Tailors Catalogues

[Baron Kurtz]

Here's a catalogue from a 30s british tailors i recently picked up. A nice little quarto volume put out by Willerby & Co. Ltd. Willerby promote themselves as "the largest credit tailors in the country". Lay away suits for the less well off. They were based on the Tottenham Court Road in London, but had multiple London and "Provincial" branches. This particular example of their catalogue i suspect to be from the middle 1930s, but i'm not sure for certain.

Note how peak lapels on a single breasted jacket (see model "The Berkeley") are described as "Double Breasted Lapels"

bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Of 19 models, 15 are smoking cigarettes or pipes.

bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Please use this thread to post your examples of similar catalogues.

bk

 

[Sunny]

bk

Aha! A regrettable double-breasted waistcoat! lol

Seriously, Baron, these are splendid scans. Thank you for pointing out the period-accurate terminology as well. I doubt I'll have anything to contribute for a long time, but they are excellent reference pictures.

 

[scotrace]

There are my gloves again.

Wonderful stuff. "Double Breasted Lapels." I like "The Mayfair." Put that one aside for me and I'll send $20 every pay...

 

[benstephens]

Very Nice Baron. I would say you are right with the age. It seems very difficult to get catalogues like this. Annoyingly I passed over a whole set of Tailor and Cutting magazines from 1935-1937. I kick myself everyday!

Ben

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Smoking gives the men something to do with their hands. Thanks for posting this. I set out a binder but my customers always know what they want when they come to me.

 

[Jovan]

You have a tailoring business?

The Berkeley is my favourite. Many of you will note that the peak lapels on the single breasteds are exactly horizontal -- just like a double breasted. Perhaps that's why they call them that?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

There are my gloves again.

Yes, on "The Roxburgh" model, among others. Funnily enough i'm from a town right next to Roxburgh. Main feature of which being this cool viaduct:

My favourite from this catalogue is undoubtedly "The Regent".

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[Baron Kurtz]

Thank you for pointing out the period-accurate terminology as well.

Hmm, i don't know if that's period accuracy or just plain weird terminology.

bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

t seems very difficult to get catalogues like this.

You're not wrong. First one i've seen i think. Glad no-one else saw it, or rather no-one else wanted it, on eBay.

bk

 

[Mr. Rover]

I quite like the front cover picture--perfect proportions and he kinda looks like me with his squinty eyes.
I think I learned from the Sam's Tailor suit that in order to get the silhouette we seek from these types of catalogues is to ask for a medium full chest and a fitted waist and hip. This creates that tapered V shape, whether you actually have it or not, and still look tailored.

 

[J. Brisbin]

I also noticed that most of these models had both buttons buttoned on the DBs. Is this the appropriate period way to wear a DB suit? I watch a lot of old movies on TCM and it seems like mid-late '40s style is to just do the top button. Is that right?

 

[Mr. Rover]

There's really no "wrong" way to button a double breasted suit jacket. Fred Astaire, Duke of Windsor, and many Hollywood types wore theirs with only the bottom button done up, traditionally you see it with the top button done up, and the dorkier, uptight people tend to button both.
Also, the wrap is SOOOO wide on the DBs in this catalogue with the exception of the front cover. To keep out the cold?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Also, the wrap is SOOOO wide on the DBs in this catalogue with the exception of the front cover. To keep out the cold?

Yeah, particularly on "The Coventry" and "The Piccadilly". One of my 30s british DBs has such button placement. he rest are more "standard".

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[Sunny]

Hmm, i don't know if that's period accuracy or just plain weird terminology.

bk

All the more reason for making note of it. It would've been very mystifying to run across it without an accompanying sketch. This is unfortunately something that stumps me regularly with ACW stuff. Now, in the future, you'll know.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Pre-war

Yeah, particularly on "The Coventry" and "The Piccadilly". One of my 30s british DBs has such button placement. he rest are more "standard".

bk

Baron,

I remember Willerby's Tailors well. In 1965 they had 92 branches in many of the major towns and cities in the UK. They were among the 14 leading 'independents' with more than 50 shops (i.e. not part of the Burton group, UDS or GUS). Of the 14, I think I am right in saying that only Greenwoods is still operating in substantially the same form.

Alan

 

[Orgetorix]

I'll take one Regent and one front-cover-style suit, please!

Also, it's amazing to me how high the waist on the full-dress suit is.

 

[Micawber]

Baron,

I remember Willerby's Tailors well. In 1965 they had 92 branches in many of the major towns and cities in the UK. They were among the 14 leading 'independents' with more than 50 shops (i.e. not part of the Burton group, UDS or GUS). Of the 14, I think I am right in saying that only Greenwoods is still operating in substantially the same form.

Alan

I remember them too.

 

[Micawber]

Very Nice Baron. I would say you are right with the age. It seems very difficult to get catalogues like this. Annoyingly I passed over a whole set of Tailor and Cutting magazines from 1935-1937. I kick myself everyday!

Ben

By rights there should be a box of mostly bound vintage Tailor & Cutter magazines up in my loft that were given to me over thirty years ago by a tailor I worked with who had been in the trade all his life and who was then in his mid seventies. I say by rights as I haven't seen them since they were packed away a couple of house sales ago.