The Thread to Display Your 1930s Suits

[Patrick Hall]

A beautiful coat for a great price! Your two options are to have the holes darned or rewoven. Darning is cheaper, and given that the fabric is quite dark, and the holes relatively small, you can probably get away with going that route. I'd take them to a local tailor for that work - darning isn't really a specialist operation. Reweaving is a different story. To have the holes rewoven will mean that a small bit of fabric from somewhere not obvious, perhaps from behind where the patch pockets sit, will be woven into the holes, thread by thread. The repair is almost totally invisible, but because the work is so time consuming, it is expensive. I can recommend a good reweaver that has done great work for me here in the US, but given that you are in Europe, someone else might have to provide you with recommendations, should you go that route. But, as I said, given that the holes are small and the fabric is dark, I think you'd be better served foregoing a reweaver and taking the coat to someone local and having them do the repairs.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

And I thought it's impossible to find other color than black around here. The color is navy blue. Condition isn't perfect, there are few moth holes and some cleaning is needed, but it cost less than ten dollars excl. porto. intact waistcoat included. Master tailor was V. Hampejs from Zduchovice (then Czechoslovakia). Any advice how to repair moth holes ? Largest is ca 4 mm long and 3 mm wide.
View attachment 108269

Nice suit: Congrats!
Would like to see more pictures.
And you should also post it in the German/Continental Suits Threat.

 

[Giftmacher]

Thanks for advice, I will take it to my tailor. I took it for cleaning today, I'll pick it up at the end of next week.

 

[Giftmacher]

It's a bit tight, but I think I'll keep it.

 

[VintageEveryday]

Deep blue suit dated 1938. My first 1930s suit and it fits like a glove! I only spent $90 on it!! There are about 20 tiny moth holes scattered throughout the whole suit, but luckily they're not noticeable . ItsI a perfect 46L AND it has a definite waist suppression.

 

[MondoFW]

Deep blue suit dated 1938. My first 1930s suit and it fits like a glove! I only spent $90 on it!! There are about 20 tiny moth holes scattered throughout the whole suit, but luckily they're not noticeable . ItsI a perfect 46L AND it has a definite waist suppression. View attachment 121172 View attachment 121173

Congratulations! I saw this listing and would have swiped it if it were my size. Glad it's gone to a lounger. It's a great suit, moth bites are a shame.

 

[VintageEveryday]

I really don't mind them. They're small enough to darn by hand without ruining the suit.

 

[JennieRage]

Here is a 1930 tuxedo suit that I recently acquired.
The jacket is labeled Geo. Hoelscher Kitchener, Ontario while the pants have Geo. Hoelscher Berlin buttons.
The name of the Ontario ( Canada) city Berlin was officially changed to Kitchener in 1916.
I am wondering if the pants were made earlier than the jacket or if the pant buttons were 14+ year old leftover stock?
I am thinking it is the latter since the waist lining and the sleeve linings are the same fabric.
The inside back of the pant bottoms are reinforced with extra fabric. Is there a term for this?

 

[MondoFW]

View attachment 121533 View attachment 121534 View attachment 121535 View attachment 121536 View attachment 121537 View attachment 121538 View attachment 121539 View attachment 121540 Here is a 1930 tuxedo suit that I recently acquired.
The jacket is labeled Geo. Hoelscher Kitchener, Ontario while the pants have Geo. Hoelscher Berlin buttons.
The name of the Ontario ( Canada) city Berlin was officially changed to Kitchener in 1916.
I am wondering if the pants were made earlier than the jacket or if the pant buttons were 14+ year old leftover stock?
I am thinking it is the latter since the waist lining and the sleeve linings are the same fabric.
The inside back of the pant bottoms are reinforced with extra fabric. Is there a term for this?

Impressive find. What's your source, just vintage shops?

 

[JennieRage]

Thank you MondoFW. I was squealing inside when I found it.
I frequent second hand shops, very rarely vintage based ones. But I examine everything - no one likes to shop with me!
My boyfriend has sat in the car numerous times for 2 to 3 hours waiting for me. I am very blessed with this man! I will get a pang of guilt thinking of him out there thinking I am lollygagging and suddenly he will text me with " Take your time, baby."
It's a good life I have.

 

[MondoFW]

Thank you MondoFW. I was squealing inside when I found it.
I frequent second hand shops, very rarely vintage based ones. But I examine everything - no one likes to shop with me!
My boyfriend has sat in the car numerous times for 2 to 3 hours waiting for me. I am very blessed with this man! I will get a pang of guilt thinking of him out there thinking I am lollygagging and suddenly he will text me with " Take your time, baby."
It's a good life I have.

Lucky! No one ever wants to shop with me either, and I don't even take that long. Your partner is a keeper! Does he ever show interest in the garments you find?
It's impressive how you find these gems at second hand stores, considering how every store I've been to rarely has pre-1960's stuff. Hopefully, my trip to Manhattan will change this. Good luck on searching!

 

[Michael A]

View attachment 121533 View attachment 121534 View attachment 121535 View attachment 121536 View attachment 121537 View attachment 121538 View attachment 121539 View attachment 121540 Here is a 1930 tuxedo suit that I recently acquired.
The jacket is labeled Geo. Hoelscher Kitchener, Ontario while the pants have Geo. Hoelscher Berlin buttons.
The name of the Ontario ( Canada) city Berlin was officially changed to Kitchener in 1916.
I am wondering if the pants were made earlier than the jacket or if the pant buttons were 14+ year old leftover stock?
I am thinking it is the latter since the waist lining and the sleeve linings are the same fabric.
The inside back of the pant bottoms are reinforced with extra fabric. Is there a term for this?

You've been on a roll Jennie. Some great finds. Hope your sharp eye means that your good luck will continue.

Michael

 

[Giftmacher]

Moth holes repair. Not too visible on the photo, but actually it looks like glued piece of cloth on it.

 

[VintageEveryday]

You won't find anything in Manhattan. I live there and there's no Vintage stores that carry anything pre 50s

Lucky! No one ever wants to shop with me either, and I don't even take that long. Your partner is a keeper! Does he ever show interest in the garments you find?
It's impressive how you find these gems at second hand stores, considering how every store I've been to rarely has pre-1960's stuff. Hopefully, my trip to Manhattan will change this. Good luck on searching!

 

[MondoFW]

You won't find anything in Manhattan. I live there and there's no Vintage stores that carry anything pre 50s

Are you positive? I'd rather not give up on the search entirely. I was given names of possible stores to search, so i thought "why not?".

 

[Mathematicus]

You may try but I would lower my expectations.

I hear that quite often, unfortunately. Nowadays thrift shops carry loads of casual wear garbage and womens wear. Suits are rather sparse, a bit better with tweed jackets.

But amongst the tailoring stuff they have a good 99% is 80s or 90s, at best 70s. If one is really lucky, a 60s piece. The rare stuff from 40s and 30s is nearly impossible to find in thrift shops around big centres, collectors and re-sellers have already grabbed everything away.

Not a critique against vintage resellers, just the matter of fact, which I personally find a bit frustrating, as this kind of monopoly has made vintage tailoring prices to rise so much that buying original vintage suits from the Golden Era is a luxury!

You can buy a respectable 30s suit from certain sellers - whom I will not name - for prices like 400 £ on average. For a fraction more of that price you can get MTM from a respectable house, it will be not Savile Row but it will fit better than RTW, it will last more time if you choose the cloth wisely and in truth it will fit better than some "grail" vintage suits, which being bespoke made have higher chance of being oddly shaped. And if you carefully source the cloth yourself you can get good deals.

 

[MondoFW]

You may try but I would lower my expectations.

I hear that quite often, unfortunately. Nowadays thrift shops carry loads of casual wear garbage and womens wear. Suits are rather sparse, a bit better with tweed jackets.

But amongst the tailoring stuff they have a good 99% is 80s or 90s, at best 70s. If one is really lucky, a 60s piece. The rare stuff from 40s and 30s is nearly impossible to find in thrift shops around big centres, collectors and re-sellers have already grabbed everything away.

Not a critique against vintage resellers, just the matter of fact, which I personally find a bit frustrating, as this kind of monopoly has made vintage tailoring prices to rise so much that buying original vintage suits from the Golden Era is a luxury!

You can buy a respectable 30s suit from certain sellers - whom I will not name - for prices like 400 £ on average. For a fraction more of that price you can get MTM from a respectable house, it will be not Savile Row but it will fit better than RTW, it will last more time if you choose the cloth wisely and in truth it will fit better than some "grail" vintage suits, which being bespoke made have higher chance of being oddly shaped. And if you carefully source the cloth yourself you can get good deals.

Hmph, how disheartening. I suppose the search in NY will have to be called off. I suppose most of the golden era goodies in the US are lost in the Midwest, but Dinerman is continually excavating those

 

[VintageEveryday]

Are you positive? I'd rather not give up on the search entirely. I was given names of possible stores to search, so i thought "why not?".

I'm positive. I live here .I haven't seen anything older than the 50s in most stores.

 

[MondoFW]

I'm positive. I live here .I haven't seen anything older than the 50s in most stores.

well, that blows. Suppose i have to give up on that adventure.

 

[Peter Valades]

Found these in the wild yesterday still need some pressing. From the same man dated 36 and 37. Oddly enough were one my exact size even the pants. The other fits it's just a little tight near the armpits.