Help date this suit Please

[chloe]

Can someone help me date this suit. Three piece heavy black wool with pinstripe pants. D'Andrea tag and D'Andrea on buttons. One button on jacket. Long Tails. Thanks!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Clearly, this morning coat is handmade and well-made. The hand-ticked stitching on the edges of the lapels, the elegant draping of the chest area, and the exquisitely set shoulders attest to its quality. Almost certainly the product of a high-priced Italian immigrant tailor. Very difficult to date precisely, since such tailors had rich clients whose tastes in clothing styles hardly changed from decade to decade. Still, I'll go out on a limb and say 1940s.

Chloe, have you checked any of the inside breast pockets? Chances are that the interior of one of them will have a sewn-in white label that gives the name of the tailor, the client, and perhaps the date of the jacket's manufacture.

.

 

[chloe]

Hi Marc:

This was made by D'Andrea Brothers in NY. No Date. I do have a De Pinna
Suit kinda similiar that has a tag with date and other info on it. I have other suits with no tags but I believe they are customed made...my friends liked the finer things and alot of their stuff was customed or (as I am finding out) very high end designers. My pics are not good...I stink with anything dealing with technology, camera or computer! I did take pics of a beautiful 1930's
(it has the NRA tag) that is why it's either 1930-1935 Kuppenheimer full length wool coat, but they do not do the coat justice...and I did not want to post those terrible pics. Thank you for taking the time answering my posts.
I'm just not sure where or how to start with these clothes.

I have tons of very vintage women's clothes if you know of anyone interested. Thanks again Marc Chloe

 

[Marc Chevalier]

As one seller to another, I'm happy to help out if I can.

The overcoat by Kuppenheimer was made between 1933 and 1935. Is it double breasted? Does it have a belt, or at least a half-belt in the back? Those details would get you more money. If possible, you shouldn't try to sell the coat before at least November.

 

[chloe]

I guess double breasted. No belt (back or front). It has a velvet collar.
I am going to try and post some pics. I wasn't planning on selling (once I figure out what I am doing) until the Fall. I bought some wardrobers yesterday to store all my clothes. I want to take my time and do some research. I have alot to learn for both mens and womens clothes. Thanks!

 

[chloe]

Here are some pics of the coat.

 

[chloe]

Marc:
I found the tag on the inside pocket of the D'Andrea suit. It was dated 7/26/1950. With a white tag with my friends name and is numbered. I will check all my other suits.
Thanks!!!

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Kuppenheimer is mentioned in the credits on the orginal "Twilight Zone" series as being Rod Serling's clothier.

I wonder what Rod's suit size was?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

NRA Chesterfield!!!!! I want. I want!

Beautiful.

Watch the bucks roll in, Chloe. Sell in august or september, would be my guess. Marc will know better.

bk

 

[chloe]

I have no idea what that is... the NRA I do...but what is the Chesterfield...the style. I will have to research tonight. The jacket is in perfect condition...not one little blemish anywhere. It is stunning!
Baron is that pic you? Chloe

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Well, Chesterfield is the general term for the style of jacket with the velvet collar. Not a blemish, eh? Stunning ain't the word. What shape is the velvet in? It often shatters quite badly. I have an NRA overcoat, but it's sun damaged and with some repairs. I love it anyway.

Is it me (avatar)? It is but it isn't. Online personae, and all that. It's really Ernst Deutsch, who played Baron Kurtz in The Third Man.

bk

 

[chloe]

Baron:
Thanks for the explanation. These clothes were stored in huge cedar closets and covered and protected for many years. The velvet is perfect! I will take some close ups later and send to you. I avatar love the pic...I love that style and men who can pull it off...I'm sure you look just as good!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

What size is the overcoat? If it's a big 'un you'll get a better price than if it's small ...

bk

 

[chloe]

It's big (not fat big). The gentlemen who owned it was kinda big. I don't see a size. Do I measure coats the same way as suit jackets? I have different sizes as they belonged to three different men in this family.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Marc, where can we find your items at that you are offering ? I am in the market for a few items quite soon.

Thanks for asking! I don't tend to sell stuff on eBay in the summer -- the market is too quiet from June to September.

Tomorrow evening (Tuesday, July 4), I'll be posting a lot of vintage ties for sale in the Fedora Lounge's classifieds section. If those sell well, I'll post more types of things there in the future.

.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Do I measure coats the same way as suit jackets?

Yes. You measure the chest (flat) across the front, from armpit to armpit, then double the measurement. You should also measure the waist (flat) across the front, then double it. Measure the width of the back (from shoulder seam diagonally up to the bottom center of the collar, then diagonally down to the other shoulder seam. In other words, like this: ^

Measure the length of the back of the jacket: from the top of the collar down to the bottom of the skirt. Measure the arm length, from the bottom of the sleeve (following the sleeve's seam) up to where the seam meets the shoulder; then, from there, go horizontally across the back to the back's center (vertical) seam.

Any type of overcoat, from the greatest to the most humble, sells much better after October (or even November) is over. Truth be told, most folks don't buy overcoats on eBay until the weather outside is already cold.

.

 

[chloe]

Thanks for all the advice. I am gonna try measuring tonight. See how that goes!

 

[Tomasso]

What shape is the velvet in? It often shatters quite badly.

True, BK. The velvet collars can even go bad while in storage. But it's an easy tailoring fix to switch out a new collar. My father wore the same Chesterfield for over thirty years with the aid of about a half dozen collar replacements.

 

[chloe]

Here is a close-up of the collar

 

[chloe]

Baron:

Here are measurements on the Kuppenheimer:

Waist: 26"
Shoulder: 22"
Length: 40"
Sleeve: 24"