Learning Proper Construction With Vintage Clothing

[scotrace]

I am wearing the suit jacket-cum-sport jacket I bought a couple of months ago. The temperature has dropped into the 40'sF today so it is cool enough to wear a heavier garment.
This is the first piece of vintage clothing I have ever been able to turn up in my size at an affordable price (being a smaller size than I was helps). I am suddenly experiencing so many of the things I have read from Matt Deckard, Wildroot, Marc Chevalier, Tomasso and others. NOW I understand!
On the way to my office, I drove the car with the jacket buttoned and it didn't ride up. Same thing now, seated at my desk.
The sleeves move and automatically adjust - seated or standing or reaching, the amount of cuff I expect to see is displayed.
I'm guessing that a full lining is not necessarily a good thing as this is skeleton lined. A full lining that is shoddily installed will restrict the overall garment, perhaps?
And I have been complimented several times!

Modern clothing makers: Note that I feel like a million bucks in a 63 year old garment. Your offerings make me feel stilted. What are you doing wrong?

So I am applying my Fedora Lounge theoretical knowledge to actual field work. And for that I once again owe a debt of gratitude to the membership here.

 

[herringbonekid]

A full lining that is shoddily installed will restrict the overall garment, perhaps?

yes, but a full lining properly fitted won't restrict the jacket at all.

sounds like you're having an armhole epiphany.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Just wait until those trousers arrive! Then you'll be in very high waisted heaven when you sit down. None of the constriction 3" below the waistline you get with modern trousers ...

bk

 

[scotrace]

BONUS

They'll pair nicely with this jacket.

My vintage necktie selection has beefed up greatly in the last weeks too.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Excellent, Scott, though I am afraid you may be struck with an inclination to replace your entire wardrobe!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

This is how it begins! Ye'll never shop in a normal store again.

bk

 

[scotrace]

Excellent, Scott, though I am afraid you may be struck with an inclination to replace your entire wardrobe!

Alas, I am forced to!

SEVEN pairs of beautiful Brooks Brothers worsted trousers, two pairs of Bill's Khakis, and now, to my horror, three suits. Swimming in them all.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Welcome to the Vintage World Scott!!! It has been SOOO long since I have worn modern clothing ( other than work clothing) I'd forgotten how poorly fit and poorly constructed Modern is. Thanks for the reminder..:eusa_doh:

 

[Mr. Rover]

Overall, I find vintage clothes soooo much more comfortable- the only excpetion I can think of is sitting for long periods of time in a fitted waistcoat. That can be like wearing a corset.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Alas, I am forced to!

SEVEN pairs of beautiful Brooks Brothers worsted trousers, two pairs of Bill's Khakis, and now, to my horror, three suits. Swimming in them all.

And what size are these? Perhaps I could help.

 

[Senator Jack]

Sounds like you have a very expensive year ahead of you, Scotrace. You have a whole wardrobe to replace.

Matt and I talk about this all the time. If Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, etal. just carried high armhole suits we're sure that even men who don't know anything at all about vintage would automatically feel the difference. I'm wondering who's in charge over at those places and why he/she can't figure that out.

Funny, but I had the complete opposite epiphany. Since I've worn vintage since I was a teen, it was only when I started to look for new suits/jackets to fill in the gaps of my wardrobe that I realized how poorly modern suits are being cut.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Mr. Rover]

Sounds like you have a very expensive year ahead of you, Scotrace. You have a whole wardrobe to replace.

Matt and I talk about this all the time. If Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, etal. just carried high armhole suits we're sure that even men who don't know anything at all about vintage would automatically feel the difference. I'm wondering who's in charge over at those places and why he/she can't figure that out.

Funny, but I had the complete opposite epiphany. Since I've worn vintage since I was a teen, it was only when I started to look for new suits/jackets to fill in the gaps of my wardrobe that I realized how poorly modern suits are being cut.

Regards,

Senator Jack

I think that it may be a matter of the consumer not being used to high armholes in the market. If the American male consumer, Joe Regular, walks into Brooks Bros. and tries on a jacket with high cut armholes when all his life he was shown low armholes that give him more room, will he want to buy the "tight" armholes? If 90% of the market is filled with low armholes that seem more comfortable at the initial fitting, will that tiny percentage jackets with high armholes catch on?
I hope that a gradual re-introduction of high armholes will be made, such as with Thom Browne's future contribution to Brooks Bros. I know that my Uncle has redesigned his armholes of his suit jackets, but the current David Chu brand jacket's armholes aren't up to snuff yet. I've been noticing that menswear magazines have been making reference to finding jackets with higher cut armholes, so obviously the designers and a growing number of consumers are aware of it. It's just a matter of the companies actually producing them now.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

If Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, etal. just carried high armhole suits we're sure that even men who don't know anything at all about vintage would automatically feel the difference.

Ok ... but there's something else we need to do at the same time. We need to start making dress shirts with higher armholes. Why? Because wearing a low-armhole shirt under a high-armhole jacket is awfully uncomfortable. And the sad fact is that Brooks Brothers still makes its dress shirts with low armholes.

For comfort's sake, high-armhole jackets MUST be accompanied by high-armhole shirts. It's just plain common sense.


.

 

[Senator Jack]

Yes, the low armhole dress shirt, Marc. Good point. That's definitely going to preclude the high armhole jacket.


Senator Jack

 

[scotrace]

"I'm behind in my drinking..."

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Who is that suave thin urbane man? Could it be..?

 

[scotrace]

Needs All New Clothes Man???

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Looks excellent ... I like those cordovan shoes with it!

.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Scotrace, I'm in the process of capturing pics from a color home movie made at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Tons of COLOR images of everyday people wearing everyday clothes of the time. Look for the thread!

.

 

[Benny Holiday]

sounds like you're having an armhole epiphany.

Ha ha! I love it HBK! That ought to become the Lounge's official term for what happens to someone when they discover the comfort of wearing properly constructed (that is, vintage) clothing.

Looking lean and suave there, Scotrace! Great pic.