Chips "with everything"

[Houndstooth]

I was browsing recently through some of the diaries of Sir Henry Channon (known as 'Chips'), the wealthy socialite and Member of Parliament (born 1897, died 1958).

There is very little about clothes in the diaries; eg. Chips clearly favoured Savile Row with his patronage but the diaries do not divulge which firm(s).

However, the following is fun. A little while after the outbreak of World War II in 1939, he recorded the following entry on 1st June 1941:
"The big news this morning is clothes rationing. Oliver Lyttelton is only going to allow us 66 coupons per year. A suit takes 26. Luckily I have 40 or more".

40 or more! Oh well, there's a target to aim for (for me anyway!!).

Houndstooth

[Alias]

At first glance I thought he was talking about 40 or more credits, not suits.

[TVD]

There are some interesting photographs in the first edition of his diaries. He did like greatcoats and Duke of Kent DB suits a lot, and one picture depicts some traditional central European dress.

One should not forget that not exactly poor himself (he was born into a well to do Chicago family) he had married one of the richest heiresses of his generation. I would be much surprised if he had less than 40 suits, plus all the amusing bits still worn daily then (morning dress, tails etc.).

His old house, 5 Belgrave Square, was on the market a couple of years ago, and the press reported it was acquired by Oleg Deripaska, the Russian metals magnate. An estate agent contact of mine did not recall seeing the fabled dining room though, so I assume that this splendid Nymphenburg inspired folly is lost forever.

[Leonard Logsdail]

During the time of rationing in the UK new suits could only be made cuffless for the trousers and with no flaps on the jacket. Of course, the tailors being the enventive geniuses they were at the time, often found they could no longer accurately measure someone's inside leg. It always seemed to come out about 5" longer than needed "so, Sir, it appears my mistake will allow for turn-ups after-all"


I often heard tell stories of having a suit "turned". Remember that back during the war and before that fabric was very thick. To have your suit tuned required yuor tailor to completely pick the thing apart, and I mean completely. The tailor would then re-make it inside out. New suit. No tell-tale signs of wear.

Try that on a 7oz mohair!!

Leonard

[RWS]

. . . . I often heard tell stories of having a suit "turned". Remember that back during the war and before that fabric was very thick. To have your suit tuned required yuor tailor to completely pick the thing apart, and I mean completely. The tailor would then re-make it inside out. New suit. No tell-tale signs of wear. . . .

Quite amazing. I suppose that this would obviate any need to recut, but I can imagine the pressing needed!

[Anglo Saxon]

The following may be of interest:

When rationing was introduced in 1942 Hugh Dalton, President of the Board of Trade, announced a series of measures to be take effect from 1st May that year. All men’s jackets were to be single-breasted, with no more than three pockets and only three buttons at the front; buttons on the cuffs, whether of metal or leather, were banned, and so were fancy belts. Waistcoats could only have two pockets; trousers had to have nineteen-inch wide legs and elastic waistbands were forbidden. All this was accepted, but the prohibition of turn-ups caused an outcry from the tailors. Norman Longmate writes:

‘In March 1943 a nation-wide deputation begged Dalton to restore men’s trousers to their former glory and immaculately turned out M.P.s voiced in Parliament “the serious dissatisfaction the regulations were causing to business and professional men”.’

Dalton remained firm: ‘There can be,’ he said, ‘no equality of sacrifice in this war. Some must lose lives and limbs; others only the turn-ups on their trousers.’

Clothes had to be purchased with coupons and from 1st June 1941 everyone received 66 coupons to last 12 months. A man’s raincoat or overcoat was valued at 16 coupons, a coat or blazer at 13; trousers or a shirt at 8; underpants at 4; and handkerchiefs 1 or 2. As the war progressed rationing became more stringent. Whereas the first issue of coupons lasted 12 months the next issue was adjusted to 60 and had to last for 15 months. By 1945 the allowance was reduced to just 41 for a year.
In 1949, two years after the arrival of the New Look for women, clothes rationing controls were lifted for the majority of garments.

A History of Men’s Fashion.

[bengal-stripe]

I often heard tell stories of having a suit "turned". Remember that back during the war and before that fabric was very thick. To have your suit tuned required yuor tailor to completely pick the thing apart, and I mean completely. The tailor would then re-make it inside out. New suit.

That’s the thing I always wondered about.

My paternal grandfather (whom I have never met) was a tailor and he also “turned” coats (and “modernized” DB suits into SBs).

Wouldn’t you have the things that are cut into the fabric on only one side of the garment, (buttonholes, chest pocket, ticket pocket) ending up on the wrong side; i.e. your coat would button right over left and the chest pocket was on the right side.