Suits - Pre 1920

[Dinerman]

 

[The Good]

Very nice, Dinerman. Wouldn't that be a frock coat?

 

[simonc]

not sure of date but gotta be close to pre-20's

 

[DamianM]

That is probably mid 20s

Here is a jacket of mine No labels but made of pristine mohair for the summer

 

[Papperskatt]

Here is a jacket of mine No labels but made of pristine mohair for the summer

Cool jacket. I haven't seen many four button jackets with peak lapels.

 

[GBR]

Interestingly for Canadian suits most have just three pockets in the trousers (not 4/5 associated with the USA) and many have just one inside pocket in the coats. A very English approach.

 

[Boinciel]

Interestingly for Canadian suits most have just three pockets in the trousers (not 4/5 associated with the USA) and many have just one inside pocket in the coats. A very English approach.

This was fairly standard up until about the mid-50s up here, I think. Most of the jackets I've found from 1950 or earlier only have one pocket on the inside, opposite the outer breast pocket.

 

[herringbonekid]

That is probably mid 20s

looks earlier to me. i.e. 1917-19

 

[herringbonekid]

 

[Two Types]

These have been posted in another thread, but I thought they should also be in here:

Engineers in England on an outing (probably pre-WW1). They all seem to be wearing heavy tweed suits with low-set patch pockets on the breast:

A group from the same engineering works (or trade union) circa WW1:

 

[The Good]

Herringbonekid, if only modern suit makers could get the rise right, and use thicker fabrics, similar suits to those in the picture might as well be in fashion today. I believe that those trim late 1910s and early 1920s suits with the taper could fit in quite well with the slim fitting convention that is prevalent now, yet stand out tastefully.

 

[Broccoli]

Herringbonekid, if only modern suit makers could get the rise right, and use thicker fabrics, similar suits to those in the picture might as well be in fashion today. I believe that those trim late 1910s and early 1920s suits with the taper could fit in quite well with the slim fitting convention that is prevalent now, yet stand out tastefully.

There is so much else than just the rise to correct. The whole cut and structure is wrong today. There are so many details that need to be incorporated for the slim figure to work. A high rise won't save this:


But I certainly see your point.

 

[DamianM]

Somehow my links got messed up. here is one of mine in Mohair probably dates back to the early 10's

 

[herringbonekid]

 

[Claudio]

In my opinion most (not all, but almost all) of the actual suits in early-mid 20's pictures are terrible fits, very very far away from the advertisment sketches of the day. These show very slim cuts, small shoulderlines, trim trousers, great breaks to the trousers etc. The pcitures show an entirely different fit to the suits (often really bad). I think its mainly actors and royality that look good in them IMO.

 

[Rudie]

Same as today, then. Except that now actors usually wear bad fitting suits as well which leaves us with Prince Charles.

 

[Fastuni]

Then as now the ideal physique for the trim and tight suits was slim and slender.
Few people (nowadays even less) fit that bill and therefore look quite unlike idealized models and illustrations.

 

[Claudio]

What I mean however is that its almost as if the drawings were not at all like the final product (its a known fact that for example the heads were drawn lrager then the body and the small shoulders). Nowdays the models wearing the garmnets are indeed wearing the item 8and thus all you need is a model pysique) but in the early-mid 20's all the 'real people' were wearing ill-fitting clothes. If you flip through the endless lovely sketches of jazz suits and the like you will not find the picture equivalent. this however is not the case from the 30's onwards.

 

[Rudie]

I disagree. Look at the red carpet pics of today's rich and famous and nearly all of them wear ill-fitting suits. If they can be bothered to wear suits at all.

 

[Claudio]

I do not take todays red carpet as 'normal' everyday suit attire. I am Italian and so I take what Italians usually wear (suit wise that is), and like it or hate it, they are wearing what Italian brands are currenty selling and these are true to fit (most times). red-carpet events are indeed the worst place to look at for decent fitting clothes. However, my main point was regardnig 20's adverts to the actual pcitures of the era, rather than what is worn today. These are my observations so glad be corrected if there are more pcitures out there but lets face it, the usual pictures that we always see online are far from the sketches and drawings.