat with a guard, and white buckskin gloves. A white stock may be used instead of the puff tie, and in either case a sporting pin is used.
Field or dress. The ensemble consists of a black or dark gray cutaway coat, a matching primrose or tattersall waistcoat, white moleskin or cord breeches, a white stock, black leather boots with patent-leather tops, white gloves, and a silk hat.
Semiformal dress. The silk hat gives way to the derby, and the cutaway is supplanted by a three-button riding jacket in black, gray, or dark brown. Colored breeches may be substituted for white breeches, and plain black calf boots without tops are worn in place of patent-leather-top boots.
Hunting. The well-dressed sportsman wears the “pink,” or scarlet, coat, which has an interesting history. According to Sydney D. Barney in Clothes and the Horse (Hutchinson Publishing Group, Ltd.),
Professionals and Hunt servants refer only to scarlet coats. Some say that only non-hunting laymen use ‘pink.’ Others say it is an accepted term to cover the elderly field coats which have lost their brilliance and bloom through frequent cleaning and washing. One old saying runs, ‘Fight in scarlet-hunt in red-dance in pink.’ “Nevertheless, there is evidence that the word ‘pink’ was in common use early in the nineteenth century. Perhaps it was an early slang term. In an article in an Oxford sports magazine, 1826, one reads ‘even in the strictest college, “pink” could walk unmolested across the court.’ In 1834 Disraeli in a letter to his sister wrote ‘. . . in pink, the best mounted men in the field. . . .’ Since it cannot be wrong to say Hunting Scarlet perhaps it would be more diplomatic not to mention ‘pink’ in mixed company.
Whether the hunting coat is called pink or scarlet, it is a three- or four-button cutaway model, a four- or five-button frock coat, or a six-button shadbelly swallowtail coat. If the wearer is a member of the hunt, the club colors are shown at the collar; if not, the collar matches the coat. Brass buttons on club members’ coats carry the club insignia, and those of non- members are plain. The odd waistcoat, in a postboy or a plain long style, may )e in white, hunting yellow, or tattersall check in the colors of the club. A white stock with a sports pin is the correct neck dress with this outfit, and the breeches may be in white moleskin or a heavy cord material. Boots are in black calf with pink or mahogany- color tops, and boot garters are in plain white to go with the breeches. Nonmembers of the hunt should wear boots without tops. The hunting silk hat is usually about 5/8 inch lower in the crown than the formal silk hat. The crown and brim are constructed of laminated twill and calico impregnated with shellac, each layer being ironed on individually, making for an extraordinarily strong hat. The body is then covered with silk. Finally the brim is shaped, and the hat is ready for trimming with a wide leather band and a drawcord that must be adjusted so that the head will be cushioned inside the hat in the event of a fall. The tall silk hat is worn by everyone except the master of foxhounds, secretary, and servants, who wear black velvet caps.
The setting and time of the show determine attire:
Morning or afternoon formal show. A gray top hat, a black oxford gray or dark lounge suit, black shoes, light hog skin gloves, and a gray or fawn plain knee rug with a strap to buckle at the back.
Evening formal show. A black silk hat and full evening dress; or a dark lounge suit or black jacket with striped trousers, a bowler hat, black shoes, gloves, and a rug.
Formal country show. A black bowler, a dark lounge suit, black shoes, gloves, and a rug.
Informal country show. A black bowler, hat, a subdued tweed jacket and trousers, dark brown or black shoes, gloves, and a rug.
Rainwear. The earliest examples of equestrian rainwear are said to have been large squares of woven fabric treated with latex taken from the rubber tree. In 1823 Charles Macintosh of Glasgow produced a waterproof fabric by cementing two pieces of cloth together with a solution of naphtha and crude rubber. He used his fabric to create a waterproof garment called the “mackintosh.” The waterproof riding mackintosh of today is distinguished by taped and sealed seams; a long back vent, at the top of which is a fan of the same material to cover the saddle and allow plenty of skirt when seated; and knee flaps to protect the knees or a strap to keep the coat in position in windy weather. A covert cloth coat, though not waterproof, is shower proof, and a thigh-length style is used mostly for lightweight coats for riders.
Riding raincoats are generally of two basic types: an extra strong, translucent plastic; and a three-quarter- length style of fine cotton poplin laminated with rubber, with pommel and cantle Haps to keep out the rain, leg straps, wind sleeves, and underarm ventilation. A ventilated vinyl rain suit that slips over riding clothes is suggested for showing and hunting. The jacket has snaps and elastic at wrists, and the pants have elastic at :he waist and stirrups to prevent slipping. A rain suit expressly designed for exercising horses is made of waterproof nylon coated inside and out, with a corduroy collar for warmth, elasticized wrists and ankles, snap buttons, and a protective gusset.
Now, this is a very broad topic but for the most part rather un useful to most of us… so I will leave it there. However, to sum up everything written above visually speaking… observe this detailed lavish illustration from Spring of 36’
This was painted in England and was titled “Chasing in the Shires”. If you pay attention you will observe more ensembles in here than 4 other illustrations combined.
END OF SECTION III OF THIS POST
Last edited by Etutee on Sun Jan 14, 2007 1:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
START OF SECTION IV OF THIS POST
Now this section ties in the 3rd & 5th (main section) together.
From spring of 35’
OUTDOORS FOR SALE
If spring fever were restricted to school children, men would be content to remain indoors; but it isn’t and they aren’t—and therein lies a merchandising opportunity
Spring is a season of reawakening: the fresh soil gives up a scent of living and growing things and tiny green buds begin to peep out here and there. It is also a season during which retailers can sell a lot of apparel.
Less poetic though the thought may be, it is with the latter rather than the former subject that this article is concerned. But the two thoughts are by no means entirely unrelated. That perennial malady known as spring fever, which adults like to attribute to school children but which they never quite outgrow themselves, has more to do with the selling of clothes than most people are inclined to think.
The season that brings men out of doors, after a long winter of semi-hibernation, is also the season that puts them into clothes of a definitely out of doors type country clothes, to put a more specific tag on the classification of apparel under discussion here. And while there is nothing new within the memory of the oldest living citizen as far as spring and its effect on man’s sartorial reawakening are concerned, there is something new in the trend in country clothes, not merely from a fashion standpoint but also with respect to its status in the general merchandising scheme of things.
For one thing, the past few years have witnessed a subtle but radical transition in men’s dress which has a direct application to country clothes. This transition has partially expressed itself in an increased predominance of rough, soft tweeds, Shetlands and similar fabrics at the expense of hard finished worsteds. Models too have changed to a considerable extent from stiff conservative lines to all types of fancy sport back garments. In the wake have followed colored shirts with bold patterns, woolen and knitted neckwear, rough felt hats, brown buckskin shoes and other articles of apparel of the same type.
Especially interesting is the definite demand for a “town-cum-country” type of dress, and it can almost be said that to keep pace with the best dressed men one must seem to have just come “in from the country. In general, the increased vogue for country clothes is far more than a flash in the pan far more than a one-season novelty. Much to the advantage of the retailer who recognizes a broadened avenue of profit when he sees one, country clothes have established themselves as on the way to becoming as much a staple, in their way, is business clothes have always been.
To be sure, various articles in the country clothes category have seemed to behave more like novelties than like staples.
But in many cases, treasonable though it may sound, this has been more the fault of retailers and manufacturers than of the much-maligned consumer or, for that matter, the basic trend that brought those articles to the forefront.
Two or three seasons ago, woolen neckwear took on considerable importance from a selling standpoint and, in fact, scaled the mercantile heights. Then, for some reason or other, manufacturers almost arbitrarily concluded that its day was done and diverted much of their efforts into other channels. Today, paradoxically enough, the latent demand for woolen neckwear exceeds the desire of producers and dealers to cater to it.
What manufacturers and retailers alike frequently fail to realize is that after a new article of apparel has enjoyed two or three seasons of success, it is not necessarily doomed to oblivion. It may, at the end of that time, achieve the position of a staple. Past performances are usually a good basis for future judgment, but previous experience in analogous cases should never become so solidified and hidebound is to occasion the discontinuance of something new almost from force of habit.
To the extent that woolen neckwear, plaid shirts and other accessories of the country clothes type have not yet achieved the position of staples, it can be said that this partial failure hinges on the neglect of the apparel industry to provide them with that status. It may be an extreme statement to say that just as men were acquiring a liking for clothes of this type, they were taken away from them; but that statement is true in effect if not in the matter of literal and specific practice. The moral is that retailers shouted study these new fashions with a view toward incorporating them in their stocks as staple merchandise for specific occasions. These occasions, together with the clothing that pertains to them, may not be so well defined and so commercially vocal as they will be in the future, but, like the telephone, they are here to stay.
The mere fact, however, that manufacturers and retailers in many instances look at a major trend and regard it as a minor tendency does not make it so. The major trends in country clothes are favorable ones and can prove as profitable as they are lasting. But needless to say, the benefits from this market will not distribute themselves with impartial hand to all retailers alike. As has always been the case, to the aggressive merchant will go the spoils. And even more to be prized than aggressiveness in the merchandising of country clothes is intelligence—intelligence in the all-important matter of selling the right clothes for the right occasion.
A true understanding of this essential phase in the merchandising of country clothes may perhaps best be based on a knowledge of the origin and development of that type of apparel. Country fashions originate in England and Scotland. The men in England who are considered style leaders are usually members of the aristocracy and are often extensive landowners. They spend a great deal of their time at their country seats in the shires and provinces and dung the season they occupy themselves in riding, shooting and similar country activities with the result that traditions in country wear are continually being built up.
Country clothes in England are not sharply differentiated from town clothes in model but they are as applies to fabric. With respect to’ model, for instance, a man going shooting in England might wear a three-button notched lapel jacket cut along lines similar to his ordinary lounge jacket, the jacket naturally being of a looser cut, due to the bulk of the tweed, and with larger pockets. Instead of long trousers, knickers would be worn, not so much as a matter of style as of practicality.
Their shirts are similar in model to those worn m town, but are usually of flannel, while the shoes are naturally heavier models. Today in England, where formality has always been at a premium, one nevertheless finds a marked preference for the casual, more or less “countrified” type of dress. Not at all unusual in town is the sight of a man wearing a light weight tweed suit with a bowler, a pair of brown suede shoes and often a dark sleeveless sweater replacing the waistcoat.
The brown tweed jacket and grey flannel trouser combination that was introduced into this country by Princeton undergraduates was perhaps the real beginning of the adoption of English country clothes, and the interest in shaggy, rough tweeds for campus wear at well known Eastern universities went far in communicating itself to the nation as a whole. These students accepted the English country clothes as they were, and are still wearing them without any radical change in model.
Unfortunately, the same fidelity was not shared by some American manufacturers who, falling in with the idea of producing tweed sport suits, patterned their models after the rather dubious precedent set by the favorite movie stars, instead of going to the source for their inspiration. Entirely devoid of any authentic fashion significance, these models appeared on the market with all the gingerbread with which they could be adorned. Typical of these concoctions was the bi-swing sports jacket with bellows pockets and flaps, leather buttons and all the trimmings. It is not with models such as these but with conservatively styled, authentic models, varied slightly from season to season, that country clothes will achieve their rightful place in the wardrobe. Properly educated to the comfort, the good looks and, above all, the essential appropriateness of these garments for the occasion, the average man becomes a ripe candidate for country clothes.
The matter of authenticity is no less. Important with regard to the accessories that go with country clothes than with the suits for which they are intended. A case in point is that of the plaid flannel and cotton flannel shirts which were introduced over a year ago to be worn with the tweed suits. Inside of one season every type of pattern imaginable was seen in these shirts, with the result that by the following season they had pretty well jaded the customer’s appetite or this merchandise. Yet there is still a demand for the original small hound’s tooth and Glen Urquhart patterns, which always have been good and probably always will be, in shirts for country wear.
Country clothes naturally call for more color and pattern than other types of dress. But there are limits in both directions, and one must know how far to go with color without becoming ostentatious and how far to go with pattern without seeming pretentious.* Scotch district plaids and checks combine the right proportions of color and pattern and are very much in vogue for odd sport jackets of tweeds and Shetlands.
* Here is an advice worthy of remembering (not that any other isn’t). How you alternate between pattern mixing and matching, (in this day and age esp.) is going to be of paramount importance. It is a fundamental aspect of developing one’s own style and must be understood properly if one ever wants to progress on his own and not be handicapped to a source… may that be whatever.
The newer jackets of this type are-in a three-button notched lapel model with high roll lapel, patch or bellows pockets and center or side vents. This particular model lends itself quite well to bold patterns, but bi-swing models with belted backs, pleats and other forms of ultra adornment are not suitable for plaid or boldly patterned jackets.
The most practical type of trouser to wear with the bolder jackets is the plain grey flannel. Considerable interest, however, is evidenced in hound’s tooth and Shepherd’s check trousers in both grey and brown. These trousers are especially smart when worn with solid color jackets, but are a bit on the “overdone” side when worn with the more boldly patterned jackets. Trousers carrying large over-checks are also very much in vogue at the moment.
In place of the waistcoat there seems to be a return to the short sleeveless sweater, particularly in solid colors, such as wine, navy blue, dark brown and grey. The smartest of these sweaters are in the heavy cable stitch, although fine alpacas and cashmeres are very luxurious and good looking.
Interest is again being manifested in the knitted waistcoat in small patterns, as well as in Fair Isle patterns. The. Tattersall flannel waistcoat is of course a perennial favorite, and there is a new brown suede in the same color as the brown suede shoe and also a heavy ribbed corduroy, both of which are very good. These waistcoats may be worn correctly with any type of tweed suit and’ are no less appropriate because they offer warmth and comfort along with style.
With respect to country suits, there is a moral to be derived from the fact that in England the odd tweed jacket and grey flannel trouser combination has been taken up by every Tom, Dick and Harry, with the result that those who are responsible for setting fashions have discarded the odd tweed jacket and in its place are wearing single breasted cheviot or Saxony suits in bold Scotch district plaids.
These plaids are usually made up of large Glen Urquhart patterns with colorful overplaids and the jacket is ordinarily a three-button notched lapel model carrying nine-inch side vents. The pockets have flaps and often there is an additional cash pocket. Some of the jackets of these suits worn by the horsey set carry saddle (slanting flap) pockets. The waistcoat matches the jacket, is single breasted and is frequently cut in the postboy fashion. Very often, in place of the waistcoat a sweater is worn. Trousers are cut full and carry a lap seam.
Jackets with center vents or plain backs are worn in Harris tweed, Donegal tweed, Shetland and other rough fabrics. The Harris tweeds usually run to solid colors and faint overplaids, while Shetlands are mostly favored in herringbone and small diamond patterns. At present there seems to be a return to favor of the Irish nubbed Donegal tweeds.
Tweed-jackets, although seen in solid colors, are most popular in definite checks and plaids. The fancy back that was popular a year ago has given way to the plain back with center or side vents. The majority of these latter models are three buttoned with notched lapels and flap pockets. Odd trousers of tweed, cheviot and Shetland are often worn, usually in herringbone, diagonal or plain solid colors.
Taking first rank among overcoats and topcoats for country wear is the tweed balmacaan. This is in a single breasted, button-through model with military collar, raglan sleeves and a wide flare in the skirt. Solid color hound’s tooth checks and overplaids are the most popular patterns.
Prominent also is the reversible coat which is made in the same style as the balmacaan, with one side tweed and the other a reversible gabardine. It is one of the most practical of all coats for the sportsman. An ideal coat for colder weather is the British short warm, which is a six-button double breasted coat with a long vent in the back, coming only –to the knee. The buttons are leather and there is a definite waistline to the coat. These coats, originally worn for riding, usually carry a plaid flannel lining for warmth and come in cheviots, Melton and camel’s hair.
The Inverness cape coat is a balmacaan but in place of sleeves it has a short cape. It is a particular favorite of sportsmen who do a great deal of shooting and has been seen on the campuses of several Eastern universities. The camel’s hair polo coat, popular a few seasons ago, has undergone a transition as to fabric, now being worn “in Irish tweeds and homespuns but retaining the same polo model.
Country hats are more a matter of personal preference than any of the other articles in the ensemble. There are, however, definite styles which are especially worthy of promotion. The newest and most important of these is the pork pie hat with a low, flat-set crown, fairly wide brim snapped down in front and a narrow band. It is made in rough felts and light weight crusher type felts, in browns and dark greens.
The one-piece top cap in patterned tweeds, such as Glen Urquharts and hound’s tooth checks, is coming back Into favor with well dressed sportsmen. The stitched tweed hat, in solid color tweeds, is also important. Snap brim hats in browns and greens are always worn, and there are still many Tyrolean style hats seen for country wear. Rough finished bowlers are correct for spectator wear in the country.
Perhaps the most important shirt today for country wear is the oxford shirt in solid colors with stripes. These are made in round collar attached, medium pointed collar attached and button-down collar attached models. Those who take their sports more seriously, however, prefer the flannel shirt with medium collar attached. These shirts are in solid colors and small check effects. The collar which promises to be of special importance this spring is the Prince of Wales widespread collar, made in a collar attached model and button-down collar attached models. Those who take their sports more seriously, however, prefer the flannel shirt with medium collar attached. These shirts are in solid colors and small check effects. The collar which promises to be of special interest is the Prince of Wales widespread collar, made in attached model and laundered soft. This collar should prove successful with sportsmen whose main objective in dress is comfort, and with the popularity of knitted wool ties for country wear the fact that the collar permits a large knot is in its favor.
With respect to general ensembles, an appropriate one for spectator wear at country races or country shows of various kinds consists of an odd tweed jacket and grey flannel trousers, worn with a cap or hat of the type previously described and heavy brogues or suede shoes. The same ensemble would be suitable for wear at a picnic, with the possible substitution of knickers for trousers.
The growth of steeplechase racing, which was introduced into America a few seasons ago and met with immediate success, attaches more importance than ever before to clothes for these events. Spectators attending activities of this type of course wear country clothes, with some even wearing riding clothes.
The riding clothes worn at these events are not necessarily the type worn for the show ring but are more for the field or country riding, with the result that we find canvas top new market boots, canvas puttees and jodhpurs, rather than ordinarily twill breeches and leather boots.
END OF SECTION IV OF THIS POST
Now this section ties in the 3rd & 5th (main section) together.
From spring of 35’
OUTDOORS FOR SALE
If spring fever were restricted to school children, men would be content to remain indoors; but it isn’t and they aren’t—and therein lies a merchandising opportunity
Spring is a season of reawakening: the fresh soil gives up a scent of living and growing things and tiny green buds begin to peep out here and there. It is also a season during which retailers can sell a lot of apparel.
Less poetic though the thought may be, it is with the latter rather than the former subject that this article is concerned. But the two thoughts are by no means entirely unrelated. That perennial malady known as spring fever, which adults like to attribute to school children but which they never quite outgrow themselves, has more to do with the selling of clothes than most people are inclined to think.
The season that brings men out of doors, after a long winter of semi-hibernation, is also the season that puts them into clothes of a definitely out of doors type country clothes, to put a more specific tag on the classification of apparel under discussion here. And while there is nothing new within the memory of the oldest living citizen as far as spring and its effect on man’s sartorial reawakening are concerned, there is something new in the trend in country clothes, not merely from a fashion standpoint but also with respect to its status in the general merchandising scheme of things.
For one thing, the past few years have witnessed a subtle but radical transition in men’s dress which has a direct application to country clothes. This transition has partially expressed itself in an increased predominance of rough, soft tweeds, Shetlands and similar fabrics at the expense of hard finished worsteds. Models too have changed to a considerable extent from stiff conservative lines to all types of fancy sport back garments. In the wake have followed colored shirts with bold patterns, woolen and knitted neckwear, rough felt hats, brown buckskin shoes and other articles of apparel of the same type.
Especially interesting is the definite demand for a “town-cum-country” type of dress, and it can almost be said that to keep pace with the best dressed men one must seem to have just come “in from the country. In general, the increased vogue for country clothes is far more than a flash in the pan far more than a one-season novelty. Much to the advantage of the retailer who recognizes a broadened avenue of profit when he sees one, country clothes have established themselves as on the way to becoming as much a staple, in their way, is business clothes have always been.
To be sure, various articles in the country clothes category have seemed to behave more like novelties than like staples.
But in many cases, treasonable though it may sound, this has been more the fault of retailers and manufacturers than of the much-maligned consumer or, for that matter, the basic trend that brought those articles to the forefront.
Two or three seasons ago, woolen neckwear took on considerable importance from a selling standpoint and, in fact, scaled the mercantile heights. Then, for some reason or other, manufacturers almost arbitrarily concluded that its day was done and diverted much of their efforts into other channels. Today, paradoxically enough, the latent demand for woolen neckwear exceeds the desire of producers and dealers to cater to it.
What manufacturers and retailers alike frequently fail to realize is that after a new article of apparel has enjoyed two or three seasons of success, it is not necessarily doomed to oblivion. It may, at the end of that time, achieve the position of a staple. Past performances are usually a good basis for future judgment, but previous experience in analogous cases should never become so solidified and hidebound is to occasion the discontinuance of something new almost from force of habit.
To the extent that woolen neckwear, plaid shirts and other accessories of the country clothes type have not yet achieved the position of staples, it can be said that this partial failure hinges on the neglect of the apparel industry to provide them with that status. It may be an extreme statement to say that just as men were acquiring a liking for clothes of this type, they were taken away from them; but that statement is true in effect if not in the matter of literal and specific practice. The moral is that retailers shouted study these new fashions with a view toward incorporating them in their stocks as staple merchandise for specific occasions. These occasions, together with the clothing that pertains to them, may not be so well defined and so commercially vocal as they will be in the future, but, like the telephone, they are here to stay.
The mere fact, however, that manufacturers and retailers in many instances look at a major trend and regard it as a minor tendency does not make it so. The major trends in country clothes are favorable ones and can prove as profitable as they are lasting. But needless to say, the benefits from this market will not distribute themselves with impartial hand to all retailers alike. As has always been the case, to the aggressive merchant will go the spoils. And even more to be prized than aggressiveness in the merchandising of country clothes is intelligence—intelligence in the all-important matter of selling the right clothes for the right occasion.
A true understanding of this essential phase in the merchandising of country clothes may perhaps best be based on a knowledge of the origin and development of that type of apparel. Country fashions originate in England and Scotland. The men in England who are considered style leaders are usually members of the aristocracy and are often extensive landowners. They spend a great deal of their time at their country seats in the shires and provinces and dung the season they occupy themselves in riding, shooting and similar country activities with the result that traditions in country wear are continually being built up.
Country clothes in England are not sharply differentiated from town clothes in model but they are as applies to fabric. With respect to’ model, for instance, a man going shooting in England might wear a three-button notched lapel jacket cut along lines similar to his ordinary lounge jacket, the jacket naturally being of a looser cut, due to the bulk of the tweed, and with larger pockets. Instead of long trousers, knickers would be worn, not so much as a matter of style as of practicality.
Their shirts are similar in model to those worn m town, but are usually of flannel, while the shoes are naturally heavier models. Today in England, where formality has always been at a premium, one nevertheless finds a marked preference for the casual, more or less “countrified” type of dress. Not at all unusual in town is the sight of a man wearing a light weight tweed suit with a bowler, a pair of brown suede shoes and often a dark sleeveless sweater replacing the waistcoat.
The brown tweed jacket and grey flannel trouser combination that was introduced into this country by Princeton undergraduates was perhaps the real beginning of the adoption of English country clothes, and the interest in shaggy, rough tweeds for campus wear at well known Eastern universities went far in communicating itself to the nation as a whole. These students accepted the English country clothes as they were, and are still wearing them without any radical change in model.
Unfortunately, the same fidelity was not shared by some American manufacturers who, falling in with the idea of producing tweed sport suits, patterned their models after the rather dubious precedent set by the favorite movie stars, instead of going to the source for their inspiration. Entirely devoid of any authentic fashion significance, these models appeared on the market with all the gingerbread with which they could be adorned. Typical of these concoctions was the bi-swing sports jacket with bellows pockets and flaps, leather buttons and all the trimmings. It is not with models such as these but with conservatively styled, authentic models, varied slightly from season to season, that country clothes will achieve their rightful place in the wardrobe. Properly educated to the comfort, the good looks and, above all, the essential appropriateness of these garments for the occasion, the average man becomes a ripe candidate for country clothes.
The matter of authenticity is no less. Important with regard to the accessories that go with country clothes than with the suits for which they are intended. A case in point is that of the plaid flannel and cotton flannel shirts which were introduced over a year ago to be worn with the tweed suits. Inside of one season every type of pattern imaginable was seen in these shirts, with the result that by the following season they had pretty well jaded the customer’s appetite or this merchandise. Yet there is still a demand for the original small hound’s tooth and Glen Urquhart patterns, which always have been good and probably always will be, in shirts for country wear.
Country clothes naturally call for more color and pattern than other types of dress. But there are limits in both directions, and one must know how far to go with color without becoming ostentatious and how far to go with pattern without seeming pretentious.* Scotch district plaids and checks combine the right proportions of color and pattern and are very much in vogue for odd sport jackets of tweeds and Shetlands.
* Here is an advice worthy of remembering (not that any other isn’t). How you alternate between pattern mixing and matching, (in this day and age esp.) is going to be of paramount importance. It is a fundamental aspect of developing one’s own style and must be understood properly if one ever wants to progress on his own and not be handicapped to a source… may that be whatever.
The newer jackets of this type are-in a three-button notched lapel model with high roll lapel, patch or bellows pockets and center or side vents. This particular model lends itself quite well to bold patterns, but bi-swing models with belted backs, pleats and other forms of ultra adornment are not suitable for plaid or boldly patterned jackets.
The most practical type of trouser to wear with the bolder jackets is the plain grey flannel. Considerable interest, however, is evidenced in hound’s tooth and Shepherd’s check trousers in both grey and brown. These trousers are especially smart when worn with solid color jackets, but are a bit on the “overdone” side when worn with the more boldly patterned jackets. Trousers carrying large over-checks are also very much in vogue at the moment.
In place of the waistcoat there seems to be a return to the short sleeveless sweater, particularly in solid colors, such as wine, navy blue, dark brown and grey. The smartest of these sweaters are in the heavy cable stitch, although fine alpacas and cashmeres are very luxurious and good looking.
Interest is again being manifested in the knitted waistcoat in small patterns, as well as in Fair Isle patterns. The. Tattersall flannel waistcoat is of course a perennial favorite, and there is a new brown suede in the same color as the brown suede shoe and also a heavy ribbed corduroy, both of which are very good. These waistcoats may be worn correctly with any type of tweed suit and’ are no less appropriate because they offer warmth and comfort along with style.
With respect to country suits, there is a moral to be derived from the fact that in England the odd tweed jacket and grey flannel trouser combination has been taken up by every Tom, Dick and Harry, with the result that those who are responsible for setting fashions have discarded the odd tweed jacket and in its place are wearing single breasted cheviot or Saxony suits in bold Scotch district plaids.
These plaids are usually made up of large Glen Urquhart patterns with colorful overplaids and the jacket is ordinarily a three-button notched lapel model carrying nine-inch side vents. The pockets have flaps and often there is an additional cash pocket. Some of the jackets of these suits worn by the horsey set carry saddle (slanting flap) pockets. The waistcoat matches the jacket, is single breasted and is frequently cut in the postboy fashion. Very often, in place of the waistcoat a sweater is worn. Trousers are cut full and carry a lap seam.
Jackets with center vents or plain backs are worn in Harris tweed, Donegal tweed, Shetland and other rough fabrics. The Harris tweeds usually run to solid colors and faint overplaids, while Shetlands are mostly favored in herringbone and small diamond patterns. At present there seems to be a return to favor of the Irish nubbed Donegal tweeds.
Tweed-jackets, although seen in solid colors, are most popular in definite checks and plaids. The fancy back that was popular a year ago has given way to the plain back with center or side vents. The majority of these latter models are three buttoned with notched lapels and flap pockets. Odd trousers of tweed, cheviot and Shetland are often worn, usually in herringbone, diagonal or plain solid colors.
Taking first rank among overcoats and topcoats for country wear is the tweed balmacaan. This is in a single breasted, button-through model with military collar, raglan sleeves and a wide flare in the skirt. Solid color hound’s tooth checks and overplaids are the most popular patterns.
Prominent also is the reversible coat which is made in the same style as the balmacaan, with one side tweed and the other a reversible gabardine. It is one of the most practical of all coats for the sportsman. An ideal coat for colder weather is the British short warm, which is a six-button double breasted coat with a long vent in the back, coming only –to the knee. The buttons are leather and there is a definite waistline to the coat. These coats, originally worn for riding, usually carry a plaid flannel lining for warmth and come in cheviots, Melton and camel’s hair.
The Inverness cape coat is a balmacaan but in place of sleeves it has a short cape. It is a particular favorite of sportsmen who do a great deal of shooting and has been seen on the campuses of several Eastern universities. The camel’s hair polo coat, popular a few seasons ago, has undergone a transition as to fabric, now being worn “in Irish tweeds and homespuns but retaining the same polo model.
Country hats are more a matter of personal preference than any of the other articles in the ensemble. There are, however, definite styles which are especially worthy of promotion. The newest and most important of these is the pork pie hat with a low, flat-set crown, fairly wide brim snapped down in front and a narrow band. It is made in rough felts and light weight crusher type felts, in browns and dark greens.
The one-piece top cap in patterned tweeds, such as Glen Urquharts and hound’s tooth checks, is coming back Into favor with well dressed sportsmen. The stitched tweed hat, in solid color tweeds, is also important. Snap brim hats in browns and greens are always worn, and there are still many Tyrolean style hats seen for country wear. Rough finished bowlers are correct for spectator wear in the country.
Perhaps the most important shirt today for country wear is the oxford shirt in solid colors with stripes. These are made in round collar attached, medium pointed collar attached and button-down collar attached models. Those who take their sports more seriously, however, prefer the flannel shirt with medium collar attached. These shirts are in solid colors and small check effects. The collar which promises to be of special importance this spring is the Prince of Wales widespread collar, made in a collar attached model and button-down collar attached models. Those who take their sports more seriously, however, prefer the flannel shirt with medium collar attached. These shirts are in solid colors and small check effects. The collar which promises to be of special interest is the Prince of Wales widespread collar, made in attached model and laundered soft. This collar should prove successful with sportsmen whose main objective in dress is comfort, and with the popularity of knitted wool ties for country wear the fact that the collar permits a large knot is in its favor.
With respect to general ensembles, an appropriate one for spectator wear at country races or country shows of various kinds consists of an odd tweed jacket and grey flannel trousers, worn with a cap or hat of the type previously described and heavy brogues or suede shoes. The same ensemble would be suitable for wear at a picnic, with the possible substitution of knickers for trousers.
The growth of steeplechase racing, which was introduced into America a few seasons ago and met with immediate success, attaches more importance than ever before to clothes for these events. Spectators attending activities of this type of course wear country clothes, with some even wearing riding clothes.
The riding clothes worn at these events are not necessarily the type worn for the show ring but are more for the field or country riding, with the result that we find canvas top new market boots, canvas puttees and jodhpurs, rather than ordinarily twill breeches and leather boots.
END OF SECTION IV OF THIS POST
START OF SECTION V OF THIS POST
This next main & last section is devoted to university & country clothes. I have covered some portion of this topic previously. Kindly see the link below to be directed to that thread.
University Styles Post. Vol.II No. I
From Fall 33’
OUT OF TOWN CLOTHES
Clothes for Collage
During the Fall a young man’s fancy turns to haberdashery rather than Homer, and suits rather than Suetonius. Then the Novum Organum becomes a new world of dress. Back to college . . . back among men . . . back where clubs and clothes mark a man’s standards.
The word “collegiate,” now seldom used in speaking of college men, is altogether foreign to its famous meaning of some eight years ago, when the raccoon coat, Oxford bags, the hat pushed up in front, and the socks rolled down, were all implicit in the term. Today the college man is looked upon as a leader of fashion, a man who dresses inconspicuously and correctly for all occasions, thanks to the leadership of smart Eastern Universities, which have a metropolitan feeling, or at least are near enough to metropolitan areas for the students to feel all the influences of sophisticated living. We can thank the present-day “collegiate” element for the return to popularity of the tail coat, for the white buckskin shoes, for the gray flannel slacks with odd jackets, and for various other smart fashions which are typical of university men today.
For on-campus wear there is a general acceptance of country clothes in the typical British manner, such as odd slacks d tweed jackets, country brogues and felt hats. This is the way the undergraduates at smart Universities and prep schools dress today during classes.
Over the week-ends when the average college man goes to town there is always the dark Chesterfield coat and derby hat. Single or double-breasted town suit, black shoes, very often a white starched collar shirt with a tail coat.
Clothing and furnishings that should be sold to men going to college for the first time or returning to college should be exacting for the very reason that none will find out more quickly what things are wrong than the student himself when he gets to his college.
Smart and new Items already having a definite acceptance with University men and which follow Fall fashion trends in all their indications are these: a double-breasted suit of dark blue; it may be of solid color or may have chalk stripes, silk stripe effect. This is the suit that the college man will wear to and from town and every often wear in town. Another suit that should be in the wardrobe of every well-dressed undergraduate should be either a single-breasted Glen Urquhart plaid or the newer Shepherd plaid. This suit serves many purposes. First of all it is worn on Saturdays and at athletic activities with a top coat. It may be worn when going out at night. Secondly, the coat may be worn ideally with slacks and the trousers may be worn ideally with an odd jacket. A third suit that should be in the wardrobe of the man returning to college should be a Harris tweed or a Shetland suit either in shades of brown, Lovat or to please his own individuality. This suit is typical of college clothing today and may be worn, like the Shepherd check suit, with odd slacks or with odd jacket, most comfortably for outdoor activities or for football games. It is also advisable to have an extra sport jacket along. This may be of any check tweed fabric and should invariably be single-breasted with notch lapel. It may have side vents with a belted back with by-swing shoulders or the newer modified Norfolk. A pair of gray flannel Glen Urquhart plaid slacks, or the newer Shepherd plaid or tweed slacks should also be included.
Another necessity for the college man is the dinner coat. This may be either single or double-breasted, preferably double-breasted. This suit has many advantages. It is worn at fraternity dinners, smokers, theatre and many other evenings when a tail coat is too much and sack clothes are not enough.
Last but not least, as a matter of fact most important, is the tail coat. This will be worn at all fraternity or club dances, at proms, dancing when in town and other very formal occasions. From an overcoat standpoint the college man should have in his kit a double-breasted or single-breasted dark town coat either of oxford gray or navy blue, preferably without velvet collar. This will be worn in town and will also serve as an overcoat for formal evening wear.
Another coat that is ideally suited for campus wear is the reversible top coat of gabardine and Harris tweed. Instead of this coat the smarter dresser may include in his wardrobe a bold checked Harris tweed Balmaccan and for bad weather days a gabardine Balmaccan. Another coat which may be used on the campus is the old time favorite, the double-breasted camel coat. The newer ones are cut much shorter. Many have leather buttons with three buttons to button and there is a decided flare in the skirt.
For football games and Winter outdoor activities it is always good taste to have either a raccoon coat or a black broadcloth coat lined with fur and a fur collar or a tweed type of coat lined with fur and a fur collar but, of course, due to the period of depression that the country has just been through, while these things are nice, they are terribly expensive and so as to substitute for these fur coats, one should by all means include in the wardrobe a double-breasted Ulster type of coat with a very heavy lining. The coat may have four or five buttons, double-breasted and a broad collar. The smarter coats of this type have no belt in the back.
Next in importance after having the student fitted out with his clothes are his shirts. It must be considered that students attending Universities today need shirts for every type of occasion. The shirt wardrobe should consist of country sport shirts, of town shirts which include starched collars, and of formal shirts. For general campus wear, the sport type of shirt should be as follows: It may be of flannel or flannel finished material or heavy cheviot Oxford. In model the button down collar-attached shirt and the round collar- attached shirt to be worn pinned, and the medium pointed collar to be worn pinned, are the three outstanding and favorite styles. Blue is by far the best color, with gray, tan, and white following, also yellow, a new shade which has already been accepted by University men.
Checked patterns, such as Glens, hound’s tooth checks and the newer Tattersall ‘check. Shirts for general wear and town wear should be of striped or fine checked madras, broadcloth, lighter weight Oxford. These are most popular in tab color models. The widespread tab is the newer one. It might be well to include neckband shirts in this wardrobe, and white starched collars may be worn with them. Pleated bosom shirts are again back and smart college men returning to town for the holidays will get much’ pleasure out of wearing pleated shirts with white starched collar and cuffs. Round collared shirts and pointed collared shirts of these medium weight materials are also correct for general and town wear. For evening wear, the plain white linen or white pique two stud open front shirt is the correct shirt with either tail coat or dinner coat. With the double-breasted dinner coat, a white turn-over starched collar may be worn and a semi-stiff pleated shirt with two studs. This shirt may also be worn with the tail coat but with the high wing collar with bold broad tabs. Single cuffs should be on all dress shirts.
The next item of apparel which depends now on both the suit and the shirt is the correct neckwear. Here again we have the sport and country and town and formal atmosphere. For general campus wear the wool cashmere tie is still usually suited. Smart University men have taken up the silk crocheted tie in horizontal and bias stripes, and this Fall they will be more popular than they have been in many a year. Although bow ties are primarily a Spring and Summer item it would be a good idea to include a few bow ties in the wardrobe for early Fall and as they are now made of cashmere as well as silk, the student will undoubtedly get use out of them. For town wear, town wear, striped rep ties and Spitalsfield ties are back again. Foulard ties are good for all year round, just as popular for Winter as for Summer, and every student’s wardrobe should include these along with others. India madras ties for early Fall are also good, new and colorful. For formal wear the newest and smartest shape is the semi-butterfly tie in both black and white and these are styles that should be sold to students going to college this Fall.
Undergraduates at important Universities have put their stamp of approval on wool hose and the majority of college students wear wool hose all the year round. The newest note in woolen hose is the revival of the Argyle plaids that were present a few fears ago. Plaids and checks have already run the gauntlet and the new wool hose that are favored are made in 6 and3 rib in heather and mixtures. There is also a revival of the horizontal or partridge stripe which is now considered very smart. For town wear, lisle or silk hose 6 and 3 rib in solid colors or broken check clocks’. For wear with dinner clothes, black hose with white, black or colored clocks. For tail coat, sheer silk hose or fine 6 and 3 rib silk hose. The newer evening socks have a wool foot for comfort while dancing and to act as a cushion for the thin soled evening shoe.
One of the most important things to be considered in the collage man’s wardrobe is shoes which again must be suitable to the various occasions. You will notice in the forthcoming paragraph about shoes how they follow in the wake of the strictly he-man rough feeling of the tweed and how they adhere to the strict formality of dress-up clothes. For general campus wear the all-white buckskin shoe with no toe cap, red rubber heels and soles, is the white buck or white elk shoe with black saddle strap. Though the brown buckskin shoe is a favorite of the horsey set they have not as yet been really accepted or by college men. The brown buckskin blucher with no toe cap and heavy crepe sole and heel is a shoe that is very practical for all-campus wear and one which if liked by the student should surely be included in his wardrobe, as its smartness cannot be questioned.
As far as color is concerned brown is surely the favorite. Another shoe that is being worn by some of the better dressed undergraduates at smarter universities is a deep reddish brown Norwegian calf (which resembles a Scotch grain but is not as rough) with a round toe, on the English straight last, a straight toe cap with perforations and foxing along the side of the shoe, heavy leather soles and heels. Another shoe of the same nature that is worn by many students is the deep brown calf shoe, no toe cap, with three extra large brass eyelets and crepe soles and heels. For town wear or more dressy occasions black straight tip shoe, either plain or with perforations, with a slightly rounded toe, is very smart and conservative. With dinner clothes the five hole patent leather Oxford on the long vamp. The same shoe is correct with the tail coat. Pumps are definitely in and are accepted and are also correct with tall coat. It is necessary to include in one’s wardrobe a good pair of leather slippers with hard soles and heels. If students are fond of riding, boots either of the field type or more dressy type or the blucher riding shoe with canvas leggings should be included in the wardrobe.
Another very essential item of the young man’s wardrobe is headwear. Various hats for a college term are as follows. First, the derby hat. The newer model is a rather medium height, very full crown, with a short straightish brim. The next hat that is important is the brown snap brim hat. This hat may have a binding or it may be the new semi-Homburg hat which is a new Homburg snapped down in front. One may include in one’s wardrobe a tweed stitched hat or a one piece top cap. A small hat with rather a telescope crown and a small straightish brim resembling a Tyrolean hat is also good for campus wear. It is made of rough scratch felt.
Accessories should include various colored and white linen handkerchiefs for the every day clothes and white handkerchiefs for the formal clothes’. A very smart handkerchief which should be in the wardrobe is the colored silk foulard madder handkerchief.
Mufflers—the silk wool square in tied-and-dyed and polka dot as well as in the old paisley patterns are very popular. The student will need a pair of white buckskin or mocha gloves for dress wear. A pair of pigskin gloves for campus wear is advisable. A pair of yellow string knit gloves for cold weather and rough country wear in general.
Jewelry that is necessary is a heavy gold safety pin for one’s collar. Gold cufflinks of modest design. A wrist watch or pocket watch. If pocket watch is worn, a gold link watch chain 1s very good taste. Of course, the necessary collar buttons for semi-formal or dinner clothes, black, gold or semi- precious stones. For tail coat white pearl or crystals or precious stones. Also in the wardrobe should be included a waist- coat. There should be white single-breasted for wear with tail coat* and black single or double-breasted for wear with dinner coat, although the single breasted is preferable. Another waistcoat that should be suggested to students or boys going to college for the first time is a checked Tattersall waistcoat. These are very popular at smart Universities and go well with the odd jacket and slack combination.
*Note that this is suggested towards the younger collage students. For all other uses a DB white-tie waist coat is perfectly correct in various assortments of styles and design that were seen during the era.
Another item which would be useful to the college man is a sweater, either the sleeveless or regular slip-over sweater with sleeves. The newer ones are in cable stitch knit and are popular in wine and blue as well as in canary and white. Shetland sweaters with a high crew neck are also very good and of course the necessary pajamas, robe, underwear, garters, and suspenders.
This gives you a very definite example what to offer college men, both from the angle of what they need and what is smart.
Staring off at first we have an illustration from fall of 34’
This student (an engineering major to be precise) is wearing a 3 button suit of Lovat tweed suit with diagonal weave cut in a very full and soft manner, that is the suit is very full in cut. He wears a flannel tattersall vest, which is directly imported from country fashions. His shirt is light blue button-down with soft collar and tie is crocheted in solid red color. Shoes are brown scotch grain in a full wingtip model. Note the leather watch guard strap in the breast pocket. The trousers here are pleated in order to keep in harmony with the fullness of the jacket. However, the may perfectly be without pleats…especially if the jacket is slightly trimmed.
Next from spring of 37’ we have two upper classmen
The term “semi-sports” is simply a verbal recognition of an old undergraduate habit—that of finding a happy medium between two extremes of formality & informality as typified by the more orthodox modes for town and country. The outfits pictured here are typical examples
On left you have a heavy homespun tweed raglan coat with leather buttons, worn with plain grey flannel suit, blue oxford shirt button-down attached collar and brown and white checked wool tie. Note that the coat carries a red over plaid on it. The semi-sports hat is rough finish felt, which can be worn in various shapes. Underneath the coat he wears a grey flannel suit with Norwegian crepe soled shoes. The one on the right is a Saxony Glen Plaid 3-button roll lapel model in 3-pc with a tan broadcloth shirt, which carries a medium spread soft collar. Note the fullness in the cut of the suit and extreme open front quarters. Tie is regimental striped and foulard silk pocket square in the breast pocket. Over his arm is a covert cloth topcoat and the hat is in lighter brown shade of Cuba brown. Shoes are brown reversed calf with black soles and heels.
Moving along from late spring of 37’ we have two more collage students
Seems like the boys are in an interesting conversation doesn’t it? While in the meantime we will study their clothes… since we certainly can’t have the privilege of engaging the blond in the car. So, the one the left wears a collage “uniform” so to speak with ever present brown Shetland odd jacket with a blue over plaid, combined up with full cut grey flannel trousers. This jacket is a 3-button notch lapel model with only one button at the sleeves. In his hat e carries a gabardine hat which is extremely lightweight and is in a telescope crown with stitched brim (which was basically an old fashioned rain hat fancied & revived by students at Yale & Princeton). His shoes are of white elk with black saddles and red rubber soles & heels.
The one on the right wears a iridescent gabardine suit with a red lining as a matter of fact, which is observable underneath the opened side vent. Note the heavy country influence on this suit with slanted pockets and side vents. The jacket is a 3-button roll lapel model. The regimental striped bow-tie is paired up with soft green shirt. Shoes are Norwegians and socks are plaid. Hat is in snuff color with a lower crown and slightly wider brim. Pocket square is green & yellow foulard.
Alright, now another one of the quintessential collage articles of clothing; a camel hair coat from early spring of 34’
The fickle undergraduate has taken many coats into his fold during the last few seasons but the enduring favorite as far as fabric is concerned is camel hair. Originally, his pet camel coat was a long and full half belted or full belted model. Here is the newest model and at the moment a ranking favorite. This coat is cut rather short, full of skirt and has slashed pockets; it has three buttons, a notched lapel and fits easily. Another university note to put on the “must” list is the club stripe bow tie—they are very much in the running. As usual with the college man whose clothes mark him well-dressed, the brown snap brim hat has a black silk band. Plaids and checks in suits are still highly desirable, as evidenced by this chap’s brown glen plaid suit. Note that the shoes are quite different from the usual they have heavy crepe soles and are cut with blucher fronts, another British note that is creeping into the styling of shoes. These will stand rough going.
ROUND CORNERED COLLARS AND DEEP TONES MARK A SHIRT STYLE HIGHLIGHT
Round collared shirts, those favorites of the sporting world, have recently had a whole-hearted acceptance among college undergraduates. These we show are in deep tones a trend which is rapidly on the way up. Deep tone shirts lend a different air-- an air of smartness and character--to the ensemble of the university man.
RAW EDGE SNAP BRIM HATS MAINTAIN THEIR MARGIN OF POPULARITY
Though hat fashions may come and going color, in shape or dimensions from season to season the one hat that stands out as the college man’s favorite is the snap brim model with a raw edge. While the undergrad in this instance is not pinching his hat as has been his practice, it is still the same hat.
ARGYLE PLAID SOX COME WITH A WHITE GROUND TONE FOR WARM WEATHER WEAR
With plaids and checks running riot in the men’s apparel field, and suits and coats in every variety of pattern, the sox went Argyle plaid and checks in a grand fashion. With the coming of warm weather, we’ll see them done in Argyle plaids on white.
And now to sort of summarize a few of the key aspects explained above in the article we have a larger illustration of University students.
Pay close attention to these ensembles as these have been described earlier. Note that on far left the student is wearing a DB 3-pc blue chalk stripe suit, which was usually worn by students when visiting metropolitan areas. There was little to no need for such citified suits for regular campus wear. Secondly from left note the different take on combination of odd jackets and trousers. This practice has long evaporated from sartorial realms and is almost all forgotten. I have addressed this in the past also that plaid jacket & patterned trouser scheme need not be reserved only for formal day time attires…it can be used a matter of fact in a variety of very casual & sporty ensembles as depicted here. This brown Shetland with blue over plaid trousers (shown here) can be perfectly a part of a suit. Next, third from left we have a glen plaid coat with raglan sleeves. See the link for pervious university styles post for a detailed discussion on university coats. And lastly extreme right we have a slightly different take on the odd jacket / trousers combination. Here the jacket is of green glen plaid combine with dark grey flannel trousers. Note that the shirt is deep grey worn with a striped tie and a dark sweater vest.
CLOTHES FOR ACTIVE SPORT
While we do not presume to suggest that seasoned sportsmen are in need of suggestions to be found in this section, nevertheless with the increasingly wide- spread interest in outdoor activities and are growing number of recruits who are being added to the ranks each year, it would not seem to be amiss to emphasize, even for the hundredth time, some of the necessities which are either required by common sense, or rigidly specified by tradition.
Unless a man is comfortably dressed it is impossible for-him to enjoy himself while participating in out-of-door activities. Anything fancy or gaudy is not in as good taste. As a plain and workmanlike turn-out. In Scotland sportsmen shoot for grouse, pheasant, etc. The weather is cold and damp. Very often the. Hunting season includes a protracted wet spell. Ideally suited to this climatic condition are the hand-woven tweeds from the Isle of Harris and Lewis, and the hand-loomed Shetlands which are worn by these men. Heavy wool hose and well oiled boots of Norwegian grain are Ideally suited for the purpose. Canvas anklets are worn and though many men prefer caps, some of the more experienced sportsmen favor the tweed grouse cap.
For upland shooting in our country a serviceable jacket of tweed or Shetland with chamois gun pads, a pair of good tweed or strong worsted knicker-breeches ire advisable. Heavy woolen hose and medium height smoked elk boots, an old soft hat, complete the turn-out of the well seasoned sportsman. It is important that the clothes worn, though old and shabby, should be of the finest materials.
Point to point racing has been accepted in this country and many gentlemen jockeys are men of great prominence in society their fashion influence is of extreme importance. The men who ride in these races have adopted the English way of dressing, wearing a cap and a loose fitting double- breasted tweed coat.
Beagling is a sport that can be followed for a life time and does not need to end with a man’s collage days. There is hardly any age limit for the field that follows a pack of beagles, provided one is still able to walk or run. Beagling is a sport that a man and his family can enjoy together, a sport that is conveniently possible for the many who could never afford the expense of maintaining a string of hunters. It 1s a sport that affords a wonderful opportunity to see hound work and see it even more intimately than when out with fox hounds. Generally, hints when out to hunt with fox hounds would also apply to beagles. Members of the field rarely turn out in livery except by special request. It is well to bear in mind that one often has to contend with briers and wet going. A cloth that will resist these and not pick up burdocks, such as gabardine or corduroy, is the best. For the man who is keen enough to try to keep up with the little hounds, extra heavy sneakers are found to be of advantage. Anklets prove to be of great advantage against the brier and weed seeds, though for this purpose some sportsmen prefer gaiters. Knickerbockers, not too full cut, bind the legs less when running than do breeches.
COUNTRY CLOTHES
The tremendous interest throughout the country for the proper kind of clothes for other than solely town wear has grown to larger proportions each spring and summer. It has reached the point where it is evident that its importance to most men is greater than that of town clothes at this time of the year. Going back to the time when the limitations of a resort or weekend outfit consisted of a pair of white flannels and a double-breasted blue jacket irrespective of the time, place or activity, we have seen a consistently widening demand for appropriate clothes that will not only physically fit the purpose of the wearer but will create a. feeling of proper appearance to his mind as well.
Primarily, due to the actual fact that at Eastern Universities (such as Princeton and Yale) where odd jackets and slacks have been adopted for daily wear for several years, last fall it was apparent to observers that still further assurance of the continued acceptance of this fashion was definitely confirmed. The wide use of typical country fabrics of the Shetland, Harris and other textures of the shaggy rougher kind, as well as softer flannels and saxonies, has almost completely supplanted the harder worsted suitings that were so popular a few years back. This has occasioned the loss of popularity of the smoother, harder-faced fabrics. S6 too-have these plain un patterned fabrics given way to pattern of all kinds. The rougher fabrics are seen in checks, plaids, overplaids and in the bold, colorful patterns of District checks, white the flannels and saxonies are seen in definite stripings and the many varieties of Glen Urquhart.
Contributing factors to the growth of this fashion are evident on all sides. A notable interest in riding is apparent in all parts of this country and the natural resultant interest in horse-shows and hunt-meets as well as the point-to-point type of races (which have been open to the public with ever-increasing popularity) is on the upward trend. To this must be added the tremendous spectator group of University football enthusiasts, and the requirements of proper and comfortable clothing for this purpose. . Still more important, and not confined to any group or part of the country, is the spreading fashion of year-round suburban homes that are growing perceptibly on the outskirts of every city and town, that have taken country living out of the pure summer-time category. This latter group, while not necessarily devoted to any specific sport or activity, are the greatest exponents of the rugged and purely masculine type of apparel that we describe in detail herewith.
In jackets the single-breasted model alone has the only place of importance for country wear, and always with a notch collar. The body lines are loose and full with an apparent drapiness, so important to the appearance of freedom and ease. Leather buttons carry out the detail and in some cases, on clothing of very smart men, buttons of stag horn have recently been observed. Yoke back and half-belted-back jackets are in keeping with this jacket modeling and more recently the modified Norfolk jacket made a repeated appearance at gatherings of these groups.
Fabrics suitable and most popular for use in odd trousers, of the full cut slack variety, are of flannel or gabardine. In these combination outfits either the jacket or the slacks is of a bolder pattern, in contrast to the other, while quite often, when pattern is omitted from each, the rough texture of jacket contrasts with a smooth surfaced fabric off flannel or gabardine in the trouser.
Colorings invariably run to the heather or Lovat casts with noticeable tendency to the more greenish tones of these two mixtures. These colorings have particularly had their effect on head. Wear for use with country clothes. Hats of rough finish felt are increasingly popular in green and heather mixtures. One of the smartest models made in these mixtures features a narrow snap brim with narrow ribbon and a crown that has a feel of the Tyrol in it. The tweed, stitched-crown hat and caps of tweed or definite bold plaids and checks are finding a revived popularity with the tendency toward rougher-looking clothes.
Shirts fit into their place in the trend as evidenced by the wide acceptance of the Glen pattern and more recently developed and definite hound’s tooth and Tattersall checks. Even more recent is the return of the flannel and flannel finish shirt in plain twill weave or self-herringbone that is smart in strong deep colorings, including yellow. Heavy basket weave oxford-cheviots, with pinned or button-down collars, are likewise perfectly in keeping with the other members of the ensemble, all of which typifies the sportiness of this fashion tendency.
Neckwear, always an important part in the effect of any appropriate dress, has been influenced to the extent of a new interest in heavy silk crochets in plain or striped patterns of the club variety as well as in heather mixtures, and cashmere ties, already a big university fashion, seem destined to further popularity for wear with these country clothes to which they are so well suited. Even the bow tie has a place here, judging by its recent acceptance when worn with the rougher clothing at some of the Eastern universities.
Undoubtedly a reflection of the spirit of the fashion is present in hosiery and the old favorite pattern of the golf-hose days is about ready to stage a return, judging by the already visible acceptance of Argyle plaid half hose of wool. These colorful hose are the perfect companion to the heavy scotch grain brown brogues and half brogues that were seen, in greater numbers than for many years, at the recent meets at Belmont and the United Hunts. The brown buckskin shoe, of course, is growing in importance for country use in the typical heavier lasts made for this purpose. These boast heavy crepe or varnished soles.
In sweaters, there is certainly no tendency away from plain colors, though there is a new color possibility in dark green (of the old Dartmouth shade) which has been out for some time. Textures however are being influenced by the rugged tendency and yarns of Shetland and camels-hair as well as mohair are becoming more and more popular, particularly in the better grades to which they are confined due to their greater yarn cost. In model, crew necks seems to be definitely accepted in favor of the V-type and some few jackets are finding favor with the fashionable in the soft-hair yarns particularly.
Mufflers, which have a ready use and a smart appearance with sport clothes, show a continuance of the hacking scarf particularly in larger polka dots while the old madder print Rumchanda square has made its appearance in many places of fashion and is favored over the long muffler type for country wear. Patterned n the traditional and classic Persian figures, squares are more important than they have been for several years. Likewise tied and dyed pattern squares which are unusually smart are equally important in the muffler group for Fall.
Now let us have a look at some of the country / sporty ensembles that they are referring to in the article above. This one below is from early spring of 36’
Alright, in so far as the suits go for these “out-of-town” activities (or heck even to some extent “in town”) brown is considered de rigueur. This illustration is no exception to that. This is a 2-pc suit of brown cheviot with 3 colored stripes; red, green & yellow. The jacket is 3 button roll lapel model with slanting pockets and side vents. You should take note of the extreme drape effect in this suit as the fullness underneath the sleeves (around the chest especially) is quite prominent, not to mention well adapted for a suit of this type. The trousers matching the cut of the jacket are also full with cuffs. The jacket also features open front quarters, which are a nice detail. pay great attention to the width of the collar here and note its relation to the lapels. This I am afraid, now-a-days is only reserved to the realm of genuine bespoke or a very special made to measure.
The shirt is tan flannel in a checked pattern, tie is dark colored crocheted, hat a green felt porkpie, handkerchief is foulard and shoes are brown buckskin in monk front models. Two or three eyelet derby shoes done in reversed calf should also be supremely appropriate.
Last but not least note the right-hand-drive car in the illustration.
Lets look at another brownish suit from spring of 36’
Newmarket, where several times a year some of the finest race horses in the world are sold at auction, is the classic vantage point for the observation of new fashions in country clothes. The outfit which Mr. Saalburg has sketched here is something of an advance guard fashion and while it is as good as it’s new, it may be expected to strike the conservative as being somewhat extreme… In both the fabric and the model, this particular suit has recently been accorded acceptance of the highest fashion significance Newmarket, and out Long Island squires are notably sedulous in speeding up the American acceptance of new models and fabrics that get off to an auspicious start in England.
This suit here is a 3-pc model quite similar to the one in the illustration above. The (slightly longer) jacket is 3-button rolled to middle button with slanted pockets and side vents. The trousers are perfectly matching the easy lines of the jacket and full in cut with cuffs. The suit can be made in Cheviot, flannel or even Shetland. Shirt is light tan and tie is brown and cream /yellow checked wool. Note the brown Moli’ere boots & cap is glen plaid tweed in one-piece model.
Even though the above two suitings were striped, the quintessential country suit is either in check or plaid. So here below we have a windowpane suit from early spring of 34’
In putting these three figures together on this page, the artist has helped himself to a slice of that license which poets used to claim, but the point, of course, is to show three separate outfits, without taking & page a piece to do it. The figure on the extreme left shows an informal country hacking kit consisting of a brown tweed riding sack, a three button notch lapel model, of which most of the important details cannot be distinguished. This jacket has slanting flap pockets, the breast pocket also carrying a flap, and has side vents in place of the usual center vent in the back. The breeches are of light weight tweed in a Glen Urquhart plaid with a colored over plaid. Brown soft legged boots, black or plaid. Brown soft legged boots, black or dark brown silk foulard stock, in either case with yellow polka, dots, and a brown hat with a black band (the stunt the boys at Yale and Princeton started) complete the outfit.
The man in the center of the group wears an outfit that is typical of the prevailing taste of the more elderly Long Island sportsmen for spectator sports wear. It consists of a, two button single breasted Shetland suit with a dark overplaid, a single breasted fly front covert cloth topcoat with rows of stitching on the cuffs and at the bottom, a, blue polka dot muffler, worn Ascotted, a, rough finished Derby, and brown calf shoes of the Norwegian type with heavy leather soles and heels.
That said, note that this suit is in a 2 button model, which shouts the influence of Duke of Windsor (then Prince of Wales). He wore this model most often in checks and plaid suits. This type of jacket is very well adapted to a suit of informal nature. You don’t have to have it in this configuration but this goes on to tell you that you have an option available, especially if considering bespoke.
On second thought, since the man at the right is the M. F. H., whose dress is governed by traditional rules, these three outfits could, and would, come together at an informal point to point, so we take back the crack about artistic license. We don’t know. And assume that you don’t care either, about the details of the costumes worn by the ladies in the background.
So with a few suits already observed, moving on we look at the sport coat / odd combinations in country themes. These are from spring / summer 34’
On the left we have a bi-swing gabardine jacket in deep green shade, linen weskit, club striped bow tie and gun-club checked worsted flannel slacks. Hat and shoes are both brown and the flower at the lapel is deep red.
At right, the jacket is of shepherd check with single vent at the back and ticket pockets, paired up with a muffler worn in ascot manner. Grey medium slacks are cheviot.
Before, you move on take a good look at both of these illustrations. They depict the two principle odd combination methods. Solid top with patterned trousers on left (older scheme) while patterned jacket and solid bottoms on the right… which is relatively newer and still observable. In order to perfectly master the art of pattern mixing and matching you should be able to employ both of these techniques in various ensembles. Also note worthy is the fact that here at least in both cases the jacket is darker than the trousers, which is old-fashioned (established pre-WWI) as opposed to the other way around. The one on the left gets all the points for originality these days, while the one on the right is calm, sedate and always effective.
On left we have a bi-swing herringbone cheviot jacket, worsted tattersall flannel waistcoat & every present grey flannel slacks. Shirt is club collared (worn pinned) in blue color and tie is blue and white striped. Note here that the hat is green while the shoes are black. This herringbone jacket may very well be part of a suit as cheviot herringbone is a classic pattern. If you’ve never believed in a connection between country & university fashions… well here is your chance now. See, the university student illustration depicting a similar vest on an engineering student.
On right side we have an old world Norfolk jacket of natural herringbone Shetland and dark brown slacks of worsted gabardine. Often these dark brown odd trousers were in the “Havana Brown” shade. The shirt is striped blue and white button down, while the tie is yellow with small print motif.
Now that we are all done with other ensembles we can have a look at certain top coat styles that are lightweight and perfect for early fall / spring seasons. This is from early spring 38’.
Fig. 1 Blue tweed single breasted button through topcoat with peak lapel, worn with brown Cavalier hat, brown monk front shoes, and blue and brown accessories. Note the windowpane suit underneath the coat.
Fig. 2 This shorter length double breasted grey herringbone topcoat has a four-button front, and is worn with a white ground shirting, a white stiff collar, black Lord’s hat, worsted suit, brown monk buckskin shoes and yellow chamois gloves.
Fig. 3 The double breasted lightweight rubberized hunting raincoat has an all-around belt. A grey cheviot suit, a bowler hat and yellow string gloves complete the outfit.
Fig. 4 Single breasted tweed topcoat, two-button front, and low roll lapels. The coat is also shorter in length, and rather loose-fitting. It is worn with a blue town suit, white stiff collar, and bowler hat.
Fig. 5 A single breasted notched lapel covert coat in natural color, accompanies a suit of grey Glen Urquhart plaid, reverse calf town shoes, green Cavalier hat, while stiff collar, and a pair of red capeskin gloves.
More on topcoats from spring 40’
Here’s a right smart collection of checked tweed topcoats—forerunners of the sports trend for spring. All are correct for wear in town or country, as well as for traveling. At upper left is a single breasted fly front peak lapel tweed coat in two-button style with. Lapel rolled to the waistline. This is a brown cheviot with colorful Glen pattern, and comes only two inches below the knee. It is worn in town with semi-sports clothes, reverse calf shoes and cither the Cavalier, Homburg or bowler hat. At lower right is a knee length single breasted fly front grey Glen Urquhart topcoat with set-in sleeves. Although shown here with town accessories, it is equally correct for spectator sports.
The left hand figure of the center group shows a single breasted, button-through, raglan sleeve, tweed topcoat in large tan Glen plaid, with leather buttons, flapped pockets, ticket pocket and a wide flare to the skirt. It is especially appropriate for country wear with Lovat tweed suit, reverse calf “gummies” and sports hat. The man in the center wears a three-button, notch lapel, single breasted Harris tweed coat with set-in sleeves and leather buttons, monk front shoes and semi-sports hat. The man at the right wears a Harris tweed balmacaan topcoat in large blue, grey and white check, a favorite with collage men. It has slash pockets, military collar and raglan shoulders, and is worn here with a pork pie hat, striped “flannel suit and brown brogue shoes.
That should take care of most everything for this fall. Hopefully you will be able to take something useful form this post and accommodate it in your style. Do whatever you feel like but know why you are doing it. Not merely because someone else suggested it.
Oh.. boy I am tired of typing.
Sincerely
etutee
END OF SECTION V (LAST SECTION) OF THIS POST
This next main & last section is devoted to university & country clothes. I have covered some portion of this topic previously. Kindly see the link below to be directed to that thread.
University Styles Post. Vol.II No. I
From Fall 33’
OUT OF TOWN CLOTHES
Clothes for Collage
During the Fall a young man’s fancy turns to haberdashery rather than Homer, and suits rather than Suetonius. Then the Novum Organum becomes a new world of dress. Back to college . . . back among men . . . back where clubs and clothes mark a man’s standards.
The word “collegiate,” now seldom used in speaking of college men, is altogether foreign to its famous meaning of some eight years ago, when the raccoon coat, Oxford bags, the hat pushed up in front, and the socks rolled down, were all implicit in the term. Today the college man is looked upon as a leader of fashion, a man who dresses inconspicuously and correctly for all occasions, thanks to the leadership of smart Eastern Universities, which have a metropolitan feeling, or at least are near enough to metropolitan areas for the students to feel all the influences of sophisticated living. We can thank the present-day “collegiate” element for the return to popularity of the tail coat, for the white buckskin shoes, for the gray flannel slacks with odd jackets, and for various other smart fashions which are typical of university men today.
For on-campus wear there is a general acceptance of country clothes in the typical British manner, such as odd slacks d tweed jackets, country brogues and felt hats. This is the way the undergraduates at smart Universities and prep schools dress today during classes.
Over the week-ends when the average college man goes to town there is always the dark Chesterfield coat and derby hat. Single or double-breasted town suit, black shoes, very often a white starched collar shirt with a tail coat.
Clothing and furnishings that should be sold to men going to college for the first time or returning to college should be exacting for the very reason that none will find out more quickly what things are wrong than the student himself when he gets to his college.
Smart and new Items already having a definite acceptance with University men and which follow Fall fashion trends in all their indications are these: a double-breasted suit of dark blue; it may be of solid color or may have chalk stripes, silk stripe effect. This is the suit that the college man will wear to and from town and every often wear in town. Another suit that should be in the wardrobe of every well-dressed undergraduate should be either a single-breasted Glen Urquhart plaid or the newer Shepherd plaid. This suit serves many purposes. First of all it is worn on Saturdays and at athletic activities with a top coat. It may be worn when going out at night. Secondly, the coat may be worn ideally with slacks and the trousers may be worn ideally with an odd jacket. A third suit that should be in the wardrobe of the man returning to college should be a Harris tweed or a Shetland suit either in shades of brown, Lovat or to please his own individuality. This suit is typical of college clothing today and may be worn, like the Shepherd check suit, with odd slacks or with odd jacket, most comfortably for outdoor activities or for football games. It is also advisable to have an extra sport jacket along. This may be of any check tweed fabric and should invariably be single-breasted with notch lapel. It may have side vents with a belted back with by-swing shoulders or the newer modified Norfolk. A pair of gray flannel Glen Urquhart plaid slacks, or the newer Shepherd plaid or tweed slacks should also be included.
Another necessity for the college man is the dinner coat. This may be either single or double-breasted, preferably double-breasted. This suit has many advantages. It is worn at fraternity dinners, smokers, theatre and many other evenings when a tail coat is too much and sack clothes are not enough.
Last but not least, as a matter of fact most important, is the tail coat. This will be worn at all fraternity or club dances, at proms, dancing when in town and other very formal occasions. From an overcoat standpoint the college man should have in his kit a double-breasted or single-breasted dark town coat either of oxford gray or navy blue, preferably without velvet collar. This will be worn in town and will also serve as an overcoat for formal evening wear.
Another coat that is ideally suited for campus wear is the reversible top coat of gabardine and Harris tweed. Instead of this coat the smarter dresser may include in his wardrobe a bold checked Harris tweed Balmaccan and for bad weather days a gabardine Balmaccan. Another coat which may be used on the campus is the old time favorite, the double-breasted camel coat. The newer ones are cut much shorter. Many have leather buttons with three buttons to button and there is a decided flare in the skirt.
For football games and Winter outdoor activities it is always good taste to have either a raccoon coat or a black broadcloth coat lined with fur and a fur collar or a tweed type of coat lined with fur and a fur collar but, of course, due to the period of depression that the country has just been through, while these things are nice, they are terribly expensive and so as to substitute for these fur coats, one should by all means include in the wardrobe a double-breasted Ulster type of coat with a very heavy lining. The coat may have four or five buttons, double-breasted and a broad collar. The smarter coats of this type have no belt in the back.
Next in importance after having the student fitted out with his clothes are his shirts. It must be considered that students attending Universities today need shirts for every type of occasion. The shirt wardrobe should consist of country sport shirts, of town shirts which include starched collars, and of formal shirts. For general campus wear, the sport type of shirt should be as follows: It may be of flannel or flannel finished material or heavy cheviot Oxford. In model the button down collar-attached shirt and the round collar- attached shirt to be worn pinned, and the medium pointed collar to be worn pinned, are the three outstanding and favorite styles. Blue is by far the best color, with gray, tan, and white following, also yellow, a new shade which has already been accepted by University men.
Checked patterns, such as Glens, hound’s tooth checks and the newer Tattersall ‘check. Shirts for general wear and town wear should be of striped or fine checked madras, broadcloth, lighter weight Oxford. These are most popular in tab color models. The widespread tab is the newer one. It might be well to include neckband shirts in this wardrobe, and white starched collars may be worn with them. Pleated bosom shirts are again back and smart college men returning to town for the holidays will get much’ pleasure out of wearing pleated shirts with white starched collar and cuffs. Round collared shirts and pointed collared shirts of these medium weight materials are also correct for general and town wear. For evening wear, the plain white linen or white pique two stud open front shirt is the correct shirt with either tail coat or dinner coat. With the double-breasted dinner coat, a white turn-over starched collar may be worn and a semi-stiff pleated shirt with two studs. This shirt may also be worn with the tail coat but with the high wing collar with bold broad tabs. Single cuffs should be on all dress shirts.
The next item of apparel which depends now on both the suit and the shirt is the correct neckwear. Here again we have the sport and country and town and formal atmosphere. For general campus wear the wool cashmere tie is still usually suited. Smart University men have taken up the silk crocheted tie in horizontal and bias stripes, and this Fall they will be more popular than they have been in many a year. Although bow ties are primarily a Spring and Summer item it would be a good idea to include a few bow ties in the wardrobe for early Fall and as they are now made of cashmere as well as silk, the student will undoubtedly get use out of them. For town wear, town wear, striped rep ties and Spitalsfield ties are back again. Foulard ties are good for all year round, just as popular for Winter as for Summer, and every student’s wardrobe should include these along with others. India madras ties for early Fall are also good, new and colorful. For formal wear the newest and smartest shape is the semi-butterfly tie in both black and white and these are styles that should be sold to students going to college this Fall.
Undergraduates at important Universities have put their stamp of approval on wool hose and the majority of college students wear wool hose all the year round. The newest note in woolen hose is the revival of the Argyle plaids that were present a few fears ago. Plaids and checks have already run the gauntlet and the new wool hose that are favored are made in 6 and3 rib in heather and mixtures. There is also a revival of the horizontal or partridge stripe which is now considered very smart. For town wear, lisle or silk hose 6 and 3 rib in solid colors or broken check clocks’. For wear with dinner clothes, black hose with white, black or colored clocks. For tail coat, sheer silk hose or fine 6 and 3 rib silk hose. The newer evening socks have a wool foot for comfort while dancing and to act as a cushion for the thin soled evening shoe.
One of the most important things to be considered in the collage man’s wardrobe is shoes which again must be suitable to the various occasions. You will notice in the forthcoming paragraph about shoes how they follow in the wake of the strictly he-man rough feeling of the tweed and how they adhere to the strict formality of dress-up clothes. For general campus wear the all-white buckskin shoe with no toe cap, red rubber heels and soles, is the white buck or white elk shoe with black saddle strap. Though the brown buckskin shoe is a favorite of the horsey set they have not as yet been really accepted or by college men. The brown buckskin blucher with no toe cap and heavy crepe sole and heel is a shoe that is very practical for all-campus wear and one which if liked by the student should surely be included in his wardrobe, as its smartness cannot be questioned.
As far as color is concerned brown is surely the favorite. Another shoe that is being worn by some of the better dressed undergraduates at smarter universities is a deep reddish brown Norwegian calf (which resembles a Scotch grain but is not as rough) with a round toe, on the English straight last, a straight toe cap with perforations and foxing along the side of the shoe, heavy leather soles and heels. Another shoe of the same nature that is worn by many students is the deep brown calf shoe, no toe cap, with three extra large brass eyelets and crepe soles and heels. For town wear or more dressy occasions black straight tip shoe, either plain or with perforations, with a slightly rounded toe, is very smart and conservative. With dinner clothes the five hole patent leather Oxford on the long vamp. The same shoe is correct with the tail coat. Pumps are definitely in and are accepted and are also correct with tall coat. It is necessary to include in one’s wardrobe a good pair of leather slippers with hard soles and heels. If students are fond of riding, boots either of the field type or more dressy type or the blucher riding shoe with canvas leggings should be included in the wardrobe.
Another very essential item of the young man’s wardrobe is headwear. Various hats for a college term are as follows. First, the derby hat. The newer model is a rather medium height, very full crown, with a short straightish brim. The next hat that is important is the brown snap brim hat. This hat may have a binding or it may be the new semi-Homburg hat which is a new Homburg snapped down in front. One may include in one’s wardrobe a tweed stitched hat or a one piece top cap. A small hat with rather a telescope crown and a small straightish brim resembling a Tyrolean hat is also good for campus wear. It is made of rough scratch felt.
Accessories should include various colored and white linen handkerchiefs for the every day clothes and white handkerchiefs for the formal clothes’. A very smart handkerchief which should be in the wardrobe is the colored silk foulard madder handkerchief.
Mufflers—the silk wool square in tied-and-dyed and polka dot as well as in the old paisley patterns are very popular. The student will need a pair of white buckskin or mocha gloves for dress wear. A pair of pigskin gloves for campus wear is advisable. A pair of yellow string knit gloves for cold weather and rough country wear in general.
Jewelry that is necessary is a heavy gold safety pin for one’s collar. Gold cufflinks of modest design. A wrist watch or pocket watch. If pocket watch is worn, a gold link watch chain 1s very good taste. Of course, the necessary collar buttons for semi-formal or dinner clothes, black, gold or semi- precious stones. For tail coat white pearl or crystals or precious stones. Also in the wardrobe should be included a waist- coat. There should be white single-breasted for wear with tail coat* and black single or double-breasted for wear with dinner coat, although the single breasted is preferable. Another waistcoat that should be suggested to students or boys going to college for the first time is a checked Tattersall waistcoat. These are very popular at smart Universities and go well with the odd jacket and slack combination.
*Note that this is suggested towards the younger collage students. For all other uses a DB white-tie waist coat is perfectly correct in various assortments of styles and design that were seen during the era.
Another item which would be useful to the college man is a sweater, either the sleeveless or regular slip-over sweater with sleeves. The newer ones are in cable stitch knit and are popular in wine and blue as well as in canary and white. Shetland sweaters with a high crew neck are also very good and of course the necessary pajamas, robe, underwear, garters, and suspenders.
This gives you a very definite example what to offer college men, both from the angle of what they need and what is smart.
Staring off at first we have an illustration from fall of 34’
This student (an engineering major to be precise) is wearing a 3 button suit of Lovat tweed suit with diagonal weave cut in a very full and soft manner, that is the suit is very full in cut. He wears a flannel tattersall vest, which is directly imported from country fashions. His shirt is light blue button-down with soft collar and tie is crocheted in solid red color. Shoes are brown scotch grain in a full wingtip model. Note the leather watch guard strap in the breast pocket. The trousers here are pleated in order to keep in harmony with the fullness of the jacket. However, the may perfectly be without pleats…especially if the jacket is slightly trimmed.
Next from spring of 37’ we have two upper classmen
The term “semi-sports” is simply a verbal recognition of an old undergraduate habit—that of finding a happy medium between two extremes of formality & informality as typified by the more orthodox modes for town and country. The outfits pictured here are typical examples
On left you have a heavy homespun tweed raglan coat with leather buttons, worn with plain grey flannel suit, blue oxford shirt button-down attached collar and brown and white checked wool tie. Note that the coat carries a red over plaid on it. The semi-sports hat is rough finish felt, which can be worn in various shapes. Underneath the coat he wears a grey flannel suit with Norwegian crepe soled shoes. The one on the right is a Saxony Glen Plaid 3-button roll lapel model in 3-pc with a tan broadcloth shirt, which carries a medium spread soft collar. Note the fullness in the cut of the suit and extreme open front quarters. Tie is regimental striped and foulard silk pocket square in the breast pocket. Over his arm is a covert cloth topcoat and the hat is in lighter brown shade of Cuba brown. Shoes are brown reversed calf with black soles and heels.
Moving along from late spring of 37’ we have two more collage students
Seems like the boys are in an interesting conversation doesn’t it? While in the meantime we will study their clothes… since we certainly can’t have the privilege of engaging the blond in the car. So, the one the left wears a collage “uniform” so to speak with ever present brown Shetland odd jacket with a blue over plaid, combined up with full cut grey flannel trousers. This jacket is a 3-button notch lapel model with only one button at the sleeves. In his hat e carries a gabardine hat which is extremely lightweight and is in a telescope crown with stitched brim (which was basically an old fashioned rain hat fancied & revived by students at Yale & Princeton). His shoes are of white elk with black saddles and red rubber soles & heels.
The one on the right wears a iridescent gabardine suit with a red lining as a matter of fact, which is observable underneath the opened side vent. Note the heavy country influence on this suit with slanted pockets and side vents. The jacket is a 3-button roll lapel model. The regimental striped bow-tie is paired up with soft green shirt. Shoes are Norwegians and socks are plaid. Hat is in snuff color with a lower crown and slightly wider brim. Pocket square is green & yellow foulard.
Alright, now another one of the quintessential collage articles of clothing; a camel hair coat from early spring of 34’
The fickle undergraduate has taken many coats into his fold during the last few seasons but the enduring favorite as far as fabric is concerned is camel hair. Originally, his pet camel coat was a long and full half belted or full belted model. Here is the newest model and at the moment a ranking favorite. This coat is cut rather short, full of skirt and has slashed pockets; it has three buttons, a notched lapel and fits easily. Another university note to put on the “must” list is the club stripe bow tie—they are very much in the running. As usual with the college man whose clothes mark him well-dressed, the brown snap brim hat has a black silk band. Plaids and checks in suits are still highly desirable, as evidenced by this chap’s brown glen plaid suit. Note that the shoes are quite different from the usual they have heavy crepe soles and are cut with blucher fronts, another British note that is creeping into the styling of shoes. These will stand rough going.
ROUND CORNERED COLLARS AND DEEP TONES MARK A SHIRT STYLE HIGHLIGHT
Round collared shirts, those favorites of the sporting world, have recently had a whole-hearted acceptance among college undergraduates. These we show are in deep tones a trend which is rapidly on the way up. Deep tone shirts lend a different air-- an air of smartness and character--to the ensemble of the university man.
RAW EDGE SNAP BRIM HATS MAINTAIN THEIR MARGIN OF POPULARITY
Though hat fashions may come and going color, in shape or dimensions from season to season the one hat that stands out as the college man’s favorite is the snap brim model with a raw edge. While the undergrad in this instance is not pinching his hat as has been his practice, it is still the same hat.
ARGYLE PLAID SOX COME WITH A WHITE GROUND TONE FOR WARM WEATHER WEAR
With plaids and checks running riot in the men’s apparel field, and suits and coats in every variety of pattern, the sox went Argyle plaid and checks in a grand fashion. With the coming of warm weather, we’ll see them done in Argyle plaids on white.
And now to sort of summarize a few of the key aspects explained above in the article we have a larger illustration of University students.
Pay close attention to these ensembles as these have been described earlier. Note that on far left the student is wearing a DB 3-pc blue chalk stripe suit, which was usually worn by students when visiting metropolitan areas. There was little to no need for such citified suits for regular campus wear. Secondly from left note the different take on combination of odd jackets and trousers. This practice has long evaporated from sartorial realms and is almost all forgotten. I have addressed this in the past also that plaid jacket & patterned trouser scheme need not be reserved only for formal day time attires…it can be used a matter of fact in a variety of very casual & sporty ensembles as depicted here. This brown Shetland with blue over plaid trousers (shown here) can be perfectly a part of a suit. Next, third from left we have a glen plaid coat with raglan sleeves. See the link for pervious university styles post for a detailed discussion on university coats. And lastly extreme right we have a slightly different take on the odd jacket / trousers combination. Here the jacket is of green glen plaid combine with dark grey flannel trousers. Note that the shirt is deep grey worn with a striped tie and a dark sweater vest.
CLOTHES FOR ACTIVE SPORT
While we do not presume to suggest that seasoned sportsmen are in need of suggestions to be found in this section, nevertheless with the increasingly wide- spread interest in outdoor activities and are growing number of recruits who are being added to the ranks each year, it would not seem to be amiss to emphasize, even for the hundredth time, some of the necessities which are either required by common sense, or rigidly specified by tradition.
Unless a man is comfortably dressed it is impossible for-him to enjoy himself while participating in out-of-door activities. Anything fancy or gaudy is not in as good taste. As a plain and workmanlike turn-out. In Scotland sportsmen shoot for grouse, pheasant, etc. The weather is cold and damp. Very often the. Hunting season includes a protracted wet spell. Ideally suited to this climatic condition are the hand-woven tweeds from the Isle of Harris and Lewis, and the hand-loomed Shetlands which are worn by these men. Heavy wool hose and well oiled boots of Norwegian grain are Ideally suited for the purpose. Canvas anklets are worn and though many men prefer caps, some of the more experienced sportsmen favor the tweed grouse cap.
For upland shooting in our country a serviceable jacket of tweed or Shetland with chamois gun pads, a pair of good tweed or strong worsted knicker-breeches ire advisable. Heavy woolen hose and medium height smoked elk boots, an old soft hat, complete the turn-out of the well seasoned sportsman. It is important that the clothes worn, though old and shabby, should be of the finest materials.
Point to point racing has been accepted in this country and many gentlemen jockeys are men of great prominence in society their fashion influence is of extreme importance. The men who ride in these races have adopted the English way of dressing, wearing a cap and a loose fitting double- breasted tweed coat.
Beagling is a sport that can be followed for a life time and does not need to end with a man’s collage days. There is hardly any age limit for the field that follows a pack of beagles, provided one is still able to walk or run. Beagling is a sport that a man and his family can enjoy together, a sport that is conveniently possible for the many who could never afford the expense of maintaining a string of hunters. It 1s a sport that affords a wonderful opportunity to see hound work and see it even more intimately than when out with fox hounds. Generally, hints when out to hunt with fox hounds would also apply to beagles. Members of the field rarely turn out in livery except by special request. It is well to bear in mind that one often has to contend with briers and wet going. A cloth that will resist these and not pick up burdocks, such as gabardine or corduroy, is the best. For the man who is keen enough to try to keep up with the little hounds, extra heavy sneakers are found to be of advantage. Anklets prove to be of great advantage against the brier and weed seeds, though for this purpose some sportsmen prefer gaiters. Knickerbockers, not too full cut, bind the legs less when running than do breeches.
COUNTRY CLOTHES
The tremendous interest throughout the country for the proper kind of clothes for other than solely town wear has grown to larger proportions each spring and summer. It has reached the point where it is evident that its importance to most men is greater than that of town clothes at this time of the year. Going back to the time when the limitations of a resort or weekend outfit consisted of a pair of white flannels and a double-breasted blue jacket irrespective of the time, place or activity, we have seen a consistently widening demand for appropriate clothes that will not only physically fit the purpose of the wearer but will create a. feeling of proper appearance to his mind as well.
Primarily, due to the actual fact that at Eastern Universities (such as Princeton and Yale) where odd jackets and slacks have been adopted for daily wear for several years, last fall it was apparent to observers that still further assurance of the continued acceptance of this fashion was definitely confirmed. The wide use of typical country fabrics of the Shetland, Harris and other textures of the shaggy rougher kind, as well as softer flannels and saxonies, has almost completely supplanted the harder worsted suitings that were so popular a few years back. This has occasioned the loss of popularity of the smoother, harder-faced fabrics. S6 too-have these plain un patterned fabrics given way to pattern of all kinds. The rougher fabrics are seen in checks, plaids, overplaids and in the bold, colorful patterns of District checks, white the flannels and saxonies are seen in definite stripings and the many varieties of Glen Urquhart.
Contributing factors to the growth of this fashion are evident on all sides. A notable interest in riding is apparent in all parts of this country and the natural resultant interest in horse-shows and hunt-meets as well as the point-to-point type of races (which have been open to the public with ever-increasing popularity) is on the upward trend. To this must be added the tremendous spectator group of University football enthusiasts, and the requirements of proper and comfortable clothing for this purpose. . Still more important, and not confined to any group or part of the country, is the spreading fashion of year-round suburban homes that are growing perceptibly on the outskirts of every city and town, that have taken country living out of the pure summer-time category. This latter group, while not necessarily devoted to any specific sport or activity, are the greatest exponents of the rugged and purely masculine type of apparel that we describe in detail herewith.
In jackets the single-breasted model alone has the only place of importance for country wear, and always with a notch collar. The body lines are loose and full with an apparent drapiness, so important to the appearance of freedom and ease. Leather buttons carry out the detail and in some cases, on clothing of very smart men, buttons of stag horn have recently been observed. Yoke back and half-belted-back jackets are in keeping with this jacket modeling and more recently the modified Norfolk jacket made a repeated appearance at gatherings of these groups.
Fabrics suitable and most popular for use in odd trousers, of the full cut slack variety, are of flannel or gabardine. In these combination outfits either the jacket or the slacks is of a bolder pattern, in contrast to the other, while quite often, when pattern is omitted from each, the rough texture of jacket contrasts with a smooth surfaced fabric off flannel or gabardine in the trouser.
Colorings invariably run to the heather or Lovat casts with noticeable tendency to the more greenish tones of these two mixtures. These colorings have particularly had their effect on head. Wear for use with country clothes. Hats of rough finish felt are increasingly popular in green and heather mixtures. One of the smartest models made in these mixtures features a narrow snap brim with narrow ribbon and a crown that has a feel of the Tyrol in it. The tweed, stitched-crown hat and caps of tweed or definite bold plaids and checks are finding a revived popularity with the tendency toward rougher-looking clothes.
Shirts fit into their place in the trend as evidenced by the wide acceptance of the Glen pattern and more recently developed and definite hound’s tooth and Tattersall checks. Even more recent is the return of the flannel and flannel finish shirt in plain twill weave or self-herringbone that is smart in strong deep colorings, including yellow. Heavy basket weave oxford-cheviots, with pinned or button-down collars, are likewise perfectly in keeping with the other members of the ensemble, all of which typifies the sportiness of this fashion tendency.
Neckwear, always an important part in the effect of any appropriate dress, has been influenced to the extent of a new interest in heavy silk crochets in plain or striped patterns of the club variety as well as in heather mixtures, and cashmere ties, already a big university fashion, seem destined to further popularity for wear with these country clothes to which they are so well suited. Even the bow tie has a place here, judging by its recent acceptance when worn with the rougher clothing at some of the Eastern universities.
Undoubtedly a reflection of the spirit of the fashion is present in hosiery and the old favorite pattern of the golf-hose days is about ready to stage a return, judging by the already visible acceptance of Argyle plaid half hose of wool. These colorful hose are the perfect companion to the heavy scotch grain brown brogues and half brogues that were seen, in greater numbers than for many years, at the recent meets at Belmont and the United Hunts. The brown buckskin shoe, of course, is growing in importance for country use in the typical heavier lasts made for this purpose. These boast heavy crepe or varnished soles.
In sweaters, there is certainly no tendency away from plain colors, though there is a new color possibility in dark green (of the old Dartmouth shade) which has been out for some time. Textures however are being influenced by the rugged tendency and yarns of Shetland and camels-hair as well as mohair are becoming more and more popular, particularly in the better grades to which they are confined due to their greater yarn cost. In model, crew necks seems to be definitely accepted in favor of the V-type and some few jackets are finding favor with the fashionable in the soft-hair yarns particularly.
Mufflers, which have a ready use and a smart appearance with sport clothes, show a continuance of the hacking scarf particularly in larger polka dots while the old madder print Rumchanda square has made its appearance in many places of fashion and is favored over the long muffler type for country wear. Patterned n the traditional and classic Persian figures, squares are more important than they have been for several years. Likewise tied and dyed pattern squares which are unusually smart are equally important in the muffler group for Fall.
Now let us have a look at some of the country / sporty ensembles that they are referring to in the article above. This one below is from early spring of 36’
Alright, in so far as the suits go for these “out-of-town” activities (or heck even to some extent “in town”) brown is considered de rigueur. This illustration is no exception to that. This is a 2-pc suit of brown cheviot with 3 colored stripes; red, green & yellow. The jacket is 3 button roll lapel model with slanting pockets and side vents. You should take note of the extreme drape effect in this suit as the fullness underneath the sleeves (around the chest especially) is quite prominent, not to mention well adapted for a suit of this type. The trousers matching the cut of the jacket are also full with cuffs. The jacket also features open front quarters, which are a nice detail. pay great attention to the width of the collar here and note its relation to the lapels. This I am afraid, now-a-days is only reserved to the realm of genuine bespoke or a very special made to measure.
The shirt is tan flannel in a checked pattern, tie is dark colored crocheted, hat a green felt porkpie, handkerchief is foulard and shoes are brown buckskin in monk front models. Two or three eyelet derby shoes done in reversed calf should also be supremely appropriate.
Last but not least note the right-hand-drive car in the illustration.
Lets look at another brownish suit from spring of 36’
Newmarket, where several times a year some of the finest race horses in the world are sold at auction, is the classic vantage point for the observation of new fashions in country clothes. The outfit which Mr. Saalburg has sketched here is something of an advance guard fashion and while it is as good as it’s new, it may be expected to strike the conservative as being somewhat extreme… In both the fabric and the model, this particular suit has recently been accorded acceptance of the highest fashion significance Newmarket, and out Long Island squires are notably sedulous in speeding up the American acceptance of new models and fabrics that get off to an auspicious start in England.
This suit here is a 3-pc model quite similar to the one in the illustration above. The (slightly longer) jacket is 3-button rolled to middle button with slanted pockets and side vents. The trousers are perfectly matching the easy lines of the jacket and full in cut with cuffs. The suit can be made in Cheviot, flannel or even Shetland. Shirt is light tan and tie is brown and cream /yellow checked wool. Note the brown Moli’ere boots & cap is glen plaid tweed in one-piece model.
Even though the above two suitings were striped, the quintessential country suit is either in check or plaid. So here below we have a windowpane suit from early spring of 34’
In putting these three figures together on this page, the artist has helped himself to a slice of that license which poets used to claim, but the point, of course, is to show three separate outfits, without taking & page a piece to do it. The figure on the extreme left shows an informal country hacking kit consisting of a brown tweed riding sack, a three button notch lapel model, of which most of the important details cannot be distinguished. This jacket has slanting flap pockets, the breast pocket also carrying a flap, and has side vents in place of the usual center vent in the back. The breeches are of light weight tweed in a Glen Urquhart plaid with a colored over plaid. Brown soft legged boots, black or plaid. Brown soft legged boots, black or dark brown silk foulard stock, in either case with yellow polka, dots, and a brown hat with a black band (the stunt the boys at Yale and Princeton started) complete the outfit.
The man in the center of the group wears an outfit that is typical of the prevailing taste of the more elderly Long Island sportsmen for spectator sports wear. It consists of a, two button single breasted Shetland suit with a dark overplaid, a single breasted fly front covert cloth topcoat with rows of stitching on the cuffs and at the bottom, a, blue polka dot muffler, worn Ascotted, a, rough finished Derby, and brown calf shoes of the Norwegian type with heavy leather soles and heels.
That said, note that this suit is in a 2 button model, which shouts the influence of Duke of Windsor (then Prince of Wales). He wore this model most often in checks and plaid suits. This type of jacket is very well adapted to a suit of informal nature. You don’t have to have it in this configuration but this goes on to tell you that you have an option available, especially if considering bespoke.
On second thought, since the man at the right is the M. F. H., whose dress is governed by traditional rules, these three outfits could, and would, come together at an informal point to point, so we take back the crack about artistic license. We don’t know. And assume that you don’t care either, about the details of the costumes worn by the ladies in the background.
So with a few suits already observed, moving on we look at the sport coat / odd combinations in country themes. These are from spring / summer 34’
On the left we have a bi-swing gabardine jacket in deep green shade, linen weskit, club striped bow tie and gun-club checked worsted flannel slacks. Hat and shoes are both brown and the flower at the lapel is deep red.
At right, the jacket is of shepherd check with single vent at the back and ticket pockets, paired up with a muffler worn in ascot manner. Grey medium slacks are cheviot.
Before, you move on take a good look at both of these illustrations. They depict the two principle odd combination methods. Solid top with patterned trousers on left (older scheme) while patterned jacket and solid bottoms on the right… which is relatively newer and still observable. In order to perfectly master the art of pattern mixing and matching you should be able to employ both of these techniques in various ensembles. Also note worthy is the fact that here at least in both cases the jacket is darker than the trousers, which is old-fashioned (established pre-WWI) as opposed to the other way around. The one on the left gets all the points for originality these days, while the one on the right is calm, sedate and always effective.
On left we have a bi-swing herringbone cheviot jacket, worsted tattersall flannel waistcoat & every present grey flannel slacks. Shirt is club collared (worn pinned) in blue color and tie is blue and white striped. Note here that the hat is green while the shoes are black. This herringbone jacket may very well be part of a suit as cheviot herringbone is a classic pattern. If you’ve never believed in a connection between country & university fashions… well here is your chance now. See, the university student illustration depicting a similar vest on an engineering student.
On right side we have an old world Norfolk jacket of natural herringbone Shetland and dark brown slacks of worsted gabardine. Often these dark brown odd trousers were in the “Havana Brown” shade. The shirt is striped blue and white button down, while the tie is yellow with small print motif.
Now that we are all done with other ensembles we can have a look at certain top coat styles that are lightweight and perfect for early fall / spring seasons. This is from early spring 38’.
Fig. 1 Blue tweed single breasted button through topcoat with peak lapel, worn with brown Cavalier hat, brown monk front shoes, and blue and brown accessories. Note the windowpane suit underneath the coat.
Fig. 2 This shorter length double breasted grey herringbone topcoat has a four-button front, and is worn with a white ground shirting, a white stiff collar, black Lord’s hat, worsted suit, brown monk buckskin shoes and yellow chamois gloves.
Fig. 3 The double breasted lightweight rubberized hunting raincoat has an all-around belt. A grey cheviot suit, a bowler hat and yellow string gloves complete the outfit.
Fig. 4 Single breasted tweed topcoat, two-button front, and low roll lapels. The coat is also shorter in length, and rather loose-fitting. It is worn with a blue town suit, white stiff collar, and bowler hat.
Fig. 5 A single breasted notched lapel covert coat in natural color, accompanies a suit of grey Glen Urquhart plaid, reverse calf town shoes, green Cavalier hat, while stiff collar, and a pair of red capeskin gloves.
More on topcoats from spring 40’
Here’s a right smart collection of checked tweed topcoats—forerunners of the sports trend for spring. All are correct for wear in town or country, as well as for traveling. At upper left is a single breasted fly front peak lapel tweed coat in two-button style with. Lapel rolled to the waistline. This is a brown cheviot with colorful Glen pattern, and comes only two inches below the knee. It is worn in town with semi-sports clothes, reverse calf shoes and cither the Cavalier, Homburg or bowler hat. At lower right is a knee length single breasted fly front grey Glen Urquhart topcoat with set-in sleeves. Although shown here with town accessories, it is equally correct for spectator sports.
The left hand figure of the center group shows a single breasted, button-through, raglan sleeve, tweed topcoat in large tan Glen plaid, with leather buttons, flapped pockets, ticket pocket and a wide flare to the skirt. It is especially appropriate for country wear with Lovat tweed suit, reverse calf “gummies” and sports hat. The man in the center wears a three-button, notch lapel, single breasted Harris tweed coat with set-in sleeves and leather buttons, monk front shoes and semi-sports hat. The man at the right wears a Harris tweed balmacaan topcoat in large blue, grey and white check, a favorite with collage men. It has slash pockets, military collar and raglan shoulders, and is worn here with a pork pie hat, striped “flannel suit and brown brogue shoes.
That should take care of most everything for this fall. Hopefully you will be able to take something useful form this post and accommodate it in your style. Do whatever you feel like but know why you are doing it. Not merely because someone else suggested it.
Oh.. boy I am tired of typing.
Sincerely
etutee
END OF SECTION V (LAST SECTION) OF THIS POST
Last edited by Etutee on Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
I am not quite sure how to express thanks for this (and previous) efforts. I'm sure others, like myself, will be exhausting the limits of our color printers. Your work continues to show how and why the LL succeeds.
Regards,
JAS
Regards,
JAS
Many, many thanks, tutee. Looking forward to giving this proper attention on the plane tomorrow.
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masterfred
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Again, a masterful effort, and a piquant reminder of why the LL is such a resource. I'm amazed by your dedication, and the generosity of your time in composing these elegant manuals - equal parts history lesson and style arbiter. Bravissimo!
Outstanding as ever. Hats off.
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smoothjazzone
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As brilliant as ever and possibly the most interesting of all your posts from a content perspective -- the styles presented are so rich in terms of color, cut and design. They also highlight some of the sartorial flourishes that are all but lost today -- for example, when was the last time anyone saw a patterned overcoat other than the odd herringbone?
Thanks for your tremendous efforts.
Thanks for your tremendous efforts.
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Cantabrigian
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Tutee,
It's great to see another in the AA series. I can't wait to print this out and go over it this weekend.
Thanks for your efforts.
--Cantab
It's great to see another in the AA series. I can't wait to print this out and go over it this weekend.
Thanks for your efforts.
--Cantab
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Mark Seitelman
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- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:42 am
- Location: New York City
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A M A Z I N G ! ! !
What a wonderful article! Thank you so much for your endless work.
jagdriver
jagdriver
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Cufflink79
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Dear Etutee:
Thank you very much for all of the great effort and hard work you put into these really wonderful posts. Your writing ability is 100% top notch.
I learn so much from the AA/Esky posts, and I know other LL members will agree with me when I say, your posts never go out of syle.
Best Regards,
Cufflink79
Thank you very much for all of the great effort and hard work you put into these really wonderful posts. Your writing ability is 100% top notch.
I learn so much from the AA/Esky posts, and I know other LL members will agree with me when I say, your posts never go out of syle.
Best Regards,
Cufflink79
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