1931 Suit to Covet - Dracula.

[scotrace]

This is David Manners in the 1931 film Dracula.

Note the roll of the jacket lapels, the wonderful double-breasted waistcoat, the perfect fit.

Most interesting to me - look at the jacket length. Quite short by modern standards.

 

[LocktownDog]

Love the length of the points on that shirt collar. The jacket would be an awkward fit for my body type, I think.

 

[Guttersnipe]

The length of that jacket is interesting, it is really short! I remember debating with another lounger a while back whether there was an observable of trend of jackets being shorter in the '30s. I wish I'd had a still from this file then, this is exactly the look I was referring to -- I call the "30's high and tight" jacket cut -- there's probably some correct sartorial terminology I don't know, though.

 

[avedwards]

The jacket is short but the trousers are also very high. From what I have seen most jackets made before the 60s were at least half an inch shorter than modern ones, which makes them hang better when sitting down or having hands in pockets.

 

[Feraud]

Prior discussion on jacket length.

 

[John in Covina]

That is a swell looking suit!

 

[Chrome]

I have few short jackets, other is suit separate and the other is three piece.

Here i a picture of the separate

I found few pictures of the manufacturer of my three piece and put links to here for reference (once pics are good sized so you'll see the details). Pictures dates to 1938 and 1939

http://arjenhistoria.fi/actions/viewimage.php?id=1004333&imgres=hres
That is the three piece

Here is another nice one:
http://arjenhistoria.fi/actions/viewimage.php?id=1003250&imgres=hres

And the third one, this shows you can use striped jacket as a separate:
http://arjenhistoria.fi/actions/viewimage.php?id=1003538&imgres=hres

One point that I noticed is sleeve lengths, sleeves are much lover than we tend to see in elsewhere and so we tend to size with sleeves... which leaves jacket short(er) I have this issue with my suit. Does it bother? No, infact to me it is a feature

Military tunics (at least german) were short in that period and I think that was a stylistic and practical reason.

 

[avedwards]

I found few pictures of the manufacturer of my three piece and put links to here for reference (once pics are good sized so you'll see the details). Pictures dates to 1938 and 1939

http://arjenhistoria.fi/actions/viewimage.php?id=1004333&imgres=hres
That is the three piece

Here is another nice one:
http://arjenhistoria.fi/actions/viewimage.php?id=1003250&imgres=hres

And the third one, this shows you can use striped jacket as a separate:
http://arjenhistoria.fi/actions/viewimage.php?id=1003538&imgres=hres

The sleeves in these pictures appear to be a bit too long for the wearer. More so in the second and third where they almost come down to his knuckles.

From what I have seen I can only deduce that some (certainly not all or the majority) of people liked to have suits with extremely odd proportions. My first vintage suit (a DB pinstripe from Australia) had 26" sleeves and a 28" inside leg, which sounds like it may have been owned by a very ape-like person. By having the sleeves shortened by an inch (without cutting off any of the excess fabric of course) and the trousers lengthened by four inches it suddenly became a fairly regularly proportioned suit for someone tall.

 

[Guttersnipe]

The sleeves in these pictures appear to be a bit too long for the wearer. More so in the second and third where they almost come down to his knuckles.

From what I have seen I can only deduce that some (certainly not all or the majority) of people liked to have suits with extremely odd proportions. My first vintage suit (a DB pinstripe from Australia) had 26" sleeves and a 28" inside leg, which sounds like it may have been owned by a very ape-like person. By having the sleeves shortened by an inch (without cutting off any of the excess fabric of course) and the trousers lengthened by four inches it suddenly became a fairly regularly proportioned suit for someone tall.

I don't think it's that people liked odd proportions so much as they required those proportions. Any tailor will tell you that everyone's body is slightly different. In fact, that's whole reason made-to-measure, bespoke, and tailoring industries exist.

I do believe there was trend to proportion certain styles jackets differently in the 30s (which is apparently a controversial opinion). I've noticed a large number of vintage pieces of certain cuts seem to be styled so that jacket skirts and sleeves are very close in length. I mentioned this in the thread linked linked above too. There is actually a documented precedent for this. It is well known that the design of the M36 German Army tunic (and earlier uniforms designed by Hugo Boss) changed the ratio for sleeve length-to-skirt length so that the sleeves ended at, or slightly bellow the tunic's skirts. The purpose of this was to create an optical illusion that the soldier was taller than he actually was. I imagine the same design concept was used in civilian clothes as well.

 

[avedwards]

I don't think it's that people liked odd proportions so much as they required those proportions. Any tailor will tell you that everyone's body is slightly different. In fact, that's whole reason made-to-measure, bespoke, and tailoring industries exist.

My point was simply that a person whose arms are nearly as long as their legs must look fairly strange, or like odd proportions.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I love that suit! Great silhouette. I really want to know more about the lenght of that 1930s jacket. It doesn't seem to cover the back. I made another snapshot

 

[Chrome]

I love that suit! Great silhouette. I really want to know more about the lenght of that 1930s jacket. It doesn't seem to cover the back. I made another snapshot

I like mine too, especially when I'm driving, it doesn't get wrinkled at all and armhole is just perfect so it doesn't rise. I had my grey suit in Helsinki vintage this year so if you took any pics which I'm in you'll see one "in action".

 

[listenone]

Awesome! Maybe we can watch it in the museum.

 

[Nick D]

I'm going to take some stills of this suit and bring them to the tailor when I finally have a suit made for me (in about a year, most likely).

 

[Mario]

These images were taken from a documentary, showing the first tv interview with Albert Speer in 1936. The interviewer who is about to enter Speer's car is sporting a pretty short jacket with a half belted back. The coat of the other guy who can be seen at the far right in the second image isn't any longer. Both jackets cover approx. 2/3 of their respective wearer's buttocks.

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