Suit Materials of the 30's-50's?

[slicedbread]

I've browsed this forum for quite awhile and have always heard mention of how great the heavy wools of back in the day were....However, I'm curious as to what other materials were used to make suits back then...For example, was cotton used? Polyester? Silk? And what were these materials used in. Did they have the connotation of cheapness back then as they do now(mainly aimed at cotton and polyester)?

 

[Grace]

My expertise is mostly in vintage womens clothing, but if it helps I've only ever seen wool and wool blend suits in my old catalogs, etc. Linen was used, and even 'Palm Beach' is a wool blend (commonly 1/3 wool). I've also seen cotton twill slacks. Though polyester was patented in the 40s, I don't think it was commonly used until the 50s. In all my years of dealing in vintage I've never come across any poly older than 50s.

Hope this helps you!

 

[Grace]

Well it's tough to say for sure without actually seeing and feeling the suits. My best guess would be worsted wool, but again it's hard to say for sure without feeling them.

poly-cotton doesn't sound right for the era. If the seller is not well versed in vintage, the poly cotton is probably just his best guess.

I really wish I could be of more help to you! Did you win any of the suits you mentioned above? If so, I could advise a burn test to help you identify the fiber, but if it is a blend, that test would be inconclusive.

 

[Matt Deckard]

No live auctions may be listed.

 

[slicedbread]

Those auctions had ended when I posted them... Anyways, yes I did win one but he had the particular suit that I won as wool so no worries there.

 

[manton]

I've browsed this forum for quite awhile and have always heard mention of how great the heavy wools of back in the day were....However, I'm curious as to what other materials were used to make suits back then...For example, was cotton used? Polyester? Silk? And what were these materials used in. Did they have the connotation of cheapness back then as they do now(mainly aimed at cotton and polyester)?

Wool was far and away the most common material. The very top end stuff sold in expensive tailor shops was probably the equivlant of what we today call "Super 80s" or maybe 70s. That is, not super silky to the touch, but hardly scratchy. Tweeds were another matter (sandpaper, some of them).

Weights were much higher. This was partly owing to necessity, as sheep breeding had just not reached the point where superfine fleeces were being grown. Also, loom technology at the time could not have handled it even had it existed. It was also a matter of lifestyle. Central heating was rare, and indoor spaces were generally much cooler. Plus, men took for granted that sometimes sweating was inevitable. To underdress just to avoid that was unthinkable.

Very lightweight cloth back then would have been ten ounces. Mid-weight more like 14. Heavy, 16 and up. By contrast, today, 8 ounce cloth is everywhere, and you can even find 6 or 7. The very heaviest stuff I know of tops out at 16, and there is precious little of it.

Cotton was not common for suits or tailored clothing, but was common for sportswear. Silk was a speciality cloth, used for tropical suits, but only by a limited number of clients. Linen was also popular for summer.

 

[Fletch]

The technology to make especially cotton fabrics last, hold color and not shrink lagged for many years before what we have now. A recent thread on Army shoes - can't place it now, there are several - pointed to a 1931 article in the Quartermaster's Journal about the trouble the QM Corps had in the '20s in developing a serviceable khaki twill cotton for summer uniforms. Among other problems, the color kept washing out when scrub brushed. The mills at one point said a fabric like the Army wanted couldn't possibly be made - but eventually they made it. It was a few years after that before it found its way into civilian work clothes, and many more before it was considered acceptable dress wear.

 

[BigSleep]

So cool!

Threads like this are why I love this forum!

 

[Tango Yankee]

This item, a 1941 INTERNATIONAL TAILORING MEN'S FASHION CATALOG SALESMAN SAMPLE BOOK that was sold on eBay, would have been a great reference. It included cloth samples as well as drawings. I watched it, but it went for a tad higher than I was willing to pay at this point.

Cheers,
Tom