Retro Revolution

[Thunderbolt]

I've been noticing lately that our obsession for the golden era seems to be becoming more mainstream. In addition to the Fedora Lounge, there's the Art of Manliness, The Cad, and The Chap. I recently found a jazz club in my town and half the men wear hats. TV shows seem to constantly give a nod to 60 years ago, and more than half the shooter video games and flight sims are WWII related. Oh, and the show "Mad Men", and both men and women reverting back to those styles and in some cases values/gender rolls. Some ladies are really picking up on what they call "the pin-up look". Rat Rod movements have struck mainstream car culture pushing the import tuners out and a resergence of rockibily music. The auto industry has been affected with 1940's inspired concept cars like the Ford 49 etc. Men's magazines are urging men to leave the hair salons and find a man's barbor shop. Straight razor shaving is making a comeback. The facination and romance with the greatest generation has skyrocketed since the mid 1990's. In the 80's nobody seemed to care about the 1940's. People in their 20's are starting to listen to jazz/big band/crooner music. What's going on? Not that I'm complaining, quite the opposite actually. We seem to be on the brink of a retro revolution. Fedora Lounger type people seem to be slowly but steadily taking over the world? It seems to be striking western europe, australia and north america. What's your thoughts?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

My train of thought on this is that for the most part, it is a good thing. Take hats for example. More men wearing hats = more selections in headwear & more places to get them.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[Chainsaw]

50/50 poly wool blend( you can throw them in the wash, and hang dry), with cuffs, and flat caps. That's the recipe for resurecting the A-typical gentleman.

Khakis are too casual, jeans are for inmates, and people that don't want to get thier hands dirty.

If you want to rebuild socitey, you have to start from the base, the builders, not the reapers. Stiffs in offices are always gonna' wear suits, or hawian shirts right?

You start with the people that build, and run the city. They gotta' start wearing gentlemans clothes again.

If somebody made slacks as cheap as they make jeans, every one would have to start dressing right.

 

[Shangas]

There's a saying that everything old is new again and that nothing new is ever really.

I say that this is a good thing. Provided that it's done properly. I would cringe if I saw a guy walking down the street with a felt fedora and wearing a T-shirt, ripped jeans, flipflops and sunglasses.

 

[Paisley]

Oh, and the show "Mad Men", and both men and women reverting back to those styles and in some cases values/gender rolls. Some ladies are really picking up on what they call "the pin-up look".

I've noticed that the style in ladies' clothes has become more feminine, which I like. Is there going to be a mass reversion to women's traditional roles? For reasons that aren't germane to this thread, no.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

In Germany Lindy Hop is still going strong. But only a few of them are interested in good clothes. I think we should just go on and give a good example. The people may notice it looks better to dance in golden era clothes than in jaeans and sneakers

If somebody made slacks as cheap as they make jeans, every one would have to start dressing right.

If your really want to find them there are easily jeans for more than 100 $ and dress trousers for less than 100$.
Okay at the very cheap and (say 15$) there are only poly slacks.

I still don't think it is a price-thingy. Its more that they want to dress "young". There was a time when people didn't want to look like their parents and now they grew up and became parents themselves. We could only hope for a counter movement.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"I have a copy of "Tatler" Magazine that I subscribed to in the 1980's here are a few of the pages from the 1983 May edition...look familiar?"

Yes some of us were wearing Cravats and Braces (Suspenders) in the 1980's

Tatum O'Niel in the Magazine

George Hurrell's portraits of Farah Fawcet, Brooke Shields, that chappie out of fleetwood Mac, and one of the Hemmingway Gels

George Hurrell portrait of Brooke Shields on the cover

(all images are reversed as I used photobooth on my imac)

 

[Yeps]

I still don't think it is a price-thingy. Its more that they want to dress "young". There was a time when people didn't want to look like their parents and now they grew up and became parents themselves. We could only hope for a counter movement.

Well, if people my age and younger don't want to dress like our parents, we have to eschew the jeans and sneakers, as that is that is what our parents wear more than anything else.

 

[LizzieMaine]

If it's a trend, I wish it would hurry up. It's very disquieting to see grown men and their four-year-old sons dressed exactly alike.

 

[Shangas]

Lizzie, either way that I picture that, I find it intensely unsettling.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Well, if people my age and younger don't want to dress like our parents, we have to eschew the jeans and sneakers, as that is that is what our parents wear more than anything else.

Thats what I meant with "counter movement". Binkie Beaumont may be right that the eighties already were a anti-70s-hippie counter movement. But in my opinion they where cold, made of plastic and yuppie'esque too. So we need the "real thing" instead.

 

[SGT Rocket]

If it's a trend, I wish it would hurry up. It's very disquieting to see grown men and their four-year-old sons dressed exactly alike.

+100, that is so true. It's funny, I seen men in their 40's dressing with pants that are falling off, a crooked baseball cap, and some weird "gang" style (?) tee shirt. AND, their four year old son is dressed EXACTLY like him. AND, this is in suburban USA.

 

[Scotus]

This is quite interesting. I think what Yeps says is true from one point of view; that is, a young man who doesn't want to dress like his parents' generation (which is a good thing).

On the other hand, it's a trend to which a lot of different people have a natural attraction; that is, people like to see men and women looking nice, wearing hats, etc. I get compliments every single day on my hats and have never gotten the impression that people thought I was being "retro."

 

[AmateisGal]

I hope this trend continues into the publishing world. I'm having a heckuva time finding an agent who wants to represent a WW2-era novel. I've heard time and time again, "Hard period to sell." It's not a thriller, but is set on the American homefront during the war.

I keep scratching my head as to WHY it's a hard period to sell when I see a resurgence in World War II - Ken Burns' THE WAR, Tom Hanks' THE PACIFIC, etc.

 

[Chainsaw]

Hey Flat Foot Floey, I had A nice pair of slacks that my ex-girlfriend bought for. From some place called "west coast" (still can't find a website or store location for the brand, any help?),[huh]

I believe they were about 50$ cdn or so, and well tailored for off the rack. When I was working at the old shop doing concrete, I'd always wear them home after work. I was driving a Lincoln, so I couldn't just wear my work slacks.

As for jeans, I won't wear them, except for carharts for work possibly. I got my Italian Tuxedo (Adidas track suit) for exercise or going to the store.

 

[Senator Jack]

I hope this trend continues into the publishing world. I'm having a heckuva time finding an agent who wants to represent a WW2-era novel. I've heard time and time again, "Hard period to sell." It's not a thriller, but is set on the American homefront during the war.

I keep scratching my head as to WHY it's a hard period to sell when I see a resurgence in World War II - Ken Burns' THE WAR, Tom Hanks' THE PACIFIC, etc.

Hey, I'm going through the same thing with my novel set in the New York of 1953. Agents keep asking 'But where are the vampires?'

Good luck on the hunt!

Jack

 

[AmateisGal]

Hey, I'm going through the same thing with my novel set in the New York of 1953. Agents keep asking 'But where are the vampires?'

Good luck on the hunt!

Jack

Same to you, Jack!

It's frustrating, isn't it? If it's not Jane Austen or vampires, nobody wants it!

 

[Shangas]

Damn Twilight!

I guess there's no chance for me to publish my story (whenever I finish it) set in 17th century England, then...

One thing that I have noticed lately, re. this "retro revolution" is that a lot more people are wearing hats these days. Several clothing-shops that I walk into (including the one where I work as a volunteer) are selling trilby hats as prolifically as a religious paraphernalia shop sells copies of the Bible.

 

[Feraud]

I hope this trend continues into the publishing world. I'm having a heckuva time finding an agent who wants to represent a WW2-era novel. I've heard time and time again, "Hard period to sell." It's not a thriller, but is set on the American homefront during the war.

I keep scratching my head as to WHY it's a hard period to sell when I see a resurgence in World War II - Ken Burns' THE WAR, Tom Hanks' THE PACIFIC, etc.

Same to you, Jack!

It's frustrating, isn't it? If it's not Jane Austen or vampires, nobody wants it!

Take that WWII novel and throw a few zombies into the mix. It'll sell like hotcakes.

 

[Puzzicato]

Take that WWII novel and throw a few zombies into the mix. It'll sell like hotcakes.

P.N Elrod has a vampire/investigative journalist/gumshoe in 1930s Chicago, so zombies on the home front in WW2 would certainly work. lol