Bib overalls and suit jackets

[tonyb]

There are some great photos of my great great grandfather standing beside a corn field in a pair of overalls and a jacket. He made is living by distilling the product of the corn that was growing behind him and it is one of my favorite photographs in the world. I think it is at my parents, I will have to dig it up, scan it in, and post it here some time soon.

Yes, please do.

 

[tonyb]

... The overalls need to be worn with a shirt always always buttoned at the collar, otherwise it doesn't look right.

I'm not quite as absolute on this point as you are, but I'm in basic agreement. Indeed, it's an observation I was about the make myself: It generally does look "more right" with the shirt buttoned at the collar.

 

[Big Man]

Like this?

I recall well (and not too many years ago) you would see a number of older gentlemen dressed as such. We had a man who attended our church that always wore (clean) bib overalls, a white shirt, black tie, and a suit jacket every Sunday.

It's only been in the last 20 years or so that seeing a man dressed this way has become a real rarity.

 

[Lefty]

^Now, that's how it's done. :eusa_clap

It's also interesting to see it with a "regular" tie.

 

[vintage68]

I'm thinking the tie doesn't look right. Just a plain white shirt, buttoned to the neck is the way to go.

Now maybe a bowtie would work.....hmnnnn......?

 

[laotou]

I figure ones choice of shirt and neck wear depends on the function one is attending. For taking hogs to market a buttoned up white shirt is fine, for Sunday-go -to meet'n a black tie, for a barn dance a tie with a bit of panache,(there may be lady folk present) for a moonshine tasting or impromptu coon hunt with the boys a 3 button Henley and neck scarf is fine. I like to match my neck scarf to my pocket hanky but that,s just me.

 

[vintage68]

I'm willing to make an exception for the three button Henley

 

[Big Man]

When I was a boy, Mr. John Parks lived across the road from my grandmother's house. Mr. Parks was probably in his late 80's at the time (he was a Spanish War vet). I recall Mr. Parks sitting with his wife on his front porch almost every afternoon. He always (well, in my memory he always) had on a pair of old bib overalls, a white shirt (no tie), and a white suit jacket with black stripes - and a pair of white, high-top tennis shoes.

Of all the things I remember about Mr. Parks, that striped jacket and white tennis shoes stick in my memory the most.

 

[James71]

from downunder

Must be an American thing. I dont recall that look from any of my family pics.

 

[Maguire]

Since what people wore for work was essentially old worn out suits or odd jackets, this wasn't really an affected look but just putting on whatever rags that would make you more comfortable/warmer/etc. The reason this look doesn't exist now is because there is a huge supply of cheap, replaceable, durable clothes, that most people don't see a reason to wear an old torn sports jacket to work when they've got some windbreaker or jumper for under 10 dollars. In ireland the old farmers always wear their button up shirts, vests and an odd jacket with wellie boots and work trousers, but obviously no one accuses them of over dressing. They're just used to sports jackets since its what they wore all the time. If they were going into town of course, they'd put on their better suit/clean clothes. Finally, let's keep in mind that alot of clothes, especially in rural areas was home sewn and such. The wife wasn't going to sew 5 different styles of jackets and pants or whatnot so he could better coordinate his clothes while spreading slurry!

 

[vintage68]

Hey Big Man,

I dig the old timey color of your photograph in this thread. How did you get that look, Photoshop?

 

[Big Man]

Hey Big Man,

I dig the old timey color of your photograph in this thread. How did you get that look, Photoshop?

Thanks. It's from the photo editing tool on PhotoWorks.com's website.

 

[carouselvic]

On the farm, the overalls you worked in were not the overalls you wore to town, except at harvest, when taking grain to the elevator or going for repairs. If you were going into town to do your trading, you would wear your best overalls. As you wore your old ones out, your going-to-town overalls became your work overalls and a new pair became your going-to-town overalls.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

We left Decatur AL in October 1994, and before we left we took a last trip to Smoky Mountain National Park. We hiked up Abram's falls. If memory serves, the hike starts level for about 200 yards, then is up a hill, down the other side three times and at the bottom of the last hill is the falls. We (wife, 6 year old son, 4 year old daughter) were hiking at the same time as another family, man, wife, child, and spouse of child. The man was at least 70 as was his wife, the kids were in their late 40's early 50's and OUT OF SHAPE. They old boy was wearing starched bib overalls (still dark blue), a crisply starched white dress shirt and tie, black wing tips, and a navy blue blazer. I think he was wearing a baseball cap. He also chain smoking GPC brown pack (not the light ones) the whole way there. His wife was keeping up pretty well, (wearing a dress and sensible shoes). His kids weren't. I've never seen that ensemble before.

Later

 

[1961MJS]

On the farm, the overalls you worked in were not the overalls you wore to town, except at harvest, when taking grain to the elevator or going for repairs. If you were going into town to do your trading, you would wear your best overalls. As you wore your old ones out, your going-to-town overalls became your work overalls and a new pair became your going-to-town overalls.

Hi

Dad, born in 1919, says the same thing. He got two new pair of overalls at the start of every school year. They started several inches too long, and while he grew, they shrunk and faded.

Later

 

[Big Man]

Hi

We left Decatur AL in October 1994, and before we left we took a last trip to Smoky Mountain National Park. We hiked up Abram's falls. If memory serves, the hike starts level for about 200 yards, then is up a hill, down the other side three times and at the bottom of the last hill is the falls. We (wife, 6 year old son, 4 year old daughter) were hiking at the same time as another family, man, wife, child, and spouse of child. The man was at least 70 as was his wife, the kids were in their late 40's early 50's and OUT OF SHAPE. They old boy was wearing starched bib overalls (still dark blue), a crisply starched white dress shirt and tie, black wing tips, and a navy blue blazer. I think he was wearing a baseball cap. He also chain smoking GPC brown pack (not the light ones) the whole way there. His wife was keeping up pretty well, (wearing a dress and sensible shoes). His kids weren't. I've never seen that ensemble before.

Later

You must have been on the Tennessee side of the Park.

 

[1961MJS]

You must have been on the Tennessee side of the Park.

Yep, we were, but that's not when we heard Dueling banjos... We had driven up by the river that they filmed Deliverance on.

fftopic:

To quote Jeff Foxworthy on the Olympic Kayaking event held there: "If Ned Beatty can't get down that river in one piece what chance to they think some French guy in tight bicycle shorts has?"

Later

 

[vintage68]

Saw a preview for the movie Get Low with Robert Duvall coming out at the end of July. Looks like several characters in the movie wear this look.

 

[Chainsaw]

Even on the farm, I don't believe any of us wore anything Denim, no offense intended. If a women tried to sew denim on her machine, she would probably break the needle, and seriously ruin the machine.

When I was growing up, we weren't allowed to wear jeans or anything even close, rules of the school.

The closest fabric we wore to jeans was corduroy. Nowadays, I see the practicality of the "bibs" for work.

 

[1961MJS]

...
When I was growing up, we weren't allowed to wear jeans or anything even close, rules of the school.

The closest fabric we wore to jeans was corduroy. Nowadays, I see the practicality of the "bibs" for work.

Hi, when I started grade school those were the rules. Boys had to wear pants, no jeans, girls had to wear dresses, but they could wear tights under the dress during the winter. We played outside every recess unless it was raining really hard. By 4th or 5th grade, even the girls could wear jeans. By my sign on, born in 1961.

later