New Vintage 3 Piece Suit: Looking for Feedback

[Whithead]

Nice

Please post some pics if you have the trousers let down...

 

[hoodledoodles]

How to research?

I have an early 60s bespoke Hector Powe with the rings and elastic braces--it is amazing fabric and really great cut. I like to research the original owners of old bespoke suits (thank goodness for tailor's labels) and the gent for whom this one was made was a rather prominent man in the City. Very little tailoring needed--interesting to think that there was someone out there with almost my exact body. I wish I could ask what ties and shirts he wore with it.....

Hi how did you research the original owner of your suits? I've tried to find out more about mine but not sure how to delve deeper.

Ta

Heather

 

[Tomasso]

Google can turn up a lot especially if you have the location of the tailor/store where the suit came from.

 

[Nick D]

I got a stroller jacket with the name of a former MP on the inside. He was fairly easy to track down.

 

[avedwards]

I got a stroller jacket with the name of a former MP on the inside. He was fairly easy to track down.

Which party was he an MP for ?

 

[hoodledoodles]

Google can turn up a lot especially if you have the location of the tailor/store where the suit came from.

I know it's Hector Powe, Regent's Street London, and made for a J. M. McQuitty and it's dated 13.12.37. The suit is quite small, 37" chest, probably a 30" waist and probably 29" inside leg about. It's a jacket with tails and high waisted trousers with the satin trim down the side and a button fly- very Marlene Dietrich style which I needed for a 1920's performance. I just needed to have the waist taken in a bit which made me wonder if perhaps Mr McQuitty was very young when he had this suit... Just so curious....

 

[TCMfan25]

Which party was he an MP for ?

Hopefully not this fool's...

 

[Oldsarge]

I'm with CptJeff. The trouser hems should have a bare break in front and come down to the tops of the heels in back. Fine looking suit, though. Now there may be a 'period' way to dress but it were me, I would let that go hang. Get yourself some bespoke or MTM shirts in a number of colors (after all, everything goes with grey), compatible socks (not black!) and some dashing ties and pocket squares to go with them. And don't for get a tropical feather for the fedora.

Forget the foggy old London look, man, you live in Hawai'i!

 

[avedwards]

Hopefully not this fool's...

Let's keep the politics off here. For the record the best British Prime Ministers (Winston Churchill, Clement Atlee, Howard Wilson) were from both our major polital parties, as were the worst (who I will not name on here).

 

[Nick D]

Which party was he an MP for ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Litchfield_(politician)

 

[avedwards]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Litchfield_(politician)

During a Parliamentary trip to NATO headquarters, Litchfield found that all the seats in the limousines were taken, and was forced to travel sitting on Harold Wilson's lap.

If only our MPs were still like that these days.

 

[yorkshirechap]

I have Doug Hayward items, a suit and two jackets, the suit was once owned by the foreign secretary of Iraq! The two jackets were both from the US, DH did a tour out there a couple of times a year.

Great three piece by the way, I'm waiting for my first one to arrive, I'll post pictures when it does.

Rob

 

[pinkplaint]

Looks good to me!

 

[Peter1951]

Looks good to me!

If you're after a bit of history on Hector Powe, they were a high end London tailors, famous for their visiting bespoke tailoring service. They were purchased by Great Universal (yes the catalogue people), who merged the company into Burberrys (who still run the visitng tailor service). It was purchsed solely so that Burberrys could have their staff, suit patterns and Hudderfield cloth weavers, which they shut a couple of years later. They did this with a few other London tailors, such as Willoughbys.

Does yours have the metal rings for the braces, rather than buttons?

Bill

Just a bit of further history Hector Powe were bought out by Hope Brothers (The Gentleman's Outfitters) in 1954, GUS took over Hope Bros during the mid 1960s. To protect themselves Hope Bros try to buy out Debenhams but failed. Perhaps the UK high street might have looked different it they had done so.

 

[Peter1951]

The Suit by way looks excellent. I started work with Hope Bros in Nottingham branch in 1967 and first management position was with them in Eastborne in 1971 just before it become a Hector Powe that year, I help with the closing of Hope Bros and was offered a position with Hector Powe, but I went to work for Just Pants (Hope Bros).

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

... but I went to work for Just Pants (Hope Bros).

That is an unfortunate name.

 

[Awesomest Guy]

I know it's Hector Powe, Regent's Street London, and made for a J. M. McQuitty and it's dated 13.12.37. The suit is quite small, 37" chest, probably a 30" waist and probably 29" inside leg about. It's a jacket with tails and high waisted trousers with the satin trim down the side and a button fly- very Marlene Dietrich style which I needed for a 1920's performance. I just needed to have the waist taken in a bit which made me wonder if perhaps Mr McQuitty was very young when he had this suit... Just so curious....

Sounds like a tailcoat and evening trousers! Black Tie Guide has a great deal of information on the topic of tailcoats and white tie, and there's a thread on this very forum where you can ask for tips, post images of the attire in question, etc.