Show off the sports coats.

[Levallois]

Thanks Feraud. Any guesses as to it's age?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

My guess is 1940s or very late 1930s.

.

 

[Levallois]

Thanks Marc! How does that saying go? Even a blind hog can root-up an acorn now and again? Well, here's one blind hog that is very pleased!

 

[Dinerman]

Thrift Shop pickup. Half lined.

 

[Levallois]

Getting ready to go out for a nice dinner with my wife yesterday for Valentines Day wearing my Herringbone sport coat

 

[Benny Holiday]

New beltback sportscoat made by my tailor

I wanted a new black sportscoat to replace the cheapsky charcoal grey cashmere job I bought years ago in a mall menswear store. I couldn't find anything I really liked (that is, nothing looked 1930s-40s-ish enough!) so I thought why not just go the whole hog and purchase some good quality fabric and have my tailor Mario Valenti make me a cool beltback?

I glommed some great heavyweight wool gabardine from Trimfabric.com ( I highly recommend these guys) and took a 1942 catalogue picture to Mario to copy.

The jacket features bi-swing pleats and single pleats in each pocket:

My lovely wife took the photo in the bright Aussie sunlight so the details show, but where in the photos the colour looks kind of dark grey, in real life the jacket is jet black.

Just as an aside, I prefer my sleeves a little longer than the U.S. standard, which often appear too short to Aussie eyes.

 

[Wash In Lux]

This one's about to ship to FL'er JJ Gittes. Been in my collection for 12 years and now ready for a new home. 1939 union label.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Very nice. Hollywood Jack Vincennes, eat yer heart out!

 

[Feraud]

Love the jacket Benny! :eusa_clap
Your tailor did a great job on the jacket. The lapels look great, the two buttons look well placed, and I love the four pockets up front. Your pics inspire me to look for someone local who can do something similar.

I wanted a new black sportscoat to replace the cheapsky charcoal grey cashmere job I bought years ago in a mall menswear store. I couldn't find anything I really liked (that is, nothing looked 1930s-40s-ish enough!) so I thought why not just go the whole hog and purchase some good quality fabric and have my tailor Mario Valenti make me a cool beltback?

 

[Benny Holiday]

Thanks Feraud! What's really great is that it's like a vintage jacket in the style and quality of the materials/workmanship, but it's made just right for my height/shoulder placement/body shape and so on.

I'm planning on a 1930s-style three piece suit made of heavy wool (13.5 oz - that's plenty heavy for Australia!) for Mario to make next. The fabric is light grey with a heathered tweed effect of tiny orange, blue and violet flecks in it - it looks and feels vintage 1930s. Maybe in the next 4-6 weeks, depending on how money goes.

I should have mentioned that all up, the jacket cost me AU$425!

 

[kools]

Absolutely brilliant, Benny! There is a very good chance that if Joe the Tailor was inclined to reproduce 1942 catalogs for me, my family would be eating much less.

 

[Benny Holiday]

I hear ya Kools! The day gig pays my bills and puts food on the table, my music gig provides the dough for the threads - but with the economy the way it is these days, acquiring those threads is getting to be an ever rarer treat.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Benny, Stunning jacket as always.

I've got this one (i think now sold) down in Classifieds. MIddle 40s, i think but maybe middle 30s; the tailors label is, shall we say ... ambiguous. Truly quite an amazing fabric. Wish i could find one in such a fabric to fit me! Enjoy.

Horn buttons, i think.

Note self-fabric armpit guards.

Jetted pockets.

 

[Orgetorix]

Found this at the thrift store today. Any thoughts on its age? The lapels, vent, and iridescent jacquard lining sort of say '50s to me, but I could very well be wrong. No labels or tags of any kind.

 

[thunderw21]

^Mid-'50s, maybe late.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Thanks Baron!

That is handsome fabric indeed - a superb find!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Thanks Benny; hopefully the new owner will take some better pics of it and show us. It's really really soft, too, for vintage fabric. Remarkable fabric; almost like there's a bunch of cashmere in it.

Was in your neck of the woods in late December, but only for half a day on my way to Canberra. Didn't prevent the finding of a 40s suit in a strip of vintage shops in Newtown, though.

bk

 

[reetpleat]

Thanks Feraud! What's really great is that it's like a vintage jacket in the style and quality of the materials/workmanship, but it's made just right for my height/shoulder placement/body shape and so on.

I'm planning on a 1930s-style three piece suit made of heavy wool (13.5 oz - that's plenty heavy for Australia!) for Mario to make next. The fabric is light grey with a heathered tweed effect of tiny orange, blue and violet flecks in it - it looks and feels vintage 1930s. Maybe in the next 4-6 weeks, depending on how money goes.

I should have mentioned that all up, the jacket cost me AU$425!

Well, not cheap, but worth every penny. You already have the most expensive part, You might consider having slacks and a vest maybe made in the same fabric. This would be the time while he can still get the matching fabric.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Thanks Benny; hopefully the new owner will take some better pics of it and show us. It's really really soft, too, for vintage fabric. Remarkable fabric; almost like there's a bunch of cashmere in it.

Was in your neck of the woods in late December, but only for half a day on my way to Canberra. Didn't prevent the finding of a 40s suit in a strip of vintage shops in Newtown, though.

bk

Ah, what a shame it was so brief; would've loved to say g'day in person and show you round ol' Sydney town. Not that you need any guidance - I swear you can smell those vintage suits, tracking one down in Newtown like that! lol

King Street in Newtown used to be brilliant for vintage. I live 45 minutes out of the city so I don't get in there often, and what I've found there over my rare visits has often been quite damaged anyway. I'm glad you found a suit there!

 

[Benny Holiday]

Well, not cheap, but worth every penny. You already have the most expensive part, You might consider having slacks and a vest maybe made in the same fabric. This would be the time while he can still get the matching fabric.

Yeah, I've been tempting myself with this thought too Reetpleat!