BOTH SIDES OF THE TWEED! - Show us your tweed suits, sport coats and pants

[Patrick Hall]

If anything it looks like it should have another buttonhole maybe the gorge has been altered making it higher?

But you'd see where the buttonhole was removed if that was done. Those lapels are a bit of a mystery. TT, how can you tell they haven't been narrowed?

 

[Jim C]

Thanks for your replies.

Does it fit you? What size do you usually have.

I usually go for a 42" chest as I find that 40" tend to pinch a bit under the arms, so it fits comfortably.
I can't see any signs of alteration, not that I would if it was done well I suppose
Isn't the narrowed waist more of a 40s style than 50's?

 

[Fastuni]

British tailoring didn't greatly change until ca. 1956. You could find 1930/40's style tailoring well into the early 50's.
Still I believe the handwriting on the interior pocket is the date: 1942. The style fits. Not all lapels were wide.
Possibly there was some sort of alteration done...

 

[esteban68]

That's what I mean Patrick to my eye the lapel stance looks like it should be a three button jacket but it only has two and by the looks of it two button holes too....
still a nice jacket though!

 

[Jim C]

A photo showing the back of the jacket. Does this give any more clues?

 

[Rabbit]

Am I the only one who is wondering about that neck label with "pure virgin wool" on it? That spells post-war to me, but then I haven't much experience with British off-the-rack.

Looking at the cut, the lapels and now the back vents which are not deep, I'd be inclined to say it's early 50s at the earliest, more likely mid 50s. I agree with TT that the lapels look original and unaltered.

The two-button closure with lapels that roll that much higher would be unusual for wartime and pre-WWII British jackets, I think. I wouldn't know about that detail on 50s British jackets.

Edit: I have yet to see a 40s jacket, whether American or British, sporting a perfect 50s cut. The shoulder padding looks like it has that certain rigidity of 50s jackets, although that's hard to make out on a photograph. How does the shoulder feel like? British jackets in general always tended to have more structured shoulders than their American counterparts, but the 50s took it to another level.

 

[Hal]

Am I the only one who is wondering about that neck label with "pure virgin wool" on it? That spells post-war to me, but then I haven't much experience with British off-the-rack.

Well spotted, Rabbit. And not immediately post-war, either.

 

[Fastuni]

On what grounds would a label like this indicate a more recent date?

The late 1940's Harris Tweed label already had a line "100 % pure wool"... also period German garments sometimes had a label "Reine Wolle" (pure wool).

 

[Rabbit]

I wasn't trying to make it sound definite, but if I look at the cut, the lapels, the button closure, and all the labels, then I'd say it's more likely that this is a 50s jacket with am older stock label used, assuming the lapels have not been altered.
In the case of the Harris Tweed label which does look old, the most simple scenario would be that the fabric itself is older and came with labels to be attached.

That said, we know that dating British suits is foggy at best.

Edit: If this were an American suit, I'd say that the shoulder construction (disregarding the lapels) looks like late 40s to early 50s. I just haven't seen a jacket in that cut from an earlier date, neither American nor British.
As for the virgin wool label, I haven't seen that on earlier British jackets, but as I said I haven't that much experience with British RTW. In pre-synthetic days, the label would mean that there is no reprocessed wool in it, so to put it another way, would British RTW have been available in partly reprocessed wool in 1942? The military used it, but I don't know about RTW civilian garments.

 

[herringbonekid]

looks early - mid 50s to me too.
i don't think we can conclude the numbers are a date as they're not clearly legible.

 

[esteban68]

I forgot to put these up, I found this just before I went on holiday;
British I guess, single short rear vent, slightly sloping pocket flaps,

 

[cookie]

Clapton on British Tradition http://www.cordings.co.uk/cordingstelevision/index/index/video_id/1/

 

[Dinerman]

 

[Vampyre Master]

Oh my !! where Did you get that shirt.... gorgeous collar
VM

 

[esteban68]

Here's one I found today, pretty sure it's British c1960's and probably a Barney Goodman of Sheffield (though no labels at all)

There's a couple of very minor fit issues but it's immaculate and a three piece...which is nice!

 

[Papperskatt]

Very nice fabric.

 

[Dinerman]

BeauMarc Saxony Tweed

 

[esteban68]

Lovely colours in the cloth on that one DM!

 

[Eddie Derbyshire]

Here's one I found today, pretty sure it's British c1960's and probably a Barney Goodman of Sheffield (though no labels at all)

There's a couple of very minor fit issues but it's immaculate and a three piece...which is nice!

That's absolutely lovely - I'm very jealous! Love the cloth and the cut! Well done my friend. It suits you really well too!

 

[Eddie Derbyshire]

I forgot to put these up, I found this just before I went on holiday;
British I guess, single short rear vent, slightly sloping pocket flaps,

Another great one. I have a similar one in a green nail-head Harris Tweed, the same cut, vent and all. I really like those late 1950's, early 1960's tweed jackets. They really capture the era.