I need a vintage makeover

[Atomic Glee]

Alright, folks. It's official - the vintage style bug has bitten me. Thought it was just going to stay a hat thing, but there's no fighting it any more. Thing is, I've never been what you'd call a sharp dresser. I don't know what it is, but I always get the feeling that there's something off about my clothes. Can y'all help me get a vintage makeover? I've searched the forums, but I'm having trouble getting my head around the whole experience.

For background - I'm an IT guy at an upscale European car dealership, so I'm often out and about during the day at the various department buildings - and this is Texas, so it can get warm. The attire is casual, but nice. Shirts tucked in, no crazy stuff. Usually this time of year in the heat, I wear a polo shirt and khakis. I have recently started attempting to wear my pants at a more vintage level, higher up on me. For reference, here's a shot of me from this weekend in a more casual Hawaiian shirt with the same khakis from work. These are a brand from Kohl's that sit at around my navel, in a 42 waist/30 leg size.

As you might be thinking, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to this "style" thing. One thing that's always bothered me are my pants - when I see photos of myself, I always think the pants look wrong. Too big, maybe? Is this a "modern" cut problem? The legs look all wrong. I'm not a small guy (6' 3", about 250 pounds and trying to lose it), but my legs aren't THAT big!

I defer to the great folks of the FL - what am I doing wrong (be honest!)? What could I do? I'm just getting started in vintage, and I'm very eager to get going and shed my modern wardrobe. Please help this clueless newbie.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Well let's see... first off the khakis are fine for now until you get what you think of as a more refined style... I started out in Khakis myself until i found good wearing dress trousers that I could compliment with other attire.

For starters just go for some dress shirts and ties to go with the khakis. White an ecru are pretty cool. Long sleave always if you are going for a 30's 40's look, just roll up the sleaves f you get hot!

Also for my style sense i like all cotton dress shirts, the kind that can wrinkle. I go to the Nordstrom Rack and get the Hart Schaffner Marx or Nordstrom purple label shirts... they have a good collar to them reminiscent of those worn in the 40's.

You can hit up vintage clothing stores for 40's ties which shouldn't be hard to find. For a jacket i suggest starting out with something grey... It will go with khakis like a blue blazer, though i think buying a low end grey suit to start off the wardrobe is a good investment until you get sone vintage under your belt.

Pick out some actors and movies you like from the era and I'll have a better idea of what styles you like.

Buy some eather soled dress shoes... Allen Edmond's and Alden's are the more comfortable breeds on the US market.

 

[MudInYerEye]

Matt's got the right idea. Vintage ties are a great place to start. REALLY easy to find inexpensively at thrift/vintage stores, flea markets, and of course eBay. Check out WWII IMPRESSIONS for some good authentically vintage-patterned khakis.
A quite easy-to-assemble casual vintage look is a pair of vintage-style khakis (with garrison belt), a snug t-shirt with wide stripes, Keds, and a newsboy cap.

 

[Atomic Glee]

Thanks for the help, Matt - from what I've seen, your look is just awesome. I wish I could look half as stylish as you do!

Well let's see... first off the khakis are fine for now until you get what you think of as a more refined style... I started out in Khakis myself until i found good wearing dress trousers that I could compliment with other attire.

Yeah, I like khakis - am I wrong about the fit of mine? I suppose the tapered legs are wrong for a vintage look, but the prospect of dropping $100 on a set of Bill's Khakis for a better fit makes me shiver (though I'm sure they are great quality).

For starters just go for some dress shirts and ties to go with the khakis. White an ecru are pretty cool. Long sleave always if you are going for a 30's 40's look, just roll up the sleaves f you get hot!

That's what I've been thinking, and I do have some decent dress shirts, but I'm afraid of the "puffy shirt" look of modern cuts. Guess I'll have to run through my wardrobe and see what I've got.

Also for my style sense i like all cotton dress shirts, the kind that can wrinkle. I go to the Nordstrom Rack and get the Hart Schaffner Marx or Nordstrom purple label shirts... they have a good collar to them reminiscent of those worn in the 40's.

Thanks for the tip. You find the wrinkle-able stuff to be more "correct," right?

You can hit up vintage clothing stores for 40's ties which shouldn't be hard to find. For a jacket i suggest starting out with something grey... It will go with khakis like a blue blazer, though i think buying a low end grey suit to start off the wardrobe is a good investment until you get sone vintage under your belt.

I would love to find some '40s ties. I much prefer the look over the fifty-foot long modern ones. I've got a pretty nice navy blazer, though of course it's modern with the biggie-sized arm holes. Guess it'll do for now - I don't want to break the bank completely yet.

Pick out some actors and movies you like from the era and I'll have a better idea of what styles you like.

I'm working through that - been slowly but surely amassing some golden era DVDs.

Thanks for all the help - I need it.

 

[Atomic Glee]

Matt's got the right idea. Vintage ties are a great place to start. REALLY easy to find at thrift store, flea markets, and of course eBay. Check out WWII IMPRESSIONS for some good authentically vintage-patterned khakis.
An easy-to-assemble casual vintage look is a pair of vintage-style khakis (with garrison belt), a snug t-shirt with wide stripes, Keds, and a newsboy cap.

Thanks for the tips! I've been eyeing the stuff at WWII Impressions, as I've always dug the look of WWII khakis. Just started scouring eBay for '40s ties - need to find some good area thrift stores.

 

[matei]

I caught the same bug about 2 years ago... Once you get hold of a well-made article of vintage clothing, there is no going back!

The ties are probably the easiest to start with, there are usually a few on everyone's fave auction site every day.

As Matt suggested, watching classic films is invaluable for seeing how the clothing was worn. It is also a fun way to pass the time!

 

[clevispin]

Forget the Khakis

Forget the khakis - the drape of the cotton & the cut of the modern trousers are way too "service" looking. What the milkman would wear. Go with a tropical weight wool gabardine. A nice pair will run you about $70 & up. They'll hold the crease & shake the wrinkles 100x better than cotton. You can get them in any color. Also, they DO NOT itch! They are also fairly airy in a tropical weight. As much as I like cotton, the gabs are more comfy.

Most importantly, the look will be spot-on. Vintage and/or classy & contemporary. You'll not be mistaken for a poser while in gabardine.

m

 

[clevispin]

40

Gabardine britches - can't vouch for anybody in particular. Maybe Nordstroms or another higher end dept. store. Hang em up at the end of the day and make em last a week. One more unsolicited tip - buy a 3-button coat with a rolled lapel and show a solid inch of cuff with the arms down. Wear shoes with leather soles. All very doable and it will get you in the mood for further development of your style.

m

 

[Atomic Glee]

Gabardine britches - can't vouch for anybody in particular. Maybe Nordstroms or another higher end dept. store. Hang em up at the end of the day and make em last a week. One more unsolicited tip - buy a 3-button coat with a rolled lapel and show a solid inch of cuff with the arms down. Wear shoes with leather soles. All very doable and it will get you in the mood for further development of your style.

m

Thanks for the tips - the gabardines sound intriguing.

 

[clevispin]

Kevin,

Checked your links - Hughes & Steph - You got good taste. Lucky man.

m

 

[Atomic Glee]

Kevin,

Checked your links - Hughes & Steph - You got good taste. Lucky man.

m

Thanks - she doesn't appear that way in the pic, but Steph is a beginning vintage nut as well. I've been trying to get her to visit this place.

 

[MudInYerEye]

Forget the khakis - the drape of the cotton & the cut of the modern trousers are way too "service" looking. What the milkman would wear. Go with a tropical weight wool gabardine. A nice pair will run you about $70 & up. They'll hold the crease & shake the wrinkles 100x better than cotton. You can get them in any color. Also, they DO NOT itch! They are also fairly airy in a tropical weight. As much as I like cotton, the gabs are more comfy.

Most importantly, the look will be spot-on. Vintage and/or classy & contemporary. You'll not be mistaken for a poser while in gabardine.

m

The resason I suggested WWII Impressions khakis is becuse they are made from both a cotton-weight and pattern nearly identical to what would be found not only on Army khakis of the 30's and 40's, but also on civvie chinos of the same period. I agree that gabardine is a wonderful fabric, but the pants you will find at department store like Nordstrom's and even specialty stores like Brooks Brothers will NOT even closely resemble the pants of the 40's both in material and pattern (as they were not intended to be). For closely quality made gab pants, try contacting a shop that specializes in reproducing clothes of the past. D.L. Cerney in NYC make a killer rayon gab trouser.
And remember, old-time milkmen looked very cool.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

And remember, old-time milkmen looked very cool.

Heck, at one time gas pump jockeys looked cool! I wish I had a way to get screen caps from VHS tape, but I have an old Sinclair training film that shows how a gas station owner (in his uniform and military-style cap!) could increase his business by speaking at the local social clubs and handing out cans of all-purpose oil.

It was funny, but also a bit sad to see how service used to be and how it isn't any more.

 

[clevispin]

I think your're right about these better cotton fabrics available - the blousier cuts available etc. And I agree too about the milkman looking pretty cool. But when the milkman came home he changed into something a little more refined and took his wife to the picture show.

I think its all in the drape of the gab. Judging by old photographs, back in the day even the common man was wearing wool trousers with a deadly crease in them. Cotton was available but not appropriate for dressing-up. There is no comparison between cotton & wool. The cotton will break whereas the gabardine will flow. Certainly a lot of the detailing seen 50 yr ago is not found today but one can still find long rise cuts in the department stores. And I personally could not handle the weight of the old wool fabrics - too warm for me.

I think the "spirit" of vintage is in the modern gabardine and the modern stuff is way comfortable. I still think its a good jumping off place.

m

 

[Atomic Glee]

Based on all the help I've gotten, I'm slowly but surely improving - forgive the semi-lame photo.

 

[clevispin]

That's actually pretty good. I've seen many photos of my grandfather from the mid 40s thru mid 50s dressed the same way at company picnics ( A&P, Willys, Champion Sparkplug). The tie pattern & length are spot on.

m

 

[Matt Deckard]

Looks much much better to me!

 

[Legal Concepts]

Looks much much better to me!

Psssf! all he did was put on a tie and tucked his shirt in. :eusa_doh: lol JK!!

BTW that hat looks SHARP!!

 

[Atomic Glee]

Psssf! all he did was put on a tie and tucked his shirt in. :eusa_doh: lol JK!!

BTW that hat looks SHARP!!

Thanks! It is but a humble Akubra Federation. Last night, I decided to refine the bash I'd put in it, and now I've managed to put a good teardrop crown on it. Not really going for an Indy look, so it's OK by me. Just want to refine the brim a little more, but I'm not sure of what I want to do with that part. Pics to follow, then perhaps I can get som suggestions.

 

[fortworthgal]

Hey, lookin good, Kevin!

I've pretty much decided to go "all vintage, all the time" now too. I figure since I've definitely got the bug, and I'm in need of new clothes for the office anyway, the time is right. We'll see how it goes! lol Anyway, I can recommend a couple of decent thrift stores here in town, and there is always Bon Ton out in Forreston (near Waxahachie).