April, 1948: Meet THE BOLD LOOK

[volatile]

THE BOLD LOOK!

Wow. That's brilliant.

Where's the suit from?

 

[Fletch]

There was also a little less striving for upper class elegance as had been the thing in the depression years. After a world war, and amidst boosterism and prosperity, elegance began to look a little precious. Masculine style had been redefined, a little more narrowly. It shows that this was a still an era of subtlety, tho, that the changes seem so subtle to our modern eyes. What was no more than "good taste" to them seems elegant to us.

Also note that the 30-something man finally begins to matter in Esquire illustrations as the 40s go on. In the 30s the styles were set by collegiates and middle-aged men. 30ish men were seen in good clothes only in the movies. The war put that generation into the driver's seat socially and economically. (And style, up to that point, always followed class.)

 

[Tony McNally]

I Think that Hollywood ( films) as a middle class domain ruled by middle and upper middle class moguls, especially during that period, sought to protect the middle class standards as they themselves saw it. As they went on to develope and promote a lower class fashion stereotype that protected middle class fashion values. The unaware middle class cinema veiwers brought this elitest message out of the theatres and into the streets, judgement at hand. And still today this message goes on as we still make presumptions about subcultural dress of that period due to the hollywood ideal of the middle class. If you asked someone today what did a 30,s 40,s gangster dress like. They would reel off a set of 1940s hollywood film stereo types and values( Which also was stil promoted in later fims to create difference). Not realising that what they were decribing was in most cases the normal American male of the period especially the late 40s. Oh well!!!

 

[Garrett]

What kinda lid in the pic?

 

[Feraud]

The current spring weather in NYC has me to thinking about the Bold Look style.

A bump for a great thread.

 

[scotrace]

Apple broke all my picture links.

 

[Fletch]

Why the nerve of those...

Had another thought: It was 1948. Women's styles had been turned upside down by THE NEW LOOK in 1947 - AIUI, cleaner, simpler, more essential, more Serious.

Now Esky would sooner have Durham-Duplexed himself ear-to-ear than own up to it, but men's and women's clothes are 2 sides of the same industry. So why not a NEW LOOK for the gents hot on the ladies' heels?

 

[thunderw21]

THE BOLD LOOK!
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/nikokoya/crop-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/nikokoya/PICT0241.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/nikokoya/PICT0242.jpg

Another take on the "Bold Look".

Note that the orphaned jacket pictured above is from the Bold Look. It has a 1949 union tag, a somewhat low button stance and therefore low gorge and a wide space between lapels. It also has strong shoulders and not a lot of shape in the waist. It's the epitome of the Bold Look.
I got this one from resortes.

 

[resortes805]

Another take on the "Bold Look".

Wow, I'm glad that jacket found a good home. I've handled a whole LOTTA blue gabardine over the past years, but the rich shade of blue and the textured herringbone-like weave made this jacket stand out as one of my favorites. I also loved the high cut armholes and super-padded shoulders too!

 

[resortes805]

What kinda lid in the pic?

It's a new hat that I got in Mexico from a company named "Tardan." They blocked it for me right there in the store! It's built like a tank. . .if I threw it, it would probably take somebody's head off!

 

[resortes805]

Where's the suit from?

A vintage Harris & Frank. It's actually a sports ensemble as the slacks are a different fabric than the jacket, although they are clearly meant to be worn together.

 

[Feraud]

I am glad to see this thread survived The Great Fedora Lounge Cinqo de Mayo Crash of '08.
This is a good read if anyone has not yet done so.

 

[Widebrim]

Gangster Rap

I Think that Hollywood ( films) as a middle class domain ruled by middle and upper middle class moguls, especially during that period, sought to protect the middle class standards as they themselves saw it. As they went on to develope and promote a lower class fashion stereotype that protected middle class fashion values. The unaware middle class cinema veiwers brought this elitest message out of the theatres and into the streets, judgement at hand. And still today this message goes on as we still make presumptions about subcultural dress of that period due to the hollywood ideal of the middle class. If you asked someone today what did a 30,s 40,s gangster dress like. They would reel off a set of 1940s hollywood film stereo types and values( Which also was stil promoted in later fims to create difference). Not realising that what they were decribing was in most cases the normal American male of the period especially the late 40s. Oh well!!!

Thank you!:eusa_clap How many times have I had someone say that I look like a gangster (note, not "gangsta'") when dressed vintage! Sometimes I counter by saying that this was the way many American men from the 40s dressed (including my non-gangster, Italian American father, thank you!). I even had a parent at the school where I teach look at me and say, "I didn't know they allowed gangsters to be teachers here (!)." Looking back in hindsight, I should have said to him, "No, but they allow ignorant people to be parents." (Ok, I wouldn't really say that.)

 

[Widebrim]

.

Let's look at this more closely. What was "bold" about this so-called Bold Look?


Answer:

-- Wider, more padded shoulders

-- Jackets with a lower, wider "v" closure

-- Bigger, fatter shirt collars with a 1/2 inch space between the collar's stitching and its edge.

-- Wider, fatter knots for ties

-- Wider, fatter stripes for ties

-- Thicker, heavier soles for dress shoes

-- Brighter colors and larger versions of classic tie patterns (dots, stripes)

-- Brighter (unusual) colors for dress socks


Esquire was in league with menswear manufacturers to get ex-servicemen (and new G.I. bill graduates) to buy lots of new businesswear clothes, instead of donning their pre-WWII duds. Remember what happened after WWI? The industry tried to sell ex-doughboys clothes that looked like military uniforms. Nobody bought them -- the vets didn't want to wear civvies that reminded them of uniforms!


Three decades later, the industry had learned from its error: it made the Bold Look very different from the relatively close-fitting WWII uniforms. The Bold Look wasn't trim and tailored: it was relatively loose-fitting and LARGE ... the stuff of corporate superheroes.


Not surprisingly, the Bold Look was a big success among ex-G.I.s.



.

Well said, Chevalier. The Bold Look was bold for the time, especially in the area of ties and shirts (and don't forget the latter in Hawaiian prints). Some of the changes were subtle to our modern eyes, but not to those of the 1940s. And the Bold Look didn't just pop out in 1948, as some posts (and the Esquire article) imply. Hawaiian print shirts and "belly warmer" ties were already gaining popularity in the early part of the decade, and lapels went super wide in late 1943. When Esquire coined the term "Bold Look," it was simply labeling a trend already in existence for a couple of years. And as another Lounger wrote, there was a trickle up movement going on towards the end of the war, sort of what we (unfortunately) now see in urban clothing.

 

[Widebrim]

End of Bold Look

The Bold Look lasted until the mid/late 1950s, when the Italian "Continental Suit" style began to take over.


And what, you may ask, do continental suits look like? See "Mad Men" for examples.

Vintage Bold Look suits are all over eBay.

.

Technically, the Bold Look came under attack with the Mr. T look of 1951, but was phased out by about 1954, if you look at period photographs, films, TV programs.

 

[YETI]

My favorite period films that sported the BOLD look...

Tucker, The 2 Jakes, Devil in a Blue Dress

 

[Widebrim]

Bold Look in Films

Tucker, The 2 Jakes, Devil in a Blue Dress

Tucker is a good example. The 2 Jakes I have only seen 10 minutes of, so I'll take your word for it. Haven't seen last film. Some Bold Look can also be seen in The Man Who Wasn't There, L.A. Confidential and the first half of Hollywoodland. Old films which contain examples of the Look include Criss Cross and Kiss of Death (early Bold Look, with Widmark in the latter wearing a hat...the size of a lampshade.), Where the Sidewalk Ends, Gun Crazy (although not John Dahl) and Borderline. You can see the Look as it was starting to be phased out, in Kansas City Confidential and Suddenly.

 

[scotrace]

(Question: Why does the word "the" always appear red on this thread?)

?? It doesn't for me.

Original images re-linked.

 

[Rittmeister]

One of the best dressed gangsters, Benny Siegel (center). He looks more like a businessman here.

 

[Mr_Misanthropy]

Thanks for fixing those images, Scotrace! This is a great thread.