The Thread to Display Your 1930s Suits

[Mean Eyed Matt]

I'm pretty sure it's "J.C. Penney Co." by now.
I found some labels like this while doing my research.
However, this design seems to be in use for some time - maybe until the 40s?

Dinerman's Homepage:
https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2015/05/26/1930s-1940s-penneys-brown-tweed-suit/
https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2012/12/09/1930s-penneys-belt-back-jacket/
https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2012/10/22/1930s-alpaca-overcoat-j-c-penney-co/

others (ebay & co - also dinerman):
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a1/da/ac/a1daacb471d052fae7b1111387e316eb.jpg
https://picclick.com/Vintage-1940s-JC-Penney-Pinstripe-Double-Breasted-Gangster-153274322101.html
https://picclick.com/Vintage-1940s-JC-Penney-blue-double-breasted-suit-273168280959.html

 

[michael78]

I believe it is so. Look at the second label in this website:

https://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/penney-jc/

The strokes of the first letters are identical and there seems to be the last "Co." as well.
Given the similarity, I would be very surprised if this were not a honest J.C. Penneys late 20's/early 30s suit!

Thank Gents for your input!...reckon Penneys is a good suggestion

 

[michael78]

I'm pretty sure it's "J.C. Penney Co." by now.
I found some labels like this while doing my research.
However, this design seems to be in use for some time - maybe until the 40s?

Dinerman's Homepage:
https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2015/05/26/1930s-1940s-penneys-brown-tweed-suit/
https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2012/12/09/1930s-penneys-belt-back-jacket/
https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2012/10/22/1930s-alpaca-overcoat-j-c-penney-co/

others (ebay & co - also dinerman):
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a1/da/ac/a1daacb471d052fae7b1111387e316eb.jpg
https://picclick.com/Vintage-1940s-JC-Penney-Pinstripe-Double-Breasted-Gangster-153274322101.html
https://picclick.com/Vintage-1940s-JC-Penney-blue-double-breasted-suit-273168280959.html

Hey! Matt...thats a GREAT! shout....think you guys cracked it!!

 

[Patrick Hall]

Wow - I'd say that's pretty conclusive. Good job Matt!

 

[Jason W.]

My 1939-1945 suit and the 1930s suit. Is the brown suit early, mid, or late 1930s? (1930-1933, 1933-1936, or 1936-1939)

 

[Jason W.]

How do I remove silverfish brown stains all over this suit? Ordered this suit last July and silverfish came out and there were stains everywhere.. Does drycleaning help this early 1930s-mid palm beach suit?

 

[Patrick Hall]

Hi Jason,

in regards to the brown double breasted suit you bought from Jeffrey Solis, it's hard to date it with much more precision than he already has. I went and looked at the other photos of it on his FB page - I'd hazard a guess that it is mid-to-late-30's based on the shoulder expression and the lapel shape. When it arrives, if it hasn't yet, check the inner pocket for a dated tailor's label, or a union label. Regardless of the specific date - it's a gorgeous suit in a very iconic drape cut. Wear it in good health!

In terms of the Palm Beach suit you purchased, my experience is that dry-cleaning is not particularly effective any more. I suspect it's because all the really effective dry cleaning chemicals they used to use were literally death-sludge, and the stuff they use now is much less toxic but doesn't work very well. But you are in luck, because Palm Beach Cloth was designed to endure a good wet clean. The jackets are not canvassed, and have a simple shoulder construction that lacks any sort of padding that might be damaged by water. I have rehabilitated two 30's era PBC suits that had very significant staining with great results, by submerging them in a hot water/oxygen bleach solution for six hours. In the US, oxygen bleach is marketed as "Oxyclean." With both these cream PBC suits, after a long Oxyclean bath they came out looking like I'd just bought them off the rack, after a fresh water rinse, air-dry and a press of course. For maintenance after your suit's first deep clean, a detergent and water bath once a summer ought to do the trick. The only risk with a wet clean of fabric this old is dry-rot. If the fabric has rotted, the stress of a wet clean will do it no favors, and you'll end up with tears. But, if the fabric is rotted, the stress of WEARING the suit would have the same damaging effect. So, this is a risk I have always happily taken. Only once did it bite me in the ass, with a 30's cotton pincord suit that turned out to be rotted.

 

[Jason W.]

The Brown suit arrived two weeks ago. It doesn't have any labels on it.

 

[Patrick Hall]

Sometimes that happens, unfortunately. Well, mid-to-late 30's is the best bet I can give you. Perhaps others have more specific guesses. Hope you'll share some of your own photos of your recent acquisitions! They look beautiful.

 

[101 Pathfinder]

Suits of distinction from page 1-60 of the show us your suits thread.

Those double breasted suits are still stylish by today's standards ....

 

[MondoFW]

The green one is amazing! I reckon that's one of Marc Chevalier's suits.

 

[MondoFW]

My new-to-me 1930s double breasted palm beach suit. Now, for the spring and summer to come...

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Palm Beach suits are always a good choice.
Yours is a particularly fine specimen: Congrats!

 

[miket5r]

Hi
Here my new John Dillinger double breasted suit, made by Magnoli Clothes

 

[resortes805]

Let's keep this thread for authentic 1930s suits. Reproductions are fun, but let's keep it original.

 

[Menswear and Trains]

Let's keep this thread for authentic 1930s suits. Reproductions are fun, but let's keep it original.

In addition, if anyone wants to sell their 1930s suits (Why would you), this would be the perfect thread to do it

 

[Peacoat]

@resortes805 the originator of the thread has requested we limit this thread to original 1930s suits. I think this is a valid request. 1930s reproductions can go in another thread.