VOL. III NO. II (Aug 07') Summer Comprehensive Guide AA

Read all the excellent articles written by the LL style scholar, Etutee.
Etutee
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Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:48 pm

Dear members,

Here is the comprehensive summer AA guide with numerous articles and illustrations. It has been four months since the last installment of this series and as such the way it seems there will probably be one more before the year is over. However, to make up for this decrease in number of articles, I have included many more illustrations in the last post and this one too… 22 to be specific. Keep in mind that more than 3 years ago when we started on these articles there were only 3-4 illustrations per post… so all in all it is a considerable jump in time and effort by any standards. Heck, if you were to pick an issue of fabric & fashions (the most valuable version of AA) there will be no more than 10-12 illustrations with discussions.

It takes considerable amount of effort to produce one of these & often due to my circumstances it is hard for me to have one ready every 2-3 months. Anyways, as I said above with this one I have more than made up for fewer posts. It is quite detailed and certainly the most comprehensive (at least in terms of illustrations) that I have written so far.

As with the last post… from now onwards there will be less focus on the “obvious” & more on matters that haven’t been discussed in the past. By now, if you have read all the previous posts… you will be able to scan these for details yourself. If you are reading this… it is already assumed that you know the “rules” and other such details. If not, then make sure you have read the previous summer related posts… if not all.

Here are some links to the past summer posts where concepts have been explained in extensive details.

Vol. I No. IV (July 05') Summer / Resort AA / Esky

Vol. I No. V (Sept 05') Summer / Resort Part II AA / Esky

VOL. II NO. V (June 06') Drape / Summer Suit Styles AA

Before I start I would like to thank our member "Dopey" whose help made it possible for me to finalize this post in early August. Without his help this post would have not seen the pages of london lounge for at least another month or two.

now let us start with the first article. This is from Summer 35' Vol V No IV of AA


THE SOURCES OF SUMMER FASHION,

An anthology of the leading fashion centers of the world each of which provides a valuable promotional background for the major summer fashions with which it is identified

THE point is not that you can't successfully merchandise a new fashion that originated at Juan-les-Pins without knowing whether Juan-les-Pins is the name of a Spanish bullfighter or the latest version of the tango. The point is rather that if you know where Juan-les-Pins is and know a little about it, you can endow your promotion of the new fashion with a background that will better its chances for success.

Juan-les-Pins, Biarritz, Cannes, Aintree, Southampton—these places are all very real and very much a part of the fashion picture. Their association with men's fashions, properly utilized, can constitute an invaluable element in your fund of promotional ammunition. To be sure, the names sound a bit "ritzy"—and they are. But what do you care if you have to traffic in the resorts of princes and international society leaders, as long as it helps you sell more apparel? You can say, along with Arnold Bennett, that "the best is good enough for me."

Fashions emanate from definite localities frequented by people of wealth and distinction. These leaders wear this year what will next year be in widespread demand. It is through the prestige and sanction of authenticity that attaches itself to anything worn at the important fashion centers that the new styles get their start. Therefore, it is only the better part of logic to capitalize on that same prestige and sanction of authenticity in speeding the new fashions on their career of dissemination so far as your store is concerned. You don't find Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr., the writer, forgetting all about the prestige value of his name and attempting to crash the slick paper magazines under the pseudonym of Jack Jones. And there is just as little showmanship in taking a fashion item that is rich in the prestige of Biarritz or Cannes and presenting it to your customers as your own idea or something that your brother-in-law thought up.

There are even fashions in fashion centers, one resort sometimes increasing in popularity at the expense of another. But compared to the inconstancy of the styles which emanate from them, at least, the important fashion centers are as fixed and changeless as the smile on the face of the Mona Lisa. Fortunately, therefore, it is possible to list and identify these centers in such a manner as to provide an authoritative anthology for some time to come. Keep this issue handy and dip into the anthology—compiled here with specific reference to summer fashions— for inspiration both as to copy and illustration in your effective sponsorship of the new fashions associated with these centers.
Treated first are the main fashion centers in the United States. The places listed in the following paragraphs set the pace for smart fashions in keeping with the social and amusement programs of those who dodge the cold in winter and the heat in summer.

AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA
Riding Fashions


THE clans begin to gather at this boot and saddle resort in February, but for the commoner the social steeplechase is as full of hazards and pitfalls as the famous Aiken Drag itself. The resort, situated on a sand ridge surrounded by yellow pine forests, is seventeen miles northeast of Augusta, Georgia. The i ness and dryness of the climate make it., noted health center in winter, spring and autumn. The luxurious private estates, hotels- and country clubs attract, in j son, the outstanding members of the riding, hunting and polo playing set.

Mr.Thomas Hitchcock, Sr., founded the Aiken colony in 1898 as a means of indulging a love for hunting cultivate -his younger days while at Oxford. So other friends of similar taste, such Ambrose Clark, joined the colony and' the resort has since become a traditional place of annual pilgrimage for the riding set who continue the equestrian activities which they pursue at Long Island.
The Aiken Drag (colors: green uniform with chamois collar and white breeches has become one of America's best known steeplechases. Under the influence Tommy Hitchcock, Jr., the polo star Aiken has become a winter training ground, for most of the famous polo players.

The chief pastimes are fox hunting polo, tennis and golf, with emphasis on horses and equestrianism. Nig life is negligible, including mostly private dinner parties with simple gatherings," ten or twelve guests. Most people retire early, since nearly everyone pops out of bed at the crack of dawn and dashes-J his favorite mount and the yelping pack.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
Spectator Country Clothes—Horsey


THE Maryland Hunt Cup is on the most sporting "blue blood, steeplechases in America. Sportsmen come from all over the country to : the race and there is always a gallery of several thousand socially prominent, smartly attired people in attendance. Maryland, settled by English gentry, the Cavaliers, has always loved fox hunting and other sports associated with it. m keen rivalry has long existed between |he Elkridge Fox Hunting Club, organized in 1872, and the Green Spring Valley Club, founded in 1892. In the spring of 1894, the Elkridge members challenged their rivals to a cross country run which would test the speed, endurance and jumping ability of their horses. The event has been perpetuated ever since, last year's race having been held in April. The Valley Club wears a field uniform of scarlet coats with green collars, while the Elkridge members wear scarlet with old gold.

BELMONT PARK, LONG ISLAND
Spectator Race Clothes, Town Clothes


THIS premier United States track was founded in 1905 with August Belmont as first president. The races are held in June and September for a period of two or three weeks duration. The spring season features the Belmont Stakes and the fall season the Belmont Futurity, the later being the most important two-year gold race in the country.

Turf and Field, the smart horsey club, has a special enclosure which is reserved exclusively for members. The elite turf |set are always at Belmont—William Woodward, the Whitney, Robert Gerry, Marshall Field and many others. Joseph Widener is a guiding spirit both here and fat Hialeah.
In addition to Belmont, there are of ^course many other important tracks throughout the country. None approach I Belmont in smartness, however, except I perhaps the Downs at Derby time, Hialeah at the height of the Palm Beach season and Saratoga in August.

EAST HAMPTON, LONG ISLAND
Resort, Beach and Tennis Fashions


WITH the development of suburban estates within easy commuting distance of New York, East Hampton and Southampton have become second New-ports for wealthy New Yorkers who wish to secure the advantages of residential and resort life without sacrificing their business interests. The Maidstone Club is a center of social activities and is particularly popular for its golf and tennis. Although originally regarded as a nouveau riche upstart by its more pompous rival, Southampton, East Hampton now considers itself more exclusive. At any rate it is gayer, for the older colony suffers from a touch of registerite heaviness somewhat comparable to the Grande Dame-Union League atmosphere of Newport.

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
University Fashions


IN 1700, ten ministers formally founded the school now known as Yale. Today this university, with its large national student body drawn from many well known and wealthy families, is considered one of the foremost fashion centers in the country. The close proximity of both Yale and Princeton to New York has been responsible for numerous important fashion trends.

The Harvard-Yale Regatta, held annually in June at New London, Connecticut, has been a significant sporting event since 1898. The bitterly contested crew race over a four mile course gathers a gallery of all the famous yachts and pleasure craft of Eastern society. The clothes worn on this occasion are very significant from a fashion standpoint.

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND
Ultra Smart Resort Wear, Summer Formal Wear


SITUATED sixty-nine miles southwest of Boston on Narragansett Bay is this swankiest of all American resorts. The exclusive clannishness of the town began long ago with the influx of wealthy New Yorkers after the Civil War. Associated with Newport are such names as James B. Dake, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, W. B. Leeds, Herman Oelrichs, Perry Belmont, Mrs. William Astor, H. O. Havemeyer and dozens of others.

Bailey's Beach is the famous exclusive playground of the social register, while the Newport Country Club is an elite golfing center. A tennis tournament, second only to the National Singles, is held annually at the Casino, a private club. The sailing facilities attract ardent yachtsmen, providing a site both for the annual New York Yacht Club cruise and the International Yacht races in which Sir Thomas Lipton once figured so prominently. Horse shows, aquatic events, polo matches and the best professional summer theatre in America add zest to Newport life.

Social life of the most high hat character, an exclusive privilege of the hand picked residential members of this colony, centers around the Casino and the Sprouting Rock Beach Club at Bailey's. Admission to either one is gained only through the most rigid standards of culture, wealth, breeding and genealogy. They are fortresses never conquered by the social parvenu. Typical of Newport exclusiveness is the high fence at Bailey's Beach which perfectly conceals the seaside life of these socialites from the eavesdropping and sightseeing of the curious.

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA
Semi-Tropical Wear, Summer Formal Wear, Golf, Beach and Swim Apparel


THIS "City of the Sun on the Isle of Beauty" is perhaps the best known millionaire's paradise in the world. It is located on a long narrow island, sixty miles north of Miami off the eastern coast of Florida. The present charm and beauty of Palm Beach are synthetic, for this tropical Utopia was created from a miasmic region of swamps, tangled underbrush and barren sand dunes once inhabited by the Seminole Indians.

In 1886, Henry M. Flagler, regarded at the time as a well-intentioned visionary, began his Jacksonville development which started the first of the great Florida booms on the East Coast. In 1894, Flagler broke ground for the Royal Poinciana in Palm Beach, then the world's largest tourist hotel, and in 1895 he ran his East Coast railroad to West Palm Beach.

In 1913, Colonel Edward Bradley further accelerated the development of the colony by selling lots on a filled-in swamp called Camp Styx, and later Paris Singer and Addison Mizner, visualizing the future beauty of the place, were the progenitors as architects of the currently typical Hispanic style. Soon many socialites settled here in patioed estates—Anthony Drexel Biddle, Jr., Mrs. E. F. Hutton, Harold Vanderbilt, R. R. McCormick and others.
Up to 1926 the resort was a tourist center without any sharp social distinctions, everyone bathing at Breakers Beach and golfing on the old or new course north of the hotel. With the erection of the new Bath and Tennis Club in 1926, however, a definite cleavage was made between the socialites of the magnificent estates and the tourists of the hotels. Just before the crash during the twenties, more villas blossomed out and the three important clubs—Bath and Tennis, Gulf Stream and Everglades—were crowded with the wealthy.

Social life at Palm Beach has two aspects — one centered about the hotels and the other about the private residential colony and the exclusive private clubs. Most of the hotel crowd get to see very little of the elite cottagers, who keep pretty much to themselves. Between 10:30 and 11:30 the male members of the cottage set usually congregate at the brokers' offices, repairing to the Bath and Tennis Club, the Sea Spray Club or to their private pools and plages. Luncheon follows the bathing hour and afternoons are largely devoted to golf or tennis.

The evenings are frequently given over to private parties or balls at the Colony Club which, though smart, is open to the general public. Many attend motion picture theatres, in formal attire, and go dancing afterwards. Still others pay a visit to Bradley's Casino, where the gambling stakes run high. The cottage coterie, however, are seldom seen in Palm Beach proper, most of their dinners and dances being given at home.

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
University Fashions


PRINCETON University, a potent influence on young men's clothes, has always been attended by students of wealth and social distinction. The limitation of its enrollment in 1922 to about 2,000 students selected on the basis of scholarship and character has added to its reputation for exclusiveness. Inasmuch as the school is located in a small town, there is considerable interest in outdoor activities, and Princeton is considered an important fashion center for informal and outdoor dress. In spring, the Maytime house parties run the gamut from the smartest of informal attire during the day to the most strictly formal dress for evening.

SARATOGA SPRINGS,-New York
Fashions for the summer resort


THE first hotel was built here in 1774 and throughout the 19th century the resort was one of the most popular in the country. Its prestige faded at the beginning of the 20th century, but in 1929 a committee under Bernard Baruch planned a successful revival of the Springs as a health and resort center. At present, the height of the season is the period of the August races on the Saratoga tracks. This is the scene of the oldest stake in America, the Travers.

SOUTHAMPTON, LONG ISLAND
Resort and Formal Wear — Beach Fashions for Summer


THIS exclusive residential and sporting center, 92 miles by rail east of New York, dates back to 1880 as a watering place. Next to Newport, this town is probably the most deluxe resort, from the social standpoint, in America. It is not quite so regal or impregnable, however, as the Rhode Island resort. Here reside such people as Nicholas Murray Butler, Alonzo Potter, Goodhue Livingston, Charles H. Sabin and Mrs. James P. Donahue.
The Meadow Club is an important private society center, while daytime activities in season focus on the very exclusive Beach Club. The social life reaches its highest pitch during Tennis Week when most of the country's best players participate by invitation.

ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND-THE UNITED HUNTS
Country Spectator Fashions


THIS is the scene of the spring meeting of one of the most important steeplechase events in the country, the fall meeting being held at Belmont Park. The event was inaugurated in the early part of the present century and today it brings out a representative cross-section of the leading sportsmen in the New York sector. Richard Whitney, James W. Girard, John Hay Whitney and T. W. Durant have been active figures.

WESTBURY, LONG ISLAND
Clothes for Post and Paddock and the Hunt— Spectator Sportswear


THE exclusive Meadowbrook Club has for twenty years been the national polo center. More polo is played here, within a small radius of the club, than anywhere else in the country, and the club is the focal point for all international polo activities in the United States. The history of the Meadowbrook Club goes back to an early interest in fox hunting, but the club was not incorporated until 1881. A steeplechase was first run in 1883 and the Meadowbrook Cup event, held annually on the estate of F. Ambrose Clark in September, is one of the most smartly turned out in America. The field costume consists of scarlet coats, white waistcoats and robin's egg blue collars.

Vastly important in their influence on men's fashions are the fashion centers of England and the Continent. The cult of the warm weather enthusiasts of Europe, during both winter and summer, revolves around the places described in the following paragraphs.

AINTREE, ENGLAND
Country Spectator Fashions


THIS is the scene of the famous Grand National Steeplechase. The first Liverpool Grand National was run at Aintree in 1839, but steeple chasing as it is known today, with trained horses and jockeys to negotiate them over a series of artificial jumps, is a comparatively modern sport. The Grand National is now a March . event of considerable fashionable importance.

ASCOT, ENGLAND
Formal Day Dress


THE racing seasons of this celebrated course have always been exceptionally smart. The annual meeting, which is held during the second or third week in June, is notable for the Royal Procession and is attended by all the important members of the fashionable sporting world. Usually, the men in America who disseminate fashions are in England at the time of the Ascot and the Derby, frequently returning home later by way of the French Riviera and thus bringing with them the latest fashions both of England and the Continent. Morning coats and grey toppers are worn by every man at the Ascot from the royal family down to the bookmakers, and the derivation of the name for the Ascot tie is obviously associated with this important center.

BIARRITZ, FRANCE
Ultra Smart Sea side Fashions


THIS significant fashion center, the most frequented resort in France, is located on the Bay of Biscay. The climate and scenery are equal sources of attraction, with the Pyrenees on one side and the Basque coast on the other. The beaches, Grande Plage and Cote des Basques, are connected by a magnificent promenade. Beautiful villas and hotels make Biarritz a brightly flourishing society center.

Most of the prominent men English and Spanish aristocrats here in season, where they may invariably be observed garbed in the latest f in beach wear, swim attire and informal dress. Elite society pays frequent visits to the Hotel Miramar where may see and be seen, paying particularly critical attention to the matter in clothes. Other galas, equally are held at the Ambassadeurs Casino and at the Hotel Palais.

There is much fashionable dancing gambling at the Casino, while the Socoa Yacht Club attracts a smart coterie includes many prominent Americans. The Chiberta Golf Club is a favorite ' the Prince of Wales, and the d'Amour and the Bar Basque patronized by the cosmopolitan e the least part of the charm of t is found by many in the fact the lies in the heart of the Basque with its quaint natives unrelated language or origin to any other race existent.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY ENGLAND
University Fashions— Spectator Country Wear


CAMBRIDGE, one of the universities of Great Britain from the 12th century. Young men of the best families, after an earlier such schools as the fashionable Chester, Eton or Harrow, conclude education here or at Oxford, universities set standards of dress which influence the whole world of fashion. The rowing races, called the May Bumps, bring out the latest vogue in informal attire—slacks with odd jackets in all types plaids, checks and tweeds.

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE
Beach Fashions


This fashion center on the northwest coast was launched in 1860 by the Duc de Morny who created a charming fort from sandy wastelands in much the same manner that Palm Beach was converted into a tropical paradise from literally nothing. Deauville has been appreciably described as "la plage fleurie" 'The beach of Mowers. Le Petit Trianon gambling casino, swimming baths modeled along Pompeian prototypes, two golf links, two racing courses, two polo grounds, twenty-two tennis courts and yacht Club are its major attractions, because of its proximity to England, Deauville has been an important fashion center. Such articles of beach wear as the Deauville sandals and beach robes first gained popularity here.

EPSOM DOWNS, ENGLAND
Formal Day Wear— Spectator Sportswear


LOCATED in Epsom, fourteen miles southwest of London, this place was originally a health resort but is now famed its fashionable races where the sports of kings reaches perhaps its highest peak. Epsom Downs has been the scene of racing long before Edward, the 12th Earl of Derby, founded the Derby in 1780. Derby is now the "world's biggest " being, attended by over a million people. This important event usually occurs during the first week in June.

ETON, ENGLAND
Fashions in Sportswear


THIS most famous of English public schools, drawing its student body from the oldest families, whose children are usually registered for entrance at birth, is an important fashion center for young men. At the June fourth celebrations in honor of King George III, the "old boys," parents and friends appear in the smartest attire. The occasion is the famous boat parade, an annual river pageant celebrated since the early part of the 19th century and described in an earlier issue of APPAREL ARTS.

LE TOUQUET, FRANCE
Golf Clothes, Beach Fashions


THE stimulating atmosphere of this resort provides a tonic for the fatigued, and the Pine Forest of 2,000 acres, less than half a mile from the sea, is a source of recuperation. A full program of sports attracts many visitors, with racing, horse shows, polo, golf and tennis. The Casino de la Foret and the Casino de la Plage offer diversion in many forms of gambling. The season, from Easter to October, is a gay one.

LONDON, ENGLAND
Town Fashions


THE Earl of Devonshire, in the 18th century, remarked, "When London takes snuff the rest of the world sneezes." That boastful generalization still applies, as far as men's fashions are concerned in summer, the city is perhaps the world's brightest capital. With the lifting of the winter fogs, life for a few short months becomes one of hectic gayety. The "season" reaches its peak in June, with a calendar filled with daily events of importance: the International Horse Show, the Richmond Royal Horse Show, the trooping of the color on the king's birthday, the Derby at Epsom, Ascot week, the tennis matches at Wimbledon and the presentations at court.

The peak of the season, with reference to men's fashions, is reached at the Eton-Harrow game in mid July, the most important cricket match of the year. The Henley Regatta, July 4-7, is also important, as is the yachting at Cowes in August. As a result of all these multifarious attractions, the city is packed with visitors who later disseminate all over the world the current fashions which they pick up in London.
Since London not only possesses a large leisured class among the nobility but also among the untitled, the social set has a dozen different types of dress suited to their hours of diversified amusement. In the West End, the shops of fine tailors, shirt makers, hatters and boot makers are crowded side by side. Apparel familiar to such streets as Old and New Bond, Conduit, Dover, Grafton, Albemarle, Duke, Jermyn, St. James and far-famed Saville Row sets the pace in current fashion trends.
On week nights, one may see ultra formal dress at the Savoy or the Berkeley, and the smartest informal attire may be observed on Sunday nights at Quaglino's. Luncheon at the Monseigneur or the Ritz brings out the smart town clothes. Other places frequented by well dressed men are the Ivy, Claridge's, Punch's Club, the Blue Train, Ciro's, Cafe Royale, Cafe de Paris, Grosvenor-House Restaurant and the Florida.

THE LIDO, VENICE, ITALY
Beach Fashions


THE Lido has been popular with Venetians since 1872, located as it is on the chief island separating the lagoon from the Adriatic. In recent years, deluxe hotels have made this spot of amethyst lagoons, lazy gondolas and golden sands an international fashion center from May to October. Regattas on the Grand Canal, international motor boat races, biennial art exhibitions, international motion picture previews, as well as the usual gamut of pastimes for dispelling care, attract the socialite world.

OLYMPIA, LONDON
Riding Clothes— Horsey Spectator Styles


THE International Horse Show, held here for twenty-two years, is one of the most fashionable of June events in London, as well as being the chief event of equestrian interest in the metropolis. It is indeed international in all respects and, as a result, constitutes an important source for current fashions in riding attire and horsey spectator wear.

OXFORD, ENGLAND
University Fashions


OXFORD, the oldest university in England, dates back to 1163 and has long been one of the most famous seats of learning in the world. Such fashions as the Oxford bags have originated here and, at the time of the boat races in the spring, the newest ideas in sportswear make their appearance.

THE RIVIERA,
FRANCE AND ITALY
Beach and Summer Formal Fashions


UNDER this classification is given a general description of the entire Riviera district. Immediately following will be found the specific descriptions of individual spots on the Riviera, namely, Antibes, Cannes, Menton, Monte Carlo, Nice, St. Raphael and San Remo.

The Cote d'Azur region of Mediterranean resorts extends along the southern coast of France, east of Marseilles, and includes a small section of Italy northwest of Genoa. This littoral, famous for fashion, is an almost continuous series of major and minor towns and villas, extending from St. Raphael on the west ; through Cannes, Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, | Nice and Monte Carlo to Menton on the east. The Italian Riviera, of which San Remo is the most important resort, continues from Menton for a short distance ; along the northeast Ligurian shore. The beaches of these resorts are the ground of celebrities from the four corers of the world. Originally the region was a winter resort, but following the world war it was discovered that May
June were the best months, with the of summer being almost equally active. Thus the vogue of the summer season from June to August is of comparatively recent origin.

ANTIBES, FRANCE
(JUAN-LES-PINS)
Beach Fashions


ANTIBES and the fashionable surroundings of Juan-les-Pins and Cap d’Antibes between Cannes and Nice, is I a summer and winter resort. Rocky creeks, a beach of silver sand, pine woods, flowers and panoramic views, as well as the famed climate of the Mediterranean coast of France, are all part of the attractions of this resort. The town has grown in popularity in recent years, especially among the international set who annually visit the Cote d'Azur.
With the development of a summer season, the English began to visit Antibes and Juan-les-Pins at the expense of Cannes. Recently, Juan has been supplanting Antibes in interest. The life is very indolent with everyone rising late, but by 11:00 most people are out on the beaches sunning themselves. From 1:30 to 2:30, some go to the hotels for luncheon and others remain at restaurants along the plage, one of the most popular of these being a place called La Provencal, erected by the American millionaire, Frank Gould.

Afternoons are spent at tennis or on the sands, with aquaplaning and riding on catamarans a favorite diversion. Aquatic activity ends around 5:00 when everyone drops in some place for tea or cocktails. Cafes, such as the Hollywood (a name inspired by visiting cinema stars) and Maxim's, open for tea dances at which most men continue to wear beach clothes consisting of slacks, polo shirts and espadrilles, the women also dressing informally. In the evening, everyone dresses for dinner, after which they go to night clubs or the casino for gambling, where dress is optional.

CANNES, FRANCE
Beach Fashions


THE fashionable popularity of Cannes, situated nineteen miles southwest of Nice, dates from 1834 when Lord Brougham settled there after being attracted by the beauty of the ancient little hill town. The hills cut off the chill northern winds, rendering the climate one of the most equable m Europe. The beautiful environs, exceptional beach and modern hotels, in addition to the famous yacht anchorage, have made this one of the most popular Mediterranean resorts. It is also famous for the charming Promenade de la Croisette and Casino Municipale.

The chief sport is tennis and it is here that the players practice for the Davis Cup Matches. The newest additions to the facilities of Cannes are the smart Palm Beach Casino and Plage. The Circle Nautique is a very old club, membership to which constitutes a passport to the most exclusive English and American society. The winter season, starting in December and ending in April, is filled with galas, winter sports at Allos, royal regattas, dress balls, fencing tournaments and motor boat and yachting competitions, as well as fashionable diversions.

Cannes has a social atmosphere reminiscent of Palm Beach and maintained by the older group of socialites. Life at the huge hotels, which are the most elaborate of any of the Riviera towns, is the focal point of this paradise among resorts. The habitués of the resort loll through a most restful life, suited to the calm character of the semi-tropical climate.

MENTON, FRANCE
Beach Fashions


THIRTEEN miles northeast of Nice, and almost as celebrated, is this charming village of the Cote d'Azur. The surrounding hills dotted with lemon and orange groves are famed for their natural beauty. The social activities are the usual ones of the smart resorts of the French and Italian Riviera.

The vogue of Menton began with its popularity as a health resort, but present day health treatments are restricted to a large sanatorium and most of the interest now lies in the fashionable activities typical of the Riviera. The amusing epigram, attributed to an Irish writer, that "but for an occasional funeral there would be no life in Menton" no longer has any point.

MONTE CARLO, MONACO
Beach Fashions— Summer Formal Wear


INTERNATIONAL playground of the J- Riviera is the independent principality of Monaco. Its picturesque scenery, mild climate and especially its world famed gambling casino annually attract many fashionable cosmopolites. Its attractive villas provide residences for authors, actors, artists and the socially prominent of all countries, and it is one of the spots favored by the followers of the sun cult.

Gambling has been famous here since the middle of the 19th century, the erection of the world's best known casino in 1878 definitely, establishing the prestige of Monte Carlo as a resort for people of means.

Since that time an additional feature has been made of music. Illuminated gardens of exotic flowers, band concerts, dramas and operettas and international regattas also attract many members of the world of sport, art and fashion.

Life is simple and centers around the Hotel de Paris, and gambling is the chief interest day and night. There is also the Monte Carlo Beach Club, while the Sporting Casino with its pool is likewise popular. Excellent shops draw smart trade.

NICE, FRANCE
Summer Clothes—Beach Fashions


THE climate of Nice has been celebrated for years, and it is a favorite winter resort both for invalids and pleasure-seekers. Nice is especially famous for its carnival season during the last days of February, while fancy dress balls and floral parades are important features in March. Numerous golf championships attract large audiences, and international regattas and various race meetings provide additional diversions.

ST. RAPHAEL, FRANCE
Beach Fashions


"LE soliel toute l'anne"—sunshine all the year—is the slogan of this resort. This spot is famed for the same virtues of climate and scenic beauty as the rest of the Riviera, combining as it does the opportunities for sophisticated social life with village simplicity. It is also a place where people may own private villas removed from the bustle of the older and better known tourist centers. French families in particular find St. Raphael very inviting.

SAN REMO, ITALY
Beach Fashions


THIS important city of the Italian Riviera has become the major center of the Ligurian district. It is frequented by the more exclusive members of the English and foreign "beau monde." The season is extremely gay between Christmas and Lent, while the International Horse Show, under the patronage of the Crown Prince of Italy, is a magnet for smart socialites. Festivals, cabarets, theatres and an extensive season of opera, as well as a casino permitting the highest maxi-mums in the world, entertain those who can afford the pace.

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND
Golf Fashions


ST. ANDREWS, a seaport three miles southeast of Dundee, has long been noted as the "Mecca of golf." As far back as 1457, the game of golf in Scotland had made inroads on the popularity of the chief sport of the time, archery, and since then it has been known as "the royal and ancient game of golf." In 1834, King William IV became the patron of the golf club here, then as now the most famous seat of the game. St. Andrews, with its exceptional links, has always been a source of great interest to golfers, especially at the times when it has staged the English Open Tournament. The course is, at one time or another, visited by all golf specialists, both professional and amateur, who get the opportunity.

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND
Tennis Fashions


THIS English town, eight miles southwest of St. Paul's, London, and a famous suburban residence, is the headquarters for the All England Lawn Tennis Association. The stadium, with its Davis Cup Matches in the summer, is a fashionable gathering place for all lovers of the game. This prestige has been unbroken since the first English championship was held here in 1877, when the game as played today was first inaugurated.


Before we move onto the next section there is something I want you to observe. This is a rare illustration from summer of 35’ & painted at the Newport casino, one of the locations that is mentioned above.

Newport casino from summer 35’

Image

Here I want you to take note of the gent on the right side of the illustration wearing a blue jacket, white trousers and black shoes. Naturally, if we are to follow the usual tradition of sporty / casual clothes, we will ask as to why black shoes are here? The answer is that in this location it is correct to wear black shoes with the above mentioned combination in so far it is correct to wear a blue odd jacket in the first place. This is one of the typical manner in which men used to dress on summer nights at resort settings where the dress code was lenient but still on the tad formal side.

Here in this scenario it would be unusual for this gent to wear white bucks instead of black shoes. This exact same point is raised in the very last illustration in section III. See that illustration & its discussion for further detail.

That takes care of this section.

END OF SECTION I OF THIS POST
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Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:50 pm

START OF SECTION II OF THIS POST

In this section we will have an extensive look at Palm Beach, one of the summer fashion locations mentioned in the article above. Why? Because more summer styles came from Palm Beach than anywhere else. True, the items that arrived from Palm Beach were “second handed” so to speak in terms of fashion originality, as they were usually spotted a season before at the Riviera or one of the other exotic locations. However, it was never completely certain these items would blend into the “mainstream” unless they were endorsed by the Palm Beach crowd. So, the section below will go over some of the important summer fashions as they originated in Palm Beach.

this is also from Summer 35' Vol V No IV of AA


PALM BEACH REVIEW

Forecasting the important new summer fashions on the basis of their "advance showing" at Palm Beach


If it is true that the European watering places are the source of inspiration for most of the significant new summer fashions, it is equally true that Palm Beach is the great proving ground at which these fashions are sifted and launched on their careers in America. And if it is important to be in at the birth of these fashions, it is still more important to be present when their paces may be timed as a gauge to future performance' in the race toward national acceptance. The value of Palm Beach as a sort of unofficial preview of authentic fashions for the coming summer cannot be overestimated. The blue polo shirt, to mention but one example, received special mention in APPAREL ARTS last year on the basis of observations made in Palm Beach, and by the ensuing summer it proved itself an exceptionally popular seller. The consistency of these forecasts in the past leaves little question as to their reliability as a sound foundation for summer fashion merchandising in the future.

This year, for the first time since 1928, Palm Beach resembled its former self before the depression. Hotels were filled to capacity, beach clubs were packed, night clubs were crowded and, with the repeal of prohibition, the newly inaugurated cocktail hour proved quite popular. It was a perfect setting for fashion observations. Perhaps the most important general note in men's fashions was the increased acceptance of nonchalance in dress. During the days, very informal sports clothing was worn and the same type of dress was even in evidence at the cocktail hour. In the evenings, of course, dinner clothes were worn. A detailed review, providing the key to the authentic fashions for the summer of 1935, follows:

SUITS. The popularity that has been won for light weight washable clothing will go far toward paving the way to an increased measure of acceptance for colored linen suits in such shades as navy blue, Havana brown, light grey and natural tan. These colors have an advantage over light colored clothing both in practicality and fashion ability. Silk suits in natural color flat and Shantung weaves, introduced at Palm Beach last year, were even more predominant this season, indicating a vogue for this fabric among certain types of well dressed men. These suits will be seen in the same colors mentioned with reference to linen suits.

Gabardine was also worn in various colors, the most important being the natural tan and Havana brown shades, although light grey-green and slate grey were worn in this fabric. For extreme hot weather, seersucker, Palm Beach and cotton fabrics will be in demand, but instead of the usual white and solid colors, definite patterns such as shepherd's checks and Glen Urquharts will be seen in grey, brown, blue and other shades. Another important fabric is flannel-in solid color grey and chalk stripe grey, while tropical worsteds in patterns similar to the hard worsteds worn for town will also be good.

As to the model, the double breasted jacket in all these suitings should be far more popular than the single breasted. Many of these suits will have the new long roll lapel, with the jacket thirty inches long and carrying either a center or side vents. Single breasted models will be in the three-button notched lapel style with plain vented backs and many of the jackets will carry patch pockets. Trousers are cut a bit fuller than previously and we find the cuff running from 181/2 to 19 inches in width with the knee approximately 23 inches wide, thus providing a much desired taper.

ODD JACKETS. For resort wear, the odd jacket is not so common as the jacket of one's suit, usually a double breasted model in gabardine, flannel, linen, seersucker or other light weight materials and worn with white or grey flannel trousers. The single breasted odd jacket is a definite sport coat that men will purchase for the occasions of country wear, although it is permissible for resort wear. These jackets, -which invariably carry a center or side vent, are found in Shetland tweeds, light weight Donegal tweeds and several cotton fabrics, all in definite bold patterns. The half-belted sport jacket, although seen in staple gabardine and linen garments, was a very insignificant part of the Palm Beach picture last season.

The fabric, introduced for cruise wear in England last summer and worn at Palm Beach by several visiting Englishmen, is a mixture of linen and wool and is woven to give a rough nubbed Donegal tweed effect. This jacket with the slanting flap pockets—better designated as saddle pockets—is a definitely new fashion in sport jackets and one which should be watched by promotional minded merchants for future progress.

ODD TROUSERS. There is nothing of significance that is new with reference to trousers to be worn during the summer with an odd jacket. The staples that have been worn for years —white, grey and occasionally fawn colored flannels—are still the smartest and most popular. The small checks that came into vogue a few seasons ago are still worn by many but have not greatly increased in favor. For informal "playtime" wear, white and cream colored trousers in washable fabrics are favored, particularly the various types of cotton so much in demand today. There is an important definite tendency for odd trousers to be cut much fuller for sports wear, with the knee about 22 to 23 inches and the cuff about 20 inches.

SHIRTS. The most significant note in shirts for the coming summer is the new widespread soft collar attached shirt. This collar, originally worn by the
Prince of Wales and the Duke of Kent and quite popular in England last summer, is best suited to such fabrics as oxford and heavy cotton mesh, being particularly good in spaced colored stripes and in checked patterns. In addition to its comfortable cut, it is becoming to practically any type of man. The collar points are far apart, allowing a large knot in the tie, and the corner of the collar carries a small whale bone to prevent it from curling up. A pin is not usable with it.

Second in importance only to 'the new widespread collar attached shirt are the medium pointed collar attached and button-down collar attached models. Round collars and tab collars will of course be quite prevalent, while mesh shirts in checked and striped patterns should be especially popular this summer. Fine silk broadcloths in solid colors are also good for town wear and will be seen with white laundered collars as well as with soft collars which match the shirts.

Linen shirts with a definite rough finish are almost certain to be much in vogue. These of course will be in solid colors, and it may be mentioned at this point that the shirting colors which suggest themselves as the most promising are tans, blue, grey, yellow and oxblood, in the order named. As for patterns, the widespread collar was worn by many Englishmen in Nassau in fine Glen Urquharts on a broadcloth ground—a pattern suitable for both town and country wear. The candy striped shirt, a favorite of long standing, is again prominent in the fashion picture, but this time in definite bold colors in even stripes of blue and white, grey and white, brown and white, yellow and white, pink and white and green and white. These shirts were seen with medium pointed collars, round collars attached and the new widespread collars attached.

NECKWEAR. Regimental and club stripes, which have long been discussed in APPAREL ARTS, are coming more and more into their own and today sees them generally accepted by the majority of men with any degree of clothes-consciousness. This neckwear, in uncommon color combinations, will undoubtedly continue in favor throughout the summer. Foulard ties will be popular in polka dot patterns of h unusual size and color, rather ' than the small geometric patterns of a few seasons ago. Definite patterns on dark grounds, such as black, madder brown, deep blue and corn color, were very much in vogue at Palm Beach.

A new note in neckwear is provided by India corah silk ties with Paisley and foulard patterns. This silk has a rough appearance, much like that of Shantung, and the patterns are exclusively on dark cream colored backgrounds. Important too is the return to solid colored rough Shantung silk neckwear, with such shades as tan, red, blue, yellow and green much in evidence. India madras is still worn by many but the newer ties in this material are cut across the goods instead of on the bias, with the result that the varied-colored plaids run horizontally or vertically instead of diagonally.

Some interest was shown at Palm Beach in the knitted string tie which can be expected to gain increased momentum this summer. This is similar to the silk crochet tie but is made in a cotton string, which is very light in weight and comes only in solid colors. Rough woven cotton ties in brightly colored plaids are quite popular, and the same thing applies to Charvet pattern ties in foulard, more with reference, however, to certain types of well dressed men. Bow ties maintain; their vogue and are seen in foulard, India madras and striped rep, while light weight wool neckwear with well spaced dark polka dots on light grounds is of considerable importance. Large hound's tooth and shepherd's check patterns will be featured in all materials and colors, and colored Argyle plaids in foulard, which have been seen with Argyle plaid crepe handkerchiefs to match, also provide a new note.

HOSIERY. The steady growth in popularity of wool hose for summer wear is hardly surprising in view of the comfort it provides in warm weather—a fact that has long been known to Sportsmen in the warmer climates. The pastel colors that were once so much in vogue have disappeared and replacing them we find definite colors, such as maroon, navy blue, taupe, grey and brown, in 6 x 3 ribs. These dark colors provide a perfect contrast to the popular all white sports shoe. Horizontal stripes have always been worn in England, but were seldom seen in this country until their present extensive popularity brought them to the fore in a number of unusual color combinations and in all widths of stripes. One of the most important horizontal stripes observed in Palm Beach this season was the close candy stripe in deep, definite colors with alternate white stripes. These were not only popular in wool but were also seen -in English lisle. String hose, in the natural string color, provide a new note to talk about, while Argyle plaids in all sizes on white grounds are quite popular with college type men.

FOOTWEAR. Rating first consideration in any discussion of footwear for the coming season is the brown suede shoe. The importance of this shoe cannot be overemphasized. Referred to as buckskin or suede and known in the shoe trade today as bucko, this shoe is actually a reversed calf—by far a better wearing leather than either buckskin or suede. The only correct and acceptable color is the deep orange-brown. This shoe is appropriate for both town and resort wear. The town models are made with leather soles in two distinct styles, both of which are on the same last which has a rounded English toe. One style has a perforated toe cap and the other has a plain toe cap and blucher front; in each case the soles are varnished black or mahogany color. Among the important models for resort and country wear, the most popular is the one that is unlined and without toe cap. It has a blucher front and crepe soles and heels which are varnished black. A second important style is the monk front model which eliminates the lace and carries a buckle at each side; it is made with crepe or leather soles. A two-eyelet blucher front shoe, cut similarly to a riding shoe, is a new and significant model.

Also worthy of consideration are the plain all white unlined buckskin shoe with no toe cap and the brown and white straight tip shoe. In the first model, the shoe has red or black rubber soles and heels, in both cases the sides of the soles being varnished black, and in the second model the brown is calfskin and the white is buckskin. The moccasin type shoe in brown and white buckskin is a new note, while the same model in black calf and white buckskin is worn for golf. The jai alai shoe in all white elk or brown reversed calf with gum soles is quite popular.

Although beach wear will be discussed in detail later, mention should be made here of a new shoe for beach wear which is very important. It is made in a very light weight reversed leather similar to buckskin, is un-lined and has no toe cap. Instead of laces, the front of the shoe opens by means of a zipper fastener and the sides of the shoe have wide elastic webbing similar to the old fashioned Congress Gaiter. The soles and heels are of crepe and, again, the sides of the soles are enameled black. This is important and well worth watching.

Also deserving of close attention is the slipper which is referred to in Europe as a Norwegian model but is better known to the American public as an Indian moccasin. This slipper is made in brown calfskin and has a substantial leather sole and rather low leather heel. It was observed at Palm Beach this season on many of the best dressed men who often wore it to their beach clubs.


HEADWEAR. A steady increase in the popularity of light weight felt hats during warm weather- has manifested itself during the last five years, but there was never any definite style in this type of hat until the introduction of the pork pie model which was brought over to America early last fall with some degree of success. It was first shown in a rough finish felt, but the light weight felt is more desirable for warm weather wear. Dark green, dark brown and navy blue are the important colors. Many well dressed men wore this hat at Palm Beach last winter and it should undoubtedly attain greater popularity this summer.

The natural shape panama hat, worn with brim turned up all around, is always good, while for town and business wear the sennit straw in a fine flat weave will be popular. Many sennit straws will carry a colorful striped club band. Another hat, reported in APPAREL ARTS several seasons ago, is the dark Havana brown leghorn worn with a wide puggree band. This was taken up by many at Palm Beach and was even seen with colorful India madras bands. Likewise popular at Palm Beach was the brown cocoanut straw which was imported from Nassau. It is made in a very rough weave, being extremely light in weight, and is worn with a puggree band. Some of the more prominent social leaders were seen wearing straw or pith helmets with dark solid color puggree bands.

BEACH WEAR. Although colored beach slacks are not new, this summer should see their first gain in fashion acceptance of any real significance. Introduced on the Riviera and shown last year in this country with indifferent success, they were at last accorded considerable interest at Palm Beach this season. These slacks, made in linen, Palm Beach, sailcloth and other materials, were observed in such colors as royal blue, lemon yellow, sea green, burnt sienna and, in several instances, even a deep purple. Among these colors, dark blue and lemon yellow are by far the more important. The trousers are cut very full with approximately a 22-inch bottom and have a regulation fly front and two large patch pockets at the back. They were worn to and from the beach, at the cabana, for fishing and for general knock-about wear.

Knitted swimming trunks, which became popular last winter at Palm Beach, have increased considerably in favor. They were seen in all solid colors, particularly navy blue, wine and white. The newest note seen at Palm Beach was the lemon yellow in a heavy ribbed swimming trunk. The stripe that usually decorated the side of these knitted swimming trunks is gradually being discarded. Flannel shorts in grey and blue are still of considerable importance, while grey, blue and dark brown are still seen in gabardine slacks and other light weight fabrics. The high waisted swimming trunk has practically disappeared. For those who wear a swimming shirt, despite the growing vogue for shirtless bathing, a horizontal striped shirt cut in moderate proportions is a good selection. Such colors as navy and white, light blue and white, grey and white and navy and red are the most popular.

Solid colored bathing shirts are seen in light blue, white and pale yellow-
The new heel-less espadrille was quite popular at Palm Beach and should increase in favor this summer, particularly in solid colors of navy blue, white and dark red. These shoes are made in a woven twine material with rope or leather soles. The regular canvas espadrille was also seen in solid colors of white, blue, brown, red and yellow, while special mention should be made of the new white buckskin zipper front shoes with crepe soles and heels and the leather moccasin slipper.

The vogue for wearing polo shirts at the beach has increased at the expense of beach robes, but many wore large patterned block print linen robes lined with contrasting color terry cloth. The most popular model was the wrap-around, although there were a few double breasted polo models in solid colors of blue and yellow. The newest note in beach robes is a tri-color vertical striped terry cloth robe with a short collar that stops abruptly at the waist and is cut short to give (:he effect of a muffler worn around the neck.

SPORT SHIRTS. The importance of the colored sport shirt for both spectator and active sports wear places it high in the category of summer sports apparel. These shirts were universally worn at Palm Beach, being especially favored in light weight knitted wool in solid colors of navy blue, dark red and light blue. Much interest was / accorded mesh sports shirts in similar colors. The favorite model carries the button front, although many of the newer ones merely have a small loophole at the neck and a single button. There were also a number of polo shirts with regulation polo collar that had no opening in front of the neck, simply slipping over the head.

Silk and wool polo shirts in unusual colors, such as Burgundy, light blue and tan marie effects produced by the use of silk and wool, were popular. Crew neck short sleeve string polo shirts were seen in navy blue, ecru and yellow, following the tendency toward the string type of garment in shirts, hosiery, neckwear and other articles of apparel. Knitted hound's tooth patterns and small geometric designs were also seen in fine wool polo shirts with solid colored collars—a type of shirt that seems to be on the ascendancy with well dressed men. The navy blue and dark red polo shirts were mostly worn with clothing and with a light colored tie.

Horizontal striped beach shirts with polo or crew necks were popular, one of the newest models being a tri-color three-fourths inch horizontal stripe with solid color collar in fine English lisle. Cotton polo shirts, which should be of considerable importance this summer, were prevalent in fine colored horizontal stripes. Solid colored heavy ribbed beach shirts with crew or polo necks were observed in grey and brown. A new note worth watching is the regulation polo shirt in navy blue and wine made in a very fine glove silk. Likewise popular was a shirt with a contrasting colored bib effect that showed inside of the opening at the neck.

A model that should be good for this coming summer is the solid colored shirt with contrasting colored collar made in a flat stitched wool,- some of the newer ones having blazer buttons. Two-colored knitted polo shirts with fine horizontal stripes and contrasting colored collars were also seen in sufficient numbers to auger well for the future of this type of shirt in various combinations. The polo shirt is worn either inside or outside the trousers and is appropriate for golf, tennis, fishing and general spectator or active sports wear during the day. Very often a colored foulard handkerchief or muffler is worn around the neck.

FORMAL EVENING WEAR. The most important note in formal evening wear is the white dinner jacket made of linen, Palm Beach, silk or cotton. It is popular in both double and single breasted models with self faced shawl collars. An innovation at Palm Beach in these light colored dinner jackets was seen in the natural cream colored silk coats worn by many of the better dressed men, providing an important fashion feature. All of these jackets are worn with black or midnight blue dress trousers of the same material as the coat or of regular worsted dress goods.

The elimination of the button hole on the part of some manufacturers of white dinner jackets, making it impossible to wear a dark red carnation with them, has given rise to a new mode that is worthy of note. This is the replacement of the dark red carnation with a dark red silk foulard or fine cotton handkerchief, worn in the breast pocket of the light colored dinner jacket.

This idea is one that bids to attain widespread acceptance and should be watched closely-Dark evening clothes, particularly midnight blue, were much favored by the members of the socialite cottage colony at Palm Beach. These men were the first to .wear the white dinner jacket two years ago, but since its acceptance by the masses have reverted to dark evening clothes. Other dinner jackets are made in very light fabrics such as tropical worsteds and silk alpacas. The double breasted shawl collar midnight blue dinner jacket with shiny blue satin lapels is the most important model, while the regulation double breasted model with peak lapels of deep grosgrain in blue or midnight blue is also popular. These frequently carry silk ribbed collars to match the lapels. Silk covered buttons are universally worn. The white mess jacket has of course faded from the fashion picture.

Of particular importance among dress shirts for warm weather wear, especially with younger men, is the soft white broadcloth shirt with collar attached. The newest broadcloth dress shirt seen at Palm Beach, and one which should be good for summer, has an inch and a half center pleat with three white pearl buttons; spaced a half inch away from this, .at each side, is a single three inch box pleat. This is a neck band shirt and is worn with a white starched turned down collar. It has soft double cuffs and the bosom itself is soft. Semi-starched dinner shirts are also popular.

Some of the better custom shirt makers are showing soft bosom broadcloth dress shirts with colored soft body and with soft cuffs in white. The bodies are also of broadcloth in fine pink and white, blue and white and grey and white checks. This shirt has a two inch pleat down the front and is buttoned with three white pearl buttons. It is a neck band shirt, to be worn with a turned down white starched collar. Many at Palm Beach wore regulation starched bosom two-stud dress shirts with high wing collars. Incidentally, with wing collars the black butterfly bow tie in a very heavy barathea is the most popular. The most important note in dress shirts at Palm Beach was the white silk shirt with soft collar attached. This was worn in a plain model with three white pearl buttons, a two inch pleat down the center and soft double cuffs.

Dress ties worn with the white collar are usually in a long shape of medium width with square corners, the pointed end black tie being definitely out. An important shape in the black bow tie for evening wear is the old fashioned club style. These ties are cut very thick and are approximately one inch wide. The blades are slightly wider and the shape is especially long. Instead of pointed or straight ends, the tie has very blunt rounded ends.

Colored jewelry is seen in dress shirts with dinner clothes and many of the dress shirts are worn with regulation small white pearl buttons. Patent leather oxfords and pumps divide honors in evening footwear. The sennit straw hat with club or black band is worn with a dark dinner coat, while on chilly evenings a double breasted camel's hair topcoat is worn. There are still many single breasted peak lapel dinner coats worn with black or white single breasted waistcoats of the same material. If the waistcoats are white, however, they may be of washable pique.

ACCESSORIES. Among the more important accessories for summer are colored foulard handkerchiefs which were not only observed in large numbers at Palm Beach but were worn with varied types of ensembles. They were worn about the neck as mufflers and were seen with odd sport jackets, as well as all kinds of light weight summer clothing. They were particularly popular in the India madras and foulard patterns and may be expected to prove quite popular this coming summer. Colorful string belts were also much in vogue, as were puggree cotton belts of navy blue with white polka dots. Many men wore a leather watch strap, while a large, heavy gold safety pin was worn in soft collars and still larger ones were frequently worn in the silk foulard handkerchiefs or mufflers that were fastened around the neck.

THE numerous articles of apparel mentioned in the foregoing A pages provide a complete survey of the fashion picture as it was observed at Palm Beach last season, affording a tangible foundation on which may be based a fashion analysis for the summer of 1935. As has been mentioned before, previous experience shows that summer forecasts founded on observations made at Palm Beach are unusually reliable, and for that reason the notes, sketches and photographs which make up this article are worthy of careful study.


Hope you will be able to take something from this article above that strikes your fancy and use it in this day and age accordingly. Below is an illustration from spring / summer 33 and in this “entourage” of gents you will be able to spot many of the items discussed above.

Summer gathering from spring/summer 33’

Image

Here all of the other things have been explained in the past except the gent at the right who is sitting. Take a look at what he is wearing. It is a matching sporty jacket and vest combined with white slacks. This, here, is exactly the same scheme that is employed in formal day wear where a black / dark matching vest and jacket are paired with lighter colored formal striped pants. Except in this case the jacket & the vest are patterned instead of the trousers. This look when done correctly is refined even in a casual setting such as the one depicted above. However, this is not always that easy.

A huge part of the difficulty has to do with your “viewers”. People have long forgotten this manner of dressing and at best these days it will end up looking like that you lost the pants from your 3-pc suit. This topic can easily be combined with another one (also discussed in the past) of wearing two odd items that are very closely matched. Of course as a generic rule it is usually better to considerably separate them by color but that does not always have to be. Case in point, one of Fred Astaire’s ensembles in the film Bandwagon – he is in Central Park wearing an ivory / cream odd jacket with pants so close in color and texture that you have to look hard before you realize that he is not wearing a suit. Does it work? Of course it does in the movie.

Can it work for you and me in this day & age? Hmmm… the answer to that is not that simple.

That scheme certainly works much better if it is not done in business colors such as dark blue or grey. For example, cream, ivory or light tan are more easily adaptable to this phenomenon than say a navy blue odd jacket and dark blue pants. People usually don’t see ivory suits these days and therefore it is easier to get away with it than trying the same scheme in navy blue or charcoal / grey.

That VERY same phenomenon can be applied to this matching jacket and vest with odd pants ensemble. Of course the presence of patterns makes this much more difficult to “pull-off” than say in solids. But still, if the texture and color are not too radically different there is always room for creativity. HOWEVER, keep a few things in mind before you leap on to this. First of all, the cut of the jacket, vest and pants are of paramount importance - the closer they resemble each other’s cut, the better your chances of achieving a well-turned out ensemble. The last thing you want to do is pair a well-built, close-fitting jacket and vest with full-cut summery pants. Or vice versa.

Then after the cut, one must consider texture. One cannot match up super worsteds with linen or woolen flannels. “It just isn’t cricket” as they say. If textures and the cut of the articles in an ensemble align then & only then are you immune from a sartorial mishap.

I will explain more on this topic some other time…

END OF SECTION II OF THIS POST
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Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:53 pm

START OF SECTION III OF THIS POST

Alright… here is your favorite section with all illustrations. This particular one is more lavish than most pervious post with about two dozen illustrations in this post alone! Take your time to go over this section thoroughly. Original text has been provided with almost all the illustrations. I have mentioned finer detailed points wherever necessary. By this time if you are reading this… I assume you have done all prior reading mentioned at the start of this post & know how to “read” these illustrations & scan them for details.

That said… let us start with your favorite section.


From spring 34’

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Here is the answer to the flying business man’s enquiry “how can I carry enough clothes and still meet the weight limitations?” One of the first requirements for travel is comfort, and for those who travel quickly it is essential that they be dressed for business and at the same time be comfortable. This fellow about to take off” for a big business deal is wearing a light weight suit of grey Shetland in a two button notch lapel model, a yellow pleated shirt and white starched collar, striped silk tie, black straight tip shoes and dark grey homburg hat. Note the yellow gloves with a blue topcoat. With the same ensemble, brown shoes and a brown snap brim hat may be worn and the navy blue coat replaced by a camel polo coat. This particular ensemble embraces the prerequisites necessary to maintaining a perfectly groomed appearance at a business conference after a hurried air-line trip. Modern transportation demands advancement in men’s apparel in ratio to its speed.

This is an interesting illustration, not to mention a rare one. It depicts a 3-pc patch pocketed suit on a traveling businessman. Now, nothing much too special about this situation except the fact that this is from summer of 33’. As such, a suit of this casual style could only possibly be worn by extremely upper echelon of businessmen whose dressing habits were beyond reproach… not to mention who traveled via airplanes even back then.

Anyhow it would be even somewhat odd to recommend this suit even in this day and age for conservative business minded setting. Note the style of jacket. Here it is 2 button model (ala Duke of Windsor) where both of them are & MUST be buttoned for a proper look. Though, in Duke’s model there were a bit farther spaced out. Then note the sweep of cutaway front of the jacket. Note that it starts immediately after the bottom button and continues all the way to the end. Both pockets are patch and a flap except the breast one which is without a flap. The fabric is actually a miniature check in flannel and it is paired with an unusual shirt of yellow color. The cut of the suit is relaxed all around which results in the much desired comfort and ease. Observe the proportions in jacket and pants.

THE PERFECT FLANNEL SUIT FOR WARM WEATHER “WEIGHS IN” LIGHT

Featherweight flannel suits in summer construction, with patch pockets and skeleton waistcoats, offer a happy solution to the warm weather problem of how to keep cool and do it smartly. Be sure though that the flannel is thin; it is cool when it is thin just a bit warm when it is heavy and fuzzy.

A BIT OF BRITISH SWANK IN GLOVES THAT HAS BEEN OVERLONG IN ARRIVING

Yellow chamois gloves, the favorite “wash leathers” of the Englishman, have long been popular on the other side but only within the past few years have American men taken to them. They may be worn the year around and are ideal with either light or dark clothing. The gauntlet wrist model shown is highly favored.

TIES COME AND GO, BUT FOULARDS MAINTAIN THEIR PERENNIAL POPULARITY

Foulards stand for magic in neckwear. Long worn by the best dressed men, they return each season in a variety of colors that makes them ever new. These shown carry a fine colored pattern and are of excellent quality.

TO BE DOWNRIGHT “SNOOTY” GET YOURSELF A PIGSKIN SUITCASE WITH YOUR CLUB COLORS THEREON

Pigskin bags are quite the most practical, say those who travel a great deal. It is considered smart to have one’s club or school colors on it, together with one’s initials, as shown on the pigskin suitcase on the opposite page.

SHETLAND IS BY FAR THE MOST USEFUL OF THE ALL-PURPOSE SPORTS FABRICS

An ideal fabric for suitings is this light weight Shetland which is suitable for town and country wear and drapes beautifully when tailored correctly. This is the type of fabric that is on the upward trend with well dressed men for informal day clothes.


From spring 34’

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Believe it or not this gentleman is casting a speculative eye at his dentist’s door. In picking out those ten whom they considered the world’s best dressed,-a group of leading tailors’ ‘ laid down-one basic requirement: the candidate for the honor must be able to wear the loudest of checked suits on. The street without attracting attention. This outstanding example of how that requirement may be met wears a Saxony gun club check suit, cut double breasted, blue soft shirt with white starched collar and cuffs, guards tie, light colored hose and dark brown shoes. The accompanying hat—a grey homburg and his rattan cane are on the chair. This type of clothing which at one time was only at home in the field is now seen in town on some of the smartest dressed men. While fashionists disagree on the advisability of cutting checks in double models, these chap whom fashion follows wear them that way and the only comment we can make is that they certainly look very smart.

Here as they mentioned above we have a DB gun-club check that is done in LIGHT WEIGHT. Very rare indeed… that is during those times when wearing checks in DB versions was a no=no. Anywhoo… for your visual pleasure and convenience I have include a scan of the original swatch presented with illustration back in 34’. The original swatch was about 3”x2” so the picture is larger than that. Move a few feet away from your screens to fully understand the pattern and the scale.

Gun Club Swatch from 34

FLANNEL FABRIC LIGHT IN WEIGHT AND CHECKED OF PATTERN, SHOULD FIND MANY USES

Here is a checked cloth that can be worn any place informal, either in the country or for town wear. This light weight flannel (shown in a double breasted model) is easily adapted to any of the newer models of draped or semi-draped clothing. The actual classification is that of a black and white gun club check.

ROUGHER CLOTHES DEMAND ACCESSORIES IN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT COLOR AND PATTERN

“Going tweedy” brings forth lighter colors in lisle hose with contrasting. Clocks. These marls in game feather shadings blend nicely with all the new arrivals in spring men’s apparel.

GUM TWILL TIES IN FOULARD PATTERNS ARE THE ONLY REAL “ALL SEASON” NECK\V/EAR

Foulards are one neckwear example that refuses to be kept down to seasonable wearing. They are seen around the necks of our “ best dressed men during all times of the year. Gum twill silk foulards In madder designs, spaced figures and polka dots are foulards at their very best.

WE SUGGESTED THE SHIRT AND THE COLLAR—HERE IS THE TIE TO GO WITH IT

‘The neckwear “illustrated in the panel on the opposite page fits into the apparel picture of a solid color shirt, rather dark in tone and topped with a white starched collar. With one of the lighter colored suits, such a combination will add materially to the smartness of the ensemble.


From summer 33’

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Each successive year since the war has seen the habit of week end attain more widespread importance as we grow to appreciate the benefits of all types of outdoor activity. And all signs indicate that this year will break all records in that respect, as more people have more leisure, plus an inclination to enjoy it. That means giving more thought to the selection of clothes that lend themselves readily to the varied outdoor activities. Time was when Sunday fishing was done, without fear of comment, in a blue serge suit and a derby hat, but that time is over. Now a man wants clothes that don’t look out of place when he steps out of town. Clothes like the outfit illustrated here. For example, there’s a definite place in every man’s wardrobe for a double purpose double-breasted suit, with patch pockets to relieve the dressiness when the jacket is worn with slacks, and with a plain fabric that makes the trousers serve nicely when used as slacks for wear with odd jackets.

Ok I don’t think I have discussed this in past… at least in detail, so here it is for the first time a grey flannel DB suit in patch pockets. It has its advantages… such as this jacket when used separately is an odd-jacket… pretty much by default. It is a very causal suit & therefore the cut and style of the suit should reflect that. Please do not wear this version in smooth hard finished fabrics such as sharkskin or other supers. It is just plain odd (literarily). Can you wear this suit in the city? Depends. On the nature of your business and where you live. I would not recommend this for NY or London or any super conservative business environment but other than that you should be okay. To make it a bit more “business-y” have this made up in worsted flannel instead of woolen and wear black shoes instead of brown calf or suede. Properly accessories with it should be a given.

THERE’S SOMETHING TO BE SAID BOTH FOR THE SENNIT STRAW AND THE PANAMA

The panama hat has as its great asset flexibility that is appreciated in traveling by train or motor. The negligee type rolls up neatly and compactly, particularly if the quality of the panama is of the better kind, and it is readily stowed away in a bag. The sennit straw, on the other hand, offers a crisp, trim, tailored appearance. It’s the old story – “you pays your money and you takes your choice.”

THE DOUBLE BREASTED WITH PATCH POCKETS IS A FAVORITE SUIT MODEL

For a long time, double breasted were definitely out of the fashion picture, but when they came back in they came with a bang. And especially noteworthy, in this revived popularity of the double breasted model that has been growing so steadily for the past two or three seasons, is its importance Suring the summer months, for the good and sufficient reason that it permits abandonment of the waistcoat, without fear of a sloppy and unsightly effect. Patch pockets have two good reasons for their popularity in the summer months. They make tailoring easier and less expensive and they have an outdoor look.

SUMMER SHIRTS IN SOFT PASTEL TONES, THAT GO WITH EVERYTHING

Plain shirtings still retain their favored position, despite the recent great vogue for pattern in all the appurtenances of the masculine wardrobe. One reason is, they look so very summery, in these soft pastel tones that are so well adapted ‘to the light even texture of fine cotton broadcloth which, in the better grades, gives an effect of almost silkiness. That pre-shrinking may be accomplished without loss of luster is news to most men in fact it is news because it is only in the last year or two that it has been possible. Perfect for wear with these shirtings is the polka dot tie.

IN HOSIERY, TOO, PASTEL TONES ARE ESPECIALLY RECOMMENDED

Hosiery in derby 6x3 rib construction is still one of the most popular choices for summer wear when made of lisle and colored in the lighter mixtures or pastel shades such as those that are sketched on the opposite page. They may match or contrast with the pastel shade of the shirting. And note, by the way, how smart a colored handkerchief is in the breast pocket.


From summer 33’

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On the many uncertain days of the summer the suit of worsted gabardine outsmarts the weather man

The Englishman’s idea of outsmarting the weather man is to carry an umbrella all the time. Thus he is never annoyed poor weather, since he has prepared for nothing else. That type of thinking has never caught on with Americans, but there is an instance that closely parallels it, in the widespread popularity of the gabardine suit for summer wear. It is the ideal choice for all those days when you can’t tell, in the early morning, whether the mercury is going to reach up toward new highs or settle down in the temperate zone. Whichever happens, before the day is over, the man who is wearing a fine worsted gabardine looks perfectly dressed for the weather. Come to think of it, precisely the same is true of the summer weight felt hat, which is comfortable as a man can ask, when the temperature soars, yet gives a certain suggestion of forethought and of being “always right,” on those many days when the sun refuses to shine. All in all, a smartly practical outfit.


This is a 3 button roll lapel model with patch pocket & flaps that has cutaway front. The breast pocket is also a patch but without a flap. Note that the “sweep” effect starts dramatically after the bottom most button. This is not the only way that it is done but rather is presented as an option. Observe the almost forgotten paring off brown suit with yellow and green elements. This combination, if, done correctly, creates a summery visual effect which is visually pleasing.

GREEN, LONG THE PARIAH OF ALL COLORS AMONG MEN, REGAINS ACCEPTANCE

We don’t know why it is, but green, that is nature’s most popular color, and one that “goes with everything,” has been shied away from by men for many seasons. The green hat, for example, which has had the stamp of fashionable approval for better than eighteen months, has only recently begun to enjoy any noteworthy acceptance on the part of the average man. With the reviving importance of brown, however, green is coming back.

FATHOM BLUE IS ANOTHER WELCOME VARIANTIN THE COLOR RANGE AFFORDED BY GABARDINE

Gabardine came into fashion with a rocket-like suddenness and, at first, that meant plain tan, as that was the shade in which gabardine had long been made up for riding clothes and the other staples to which it had for a long time been confined. But then, as men of taste began to take gabardine seriously, a natural consequence of its new fashion importance was the development of smart new shades. Havana brown ‘is one and a very good one. Fathom blue is another even newer. This shade runs slightly lighter than navy but without losing any of its “trueness” of color. It makes up well in the model sketched.

THE GLEN PLAID SEEMS DESTINED TO BECOME A STAPLE OF THE SMART WARDROBE

Too much plaid, like too much mustard, gives an unpleasant effect. And for a while, during the early spring, it began to look as if the craze for Glen plaids would result in a uniformity of men’s costumes as maddeningly monotonous as convict’s stripes. That first exuberance has been toned down, somewhat, and now we find that Glen plaids, while still as smart as ever, are being used as relieving touches rather than as broad masses. In handkerchiefs, and in braces, as shown here, the Glen plaid pattern gives distinction when used against plain colorings or simple.

BROWN SHOES ARE AN IMPORTANT INTEGER IN THE SMARTNESS OF THIS OUTFIT

Don’t, whatever else you do, try to combine. Black shoes with the type of outfit sketched on the opposite page. Brown shoes, either in a very light looking wing model or with perforated tip, are much more appropriate for summer, anyway, and are imperative with the browns and greens that make up the illustrated ensemble. The new tanbark brown is particularly good.


From spring 34’

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Seersucker, so long conservative in pattern and color, has followed the vogue for color and pattern. Here is sketched the seersucker edition of the black and white hounds-tooth jacket two buttons, notch lapel and patch pockets. With it is worn plain grey seersucker slacks certainly an ideal combination for those who feel the heat. The shirt is of light weight oxford with button down collar. And the tie is in bright stripes. Brown and white sports shoes and a panama hat complete this comfortable “ensemble. Following the Continental vogue for knitted wool abbreviated bathing shorts the background figure wears them in navy blue with a small zipper pocket for change or cigarettes. Also in the Continental mode (and now an American Favorite) is the polo shirt which has been adopted for all types of sportswear. This one in wine fits into the shirtless bathing vogue since it is easily removed before swimming and just as easily donned for beach wear afterward.

Here you have basically another variation of the 2 button patch pocketed jacket like in the traveling business man illustration above. However, what makes this unique in its own right is the fact that it is of houndstooth seersucker! Yes… believe it or not they had patterns back then in all kind of weaves and fabrics. Other exotic examples seen were houndstooth, shepherd check & glen plaid in cotton corduroys. Observe, again, the style of the jacket & the manner in which its paired up with accessories not to mention the context in which it was worn. A thing about the context… that was then. These days you can easily take this thing almost anywhere on a weekend / summer afternoon where dress code asks for a tie & jacket.

HAIRY COTTON CLOTHES LESSEN THE TERRORS OF SUN AND SAND AND TOO MUCH HEAT

For those days that are hot and sticky and almost any clothes are entirely too much, a jacket or a suit out of such a cloth as this cotton seersucker in a hound’s tooth will lighten the load considerably. They’ve earned a well deserved place in the hot weather wardrobe.

FOR SOUTHERN EXPOSURES THE POLO SHIRT AIDS AND ABETS THE SUN BROWNED SKIN

Polo shirts will no doubt be with us forever, a large statement it is true, yet there is to be found no shirt similar to it that will function as well. For sports wear in warm weather these short sleeved open collar shirts in special fabrics and colors do their bit as nothing else can.

CLUB COLORS IN STRAW HAT BANDS BRIGHTEN THE PROSPECTS FOR A COLORFUL SUMMER

A jaunty-air of being well dressed and not over dressed is conveyed by a sennit hat, the warm weather sailor straw hat which in this instance carries a colored and. Club colors are very smart and the country’s best dressed men wear them. This hat has a new idea on the sweatband in which the leather extends along the bottom of the brim for a quarter inch and adds materially to the comfort of wearing.

FOR VARIETY HERE IS A WHITE GROUND SHIRT WITH BLACK AND GREY STRIPES

At the moment a shirt of grey and black stripes on a white ground has captured the fancy of the younger financial group, brokers, traders and the like. These fellows wear such a collar pinned with the gold safety pin we have lien “harping” about.

A SLEEK SILKY FABRIC—SAILCLOTH—MAKES ITS CLAIM TO SUMMER’S FAVOR

Another cotton cloth which is interesting as a suiting or odd jacketing material is sailcloth. The fine smooth texture makes up nicely and the colors are those which combine with the newest developments in color, texture and weave in the other summer fabrics. It is an ideal material for hot weather wear.


From late summer 36’

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TYPICAL OF THE MOST REGIMENTED SPORT

WE GET pretty tired of showing tennis clothes, because the more they change the more they're the same thing. Long white pants, short white pants, high white shoes, low white shoes . . . it seems a fairly feeble use of space. Anyway, here's the current version, on the slim off-chance that you don't know it. The other fellow is a little more interesting. He's wearing the new combination of tan shirt and grey suit (of which he left the matching flannel pants at home and wore white ones). His shoes are the brown crocodile leather introduced in London last summer. His hat is the pride and prejudice of The Sound and The Fury, the much discussed green pork pie. His shirt is really champagne color which is more yellow than tan, although the principle of the thing is the same. Spitalsfield tie and red carnation end the inventory of this costume.


Most noteworthy aspects in this illustration are the use of single breasted peak lapel jacket as a sport coat, pairing up of grey & yellow, white odd slacks & brown crocodile shoes.
From summer 37’

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THE AFTERNOON OF A MATCH AT DEL MONTE

CALIFORNIA'S coming-of-age as an international fashion center is an accomplished fact of sufficiently long standing to require no further comment as to the locale of this scene. Suffice it to say that the clothes worn by the well dressed here are those worn by the well dressed the world over. The seated man wears a double-breasted blue blazer type of jacket with black flat-top buttons, an item that has become so popular at southern resorts that it has been taken up for most informal summer occasions outside of town. Grey flannel slacks, light-weight wool hose, brown and white Norwegian model shoes. Blue madras soft collared shirt with large shaped spotted blue foulard bow tie. The lightweight green felt hat is the new cavalier shape from London. In the foreground, a natural gabardine suit with accessories suitable for either town or country (except for the white buckskin shoes).


Here first of all take note of the fact that the blue db jacket is not merely part of any old worsted suit but is a genuine sports article… in addition to its cut not the presence of a single button on the cuffs. With the exclusion of bow tie perhaps you can almost identically use this same ensemble… these days… as it is presented here. Note the distinctive Norwegian model shoes… this style originated at boot maker Tuckzek in London.

From spring of 37’

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THE WENCH GOES DOWN TO SEE THE SHIPS

The young man in the center is dressed in the conventional sea-going manner for sailing or yachting, wearing a double-breasted homespun tweed blazer with grey flannel trousers, white buck shoes with black rubber soles and heels, white oxford button-down-collar-attached shirt and club stripe tie. The other man. wears the uniform of those who own and sail small boats, a heavy rib crew-neck sweater with long sleeves (rolled up), cotton gabardine trousers and a white sailing cap. The rubber boots are only for dirty weather; so is the short oil silk coat. Normally a pair of canvas shoes with rope or rubber soles would be indicated. Getting back to the figure in the center, with the substitution, for the yachting cap, of a sennit straw, a coconut straw or even a lightweight felt, the outfit would be appropriate for general resort wear, as the blazer has once more appeared inside the pale of fashion.


Here it must be mentioned that the weight of these summer homespun tweeds was no more than 11oz. Usually it was observed between 9-11oz. In case you can’t tell, this db jacket has two patch pockets and the breast one is welt. You can also wear this same style of db jacket in silk / linen fabrics. This jacket can perfectly carry bi-swing pleats in the back and a half belted back as well. For a much more summery look substitute grey flannels with white ones and choose and light blue & white tie in either dotted or striped motif. You can keep the shirt white or change to a light blue color. The resulting combination will be much more “lighter” in appearance. I have discussed this phenomenon in past with much detail.

From summer of 35’

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THE COURT DRESS OF THE GOOD AMERICAN

IT MAY be different with debutante sisters and daughters, but as for the male of the American family, jubilee year or no, this is the only court .dress he knows. The players' costumes are self-explanatory. Of the two spectators shown in this scene, the younger is wearing the popular combination of single breasted linen jacket and grey flannel slacks, distinctive touches to the general effect being afforded by the light weight wool muffler of wine and white hound's tooth checks and the diamond pattern light weight wool hose. The hound's tooth muffler is a prime fashion feature at the moment. The shoes are white elk with black saddle. Jacket and trousers of brown and cream gabardine, respectively, a pleated yellow shirt with starched collar, India madras bow tie, horizontal striped wool hose, brown reversed calf shoes and a wide brim Panama hat comprise the other outfit.


This is a good depiction of two different principles involved in sporty / causal combinations… right next to each other. On your left you have a lighter jacket and darker slacks. On right you have a darker jacket with lighter slacks. Which one appeals to you more? That is a question you have to ask yourself and then try it out. This can be complicated if patterns were introduced to jackets and trousers (only one item with pattern that is). To read about this principle in detail… read the pervious post through link below.

VOL. III NO. I (Mar 07') Formal Daywear / Unique Suits

From summer 38’

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FASHION OF THE MONTH: SUMMER RESORT WEAR

IF YOU take your fashion seriously, this is your page. The subject is informal resort, week end and general vacation wear and the object is—well, frankly, how to do it up brown. You take a single breasted lightweight Palm Beach jacket in a deep hemp color with plain back and patch pockets. Don't forget the nickel buttons, either. Then you don a pair of marine blue lightweight flannel slacks. Under the jacket you will be wearing a crew neck lisle half sleeve shirt in fine blue and yellow horizontal stripes, supplemented with a colorful silk neckertie. Incidentals are the cotton breast pocket handkerchief and the regatta striped hose of lightweight wool. The foundation is provided by the brown calf and white buckskin (easy to clean) shoes with heavy soft crepe soles, and you top it all off with the Nassau coconut hat, in the style woven by the natives, with blue puggree band. The sun glasses are optional.


Observe the natural cut of the jacket… what will you get is… comfort, comfort & perhaps more comfort. Do NOT even think about getting this jacket style in padded more structured shoulders… that is defeating its very purpose. Unless, of course your physique absolutely demands it.

Pair it up the way it was worn and the ensemble is one heck of a stylistic force to deal with. You don’t need nickel buttons anymore these days. However, do, note the single button on the sleeve cuff. Here again you have lighter jacket and darker pants. It should go without saying that you need good height to use this ensemble most effectively to your advantage. If you need the visual reinforcement in the vertical direction… be sure to pick less contrasting color.

From summer of 37’

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A COLD BOTTLE AFTER A GAME OF BOWLS

THE old English pastime, bowling on the green, has been taken up at quite a number of American country clubs. Its proper chaser is a glass of beer. The two men seen here observing this amenity are both well dressed for country club or summer resort weekends. On the left, a double-breasted natural color silk suit worn with a light lisle shirt of pale yellow with a crew neck and half sleeves, together with a white silk foulard scarf, yellow 6x3 wool hose and brown reverse calf monk-front shoes. The hat is a cocoanut straw with a light blue puggaree band. The other outfit consists of a single-breasted brown homespun tweed jacket with brass buttons and patch pockets, pale yellow crash trousers, short wool hose and canvas shoes with crepe rubber soles and heels. Around the neck he sports an India madras square, an important new fashion that was first introduced at Nassau this past winter.


On the right you have basically an SB version of what is shown in a few illustrations above (with db brown jacket & tan slacks), i.e. a darker brown jacket and lighter slacks.

From summer 34’

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ESSENTIALS FOR A WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY

Before you set out for so and so’s, it is assumed that you know what sports they go in for and whether or not they dress for dinner. We wilt also assume that you will take the necessary linen without our mentioning or sketching it. With that established, here’s the prescription: a tweed or Shetland suit in a suitable country pattern, such as the brown gun club check shown here; a tan tab collared shirt, striped tie, blue sleeveless pullover, brown snap brim hat with a, black band, and brown buckskin shoes; a light weight raincoat; a white dinner jacket; a, blue Polo shirt and a pair of white flannels; bathing trunks, if they have their own beach, and perhaps a bathing suit in case they haven’t; a pair of white buckskin shoes that can double in golf and tennis; and the necessary patent leather shoes for dress-up time. Pack the whole caboodle any way you like, but remember that your luggage is part of the impression you make.


Same with all the summer flannels and checks in this article… this one is also a lightweight and is in brownish tone.

From Summer 33’

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In spite of the fact that the fashions tell us the knicker is beginning to stage a comeback, after a protracted exile from the realm of high fashion in sports attire, the overwhelming majority of the country’s well-dressed will be going around the links this summer wearing slacks. How effective their appearance can be is demonstrated here, where slacks of light colored Shetland are worn with a polo shirt of dark coloring. And, speaking of comebacks, the polo shirt is itself a case in point. It went out quickly, disappearing from the wardrobes of well dressed men at the moment when it became the iceman’s favorite garment. But the introduction of deep-toned colorings sufficed to revive it in favor and it is again a staple of the fashionable wardrobe. An interesting offshoot of the polo shirt fashion is the growing acceptance, particularly among horsemen, for the shirt with knitted mesh cloth body of good weight and woven collar and cuffs of regular shirting. This is an outer shirt.

take a good look at this sketch. The main function of this to be presented in this post is that you view the manner in which it is (or was) worn & what are the styling details that make these unique.

A QUESTION OF CUT, OR WHEN IS A SLACK NOT A SLACK?

Following the passing of the old knicker, many trousers have been sold to men under the misnomer of “slacks” that were nothing more than ordinary suit pants with side straps added. The true slack, as introduced by English golfers a few years back, follows the lines of the old peg topped trouser about 24” at the knee and 19” at the cuff. This gives the proper drape and hang. It should have lap plaits.*


*This here is very important so make sure you take a note of these measurements and how as to these trousers are different from any old suit-pants.

THE SHIRT WITH KNITTED MESH BODY AND COLLAR AND CUFFS OF REGULAR SHIRTING

The first important new note in sport shirt fashions, since the first rapid spread of the polo shirt, is the appearance of this lightweight knit shirt with harmonizing collar and cuff of plain shirting material. Created originally by one of Bond Street’s smartest haberdashers, it met with immediate favor among British sportsmen and, as a natural consequence, soon found its way to our shores. Combining the benefits of knitted fabric, so much appreciated in all active sports, with the added dressiness of a woven shirting cloth for the collar and cuffs, it has a novelty about it that is welcome.

THE OLD TIME GOLF SOCK WITH THE LEG LEFT OUT

One thing that endeared knickers to the average golfer, before their over-commonness swept them out of fashion, was the comfort of the golf sock. It formed a pleasantly practical cushion for the foot. Now that slacks are as universally adopted as knickers once were, it has been necessary to develop hose that would perform this same function. These short ribbed hose, with the ankle length cuff, are the essence of comfort. They are smart in appearance, too, featuring the same true dark colorings that are now so popular in the fashionable sport shirts that we have illustrated on the opposite page.

PLAIN BUCKSKIN SHOES OF WHITE OR BROWN RULE THE LINKS

Of course, there is nothing new in the use of white buckskin shoes of simple design for sport wear, but it is considered smart, right now, to wear them with dark clothes, for contrast, since they were for so long confined to use with white flannels and light clothing. Brown buckskin shoes have been making slow but certain inroads on the white shoe’s popularity.


From summer of 33’

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Say what you like about the linen knicker say that you never liked it or that the wrong people wore it—nevertheless you’ll have to end up by admitting that at least it was comfortable. (Don’t worry we’re not trying to revive it—we’re just trying. to. account, in retrospect, for the amazing popularity it’ enjoyed, before its Vogue suddenly petered out). And this one thing the linen knicker did do: it taught designers of golfers’ clothes a new respect for the importance of comfort as an essential ingredient of any golf fashion. That’s the secret of the success of the items pictured on this page. Men are going for these slacks with great gusto, supposedly because they are so very smart to look at, but, actually, we venture, there’s another reason for their enthusiasm. They look exactly like smart wool plaids, but they’re cotton and comfortable. So it goes with most of our golf fashions, comfort coming first and foremost, yet combined with indisputable correctness.

some two years ago I presented an illustration from summer 34’ of a gent at a tennis court in houndstooth jacket and white flannel slacks. What does that illustration and this one above have in common… You will ask?

& I will say…. That the jacket in that illustration and the pants being put on by this gent above are of cotton despite their looks. It is a remarkably cunning technique if you can find proper fabrics… which of course IS the problem. Here the heavier woolen flannels have been disbanded in favor of summery cotton flannel but the pattern has retained… making the pants not only comfortable to wear but aesthetically pleasing as well. These are of the SAME cut as the herringbone ones a few illustrations above.

THE WHITE VNDERSHIRT GIVES WAY AT LAST TO THE RISING TIDE OF COLOR

Shorts have swung back and forth, more or less without rhyme or reason, from plain to fancy and from sober to gay, but all along the line, whether shorts were quiet or loud, the undershirt has remained blandly and uncompromisingly white. Now, with the increasing vogue for color extending to every branch of the masculine wardrobe, colored undershirts are beginning to find a long delayed acceptance. They are silk or flat lisle.

Read me loud and clearly on this. Do NOT wear colored undershirts EVER underneath dress wear. Heck do not wear undershirts at all if you can but if you must then keep them white ONLY. This above was recommended for Strictly for sports wear.

BOLD POLKA DOTS ARE USED AS BAND OR AS BODY FOR UNDERSHORTS

The current revival In the fashionable importance of the polka dot pattern one of the patterns that are so old that they seem new has brought new liveliness into the patterning of under shorts. For a long time, following an overdose of wildly modernistic patterns, fashion held a heavy hand down on all design in these nether garments, confining them to plain flat colors. But now, following the breakup of solid colors brought about by the trend to checks and plaids, pattern is coming into everything. Younger men will go for the allover polka dot, while older men with prefer the dotted band style.

PRINTED COTTON SLACKS ARE A BOON TO THOSE WHO GOLF IN THE DOG DAYS

Many articles of apparel have been created for the golfer with the idea of protecting him from cold, from rain and from wind, but perhaps even more important to the keeping down of tempers and of scores is protection from discomfort occasioned by excessive heat. In the hottest days of- the summer, where the great open spaces of most golf links lend no shade or protection from the heat, the golfer will find light cotton slacks a most valuable adjunct to his game. Processes that have made it possible to produce these cotton fabrics for this purpose without fear of shrinkage have made these trousers practical.

LOCKER ROOM LIFE HAS GIVEN PASHION IMPORTANCE TO THE LOUNGE ROBE

Gone is the day when the “bathrobe” could be considered as strictly utilitarian as a towel. With the club locker room serving as a meeting place comparable to the tavern or coffee shop of other centuries, the lounge robe is almost a dress-up garment. Hence it reflects prevailing fashion trends- notably checks and plaids in washable fabrics, printed or woven.


From Summer 33’

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The Combination of white terry cloth pullover and high waisted gabardine swim trunks is smartly new

Maybe it is just a coincidence that it happened during a time of depression, but the fact remains that in the past two seasons many of the smartest men seem to have “lost their shirts” at the country’s most fashionable beaches. Doffing of the swim shirt meant, in the majority of cases, the dawning of high waisted gabardine swim trunks. When these first appeared (as a high fashion note of the 1932 Palm Beach season) many were the doubting Thomases who felt that this shirtless fashion would be only a momentary fad. But they had to eat their words before the end of last summer—and this year finds gabardine trunks a well established fashion. With them, some of the best dressed men are wearing the very smart (and gratifyingly expensive) pullover of white terry cloth. For those who frequent beaches where shiftlessness is still frowned upon (and there are many) the season offers some grand new ideas too, such as the matching of stripes in the swim shirt and beach shirt, as shown here on the left.


The reason for this picture being here is the terry cloth pull over. Its one of those things that is simple and effective but is not found in the wardrobes of most men today. Mainly, because we have other and perhaps better alternatives. Still, doesn’t hurt to know the alternatives.

IN THE SHORT SPAN OF TWO SEASONS THE HIGH WAISTED GABARDINE SWIM TRUNK HAS GONE OVER

Only a year and half ago at the beginning of the 1932 palm beach season the Hawaiian type gabardine swim trunks first gained class acceptance. Yet by the end of last summer fashion observers noted that at practically all private or exclusive beach clubs this particular trunk was by far the most popular with the younger men. And this season, at Palm Beach, gave evidence of still greater popularity to come.

A THREE PIECE BEACH ENSEMBLE IN STRIPES AND SOLID COLORS

The side striped high rise Hawaiian gabardine trunks embody the same colors as are employed for the stripings of the swim shirt and the Basque beach shirt. They may be worn either with or without the swim shirt and, in either case, the beach shirt is pulled on when the swimmer comes out of the water. In addition to the brown and canary combination sketched, other combinations noted at Palm Beach were the Guards colors, navy and scarlet, the tried and true combination of white and navy, black and canary, and beige and Yale blue. Note that the swim shirt has a liberally cut out back.

THE TERRY PULL-OVER IS ONE ITEM. THAT IS AS SMART AS IT IS INEXPENSIVE

We mention the inexpensiveness of the white terry cloth pullover not as the explanation of its fashionable acceptance but simply as an interesting fact connected with it. The kind of people who wore this simple and sensible beach garment at Palm Beach were the kind (if there are any still left) to whom “money is no object” the kind, in other words, who go for an item of apparel simply because they like it, and in spite of its Inexpensive simplicity, rather than because of it. At any rate, it was one of the outstanding notes of the Palm Beach season and seems destined for universal acceptance.

IN ADDITION TO WHITE, TERRY CLOTH PULL-OVERS ARE FEATURED IN COLORS

Browns and yellows, because of the manner in which they heighten the sun-darkened appearance of the skin, have been especially favored throughout the winter resort season for beach wear. In all probability, this coming summer season will see more and brighter color on the beaches than has been evident for a long time. Terry cloth will be seen in a myriad of shades.


From Summer 33’

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Smart Continental started us all dressing like Basque fishermen, but only for basking in the sun

The boat neck sweater with short sleeves, worn in connection with the high waisted Hawaiian swim trunks, is a fashion that has paralleled exactly the popularity of this very comfortable and good-looking trunk. This sweater has the proper marine background, as it has come from the typical fishermen’s sweater that is the favorite garment of the French sardine fishers in the Bay of Biscay and of their neighbors down the Spanish coast. Similarly inspired was the first adoption, among men of fashion, of the beach slacks of sail cloth and the espadrilles or soft canvas slippers with rope soles, as both of these items owe due responsibility to the Basque fisherman’s costume which had already, long before this, given to the world the popular Basque beret. In addition to the Fast spreading popularity of this outfit, fashion observers have noted a return to knitted trunks of a rather brief cut, with wide waist band, worn with or without the plain white top. The latter manner is not for public beaches.


This is one of the staples of summer wardrobe of most well dressed men. It is still used in summer collections by various designers. However, its rarer cousin… the collared & buttoned front horizontal striped shirt for casual wear is NEVER seen in any RTW collection. Both versions are correct for casual summer wear or even winter casual wear depending on the severity of winter. Use common sense and think thrice before wearing roped soled slippers with strings.

THE SHORT SLEEVED BOAT NECK SWEATER FOR WEAR WITH HAWAHAN SWIM TRUNKS

When the high waisted Hawaiian type swim trunks skyrocketed into fashionable popularity they brought along with them the boat necked sweater with short sleeves, a garment that can be slipped on as one comes out of the water and used for general beach wear. At lunch time, or for a quick run into some nearby resort town, the sweater serves as a fit companion to sail-cloth slacks a smart lounge costume.

SNUG FITTING KNITTED WORSTED TRUNKS WERE POPULAR AT PALM BEACH

While we wouldn’t want you to feel that we consider Palm Beach the only source of authentic fashion information for men, nevertheless it is, and probably will remain, the most reliable pre-season barometer for midseason fashions in summer wear. Long before the beach season is open for America at large, the favored few at Palm Beach are giving fashion observers a chance to see which way the wind is blowing, in terms of the national success or failure of certain beach fashions. Knitted trunks were out of the picture for a while but this season at Palm Beach they were very much “in.”

THIS SUMMER WILL SEE WIDESPREAD ACCEPTANCE FOR SAIL-CLOTH SLACKS

Beach slacks made of this most practical material, known as sail-cloth, are cut along the same lines as the accepted slacks for golf and spectator sports, except that they are roomier at the cuff. They are usually finished at the waistband, with a French front, as shown in ‘the sketch on the opposite page, similar to the closing device that is employed in French back shorts. A variant, however, that is beginning to meet with favor is the belted top slack, with a ringed belt made of the same material as the slacks themselves. The most popular color is butcher blue, but many other colors are worn.

ROPE SOLED ESPADRILLES ARE A PRACTICAL AND SMART BEACH FASHION

Rope soled slippers have been worn for generations by Spanish peasants and by the fishermen in the Bay of Biscay. Fashionable people taking “the sun cure at Biarritz” first borrowed this idea, which has since spread all over the world. Now these espadrilles, or soft canvas slippers, are a staple of the fashionable wardrobe for summer resort wear.


From summer of 36’

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THEY DRAW NO COLOR LINE IN BEACHWEAR

TIME was when the sky was the limit in color choices for men's beach clothes, but there's no limit any more. You can release whatever inhibitions you may have left, for Joseph with his coat of many colors could lose himself in the crowd today. Witness the sunburst on the left, consisting of an open front basket-weave cotton shirt in bright yellow, worn with a pair of red beach slacks. Even the shoes shout, with their yellow uppers and red soles and heels. The shirt is made with long sleeves and has three-inch side slits making it adaptable for wear either inside or outside the slacks. The latter are of mohair crash, sailcloth or Palm Beach cloth. The shoes are unlined reversed calf with rubber soles and heels. The other man's trunks, which seem subdued alongside this outfit, are of gabardine in a light fawn shade, with a silk foulard square taking the place of a belt. Terrycloth robe.


From summer of 34’

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ONCE ABOARD THE DINGHY, COMFORT RULES

You are going to get wet as a matter of course, so the only sane thing to do is dress accordingly, with the obvious advantage of looking no funnier wet than dry. This rigid specification is met by both the outfits sketched and both are recommended. One consists of just two pieces (unless you wouldn't dream of doing without underwear), a heavy, navy blue crew neck shaker with long sleeves and a pair of white duck trousers. The other rig, somewhat more imposing, consists of a pair of khaki trousers (or even shorts) into which is tucked a navy blue Polo shirt, worn with a floppy white hat with black visor and, at your option, a pair of sneakers or Jai Alai shoes. You won't be a dinghy racer worthy of the name until you have spilled a few times, so wear nothing to which salt air and water are inimical. The only exception is winter dinghy racing, when the recommended garb is a moth eaten raccoon coat of the early jazz age vintage.


Now with almost done with this section we will have a look at a miniature article from Summer of 33’ about collage influence on summer fashions… more particularly in this case; Princeton maytime parties. Read this section carefully as you will also be able to observe many of the items that later evolved and formed the American Traditional clothing (starting late 40s & early 50s)… which of course had its roots in English tradition.

Maytime house parties on Princeton Campus

Fashion notes from the annual maytime house party gala week-end at Princeton university.


Clothing: any question to the national popularity of gabardine can be conclusively quashed—its tremendous acceptance at Princeton makes its subsequent mass popularity all over the country a bankable certainty. The light tan shade is still in the lead, which is natural, since it was first to appear, with the following colors next in order of their preference: Havana brown, stone gray, and the newest (which was the only color not seen in suits odd jackets only) gray-green. The most popular model is the two button notch lapel, with fancy belted back. The gray-green odd jackets were seen in both two and three button notch lapel models. Second in importance, and of outstanding significance because of its apparent daily gain in popularity at the eastern universities, is the small black and white clear shepherd’s check in a two button notch lapel single breasted model. Some of these were seen with fancy backs. A few brown and white checks were also seen in this model. Glen Urquhart plaids are still extremely popular at Princeton, but are most often noted in a new type which is a somewhat subdued Glen. Many of these have overplaids, in fact, the smarter and better cut coats practically all featured colored over-plaids. In odd jackets, however, the opposite trend is noted the Glen becoming bolder and more pronounced. A few tweed suits, especially in brown shades. Also Shetlands in brown. Both in the two button notch lapel model. Sunday morning at chapel (attendance is compulsory) an amazing number of three button peak lapel single breasted suits were observed, a considerable number of them Being worn with double breasted waistcoats. The materials favored for this model were blue and brown neatly patterned worsteds. The double breasted suit is most important at Princeton and is unquestionably destined to spread nationally in no indefinite manner. The coats in general have wider shoulders, with a fullness across the waist. Waist- lines suggested. Vents are numerous. Cash pockets are definitely noticeable. Lovat green seems to be a suiting color with a pronounced future importance.

ODD JACKETS: Gabardine by all odds the most popular, in light tan and gray-green; brown Harris tweed, brown herringbone Shetlands, blue flannel, and white linen were seen in two or three button single breasted notch lapel models with belted or plain backs. A few Norfolk jackets seen in Harris tweed and Shetland. Small black and white hound’s tooth Shetland jackets also popular.

SLACKS: Small black and white and brown and white flannel hound’s tooth checked slacks are very popular, although the dark stone gray flannel is still in the lead. A few slacks of tan gabardine. Beige flannels surprisingly important. Some brown Shetlands. White flannel slacks worn by many. The newest note was a blue-gray flannel slack with white overplaid.

SHIRTS: The leading shirt at Princeton is an oxford with 2 3/4,” pointed collar, invariably worn pinned, in blue, white and tan, as well as in striped madras with white grounds. Second in importance is the tab collar attached shirt, seen in all types of British stripings, with blue and tan predominant. Tab collar models also seen in Glen plaids and small check effects. The button down collar attached, in solid color oxford of blue and white, is a perennial favorite, although the round collar attached shirt, worn pinned, is being taken up by Princeton men with an enthusiasm that augurs for its increasing importance next fall.

NECKWEAR: The bow tie is back with a bang-- marking the first radical model change in neckwear in the last decade. Up till now it has been confined to foulards and India madras prints, but there is indication that it is about to spread over into the other materials. As for four-in-hands, foulards are extremely popular in geometric designs, Paisleys and scrolls. Madder colorings-- -a good many white grounds. The woolen necktie is holding up remarkably well with the approach of summer, especially in white grounds with colored spaced figures. Crochet knitted ties are extremely important in cross and bias stripes as well as in solid colors. Note- worthy acceptance of the polka dot pattern in foulards, particularly in dark grounds with colored dots. Noteworthy, too, is the pronounced popularity of stripes in reps and novelty weaves.

HATS: The dominant model is the dark brown snap-brim with narrow bound edge. The influence of the snap-brim Homburg shows chiefly in the fact that this model is worn without the old pinch in the crown. The next most important model is the snap-brim Homburg, invariably in brown. In fact, hardly a single gray hat to be seen on the Princeton campus at this writing.

SHOES: ,The over-popularity of the white shoe was bound to prove a boomerang some time, since it has reigned up to this season to the virtual exclusion of all other models. Now it has given way before the black and white wing tip, which was to be seen in really amazing numbers. There were a few brown and white straight tip shoes, and the white shoe with the black saddle strap was noted in considerable numbers. A very popular shoe at Princeton, with indications that it will be much more widely taken up by smart eastern university men this fall than it is at present, is the dark reddish brown Scotch grain shoe with a perforated toe cap and heavy sole. This shoe has leather laces.

ACCESSORIES: Two important notes, the first being the remarkable popularity of silk foulard handkerchiefs, the second being the surprising degree to which the gold watch chain is climbing back to its old time importance.

FORMAL WEAR: The tailcoats had wide lapels, longish tails and were curved over the hipbone. Lapels were of dull rubbed silk. Bone buttons as numerous as the silk covered kind. The most popular dinner coat was the single breasted peak lapel model. ‘Waistcoats worn with the tailcoat were all of white pique, single breasted, three or four buttons, with the V front the most popular. The same style was worn with the dinner coat, in plain black silk or white pique. The shirts were practically all white pique, although a few plain white linen were seen. All, of course, with two stud fronts, many of which were the open front variety. High wing collars uniform with two stud fronts, many of which were the open front variety. High wing collars uniform with the tailcoats; fold collars with the dinner coat. Both in the black and the white ties the semi-butterfly shape was the most popular. No pointed ends were seen. Many silk opera hats worn. Long vamp patent leather ties were the shoe choice of the majority. When opera hats were worn, the overcoats were either a double breasted blue or a black single breasted Chesterfield.


from early summer 35’

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A CAMPUS UNIFORM FOR THE LATE SPRING

ONE of the most popular items among undergraduates today is the natural color gabardine suit. For that matter, they are by no means alone in their liking for this staple of the well dressed man's wardrobe. The outfit shown here can be worn, with equal propriety, by undergraduates and by alumni, for the late spring and early summer season. The suit is a three button notch lapel model with patch pockets and side vents. Note, also, that it has stitched edges on the lapels, collar, front and pockets. A shirt that combines very well with this suit is a grey oxford with a spaced yellow stripe in a medium pointed buttoned down collar model, worn with a bow tie of India madras in bright native colorings. The hat is the popular pork pie, the pocket handkerchief is a green silk foulard. Note that the brown suede shoes are the monk front type with a buckle instead of laces. Crepe rubber soles.


Take note of how many items here went on eventually to form the traditional American clothing style esp. post WWII era.

From summer 37’

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LOOKING PLEASANT ON COMMENCEMENT DAY

POSING for the inevitable graduation day picture, Papa looks more pleased (or perhaps relieved) than Junior over the prep-school sheepskin tucked under the latter's arm. Wait till he gets the expense account for the four long years ahead. The typical graduate's costume is a double-breasted blue jacket, white trousers, plain black shoes, white shirt and striped rep tie in boating (or school or class) colors. The man's dress is ideal for warm weather wear in town, comprising a single-breasted suit of either Palm Beach or tropical worsted, with patch pockets and plain back, worn without a waistcoat, a shirt of blue broadcloth with a white laundered stiff collar (which many men find more comfortable, because less clinging, than a soft collar), a tie of light-weight silk foulard in a check pattern, a Panama hat in natural optimo shape (usually worn with the brim up all around), and reverse calf shoes on a town last.


In here one thing I must mention is the choice of shoes. The gent on the left is wearing black shoes with blue jacket and white trousers & you will likely ask why? I thought you wear white bucks here… but actually he is pretty well turned out & keep the context of commencement day in mind, he would actually be out of place if we would have worn white bucks so black shoes are perfectly correct here. Just like I mentioned in the Newport Casino illustration above. However, I am not too sure about the footwear selection of the father. He wears buckskin shoes as you can see… black in this situation would be more appropriate using common sense but then again you will ask… where is the “twist?”

& with that we conclude the illustration section of this post. These should be more than enough for the time being.

END OF SECTION III OF THIS POST
Last edited by Etutee on Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Etutee
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Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:56 pm

START OF SECTION IV OF THIS POST

This section goes over two articles; one highlighting some of the timeless elements of style that you must be familiar with & the other over the details of lounge jacket from 1935. In the first article covering permanent fashions, you will see how many of these elements (even 70 years ago) were considered timeless as they are now. Every well dressed man’s wardrobe contain some of these items if not all.

The 2nd article in this sections cover some of the highlighting features of the lounge jacket from 1935. This should dispel some of the myths that are often present and discussed. Bear in mind that back then, all of these rtw clothes found their influence from the well dressed set… who patronized various tailoring firms in west end, London & in NY.


PERMANENT FASHIONS
In keeping up with the new fashions, don’t fail to promote those which never grow old


With each season brining its important own new articles of apparel demanding their own place in the sun, its only natural that they should tend to transfer promotional emphasis from the so called staple fashions to themselves. Yet, where there may be a; reasonable excuse for not stocking extreme high fashion in a complete range of sizes and colors, there are certain fashions which may be classified as permanent and which should always be carried in stock, and constantly replenished.

These articles of apparel, by reason of their incontestable good taste, are a permanent part of good fashion year in and year out. While they are never considered too new, yet
they never suffer from the disapprobation of being regarded as too old. Reproduced on this page is a group of fashions which come under this classification. While, they are all staple, they have nothing in common with such items such as the white broadcloth shirt, blue serge suit and other articles which lack their fashion standing. The permanent fashions presented on this page are articles of apparel without which its impossible for any store to perform a modern merchandising job. They are:

The button-down collar attached shirt — Under the name of the polo shirt, a famous metropolitan men's store has carried and sold the button-down collar shirt for more than three decades. This shirt is an authentic fashion in solid colored oxfords in such shades as blue, tan, green and white. The name "polo shirt" was derived from the fact that the garment was '"finally devised by Englishmen for wear while playing polo. American sportsmen took up the fashion and it has been worn ever since by well dressed men with sports and country clothes.

The camel’s hair polo coat—Another permanent fashion which received its impetus from the English polo playing set is the polo coat of natural colored camel’s hair. It was originally worn after the polo match and was taken up by the Newport society for wear for practically every occasion, even over evening clothes during the summer. Despite the fact that this fashion, during its career, received a healthy reception from Harlem type of dresser, it still remains in incontestable good taste because of its inherent merit, usefulness and all around good taste.

Grey flannel slacks—In England after the war, the students at Oxford made the world conscious of an unusual fashion, the famous Oxford bag & English sportsmen and country gentlemen took up this fashion, whence it spread to Princeton and Yale and, later, the American sporting set. In their exaggerated form, Oxford bags did not last. Many of their qualities, however, were too excellent to be lost and they survive, in modified version, as grey flannel slacks. These slacks are entirely appropriate for general knockabout wear with odd jackets and sports clothes in the country and must be rated an important permanent fashion.

The shepherd’s check necktie – This tie was originally worn exclusively with formal day clothes, but when a group of English sportsmen appeared at Newport for the yacht races wearing shepherd’s check ties with sports clothes, the fashion immediately gained many converts for all around wear. Various Wall Street brokers sojourning at Newport at the time noted the use of shepherd’s check ties with sports clothes and during the subsequent winter months these ties appeared on the Street worn by well-dressed brokers with their business attire. Since the shepherd's check. tie is smart when worn with practically every color and type of suit, its popularity was immediately assured and it has carried on as an important permanent fashion.

The guard’s necktie -- This tie is the blue and red striped cravat which designates that its wearer, in England, is a member of the Guard's Regiment. Therefore its use in England is restricted to members of the Guard's. When, some ten years ago, the Prince of Wales visited America, he wore the Guard's tie to the International Polo Matches Naturally in America there is no ban on the wearing of this combination of colors and, dating from the time of the Prince's visit, the Guard's necktie has climbed to remarkable popularity among well-dressed men.

The polka dot foulard —Polka dots halve been considered impeccably smart since time immemorial. Beau Brummel wore a polka dot scarf about his neck and the pattern is considered as distinctive now as it was then. Nothing can take the place of the polka dot design in the wardrobe of the well dressed man and its importance as a permanent fashion is therefore obvious.

The candy striped shirt—practically the same category as the polka dot foulard cravat is the even spaced candy striped shirt, for it has always been a fashion favorite and nothing can take its place. It lends itself to all shirt models and all collar styles and the variety of color combinations is limitless.



Next & last article in this post covers the Lounge Jacket of 35’

The Lounge Jacket of 35’

The year's outstanding fashion feature—the new single breasted lounge jacket from London


ORIGINATING in London and first reported in the Advance Fall Issue of APPAREL ARTS, is a new single breasted lounge jacket which has since gone on to reaffirm its claim to pre-eminence as the outstanding fashion feature for fall and, indeed, for the year 1935. So promising has been its progress among well dressed men in the short time since it was discussed in these pages that a current restatement of its possibilities and a complete review of its fashion characteristics is very much in order at this time. Those merchants who await only the confirmation of a new fashion idea before inaugurating an aggressive promotion in connection with it need wait no longer as far as the new single breasted lounge jacket is concerned. It has definitely arrived, it is thoroughly authenticated and—a factor that sets it apart from the rank and file—it reaches a new high in high fashions.

It is hardly to be construed as antagonistic to the promotional possibilities of this new three-button jacket that the two-button notched lapel jacket has been one or the best-selling garments for the past several seasons. In a way, this situation only sets the stage for a welcome variation on behalf of those individuals who dress up to a standard rather than down to the common denominator of mass demand.. That there is a widespread latent acceptance for the new jacket, however, cannot be doubted in the face of the definite trend toward the three-button jacket evidenced by observations at leading fashion centers throughout America, particularly with respect to university men and young business men.
Although in general the preference for the three-button jacket is most widely observed among younger men, the new model is one that can be sold to men of all ages and statures without the slightest hesitation. It is becoming to all men, affording a nonchalance that makes its wearer always appear at ease and smartly attired for the occasion. Its promotion is made especially easy by the long list of distinguishing fashion characteristics which can be marshaled forth in evidence of its status as the lounge jacket of 1935.

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One of the noteworthy specific details of the new jacket, and an earmark of the custom touch that has been incorporated in its tailoring, is the fact that the collar is actually a fraction of an inch wider than the lapel. This detail is naturally not one that proclaims its presence, as shown in the accompanying sketch illustrating that feature of the jacket, but it can readily be pointed out as a characteristic that adds to the inherent style of the garment at the same time that it serves to set it apart from ordinary clothing.

Another point about the jacket is the fact that the shoulders are natural but have a slight rise at the sleeve-head which goes- far to lend a well-tailored appearance. The jacket is a full inch longer than the ordinary single breasted lounge jacket. There is fullness in the chest and at the shoulder blades, but this characteristic is not exaggerated. The front of the coat is cut rather straight and is rounded off gracefully to a straight. bottom. The gorge is set low and there is but a small notch.

None of these characteristics, of course, are so obvious as to make the garment conspicuous by reason of its points of differentiation from the ordinary lounge jacket; but, as is the case with the collar which is slightly wider than the lapel, their presence in the tailoring of the coat counts for much in giving it an effect of distinction and good taste. These details, it may be reiterated, are not such as to result in placing the three-button jacket over the head of the man on the street. Almost any individual who wears clothes with any degree of ease will be able to wear this jacket to good effect. Indeed, it may even be said that the jacket will give an appearance of ease and nonchalance to many who have never before been able to attain that effect in their dress.

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Another interesting characteristic of the new jacket is the fact that the lapel rolls to the top button in the manner shown in the accompanying sketch. This affords a very straight line which carries a touch of the military in its effect. Furthermore, this detail is actually an asset to the short, stocky type of man in that it provides an appearance of added height. It should not be inferred from this, however, that the jacket is specifically adapted to the physique of the short man, for it is equally flattering to the tall individual, especially by reason of the effect of added breadth at the shoulders which the jacket affords.

Incidentally, it should be borne in mind that the straight line of the jacket, mentioned in connection with the characteristic high roll lapel, not only provides one of the most interesting features of the garment but sets it apart from what might be called the pseudo three-button jacket in that it emphasizes the fact that this is a true three-button coat. Certainly there is little enough chance for confusion between this model and the regulation two-button coat which is made with an extra button and buttonhole. This latter model represents only a partial variation from the ordinary two-button coat and can in no sense be regarded as fulfilling the requirements of the true three-button jacket or affording an acceptable substitute for it.

The fact that the lapel of the new jacket rolls to the top button—a feature similar to the same detail in the well known English single breasted suit with the double breasted lapel that rolls to the top button—places the jacket in the definite category of the three-button model. For those individuals who prefer the three-button model or wish to make a change to it in view of its renewed fashion significance, the alternative two-button coat with an extra button and buttonhole comes little closer to satisfying their needs than can actually be said to be the case with the regulation two-button model itself.

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Another feature of the jacket that deserves highlighting in a detail sketch is the exceptionally high cut of the armholes. The result of this feature is that when the jacket is left open it still fits perfectly and the neck is not high'. The jacket has a waistline, but it is not too definite. The back of the coat, from the waist down, has a slight spring to it which makes it stand away from the seat of the trousers. There are two eight inch side vents, with an ample overlay. The trousers are cut full, with two pleats on each side at the waistband. They are approximately twenty-three inches wide at the knee and nineteen inches wide at the bottom. While these details concerning the trousers are naturally entirely subordinate to the features of the jacket itself, they are worth keeping in mind as pertaining to the garment in terms of a complete suit. Another interesting point concerning the jacket relates to the placement of the buttons as illustrated in the adjoining sketch. The three buttons are set close together, being only three and three-quarter inches apart, with the middle button on the waist line. The exact placement of the buttons with relation to the pocket is indicated by the fact that the pocket is on a line with the bottom button.

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With reference to the pockets, these are of the regulation welt type without flaps. For country wear, however, it may be recommended that the jacket be shown with regulation pockets with flaps. An additional pocket style which is appropriate to this model is the slanting flap pocket. This latter type of pocket is generally preferred by the members of the horsey set in England and has the approbation of well dressed men of the same interests in this country.

Incidentally, a fairly close parallel can be drawn between the cut of the new jacket and the basic lines of a riding sacque, not necessarily as a matter of special moment to those interested in riding but as an illuminating comment on the fundamental lines of the new jacket. To begin with, a well constructed riding jacket is a long coat with a certain amount of spring in the back—a feature which has been pointed out in connection with the new lounge jacket. Again, a riding jacket has three buttons which are placed rather close together, and this feature, it will be noted, is possessed in common with the new lounge coat. Other points of similarity are the high set lapel, high armholes and natural shoulders which are mutual characteristics of both types of garments.

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The waistcoat is a six-button single breasted model with long points at the bottom and is particularly suited to the jacket. Those men who wear this jacket as made by a custom tailor usually prefer a short double breasted waistcoat, while others who wear this model suit in the single breasted waistcoat version often favor a small notched lapel on the collar.

This new model jacket is not only suitable in town clothes but is just as smart and practical in country clothes. For town wear, hard finished worsted and cheviots are most appropriate, although many men show a preference for this model in a Saxony finish fabric that has a definite pattern, such as a Glen Urquhart or a small shepherd's check with an overplaid. For country wear, Donegal tweeds, Shetland tweeds and cheviots are most widely favored.
This jacket had its origin in England and first came into fashion prominence during the period of the Jubilee Celebration there. It was observed in frequent numbers in the most fashionable sections of London at that time and has since continued in increasing favor. It is a model well liked by most of the famous Saville Row tailors and those Londoners and others who have their clothes made by these tailors show a marked preference for this model. Incidentally, they invariably wear it with the two top buttons fastened and the lower button left open.

The promotional possibilities of the new single breasted lounge jacket are of course considerably enhanced by virtue of its definite fashion authenticity. Both the fact of its origin in London, not to mention its enthusiastic acceptance there by a good many well dressed men, and its progress to date in this country bespeak a promising future for the jacket in those stores which are willing to emphasize it among their presentations for fall. It need scarcely be mentioned that there is more to be gained from the exploitation of the new jacket than the number of sales it brings, for it is through the presentation of new and authentic features such as this that a store wins for itself the reputation of fashion headquarters in its community.

In the promotion of the new jacket, it is suggested that special care be taken in the precise method of stressing the various characteristics which distinguish the garment from ordinary clothing. Both in advertising and in sales talks, these characteristics should be presented in their original and authentic form, for it is the sum total of these features which go to make the jacket the outstanding fashion departure that it is. In this connection, the detail sketches on this page and on page 130 can prove of service in establishing the exact nature of the jacket's details and in facilitating the transmission of this information to the customer. In the same manner, the sketches in color on page 131, showing the new model *in three of its most interesting variations, can be utilized to advantage for display purposes. These sketches, in addition to portraying the model as it appears in a complete suit, also testifies to its versatility for the widely varying occasions for which it may be worn.

Although the jacket deserves rating as a high fashion, that fact should prove no serious barrier to its sale to the average individual. As mentioned before, the jacket is flattering to men of all ages and all physiques, nor is it too extreme for exploitation among those who steer a middle course in their apparel preferences. It represents a departure from the ordinary, to be sure, but the departure is such as to be a welcome one to almost every man who possesses at least a normal degree of fashion-consciousness.


In the end, as always, remember to understand the concepts that are explained here instead of mere copying. Once you have understood them you will be able to get much more use out of these articles / posts than if you simply are reading. Considerable time have passed by since these were originally presented but the beauty of this is… that despite all of these decades you can still use a lot of this stuff. With the thorough & clear understanding of these matter you will be able to substitute articles that are relevant to your current needs. Do that, properly… & you will maximize your wardrobe to a level unimaginable before.

That is all!

END OF LAST SECTION IV OF THIS POST
Chris Rimby
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:09 am

Glorious. Thank you Etutee.
MTM
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:44 am

Incredible. Thank you so much for this gift.
yachtie
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 5:16 am

Beautifully done! What a great resource!
angelo
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 9:32 am

Etutee,
a superb post like the Your previous others. A great lesson not only for the beginners but mainly for many of us who have been sailing this kind of seas for a long time.
Thanks a lot.
Angelo
Swann
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:50 pm

Awesome post. Thank you very much Etutee.
Thomas I. Kim
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Sun Aug 05, 2007 1:09 am

Thank you for another great article.
wegimental
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Sun Aug 05, 2007 3:13 pm

Stupendous! and very practical too!. Many Thanks!
Collarmelton
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Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:01 am

Excellent, as always.
pchong
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Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:55 am

Thanks. Very informative and well writen.
luk-cha

Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:01 am

great stuff, can get any better than this :wink: a true inspiration! :!:
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