Show us your suits

[Mario]

There were actually two or three older DB suits around that would have fit me, last not least that truely beautiful specimen Baron Kurtz offered me about two month ago. Trouble is I'm definitely more of a SB guy myself and those seem to be rather scarce in my size (and that's a mild expression).

 

[Salieri]

What is your size - out of interest?

I've encountered quite a few decent SB 40s suits in larger sizes recently, although they certainly are scarcer.

 

[avedwards]

There were actually two or three older DB suits around that would have fit me, last not least that truely beautiful specimen Baron Kurtz offered me about two month ago. Trouble is I'm definitely more of a SB guy myself and those seem to be rather scarce in my size (and that's a mild expression).

The grey pinstriped DB suit you wore last year looked quite nice in my opinion. Personally I like both SB and DB so I try to have an equal mix of both in my wardrobe.

Older SB suits (especially three piece suits) do seem quite rare though compared to DB suits. Possibly because DB suits are as conservative as a three piece suit but use less material, making them a more affordable "best" suit for people who were on a lower income (this seems to be the case in old films).

 

[avedwards]

What is your size - out of interest?

I've encountered quite a few decent SB 40s suits in larger sizes recently, although they certainly are scarcer.

I think Mario's problem is not so much the size as the length. Being a tall guy he has trouble finding suits which are long enough. I have that problem too but it's usually possible to get a 32" inside leg once the cuff is let down.

 

[Mario]

I think Mario's problem is not so much the size as the length. Being a tall guy he has trouble finding suits which are long enough. I have that problem too but it's usually possible to get a 32" inside leg once the cuff is let down.

Precisely. Only that I'd need at least a 33" inseam (better still is 34") with a 31" waist (which can of course be taken in if it's not too wide to start with). And I really hate to sacrifice the cuffs. Last resort, really.

 

[Dinerman]

Thrift Shop find. It fits really well, but it's much too warm today to get a shot of me in it. Very heavyweight material. The way the jacket is constructed and its cut makes me think early '30s or earlier, but without any tags, I really couldn't say.

With the silk covered buttons, I'm not sure what you'd really call this style.
No labels or union tags anywhere in it. I don't see any evidence that there ever were. Very nice workmanship.

Short jacket skirt. The sleeves are longer than the body of the jacket.

Sharp peak lapels

Slanted shoulder seams

This double stripe is on the inside of both pockets. Is this to do with the material itself or is it a design feature?

Prima buttons

Hand-stitched collar

The large buttons on the front match these sleeve buttons. All are silk.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

I agree with Dinerman, the construction and cut feels like early '30s. Considering the unusually short skirt, I wonder if this could be a kilt jacket, or a conventional jacket cut-down to serve as a kilt jacket. This kind of heavy, blue/grey flannel material (Lovat blue) is often used in kilt jackets. The silk brocade covered buttons are a curious feature though, more typical of formal evening attire.

 

[Salieri]

Very nice jacket. I would say it's a 20s-30s stresemann/stroller/black lounge/what-you-will coat. Granted it's very short in the torso, but I have one that's a similar length - also with fancy buttons (which were more or less a staple of morning dress at the time, and were occasionally carried over to black lounge jackets):

Here's another that I had recently with a skirt about the same length as the sleeve:

Kilt jackets usually have a much more cutaway skirt, what's more I've never seen anything at all like that worn with a kilt before.

 

[Dinerman]

I found these a couple of days ago at the same shop. No two are the same size, so I doubt a single original owner. But I know that three came in together, and I would assume this jacket came in at the same time as well. So probably 4 formal jackets from the '20s-'30s all coming into the thrift shop at the same time, but in different sizes, all in good shape. I wonder where they've been all these years?

 

[_Nightwing]

Ok, I just couldn't resist a couple more...

Brilliant suit Salieri. Love the cloth, the cut, and the color. Since you keep reposting it, and since I love your reposts, let's see it with a solid black tie and a black or brown fedora.

 

[Shangas]

I think a brown fedora would go nice with that blue pinstripe. Blue and brown have a way of going together which I don't understand, but have come to accept...

 

[Tomasso]

Are you wearing braces? I only ask as there seems to be a collapse in the drape of your trousers in the rear end area. Something you see often with belted trousers.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Dinerman, your jacket is German, or made by tailor trained in the German tradition, and from the middle 1920s-middle 1930s. Those Prima silk-covered buttons are very common on germanic jackets of this era. It's a pity there're no trousers; they're generally quite stunning on these suits. Here's one I sold a wee while ago.

I'll bet the inside breast pocket(s) is(are) (they usually have 2) set right up close to the armhole (much higher than American, British, or other European tailors of the day would place it/them).

Thrift Shop find. It fits really well, but it's much too warm today to get a shot of me in it. Very heavyweight material. The way the jacket is constructed and its cut makes me think early '30s or earlier, but without any tags, I really couldn't say.

With the silk covered buttons, I'm not sure what you'd really call this style.
No labels or union tags anywhere in it. I don't see any evidence that there ever were. Very nice workmanship.

Short jacket skirt. The sleeves are longer than the body of the jacket.

Sharp peak lapels

Slanted shoulder seams

This double stripe is on the inside of both pockets. Is this to do with the material itself or is it a design feature?

Prima buttons

Hand-stitched collar

The large buttons on the front match these sleeve buttons. All are silk.

 

[Chrome]

Jacket is quite similar to Sproily's stroller:

And indeed Finnish style is very germanic, especially in the early century. I like those "fancy" buttons, I find quite many black jackets here with those. I guess sunday best's survival rate is quite high

Could those stripes in the pocket be the edge marker in the fabric, and tailor is using it cleverly.
And for last, Saarimaki is finnish surname

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The saarimaki is a different jacket.

bk

 

[Chrome]

I did notice that, but didn't mention it any further or do another post.

That Saarimaki jacket is first foreign jacket made by finn that I have seen. Finnish documentary was made in late forties to show finnish towns in usa. There is small clothier shop shown and name of the shop is direct translation from his finnish surname, quite common I think. Saw that clip in youtube

 

[Dinerman]

Dinerman, your jacket is German, or made by tailor trained in the German tradition, and from the middle 1920s-middle 1930s. Those Prima silk-covered buttons are very common on germanic jackets of this era. It's a pity there're no trousers; they're generally quite stunning on these suits. Here's one I sold a wee while ago.

I'll bet the inside breast pocket(s) is(are) (they usually have 2) set right up close to the armhole (much higher than American, British, or other European tailors of the day would place it/them).

Absolutely correct about the breast pockets. Thanks for helping out on this one!

Apparently a wave of 100,000 Germans came to Canada between 1924 and 1930 once they were changed from a "non-preferred" to "preferred" immigration status. And if they were coming by ship, chances are they came through Pier 21, which is about a ten minute walk from my house.

 

[Nick D]

The double stripe on the pocket facings are probably the inner edge of the selvedge, the facings were most likely cut from scraps near the edge.

 

[avedwards]

Apparently a wave of 100,000 Germans came to Canada between 1924 and 1930 once they were changed from a "non-preferred" to "preferred" immigration status. And if they were coming by ship, chances are they came through Pier 21, which is about a ten minute walk from my house.

fftopic:
A lot of Germans came to America (both north and south) after WW1. The German side of my family moved to Argentina in 1923 because of the terrible inflation in Germany. I can't imagine German immigrants being too popular during WW2 though (my family nearly had all it's assets seized by the Argentinian government in 1945 and narrowly managed to avoid that fate by registering them under a Swiss relative).

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Marc Chevalier tells a story of Chilean thrift and second hand clothing shops being chock full of 1920s-1930s German clothing. Apparently most of the German rag trade, to this day, heads to South America whereas most of the rest of the European rag bundles end up in Africa and Pakistan.

bk