Spherical shirt studs- thoughts?

[renor27]

I must say have totaly enjoyed being part of the lounge and learning from all of you. I am putting together a late 1930s early 1940s blue collar working man's look and need a jacket. I have been looking @ films and photos and not really sure just what jacket would have been worn in that period. I have a
Pendleton in wool great for winter just a little warm in the summer. I know that a suit for Sunday and weddings will be needed guess double breasted with a fedora. What about the every day jacket( light weight ) something to wear to the factory or ship yard ?
David Kerr

 

[MikeyB17]

How about denim?

Classic workwear. I'm no denim expert, but I know Aero do several vintage repro denim jackets (and jeans!), of models from the 30's and 40's and before. Some are pretty expensive (The japanese repros are veerrry close to the originals, I understand), some not too bad. Have a look:-

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/...oViewPage?page=displaysubcatlist&subcatid=107

Good luck, hope this helps. Beware, vintage denim is addictive!

 

[Renderking Fisk]

All vintage is addictive. I don't think you can go wrong with any vintage leather jacket. I understand the bomber jackets were plentiful.

 

[MikeyB17]

That's true, leather was also pretty widely worn (Aero do several 40's style leather jackets, too-I don't work for them, honest!) The A-2 wasn't introduced until 1931, and I'd be surprised if many found their way into civilian hands until after the war, but there are things like the half belt style, a classic US leather jacket.

 

[Michaelson]

There were a LOT of movies made in the 1947 - 49 timeperiod that showed the American male returning to the workforce, and one in particular (which I can NOT remember the name of, but William Bendex was in it if memory serves me correctly... ) was about a particular man who moved to Pittsburg to work at the steel mills. He got hired, and was told that the only gear he was required to provide himself were leather work gloves and a leather jacket to protect him from the heat and sparks of the blast furnace. Absolutely EVERY man was wearing an A-2, and I distinctly remember them referring him to a military surplus store across the street from the cafe/gathering place of the workers. That stuck with me, and was confirmed by an old steel worker who lived next to me in my hometown, and worked at our local Detroit Steel mill (now a Walmart parkinglot :rage: ), who confirmed they went through surplus flight jackets through the middle 50's like folks did blue jeans.

Offered for your consideration......

Regards. Michaelson

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Here are some pictures of workers involved in the General Motors strike in Flint, Michigan during the 1930's.

 

[BellyTank]

Here's an illustrastion of a couple of workmen from your era-

http://photobucket.com/albums/v357/zaphobeeblebrox/?action=view&current=sugarmen.jpg

No jackets though, sorry. Gotta have a chambray work shirt and some kind of dungarees/waist overalls or the like too.

BT.

 

[Renderking Fisk]

...and worked at our local Detroit Steel mill (now a Walmart parkinglot :rage: )...

Wal-Martians... I hate these guys.

MK did an artilce somewhere about how The Jones Look was the Working man's Uniform... any idea where we could find that?

 

[MikeyB17]

I speak with forked tongue...

Just found a reproduction on Acme depot of an ad from May 1941, selling A-2 jackets for $9.98 each! Wish they still had them at that price! Not sure if they're actual issue jackets though-I have a feeling they're probably 'private purchase'-essentially the same jacket but with different labels, specifically for the civilian market. These were quite common, especially after the war, but as you can see, the man in the street (or in the factory , or shipyard) could well have been wearing an A-2, or something very similar, during wartime.

 

[El Jefe]

For a shirt, you might want to check out this kind of striped soft cotton work shirt, as a variant on the normally associated chambray and denim...I distinctly remember my grandad and great grandad wearing quite old work shirts of this type when I was very little.
Lands' End now sells them and calls them Dobby Naturals, I got one a while ago and it's spot on to what I remember.
Dobby Naturals
I got the red/grey one, it's pretty sweet...

 

[Badluck Brody]

Where are you living?

Like any working man, I think that what you wear to work depends on the climate, the weather, and of coarse the job that you're doing.

Here in the frozen tundra that is Wisconsin, it's Winter, then tollerable, then summer humid, then tolerable, then back to the snow. During the fall or rainy season, my grandpa often wore what some would consider a leather bomber only with a letter jacket collar. He also had a used police jacket (without the patches) that he was very proud of wearing.

He wore a denim field coat, and a heavy Vince Lombardi jacket during the winter.

T- or A shirts during the summer as soon as his shop shirt came off. Khakies for the summer, rarely saw him wear shorts.(He was always working)

Grandpa always said, "Aside from a tux... Pants should be cuffed, even in the coffin..."

Yeah he was tough one. Fought for his first job as a pin-setter at a bowling alley when he was 12, the other kid was 2 or 3 years older than he was. I'm told that he lost a tooth, but he got the job.

They don't make em like that anymore

Brody

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Yeah, your right Brody...

Your Grandpop would go to jail for fighting nowadays.

BT... great picture, I'm the guy on the left with the rope, going for coffee. I wouldn't want to hang around the guy with the sledge too long, I might have to do some work. Think I'll just look busy and walk around with this peice of rope...

 

[grant]

You might what to check out the book BOUND FOR GLORY: AMERICA IN COLOR 1939-1943 by Paul Hendrickson. The book has an amazing collection of photographs by FSA (Farm Security Administration) photographers that documented America at work on the farm, in the factory and at play. There are quite a few great color kodachrome photographs showing working men and women dressed in their everday work clothes.

Personally, when not wearing an A-2 I like wearing vintage denim "chore jackets" or "engineer jackets" as they're sometimes called which are the long four pocket denim jackets often worn by farmers and railroad workers from the 30's through the 60's. They were made by numerous work clothing manufacturers including Lee, Oshkosh B'Gosh, Carhartt, Sears Hercules, Penny's Payday, etc. The old chore jackets look great with an old beat up workshirt.

You may also want to check out some of the great Japanese reproductions of American workware including denim chin-strap work shirts by Sugar Cane and the classic US Navy chambray workshirt by Buzz Rickson.

Grant

 

[Biltmore Bob]

My Grandpop was a West Virginia coal miner and he wore a red and black plaid macanaw, it was probably a Pendleton or Filson. He also had a matching ear flapped cap that tied on the top. Sometimes when he went to town he would wear a gray fedora. I remember that he looked pretty sharp with that outfit.

 

[BellyTank]

Keep lookin on eBay Bawb- plenty of red/black Filson and other makes of vintage work and hunting attire for you-
B
T

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Too hot for Texas.

 

[BellyTank]

Oh Yeah...
B
T

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Where I am I can pretty much wear light weat clothing year round. There's only about 2 months out of the year when it gets somewhat cold, relatively speaking of course. 30s and 40s at night and rising to 50s and 60s during the day.