Spats!

[Manny Tavares]

"Spats" was the George Raft character in Some Like it Hot, of course he got that name from wearing them in the movie. I became fond of them when I watched that movie, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis were under the table, hiding from Spats and you see these shoes appear with the spats indicating that Spats was standing above them.lol

 

[drownman]

And it sure did Drownman! You in your spats looked good (and me in my fresh-out-the-box Old Town Highwaists and waistcoat).

Always a pleasure You were very dapper as well I must say! There wasn't some much swing, more rockabilly, but it is a rockabilly club after all And you're on your way to LA, lucky sod!

 

[CharlieH.]

For those gentlemen with larger feet can have spats made for them, there is not a lot to them. A local seamstress should be able to replicate them for your shoe size if they see an original in front of them. Remember, you will need a button hook to take them on and off.

Bespoke spats, you say? I've wanted a pair of puppy blankets for a long while.... anyone got patterns?

 

[Happy Stroller]

Just asking.

What material is best for spats? PVC, woolen felt, cotton canvas or leather?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

What material is best for spats? PVC, woolen felt, cotton canvas or leather?

In town -- winter, spring, autumn: box cloth.

Typical colors: black, dark brown, medium brown, light brown, tan, oxford grey, medium grey, dove grey.



In town -- summer: linen ( somewhat heavy -- like canvas -- or medium weight).

Typical colors: oatmeal, tan, pale yellow, dove grey, cream or off white.


.

 

[birdiepie]

I LOVE spats as well! Wish I had one pair, but I don't know what shoes I could wear with them.... [huh]

Naama

I have a pair of vintage ladies spats (well, they'd probably be more accurately described as "gaiters") that are about 8" tall, the label inside is marked "Watertite -rain proof". I wear them in the winter, over a pair of moderately heeled oxfords. I always get complements when I wear them! I wish I had a few more pairs!
`

 

[Marc Chevalier]

You want spats? I'll give you spats! These are from the 1920s:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

And here's what a pair of heavy linen (canvas?) spats look like:

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Damn you, Chevalier! You beat me to it. Those are some crazy giraffe-dyed spats, right there. And noone wanted them on the e(vil)Bay, eh?

bk

 

[Hammelby]

What an interesting piece you got there Chevalier!

Those giraffe-skin spats must have been SO hep back then!
Do you possibly know more about the history of these spats, they look like they carry a fantastic story..

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Why are spats white?

I got to thinking the other day...spats come in different tones (white, grey, etc.), but usually we see them in white. Okay so far.

But every explanation I could find of their origin says they were originally worn to keep the dirt and grime of the streets off of a man's shoes. Wouldn't white be the absolute WORST choice? Shouldn't they almost always have been the color or tone of the pants/shoes?

Sorry if this is a dumb noob question, but it's been bugging me...

 

[adamgottschalk]

I'm no spats expert (though others around here are) but most of the spats I've seen have been in earth or dark tones. Agreed on the sillines of white. White underwear strikes me the same way, but that's another thread...

 

[reetpleat]

I'm no spats expert (though others around here are) but most of the spats I've seen have been in earth or dark tones. Agreed on the sillines of white. White underwear strikes me the same way, but that's another thread...

The answere lies in the point in time in which spats were no longer necesery and became a fashion accessory. Of course the desire would be to give the appearance of a man so wealthy he never had to venture into dirty streets and had a butler to keep his spats changed and cleaned.

SO, white became the fashionable accessory of the day.

 

[Orgetorix]

The answere lies in the point in time in which spats were no longer necesery and became a fashion accessory. Of course the desire would be to give the appearance of a man so wealthy he never had to venture into dirty streets and had a butler to keep his spats changed and cleaned.

SO, white became the fashionable accessory of the day.

Reetpleat is right, and I'll add to his comments: spats developed because they were easier to keep clean than canvas-topped boots like the ones below. So white spats had the advantage of looking neater and being easier to keep that way.

 

[Sunny]

White underwear strikes me the same way, but that's another thread...

fftopic: I found the answer for that in my other (earlier) historical interests. White fabrics can be cheap (no dye) and strong, and period laundry methods tended to be tough on fabric. You could boil and bleach the tar out of white and not damage its appearance in the slightest.

The best example is actually in babies' and young children's wear. You'll read a lot of romantic bunk that the Victorians idealized their children as "little angels" and dressed them accordingly. But babies and children are Messy. Mothers could boil and bleach and blue their little dresses back to white every week and they'd look just fine. A more "practical" cotton print can't be bleached, fades rapidly, and looks very worn after a few months of constant wear.

 

[johnnycanuck]

I would have to agree with Sunny. Its the same reason collars were detachable from shirts and usually white. So you can bleach the heck out of them to keep them looking nice and fresh. When they start looking shabby, buy new ones. So you make your shoes and your shirt last a lot longer and looking nice.
Johnny

 

[undertaker]

Wow!!!!!!!!

Reetpleat is right, and I'll add to his comments: spats developed because they were easier to keep clean than canvas-topped boots like the ones below. So white spats had the advantage of looking neater and being easier to keep that way.

Where in the world did these come from. I absolutely love'em.

Regards,
J.S.

 

[Orgetorix]

Where in the world did these come from. I absolutely love'em.

They're bespoke (not mine), and I don't know who made them originally. Manton would know--he's the one who originally posted them in this thread. The French shoemaker Aubercy will do them, as will John Lobb and some other bespoke makers.

 

[reetpleat]

fftopic: I found the answer for that in my other (earlier) historical interests. White fabrics can be cheap (no dye) and strong, and period laundry methods tended to be tough on fabric. You could boil and bleach the tar out of white and not damage its appearance in the slightest.

The best example is actually in babies' and young children's wear. You'll read a lot of romantic bunk that the Victorians idealized their children as "little angels" and dressed them accordingly. But babies and children are Messy. Mothers could boil and bleach and blue their little dresses back to white every week and they'd look just fine. A more "practical" cotton print can't be bleached, fades rapidly, and looks very worn after a few months of constant wear.

Makes perfect sense to me.

The irony of that is funny. The easiest color to get dirty is most popular because it is the easiest to get clean.

 

[Sunny]

Makes perfect sense to me.

The irony of that is funny. The easiest color to get dirty is most popular because it is the easiest to get clean.

Ain't it, though! lol It's something that doesn't occur to us anymore. It's completely common sense, but I never made the connection until someone explained it to me. Somewhere along the line, clothing got cheaper to replace (material less costly, construction less time-intensive) and cleaning methods got more effective and less intense. Now the "messy" clothes are ones that don't show dirt and stains as much: small prints that camouflage, and drab colors that don't show soiling. A minor paradigm shift, I suppose.