Show us your British suits

[Mysterious Mose]

Ha, excellent! Thanks!

 

[Chasseur]

Its been rather chilly and rainy here so I had a chance to wear this heavy weight three piece. Photo is not the best but its quite a nice suit:

1950s British three piece. The label was cut away so I am at a loss to know who made this one...

No alteration necessary, fits me as it which is somewhat rare...

Nice gray and blue herringbone pattern.

The only marks I've found are these old stamps inside the waistcoat:

 

[RobStC]

Looks great, and love that tie with it!:eusa_clap

RobStC

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Not a suit, unfortunately, just the jacket. Both myself and benstephens think we can read the date as 34. Tailored in the East End (sort of).

 

[herringbonekid]

Baron, that 3 button, extra-wide lapel / super-long gorge line reminds me of your German suit:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...GERMAN-Suits&p=1404747&viewfull=1#post1404747

can't say its my favourite lapel shape but its certainly distinctive !

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I like it. The fabric too. Works fine for a sportcoat.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

You're right, hbk. I's this British jacket (the style of the lapel) that gave me the hint for dating the German one.

I must admit to being insanely irritated that the final number on the British one is obscured by the stitching. That said, it's not a 2, a 3, a 5, or a 9 (the only numbers other than 4 with a central horizontal stroke. And note the first number on the No section - I'm sure that's a 4. Kinda resembles the shape of the last number. So, balance of evidence suggests that the final number is a 4, and that the writer was quite a lazy number writer, making it rather difficult to identify some of his numbers.

Baron, that 3 button, extra-wide lapel / super-long gorge line reminds me of your German suit:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...GERMAN-Suits&p=1404747&viewfull=1#post1404747

can't say its my favourite lapel shape but its certainly distinctive !

 

[Gin&Tonics]

Chasseur, outstanding suit, love the tie/pocket square, and the pocket watch is awesome. I always wear a pocket watch. Bravo, sir!

 

[Two Types]

Tailored in the East End (sort of).

I have an acquaintance who worked for a Jewish tailors in the Bethnal Green area during the mid 1930s - I believe he cut trousers for them. I'll have to check if this was the same tailors.

(During WW2 he put his talents to use in a POW camp: when prisoners' trousers were worn out he would repair them - recutting, patching, resizing as men lost weight, sometimes even combining two pairs of worn out trousers to make one functional pair).

 

[billyspew]

I have an acquaintance who worked for a Jewish tailors in the Bethnal Green area during the mid 1930s - I believe he cut trousers for them. I'll have to check if this was the same tailors.

(During WW2 he put his talents to use in a POW camp: when prisoners' trousers were worn out he would repair them - recutting, patching, resizing as men lost weight, sometimes even combining two pairs of worn out trousers to make one functional pair).

Same Solomons? Doubt it, there were probably many Solomons working as tailors in the East End.

 

[Two Types]

It was just something about the address that sparked a distant memory of what he had told me. I have a tape-recorded interview with him somewhere and I believe that will tell me the name and address of the shop.

 

[herringbonekid]

remember Marc's 4 piece 'knicker' (plus four) suit ? of course you do. sadly i only saved the ebay photos:

remember it had some curious round pocket corner strengtheners the like of which most of us had never seen before ?
well look what we got here on this 30s English striped boating blazer:

 

[Nick D]

remember Marc's 4 piece 'knicker' (plus four) suit ? of course you do. sadly i only saved the ebay photos:

I saved all or most of the ones posted. Shall I put them up or email?

remember it had some curious round pocket corner strengtheners the like of which most of us had never seen before ?
well look what we got here on this 30s English striped boating blazer...

Very interesting. Less finely done, but the whole of the interior looks less carefully constructed. Are these hiding pieces of stay-tape that the tacks on the pockets are taken through, or are they just adding strength to those points? I don't see how they would strengthen the corner of the patch considerably if they weren't covering a stay.

 

[herringbonekid]

Very interesting. Less finely done, but the whole of the interior looks less carefully constructed. Are these hiding pieces of stay-tape that the tacks on the pockets are taken through, or are they just adding strength to those points? I don't see how they would strengthen the corner of the patch considerably if they weren't covering a stay.

if the top stitching / bar-tacking goes through them then they would act as corner strengtheners, if not, you're probably right and they're hiding a stay tape.
Nick if you could post the images of Marc's suit in a PM to me that would be great. i'll leave it up to you whether to re-post them on this thread.

thanks.

 

[The Elizans]

remember Marc's 4 piece 'knicker' (plus four) suit ? of course you do. sadly i only saved the ebay photos:

remember it had some curious round pocket corner strengtheners the like of which most of us had never seen before ?
well look what we got here on this 30s English striped boating blazer:

That is such an amazing suit! I have a "plus-twos" suit from the 1930s, no tailors label but HEAVY harris! It also has a pair of regular trousers too. Jacket is not a belt-back unfortunately...

 

[Nick D]

Excellent looking suit. Any closeups of the fabric? (By the by, the bottoms should be buckled just below the knee.)

 

[The Elizans]

Excellent looking suit. Any closeups of the fabric? (By the by, the bottoms should be buckled just below the knee.)

Hello, I will certainly take some photos of the fabric for you. RE: buckled below the knee, these are 'plus-twos, not 'plus-fours' - my understanding was that these are supposed to buckle at the ankle - please correct me if I'm wrong? FYI: they are a full trouser leg length (and high waisted of course).

 

[Rudie]

Plus-twos extend two inches below the knees when buckled. Yours are probably plus-eights, extending eight inches below the knees when worn properly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plus_fours
http://www.spencers-trousers.com/plus_twos.php

 

[Nick D]

As Rudie says, the number (2, 4, 6, 8) refers to the amount they blouse over the knee. The idea is that since they are meant for sporting pursuits the long socks will get dirty instead of the trousers, and socks can easily be replaced. They were popular amongst cyclists for the same reason (chain oil on the sock, not the trousers.)

Incidentally, I've never come across plus-2, -6, or -8 in old catalogues and tailor's drafts, even when it's made clear that they are to extend more or less than 4", they are always called plus-fours (or knickerbockers in the States). I think there was some discussion about that a long while ago, but I don't remember what the outcome was.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I don't think Burton used the "plus-x" terminology in their 1930s catalogues. My catalogues are currently 6000 miles away so I can't check, but I remember them using "knickers" or "knickerbockers" in 1936, '38 and '39 catalogues.

bk