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  1. B

    Basic questions about laundering old clothes

    So now that all that is pretty much settled :), which soap should I buy? Just Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo?
  2. B

    Basic questions about laundering old clothes

    Well to be clear the only WWII items I’m considering hand washing are shirts and trousers, never jackets and the like.
  3. B

    Basic questions about laundering old clothes

    Thanks all! I was really hesitant to go the dry cleaning route because of reasons mentioned here, plus cost and time. One pair of 30s trousers I had saw the buttons completely melt off and the dry cleaner replace them with some new ones thinking it was no big deal. Yeah, great times. So a cold...
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    Basic questions about laundering old clothes

    Hey all! I have a progressively larger and larger bag of dirty vintage (basically just old trousers from the 30s through 50s) that I’ve been waiting to take to a dry cleaner. But the more I think about it, and read bits here and there, the more I think I should be washing my vintage myself. Two...
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    What does ‘P’ designate in a suit measurement?

    Well, I think the portly comment was spot on- this was one portly airman! Going right back :).
  7. B

    Are these 1935 NRA military pants worth much?

    A friend told me the NRA Cotton Garment Authority tag makes them valuable. They’re practically NOS, save for a few moth holes. Thoughts?
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    What does ‘P’ designate in a suit measurement?

    Oh I know, I’m just curious. I don’t think it’s petite for at least two reasons: 1. “Small” would already be covered by the chest and length designations. Along what other axis would it be petite? 2. I have a hard time believing men’s clothing in virtually *any* older era would use a soft and...
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    What does ‘P’ designate in a suit measurement?

    I’m looking at a late-40s era Ike jacket and the size is listed as a “39 PR”. Never seen the P before. Does it stand for portly? That’s what someone on usmilitaria suggested. No clue. Thanks!
  10. B

    Question about vintage… odor

    So this is a strange one! I’ve been collecting militaria for about three months now and something weird has been observed… I can deal with the expected odor of just old/in storage/naphthalene. What’s been baffling to me has been the BO. First of all I’m just surprised that it would last this...
  11. B

    A question about high-waisted trousers

    Well just wanted to revisit this all this thread again as I have some great news! I wore, to a dance tonight, some OD World War II will trousers I bought for a civilian look over the C’s they are quite wide and had a greatWell just wanted to revisit this old-ish thread as I have some great news...
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    Shoe heel rubber- split vs. full?

    Sort of an esoteric question, but I’m wanting to put more grip on a pair of my shoes’ heels for dancing (fronts of soles are gas, heels are brakes :)) and I wanted to know if you could opine on getting a split heel (front leather, rear rubber) vs just all rubber. I’m really wondering if, like...
  14. B

    Help educate me in leather soles?

    Just an update (also, @GHT, they are certainly just plain dress shoes, not dancers.): I wore them out to a full night of dancing on a regular floor, and they now look identical to my J&Ms (see pic)! It was just that thin, top closed leather layer that had to wear off to expose the regular...
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    Vintage men’s shopping in Pittsburgh?

    Hey all! A family member has recently really gotten into 1940s vintage (I wonder who convinced him!) and lives in Pittsburgh. Any stores that are worth sending him to? Thanks!
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    Button braces– any trick for raising them in the front?

    I’ve noticed, and perhaps this is just physics and is unavoidable, that every time I wear braces the pant line will rise toward the back (in other words the braces are pulling up more in the back than the front.) However, I’ve also always noticed that if I grab the front manually and lift it to...
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    Help educate me in leather soles?

    Yeah I actually last night read up on this. Thanks so much for the input. Cool to learn, and I'm glad these are good! Now I just need to solve one last issue with these: the openings are a bit higher than my other dress shoes, so on just my left foot, the left side of my ankle bone is getting...
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    Help educate me in leather soles?

    Well this was quite interesting and unexpected! I took both pairs of shoes (Johnston and Murphy and these) to my local extremely knowledgeable and highly-rated cobbler to weigh in. Did not expect this: he said that the Meermins were of far superior quality to the Johnston and Murphys and that...
  20. B

    Help educate me in leather soles?

    You have assisted greatly! The only place where they seem to have really failed me then is in the treating of the leather. If you look at the link above to their website, you will see that the sole (on there) appears completely finished/lacquered/tanned/I don’t know what you would call it (it’s...
  21. B

    Help educate me in leather soles?

    @Blackadder I’d be honestly shocked if it were anything but the quality of the shoes. Here are my other, beloved, J&M’s after about six months of dancing, walking about, etc...
  22. B

    Help educate me in leather soles?

    No this is exactly what I was looking to hear, and bonded leather sounds exactly like what this resembles. It is fibrous. This manufacturer basically has carved a niche as a very entry-level all leather purveyor but I’m beginning to really suspect things. If you have a look at the page for the...
  23. B

    Help educate me in leather soles?

    Hi all! I recently purchased my first pair of Meermins in my new pursuit of leather soles whenever possible (for dance) and also because they are one of the only mfrs with leather soles who make patent leather shoes... and they’re affordable as entry-level leather-soled options. Well, after...

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