Peterman Sale

[Marc Chevalier]

I think charm is an accurate word to describe the attraction of Peterman's catalog appeal, ...

And I think that every J. Peterman item description ever written is a scrambled variation of this 1923 ad:

"Somewhere west of Laramie there’s a broncho-busting, steer-roping girl who knows what I’m talking about.

She can tell what a sassy pony, that’s a cross between greased lightning and the place where it hits, can do with eleven hundred pounds of steel and action when he’s going high, wide and handsome.

The truth is--the Playboy was built for her.

Built for the lass whose face is brown with the sun when the day is done of revel and romp and race.

She loves the cross of the wild and the tame.

There’s a savor of links about that car--of laughter and lilt and light--a hint of old loves--and saddle and quirt. It’s a brawny thing--yet a graceful thing for the sweep o’ the Avenue.

Step into the Playboy when the hour grows dull with things gone dead and stale.

Then start for the land of real living with the spirit of the lass who rides, lean and rangy, into the red horizon of a Wyoming twilight."

 

[filfoster]

I think charm is an accurate word to describe the attraction of Peterman's catalog appeal, other than his generous tip of the hat to Golden Era stylings.

I have never mistaken the ad narratives as anything but entertaining blather that may or may not contain any factual fashion information. I don't know of any other retailer that offers as many Golden Age style mens jackets and suits at comparatively reasonable prices. I will forgive the 'drawerings' and silly stories in exchange for some fun duds.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I have never mistaken the ad narratives as anything but entertaining blather that may or may not contain any factual fashion information.

Thank goodness! :eusa_clap

 

[Tomasso]

I've never purchased anything from a JP catalog due to the lack of photos. I have picked up a few things from them when they had a store in NYC and when they operated that traveling clearance event.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I have picked up a few things from them when they had a store in NYC and when they operated that traveling clearance event.

Yes. Back when J. Peterman had stores, its suits tended to be made in South Africa. Pretty good suits, too.


The fun began when J. Peterman went bankrupt and closed its stores. Lots of never-produced samples from the "Movie Legends" line were sold off: double-breasted belted-back linen suits, three-piece suits with double-breasted waistcoats, and more. Imagine if those pieces had actually been put into production!

 

[filfoster]

Marc, your comparison of Peterman's mini stories to the vintage ad above is certainly appropos.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Your comparison of Peterman's mini stories to the vintage ad above is certainly appropos.

To be fair, it's a classic ad that every first-year student of advertising learns about ... and copies.

 

[rue]

Yes. Back when J. Peterman had stores, its suits tended to be made in South Africa. Pretty good suits, actually.


The fun began when J. Peterman went bankrupt and closed its stores. Lots of never-produced samples from the "Movie Legends" line were sold off: double-breasted belted-back linen suits, three-piece suits with double-breasted waistcoats, and more. Imagine if those pieces had actually been put into production!

I still have the catalog with all the Titanic stuff in it. I was heart broken when he went bankrupt.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I still have the catalog with all the Titanic stuff in it. I was heart broken when he went bankrupt.

Yeah ... the "Movie Legends" line was going to be big. "Titanic" and "Out of Africa" merchandise was just the beginning. Peterman had planned to reproduce stuff from a host of classic movies. Alas, it was not to be...

 

[Tomasso]

It was the stores that done him in. And they couldn't have been open for more than a year.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

It was the stores that done him in. And they couldn't have been open for more than a year.

High-rent locations? In Southern California, the 5,000 sq. ft. store was in Newport Beach's "Fashion Island" outdoor mall. Pricey real estate.

 

[Tomasso]

High-rent locations? In Southern California, the 5,000 sq. ft. store was in Newport Beach's "Fashion Island" outdoor mall. Pricey real estate.

In NYC they had 6,000 sq. ft on 42nd Street in the newely renovated Grand Central Terminal Building.

 

[Woodfluter]

But it's true. If no one took the descriptions seriously, there wouldn't be a problem. But I can't tell you how many times people have come up to me and solemnly repeated a string of false B.S. about the history of this or that type of 'classic' menswear. When I've asked them where they learned their 'history', the proud answer has all too often been: "J. Peterman!"

Well yeah, but I'm not so inclined to blame Peterman for that. I never took his stuff as infotainment - most of it is pretty tongue in cheek. I've met the kind of folks who could quote Groucho in "Coconuts" as providing insights on Florida real estate in the 1920s. There's no way to underestimate the limits of silliness.

On a side note, re the 1933 blazer and Sholte the tailor, here's an interesting conversation about that particular style. Seems Peterson's take may be a common misunderstanding and the Duke of Windsor's account would make Weismuller an unlikely customer.
http://thelondonlounge.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=9101

 

[Tomasso]

The Power of Seinfeld..

Among the factors that persuaded Paul Harris to bid for J. Peterman was research showing that one in four adults in the United States recognized the Peterman brand.

But in a recent interview, Arnold P. Cohen, a former J. Crew executive who became president of J. Peterman last year, said 70 percent of those who said they were familiar with the Peterman name did not realize that it was a real business.

 

[filfoster]

Peterman is now running a 'red tag' after Christmas sale. If you didn't get what you wanted before, your chances now are slim because the sizes are picked over, and many options are gone. I am still hoping the classic blue blazer may still be around for the deep Spring discounts in a few months but who knows?

I wore the db herringbone blazer at Christmas and got quite a few compliments and Mrs. Foster even contained her usual wrath at my profligate spending ("it was on sale, really."). The black SF blazer is now gone in my size so I was lucky to get it but my hopes of getting the tan one are now snuffed.

 

[Fifty150]

Never too late to scoop up a counterfeit mailbag.

 

[Fifty150]

.....or an urban sombrero.