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These illustrations are now available in the Guides section, sans the intervening comments. An excellent resource.
A cross-country train trip took four or five days in the 1950s. Esquire recommends the following be brought along for the train trip plus, on assumes, some time spent at your destination. In addition to the suit you wear on the train:
Seriously, that is a crazy amount of stuff to take even for say a 3 week vacation. Can you imagine the amount of luggage you'd need? Some of the list makes sense, but, all in, 16 shirts, 12 ties (really?) and 12 pairs of socks? Does this person not plan on having some laundry done along the way?
- 2 suits
- 1 sport coat
- 2 pairs of slacks
- 12 shirts
- 12 ties
- 12 pairs of socks
- 12 handkerchiefs
- 4 sport shirts
- 6 sets of underwear
- 2 pajamas
- 1 lightweight robe
- 1 pair of slippers
- 2 pairs of shoes
- 2 swim trunks
- 1 raincoat
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...but a half century back in time!
...
For the food, not at all.
Not even for an Ober, you’ll just have to find a legacy hunter´s restaurant around.
A Guide Michelin is a helpful gadget therefore...
"The Bold Look for the Dominant Male"
How not align to today's modern cultural ethos is this ad campaign?
Twitter would seize up as cancel culture went into hyperdrive and hyperventilation.
Something interesting I caught in one of the 1934 images - at the top next to the velvet dinner jacket is a pinkish pleated shirt "for town wear." Could that have been intended for black tie?? I guess morning dress is more likely (though I've only ever seen white pleated shirts with a morning coat) but seeing it next to the velvet jacket made me curious.
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Of course I know that brown suits still can be bought, but they are not part of the “power look” these days.
This illustration is so nice that it feels pre-war Esquire:
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I like these reminders that the color brown was once in fashion for suits. Of course I know that brown suits still can be bought, but they are not part of the “power look” these days. I myself have a brown suit, but it is generally only worn on rare autumn days when my trench coat is coming into play or who knows why I’m in the mood.
"Power Look," bleah. I hate that whole concept. Just wear a loincloth of animal skin if you're so set on alpha-male dominance, and may your B.M.W. blow a tiny part that costs your entire bloated yearly bonus. And yea, huzzah to brown.
I do feel like, in some of these ads, I can see the Bold Look inching toward the Ivy League cut. It's easy to forget that fashion doesn't change the morning after a new roll-out from the clothing manufacturers.