Holy Grail of vintage suits

[thunderw21]

To my eye that type of seam adds a bit of western flair to the trousers.

I'm on my phone right now and can't really tell, but I wonder if there's a single line of stitching running down the length of the leg right next to the seam. I saw some similar 1940s trousers today with that exact feature.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Those side seams are kind of like a prelude to the 1950s two-tone 'Gene Vincent'-type slacks with the insert down the sides, do you think guys?

I'm still crazy about this stuff - more details I can torment my tailor with down the line! lol

 

[herringbonekid]

Those side seams are kind of like a prelude to the 1950s two-tone 'Gene Vincent'-type slacks with the insert down the sides, do you think guys?

exactly, there's a photo of Conrad Veidt in a suit from the mid 20s in which the trousers have a raised (or swelled) side seam, although i believe if it's the more extreme type (such as this suit)... where you can actually slide something under one edge, it's known as a 'lapped' seam.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The whole suit is screaming western swing at me, tbh, esp the beltloops and rear pocket closures.

I really love proper western trousers of this era, too.

To my eye that type of seam adds a bit of western flair to the trousers.

 

[Nick D]

The pleated sleeveheads are quirky... but they still fit well with the fantastic gathered back IMO.
... but pleats in the trouser's side seams!?

It looks like the belt is cinching them on to a small mannequin.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

onto a small man, by the looks of things …

 

[Nick D]

Quite right, for some reason (possibly not enough coffee) I was remembering the other photos wrong.

 

[flat-top]

Those side seams are kind of like a prelude to the 1950s two-tone 'Gene Vincent'-type slacks with the insert down the sides, do you think guys?

Yes. I have a few pairs of slacks like these which I always assumed were late 40's/ early 50's.

 

[Red Leader]

---Just catching up on this thread---

Asking myself these questions...

"Would I be very, very excited if I found this suit for sale?" check.

"If given the chance and the right setting, would I wear this suit?" double check.


I think if you ask yourself those questions as well and answer yes to either, we can all appreciate it for what it is - a great, rare suit someone should be extremely happy to own! I'm pretty new here and sometimes the FL can be an intimidating place to share something - either strong opinions fly or no opinions come at all, and either can be disheartening. I have quite a few things I'd like to share but perhaps I maintain some sentiment of the folks that have left.

Perhaps the 'holy grail' terminology is a bit overused. After all, there was only one anyway, right?

In any case, thanks for posting this suit. It is a great example to see, study, and appreciate. My early 1940's suits are quite a bit more conservative in nature, but I'd love to find a suit like this one day.

 

[Fastuni]

"Would I be very, very excited if I found this suit for sale?" check.

"If given the chance and the right setting, would I wear this suit?" double check.


I think if you ask yourself those questions as well and answer yes to either, we can all appreciate it for what it is - a great, rare suit someone should be extremely happy to own!

My answer to the questions would be "somewhat" and "not really" - still I would like to own it.
One can very well appreciate the fact that this is a rare suit with interesting, curious and unusual features without having to fawn over each and every detail... everyone can subjectively judge the aesthetic value of a piece of clothing or certain details. I for one simply do not like pleated side-seams or the bulky pockets...

Style is a matter of taste... and tastes unsurprisingly differ greatly.
What merit is there to a discussion of a piece of clothing if expressions of diverging taste and preferences are met with indignation?
I would find it more disheartening if (feigned) praise be heaped on each and everything. [huh]

Best Regards

 

[nice hat dude!]

+ 1 Fastuni

 

[Two Types]

sometimes the FL can be an intimidating place to share something - either strong opinions fly or no opinions come at all, and either can be disheartening. I have quite a few things I'd like to share but perhaps I maintain some sentiment of the folks that have left.

I can understand the idea that this place can be intimidating, but don't worry about it. If you are happy to wear vintage clothing (in a world of modern leisurewear) and can face the comments of the general public, you can certainly withstand any comments (positive or negative) that you might get here. Share photos of your clothes anyway. If people don't like what you like, what does it matter. I constantly post photos of rather plain mid 20th century British ties. There is seldom any comment about them. If i posted American ties from the same period I would get a much better response. However, I have no particular interest in those ties. So I stick to the ones I like. I post them because i like them and as guide to others, whether they respond or not.
Personally, I want to see the widest possible range of vintage clothing on the FL. I have pretty fixed ideas about what i like, but I am always happy to see something different and just maybe I'll change my views.
So, in conclusion, that's a rather winded way of encouraging you to post pics of your vintage clothing because someone out there is certainly going to be interested.

 

[resortes805]

single floating breast pocket!

 

[resortes805]

Style is a matter of taste... and tastes unsurprisingly differ greatly.
What merit is there to a discussion of a piece of clothing if expressions of diverging taste and preferences are met with indignation?
I would find it more disheartening if (feigned) praise be heaped on each and everything. [huh]

That wasn't the case. It wasn't about expecting praise at all.

LA has a huge vintage clothing enthusiast scene, encompassing multiple sub-niches. Most of us know each other, or at least know of each other. When we get together or encounter each other here and there, we get to do what anybody else with 'niche' tastes tend to do when they encounter each other....we geek out. We show off our latests finds, talk about the ones that got away, obsess over little details, we teach and learn from each other. The swing people may not understand why a Brown's beach vest is so valuable, but they do recognize the value, and will recognize the garment upon seeing. The Rockabilly folks may not care for high and tight 1930s beltbacks, but they know what they are and know what's up.

Our problem was thinking that the Fedora Lounge was a place for us to geek out with a global community.

We were proven wrong time and time again, and a bunch of guys just gave up after awhile (but not before turning thousands of people onto what we thought was cool.)

Los Angeles is clearly not the center of the universe, but if you look at the archives you'll see a bunch of passionate, informed, SoCal based Loungers that aint around no more.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I never said it wasn't a nice suit,I simply said I personally didn't like the chest pockets on it. If I read your reply correctly you're saying folks are leaving the site because someone else doesn't share their opinion on such items as this or whatever?

That's not quite what I'm getting at, but fairly close enough.

And as Yeti is alluding too, they have already left years ago.

Nice Hat Dude!, over the last few years, there has been a major "brain drain" from the Fedora Lounge and the "collective IQ," with regards to vintage clothing, has declined markedly (this is a subject many long-term FL members have lamented). These folks who've left the FL didn't leave because others don't share their opinion per se, they left because others don't share their passion. In other words, they felt the FL had nothing to offer them and they became bored / frustrated / indifferent about the forum.

Before these individuals left this forum, they took the time to write very informative, educational posts, share high quality, semi-professional photos of their AMAZING collections, and share their knowledge by answering others' questions. In other words, the made very valuable contributions to this forum.

When a person puts forth the effort to do these things and has to put up with behavior that often boarders on trolling -- intentionally or unintentionally -- they are bound to get fed up and stop participating.

 

[Two Types]

This discussion interests me. I am a relative newcomer to the FL and I regret the gradual reduction in numbers of well-informed US based contributors. However, when I look at the hat discussions on the FL, it seems that there remains a high level of 'hat geek' conversations and information.
Thus, my question is this: what were the differences that meant the suit (and general vintage) enthusiasts left the FL but the hat enthusiasts appear to have remained?

 

[Fastuni]

@resortes

Thanks - I think I got your point now. Unfortunate that they felt disappointed.
As a total newcomer I have not yet checked the Archives of the FL, but certainly will do so.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The archives are sadly denuded since Marc removed all his photobucket pics, and the posts from his pseudonymous accounts were deleted.

What we can say is that there are quite a number of very knowledgeable people who no longer post. For whatever reason, they have moved on. I was often unconvinced by the reasons given. Mostly, people just got bored, and that's fine. Bored with answering the same questions again and again, bored with the kind of philistinism (Anyone remember Bob, or the yoofs who ended up setting up the challenger board after the banning spree of 2007?) that often infects boards like this, bored with coming day after day to the board and not learning anything new. There were several cases of thin skin - first sign of any dissent over any issue, however trivial, off they went strewing toys left and right from the stroller.

In this particular case, I can see where resortes is coming from. Independent of your view on the relative merits of the features of the suit, I don't think it's possible to conclude that the suit above would be anything but a major star in any collector's closet, and therefore Holy Grail material. Whether you like it or not is irrelevant (I'm not particularly hooked on it myself); it is wonderful. And so rare as to be in hen's teeth territory.

 

[herringbonekid]

oh dear it's turning into that discussion again.

bottom line for anyone who is bored/frustrated of the FL and/or doesn't think it measures up to their own levels of vintage passion; the exit is in all directions.

better still, start an invite-only forum where you can vet members before they join.

 

[DamianM]

its a holly grail suit......I mean when do you see these types of suits whole?
when?