Personal Advice - Orphan suit coat

[clevispin]

Wore a new suit twice - the last time encountering an errant nail head on a rocking chair and tearing the trousers. So, would the suit jacket qualify as a sport coat? Its a ventless two-button in what I imagine is kinda an air force blue. Lighter weight/drape. I'd appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks. m

 

[Tomasso]

A photo would help.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Without seeing the item, the immediate problem I have is the material that the suit jacket is made from. Then the cut of the jacket. If you already have pants that you feel would go please post photos of both jacket and pants together.

 

[cptjeff]

Find a reweaver. Expensive, but they can probably fix the tear.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

There are lots of ways to fix a tear; the more invisible, the more costly.

Barring this, if the suit jacket is plain "Air Force blue," you could pop-on some brass buttons and use it as a blazer.

That is the best I can suggest, based on the limited information you have given us.

We need to see some pics to help you further.

 

[skyvue]

I've been thinking about posting on this topic myself of late.

Can anyone provide some general guidelines regarding what would allow a suit jacket without its accompanying trousers to serve as a blazer/sportscoat, and what would render it, er, unsuitable to that usage?

There are so many orphaned suit jackets out there.

 

[filfoster]

SOS SOS SOS

Skyvue wrote: Can anyone provide some general guidelines regarding what would allow a suit jacket without its accompanying trousers to serve as a blazer/sportscoat, and what would render it, er, unsuitable to that usage?

There are so many orphaned suit jackets out there.

And many more orphaned vintage suit coats for sale on vintage websites and eBay. I wish someone who had some ideas about this would post. I see things called 'combo suits' advertised on this vintage site: www.rustyzipper.com , for example.

Beyond putting leather covered or brass buttons on a solid color jacket now, what was done in the "Golden Age"? Did anyone wear anything, when suitless, except a boating jacket (not likely here) or Norfolk jacket?

 

[Forgotten Man]

Oh gentlemen, this is an easy one!

A blue suit coat can be a sports coat by merely paring it with a pair of cream gabardine pants. Even cream, tan, light grey khaki would work. Never black, never dark colors with a medium color such as air force blue.

One can often see cream trousers being worn in most 30s movies wile on ocean liners or while at a fancy country club or resort. It was a popular trend in Hollywood!

Mr. Bing Crosby circa 1930:

A Maxwell House Coffee advertisement from the mid 30s:

 

[filfoster]

Fits and starts

Oh gentlemen, this is an easy one!

A blue suit coat can be a sports coat by merely paring it with a pair of cream gabardine pants. Even cream, tan, light grey khaki would work. Never black, never dark colors with a medium color such as air force blue.

One can often see cream trousers being worn in most 30s movies wile on ocean liners or while at a fancy country club or resort. It was a popular trend in Hollywood!

Mr. Bing Crosby circa 1930:

This is a start. Certainly Der Bingle appears to be wearing a suit type coat. What of other colors and patterns? I think these are more difficult to pass off as genuine fashion-more like living out of a locker at the station.

 

[Forgotten Man]

This is a start. Certainly Der Bingle appears to be wearing a suit type coat. What of other colors and patterns? I think these are more difficult to pass off as genuine fashion-more like living out of a locker at the station.

Well, I consider the fashions of the 30s and 40s to be genuine fashion. Today’s fashions are pathetic excuses of what I consider true taste. Often dull and unimaginative; a lack of creativity and a chain to mainstream influences. The cream trousers with dark blue, charcoal, black, gray, green or even brown were popular in the 20s to the 40s. At that time most sports coats didn't have any clunky brass or special buttons other then the kind most suits of the era came with. Some buttons on dark coats I have seen were of a caramel/mustard color to stand out in a unique contrast. Leather buttons were popular on more hunting/English fashions.

I've studied fashions of the Jazz age to the post WWII era, by way of original period catalogs and film. I have a keen eye when it comes to color combinations and would be very happy to offer my advice so long as it is taken for sound advice.

 

[filfoster]

How much and when?

Well, I consider the fashions of the 30s and 40s to be genuine fashion. Today’s fashions are pathetic excuses of what I consider true taste. Often dull and unimaginative; a lack of creativity and a chain to mainstream influences. The cream trousers with dark blue, charcoal, black, gray, green or even brown were popular in the 20s to the 40s. At that time most sports coats didn't have any clunky brass or special buttons other then the kind most suits of the era came with. Some buttons on dark coats I have seen were of a caramel/mustard color to stand out in a unique contrast. Leather buttons were popular on more hunting/English fashions.

I've studied fashions of the Jazz age to the post WWII era, by way of original period catalogs and film. I have a keen eye when it comes to color combinations and would be very happy to offer my advice so long as it is taken for sound advice.

Your reply raises an intersting point: Just how often did the 'average' salaryman of the Twenties or Thirties kit out in a sport coat versus a suit?
And, I always take your advice as sound even though I may not agree or fully grasp it.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Well, that being said, I would offer this:

The sport outfit of that time was mostly seen on college campuses, day time spring or summer type of events and at Hollywood events... day time mind you.

The average man didn't so much wear sport outfits as much as the more affluent men did. The average male had maybe one or two suits and some casual kick about clothes... Sweaters and trouser combinations... think early Walt Disney.

In a very unique and special Warner Brother movie "Wild Boys of the Road" you'll see the boys at a dance and a number of them are wearing cream trousers with dark coats... I believe it was a spring/summer type of evening dance... and around 1930-35 that look was very common especially on the west coast. Most cream pants we see in movies were made of a soft wool flannel. Today, original examples of these trousers are hard to come by. I own one pair and desire more! lol

If worn well, it can be a very simple, clean and classy look.

 

[filfoster]

Well, that being said, I would offer this:

The sport outfit of that time was mostly seen on college campuses, day time spring or summer type of events and at Hollywood events... day time mind you.

The average man didn't so much wear sport outfits as much as the more affluent men did. The average male had maybe one or two suits and some casual kick about clothes... Sweaters and trouser combinations... think early Walt Disney.

In a very unique and special Warner Brother movie "Wild Boys of the Road" you'll see the boys at a dance and a number of them are wearing cream trousers with dark coats... I believe it was a spring/summer type of evening dance... and around 1930-35 that look was very common especially on the west coast. Most cream pants we see in movies were made of a soft wool flannel. Today, original examples of these trousers are hard to come by. I own one pair and desire more! lol

If worn well, it can be a very simple, clean and classy look.

Forgotten Man, thanks! Now it's interesting that you cite Wild Boys of the Road, which I only today found on searches for better Depression era films. Now I must have it! Off to Amazon.com

 

[Forgotten Man]

Forgotten Man, thanks! Now it's interesting that you cite Wild Boys of the Road, which I only today found on searches for better Depression era films. Now I must have it! Off to Amazon.com

I hope you'll enjoy that picture, I find it very enjoyable and also a more grittier and real look at the Great Depression. I too will buy a copy soon.

Enjoy!

 

[Forgotten Man]

Now, other combinations for sport outfits I have found to work are as follows:

Camel color sport jacket always looks good with cream or gunmetal blue gabardine... or dark brown.

A teal or blue green coat looks best with cream or a light blue/gray trousers.

Now, a gray coat looks awesome with dark blue or black... And again, even cream can look smart with it.

A taupe colored coat will look nice with a rust color... you want to choose tones that compliment the coats' color.

Hope that helps some for other ideas of pairing up an orphan coat.

 

[resortes805]

Now, other combinations for sport outfits I have found to work are as follows:

Camel color sport jacket always looks good with cream or gunmetal blue gabardine... or dark brown.

A teal or blue green coat looks best with cream or a light blue/gray trousers.

Now, a gray coat looks awesome with dark blue or black... And again, even cream can look smart with it.

A taupe colored coat will look nice with a rust color... you want to choose tones that compliment the coats' color.

Hope that helps some for other ideas of pairing up an orphan coat.

Do you still have that "color-combinations of the 1940's" chart? I have a hard copy that I printed out, but I haven't been able to find it online.

 

[clevispin]

"Forgotten Man"

Thanks for the advice. You are correct about what qualifies as style these days and this unfortunate situation will become a happy accident come springtime - its nice that the nudge has some respectable provenance behind it.

m

 

[skyvue]

So specific aspects of an orphaned suit jacket don't matter -- the type of pockets it has, for example?

 

[filfoster]

Pocket pool

So specific aspects of an orphaned suit jacket don't matter -- the type of pockets it as, for example?

What this infers, and I would think, is that patch pockets lend themselves better to using the suitcoat as a sport coat. Thoughts?

 

[Dan D]

Patch pockets on an oprhaned suit jacket

Fil: I agree - patch pockets are associated with more casual jackets, and would presumably therefore be more appropriate on a separated suit jacket functioning less formally. Other pocket-types - jetted, flap, etc. - tend to be considered more formal, and hence less suited to sports jackets.

Although I'm guilty myself of overlooking this when wearing suit jackets without matching trousers. Better than casual jackets from the high street any day!