Show us your British suits

[Tomasso]

Here was a suit I sold recently. It was made in 1937 for the Viscount Knollys. It is a rather loud check with plus fours.

I have a sportcoat in this material. Lovely, but I couldn't imagine wearing it as a suit. I guess it helps pull it off if you're a royal.....

 

[Two Types]

Splendid, Ben. If you can keep posting photos of your suits, and I can keep coming up with the adverts, we will have one of the busiest threads on the Lounge.

 

[Two Types]

Fantastic adverts Two Types and thank you for sharing all your research.

I'd be very interested in any ads for Austin Reed .

Regards, Mark

I have started to look at Austin Reed and have found plenty of adverts. Since the results are a mixed bag of suits and general clothing, I won't post them here. instead I will be starting an 'Austin Reed' thread in the general attire etc forum. I hope you find them interesting.

 

[Vampyre Master]

Sorry,

Not great pictures, but this is the Alkit suit. It is a washable cotton I replaced the buttons, it originally had the removable revolving shank ones, I suspect so it could be laundered.

Kindest regards

Ben

hey is that in the house of commons
VM

 

[Nick D]

Just looking through some of my archives. Here was a suit I sold recently. It was made in 1937 for the Viscount Knollys. It is a rather loud check with plus fours. It was too big for me unfortunately.

Fantastic. I need to find fabric like this for a four-piece, with trousers and the plus fours.

 

[Ben Stephens]

hey is that in the house of commons
VM

Well, it was certainly filled with us commons!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

A nice 1930s light blue flannel chalkstripe. I don't think I've shown this one here before:

The blue really is this vibrant.

Typical 30s British trousers w/ no waistband pocket, side adjustor straps and scalloped rear pocket flap.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Another one that hasn't been seen here before. Dated 1935 and made by A. W. Knapp & Co. Ltd of Jermyn Street. Very rare light brown colour. I was told by the seller that this was made for a diplomat, but I don't know the truth of this. Named to a C. E. Collins, Esq.

 

[herringbonekid]

Baron, that rear pocket flap has a slight German shape to it (not that i'm suggesting it's a German suit). any maker's label ?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I agree re: pocket flap.

No, there're no labels or markings at all on the blue suit. The only hint is the waistcoat adjustor buckle is marked "Paris", but it's certainly not a French suit … I bought it from the family of the original owner - from Bournemouth, if I recall correctly.

bk

 

[herringbonekid]

The only hint is the waistcoat adjustor buckle is marked "Paris", but it's certainly not a French suit …

yes, i have a CC41 waistcoat with the 'Paris' cinch buckle. they appear to be more common than the ones marked 'British'.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Unless you're talking about French waistcoat buckles, which are frequqnetly marked "British", and the "For Gentlemen" suspender buttons often seen on European suits.

The Paris waistcoat buckle I've seen on suits of almost every European country that I've come across.

bk

 

[herringbonekid]

Unless you're talking about French waistcoat buckles, which are frequently marked "British"

how do you know they're French if they're marked British ? (i was meaning on British suits re: frequency of marked buckles).

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Sorry, I meant to say: "waistcoat buckles found on French suits", not that the waistcoat buckles marked "British" were in fact French.

Here's another new one, as I continue to catalogue my suit collection. This one is undated but probably 1940s. Was owned by Rev R. R. Sargison who later became Dean of St George's Cathedral, Georgetown, Guyana. It's another lovely flannel fabric, dark blue w/ white pinstripes. Again, no "watch" pocket. More of a standard British-type rear pocket flap.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Another undated suit, this one made by Drescott. Probably early 1950s. A lovely soft worsted with black/white chalkstripes and double blue pinstripes on a beautiful shade of grey. As usual there's no "watch" pocket, and this one has a simple button rear pocket without any flap.

 

[herringbonekid]

excellent suits Baron. i believe you favour the notch over the peaked lapel for single breasted jackets ?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Here's one for herringbonekid. ([EDIT]In more ways than one. Just saw your last post![/EDIT])

This one is really quite early, I think. Made by the Co-Op's bespoke department. Lovely soft plain blue herringbone fabric. Great bandless waist. Does it have a "watch" pocket? 'Course not.

 

[herringbonekid]

Here's one for herringbonekid.

to everyone else i should explain that this suit was made just over the road from where i grew up (Gateshead, up north). CWS is the Cooperative Wholesale Society. had i lived in the 30s i might have ended up working there, and had a very short 'commute'.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Another peak lapel one for you. No labels. Probably 1940s (?). Another standard British pocket flap. Note the nonstandard trouser side pockets. Slanted in from the side seam. Lovely fabric. "Watch" pocket? Nope.

 

[herringbonekid]

unusual peaks; they appear to be slightly downsloping.