Basic personal possessions of the 1930's American male

[Seb Lucas]

Slightly off topic: In England they had more formal requirements than in America. In Australia the middle and upper classes tended to copy the English.

My Father who came from Europe is 90. He was working class. He tells me that the average man in the 1930-40's had the following.

Stuff:
A cut throat razor (kept at the barber. One or two shaves a week.)

A wrist watch

A pocket knife

A lighter

The above items were often passed on from father to son.

Clothing:

A good suit (for church and interviews)

An older "worn in" suit

An overcoat

A pair of casual trousers

A pair of bathers

4-5 shirts (mostly white/grey)

7 sets of underwear

7 socks (often hand knitted by mother)

2 ties

2-3 pairs of shoes

1 or two fedoras and a cap

Clothing was washed once a week and a shirt could be worn 2 to 3 days

It wasn't until the 1950's were well and truly underway that working people started to experiment a little with colour and nylons.

One issue that is significant I think is the high quality of some things like cotton shirts and the wool used for suits. You could get 15 years out of a suit which today would be raggedy in less than half that. You could get away with less stuff.

 

[filfoster]

In the interests of gross oversimplification, I propose the following.

1930s

The closet photo above is telling.
Our first house was built in 1934; closets obviously built for very limited wardrobe-about 2 1/2 feet deep and only four feet wide. One shelf. Good 'circumstantial evidence'?

 

[SGT Rocket]

I keep a "weekend bag" packed at all times. My criteria when setting it up was to imagine myself taking a train trip in the late 1930's - what might I need? While my project was not to try to duplicate anything in an historical sense, but to imagine myself traveling under similar conditions, it might be helpful. Here is what I ended up with:

The bag.

The contents:

Some things that might not be obvious:

That is a GREAT bag Col! What brand it is? I've been looking for something like that for quite some time!!!!
Thanks!!!!

 

[Benzadmiral]

. . . Built in cabinetry is a modern convention and contrivance. The absence of cabinetry in an older house does not necessarily imply a paucity of material possessions.

True. In older -- 18th and 19th century -- New Orleans houses, there are very few built-in closets, for an economic reason. The local tax man considered closets to be "rooms," and therefore taxable, i.e., a four-room house would be assessed a higher tax than a three-room. So people tended to build their houses without closets, and stored their "stuff" in wardrobes and cabinets.

 

[Fifty150]

I don't know about the '30's & '40's. I wasn't alive back then. But I can tell how easy it is for me travel today for business today with just a carry on.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, shave cream, deodorant, comb, & hair gel. I will wear my suit with a casual shirt. Usually a silk shirt that I can wear without a tie and go out to a nightclub in. Black suits can easily transition from work to party time. Pack a couple of clean folded dress shirts, a tie, and extra underwear. If there is a need, I'll also throw in a tank top, swim shorts, and flip flops. I'll already be wearing my shoes, hat, watch, cufflinks, and secret decoder ring.

If I don't need a suit, it is even simpler. I can go for a week with just a gym bag.

 

[Edward]

It's been years since I travelled with carry-on luggage only.... certainly pre 9/11. Since then, I've been obliged to put a bag in the hold whatever the size, for the simple reason that I typically want to shave when I'm aware overnight. I suppose I could grow a beard or use an electric "razor", but neither of those appeal (and, given how ineffectual electric razors are on me, they're not that different from each other either).

 

[Fifty150]

I bring a razor, but leave the blades at home. I simply buy blades where I'm visiting, then leave them there since i can't bring them on the plane going back home.

 

[Colonel]

That is a GREAT bag Col! What brand it is? I've been looking for something like that for quite some time!!!!
Thanks!!!!

The bag is from Duluth Trading Company and is called the "AWOL Bag". I've had it for a number of years now, and I am extremely well pleased with it. It shows the wear very gracefully. Scratches and scuffs show that it has had a good bit of use, but nothing that affects the strength or utility of it. If I lost it today, I would order another one tomorrow.

I'm confident that you will be pleased with it as well, sir.

 

[Edward]

I bring a razor, but leave the blades at home. I simply buy blades where I'm visiting, then leave them there since i can't bring them on the plane going back home.

That would be the way round it, yes... bit of a pain, though, if you're on an overnight business trip - not always convenient to go shopping for blades. That's one way flying has become tiresome. Airlines appear not to share my opinion that a plane which can be hijacked with a single razor blade deserves to be! lol