Show us your British suits

[Two Types]

Zipped fly on British suits wasn't unknown in the late 1940s. I saw a double breasted suit a year or so back in a vintage shop in London - I looked at it and immediately said 'American'. It had zip fly and outward facing pleats on the trousers. Then I looked inside the pocket and found a label dating it to a tailors shop in the North London suburbs in the late 1940s. I guess some lad had seen American suits and thought 'they look cool!' and got his tailor to run up a suit in that style.

 

[esteban68]

I am glad it's encouaging debate, I've put turnups/cuffs on the trousers as there was around 5" turned under,also put on brace buttons and they fit and sit just fine..... pretty sure the jacket has had it's sleeves shortened at some point too.

 

[Chrome]

Here is my another British suit. Again nothing new as stylewise, even got that Paris waistcoat buckle. Can anybody tell about maker?

 

[Two Types]

Lovely suit!

I have never heard of the tailor but Plaistow isn't the nicest part of London, so i would expect this to be a typical suburban tailor, making suits for the average working class/middle class man - the type opf tailors that used to be in every High Street.

 

[herringbonekid]

i haven't heard of Leach's either, but as TT says, there were loads of high street tailors in the 30s-40s who would have no real 'name' to speak of but who would have made decent clothing.
i like the fact that it has side adjusters... these seem to be much rarer on 40s Burtons (and other big brand) trousers.

 

[esteban68]

lovely suit chrome in excellent condition!

 

[cookie]

Savile Row http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/20/uk-fashion-menswear-savilerow-idUKBRE91J0IY20130220

 

[Two Types]

Typical British suit, early to mid 1950s:

Working class men, Glasgow 1930s:

Late 1930s (I think):

 

[Baron Kurtz]

This would once have been a suit. The trousers are missing. Lovely fabric. Late 1940s? More here.

Has more interior pockets than is normal.

 

[herringbonekid]

the shoulders on that one don't look so built up as the typical Brit 40s suit jacket, or is it just the photo ?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

just the photo, I think. The shoulders are very built up, indeed. The rear shot shows how pronounced the shoulders are!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

A CC41 "stroller" jacket, which I'm going to be selling.

 

[herringbonekid]

not mine, but wish it was.

that's alpaca lining in the body, the type i mentioned in the 20s suits thread; not remotely glossy, quite a 'hard' firm finish.
the sleeve lining appears to be similar type to that in Rudie's recent Brit suit. matt fabric in sleeves doesn't make much sense either but was common
in vinBrit (new word) tailoring. i think it's actually waistband lining fabric (you can see it in the trousers) - which should be matt so your trousers
don't slide down - used as sleeve lining because they had run out of slippery sleeve lining. just a guess.

 

[Fastuni]

That kind of matt lining fabric can also be found on German suits... might have been a way to cut costs. Not to forget it was quite common (much to the chagrin of tailors) for costumers to provide fabric and also lining bought elsewhere.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Good cloth and great lapels!

It's interesting to me that the three-button, peak lapel configuration is common on single-breast British suits, but somewhat rare on American ones. I'm not sure why that is exactly.

 

[herringbonekid]

I'm not sure why that is exactly.

that's just the way it is.

i'm not really a fan of Glenurquhart-type checks, but i like this one as it's less contrasty than the more standard black and white (which can give 'eye jazz') and the brown and red give it a warmer mood.

 

[Barmey]

The stripped matt cloth is a probably a type of cotton silesia. Stipped silesia was very common in suits of this period, very hard wearing and cheaper than the bemberg sleeve linings. There are still one or two Italian trimmers that still make it but it's rare to see it used nowdays.

I have a bit of a sleeve lining fetish.

 

[Two Types]

I have a bit of a sleeve lining fetish.

That's the sort of comment I like to read here!

 

[Guttersnipe]

that's just the way it is.

i'm not really a fan of Glenurquhart-type checks, but i like this one as it's less contrasty than the more standard black and white (which can give 'eye jazz') and the brown and red give it a warmer mood.

We're two peoples separated by a common language (and button count )

I definitely get what you mean about checks (the intricacies of which specific shire/glen/country/borough/loch/isle individual patterns originate from continues to confuse me, not matter how many times it's explained). In practice they can be a nightmare to match with anything.

 

[The Rag And Bone Man]

Here is a really nice 3 piece bespoke wool DB suit made by Jones Chalk & Dawson LTD, of Sackville St Piccadilly London. My brother who is visiting me here in Oz brought it out as a present. It a quite a heavy weight suit, with a great fabric.