Vintage menswear MIRACLE

[Marc Chevalier]

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Vintage miracles do occur, even today.


At the last Vintage Fashion Expo in Santa Monica, California, a dealer (Kevin Looney of "Go Vintage Go") told us about --and showed us!-- his latest find. He went to a garage sale in St. Paul, Minnesota, and asked the folks if they had any old menswear. "We sure do," they replied, "in the basement." Turns out their long-dead grandfather had had a clothing store, and when it closed many years ago, he put some of the old unsold merchandise in his home's basement...


The dealer was invited to take a look. He found, covered in sheets, about 70 (yes, 70) men's suits from the mid 1920s...never worn, in a variety of sizes, in perfect condition, with their original paper price tags still attached. Every kind you could imagine: 3-piece, double-breasteds, herringbone tweeds, pinstripes, flannels, serges, etc.


Of course, the dealer offered to buy all of them. Within a week, he'd sold about 40 to HBO for its "Boardwalk" TV series. At the Vintage Fashion Expo, he sold 17 more to one person, a movie costumer. For how much? I kid you not: nearly $700 each. I watched as the costumer wrote him a check for $11,800.


(Incidentally, Matt Deckard was there with me and also saw these wonderful suits. He even took photos of the paper "quality guarantee" certificate that was in the pocket of each suit.)



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[sproily]

Unbelievable... that's like a dream come true!

 

[Benny Holiday]

I wish I could've been there to see that! The moral of the story then is that tt pays to ask after vintage menswear in places where you often don't expect to find it.

 

[sproily]

I'd love to see the pictures!

 

[reetpleat]

I wonder what he paid. did they know it was valuable? did he pay them what he thought was a fair price? Or did he try to get them as cheap as possible? Mind you, I think getting them as cheap as possible can be considered fair. It was just taking up space in their basement and now they have cash and the suits go to a good home. Not only that, but he has to make a living. I mean, $25K profit would not be out of line. He has to pay for travel expenses, has contacts, does the shows, cleaning, storage etc.

But it does raise some interesting ethical questions.

as a real estate agent, I can not buy a house at a price that would be considered taking advantage of an owner. If it is just a good deal, or they are represented by an agent, well, that is different.

 

[Greyfox]

Some days are diamonds!:eusa_clap

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

A very exciting find and I too would love to see pictures!

The only thing that makes me sad is that it seems inevitable that the history, the human story, gets lost as the items are dispersed. I guess I'm a sentimental fool because I'd rather gaze upon a suit in a basement knowing it was from Mr. So-and-so's store than tour the costume department at HBO. Then again, I've never toured the costume department of HBO. In fairness, if anybody can get me in, I'll give a go! lol

 

[avedwards]

Did you by any chance buy any of these suits Marc?

 

[Tomasso]

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For how much? I kid you not: nearly $700 each.


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How much do you think they would've fetched on ebay?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I'd love to see the pictures!

Unfortunately, taking snapshots of booths and merchandise is verboten at the Vintage Fashion Expo. Matt Deckard was lucky to be able to take his photos of the guarantee certificate. So...no pics of the suits.

Did you by any chance buy any of these suits Marc?

No, for one reason. The medium and large sizes all went to HBO even before the Vintage Fashion Expo opened. There were only small sizes left (38 R and smaller) at the Expo, and I'm a size 40 R.

How much do you think they would've fetched on ebay?

I'd say that the larger sizes could have fetched that much; the small sizes, less. The thing is, these suits were in perfect shape: no dust, no fading, no moth bites. Fedora Lounger J.J. Gittes saw them, too: I hope he'll post his own impressions here.


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[Widebrim]

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Of course, the dealer offered to buy all of them. Within a week, he'd sold about 40 to HBO for its "Boardwalk" TV series. At the Vintage Fashion Expo, he sold 17 more to one person, a movie costumer. For how much? I kid you not: nearly $700 each. I watched as the costumer wrote him a check for $11,800.

(Incidentally, Matt Deckard was there with me and also saw these wonderful suits. He even took photos of the paper "quality guarantee" certificate that was in the pocket of each suit.)


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Last summer I sold some vintage thin ties to a "costumer" from the TV show, "Bones," but did not quite make the same killing... Seriously, although authenticity is to be applauded, a costumer spending nearly $700 a piece on 17 suits is a bit too much. Film companies usually have many contacts, including reputable tailors who can accurately make repros for much less. I guess I'm just jealous, too.

 

[J.J. Gittes]

Yup I saw a few of these suits. Spectacular. I tried one on that was an early 20's 3 peice SB number in a heavyweight blue wool. Was too small even for me(I can squeeze into anything from a 36 to a 39) Literally If I breathed to hard I might have ripped the vest down the sides! Not to mention the pants were also tiny.

One suit from another vendor worth mentioning was dated 3pc Peak Lapel Db or SB, didn't stay long enough to remember, to painful to put it all on and know I couldn't buy it. from 1921. Amazing, I wish I had 100 more bucks and I would've snatched it up without a second thought, fit me perfectly too....

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Seriously, although authenticity is to be applauded, a costumer spending nearly $700 a piece on 17 suits is a bit too much. Film companies usually have many contacts, including reputable tailors who can accurately make repros for much less.

But look at it from the p.o.v. of the costumer. These 1920s suits were quite well made (from a good, progressive brand named "Clothcraft," by Joseph & Feiss), in perfect condition, and (if my eyes and hands can be trusted) not fragile at all: no signs of dryness or dampness, fabric rot, mildew, etc.


In short, these suits, if taken care of with a modicrum of decency, will far outlast any modern reproductions. They're a much better investment, and can be used in movies and T.V. shows, over and over again, for years to come.


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[Tomasso]

taking snapshots of booths and merchandise is verboten at the Vintage Fashion Expo.

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Why? Just curious.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Why? Just curious.

Maybe for the same reason that some stores don't want you taking photos of their stuff. Depends on the store.


In the case of the Expo, it might be to stop people from taking detailed pics of, say, rare and valuable Hawaiian shirts, and then using the images to create repros of the shirts.

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[Widebrim]

In short, these suits, if taken care of with a modicrum of decency, will far outlast any modern reproductions. They're a much better investment, and can be used in movies and T.V. shows, over and over again, for years to come.

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For the buyer's sake (at almost $700 a pop), I sure hope that is true!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

For the buyer's sake (at almost $700 a pop), I sure hope that is true!

It also depends on the film or t.v. show in which the suits will be used. If the filmmakers insist on very high costume authenticity (as in the cases of "Titanic" and "The Aviator"), then huge amounts of money will be spent on vintage clothes. My friend Ben sold the "Titanic" costumers about a dozen pristine Victorian gowns which were barely even seen in the film (and were, we later found out, pretty much destroyed in the sinking scenes), yet he was paid hundreds of dollars for each one.


The cost of costumer union labor to make good repros of vintage suits might even be higher than $700 per.


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[skyvue]

I'm not a wealthy man, but if given the chance, I'd be first in line for the chance to pay $700 for one of those suits.

A decent modern suit costs at least that much, and for the chance to have a NOS suit from the 1920s? It's a bargain.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Maybe for the same reason that some stores don't want you taking photos of their stuff. Depends on the store.


In the case of the Expo, it might be to stop people from taking detailed pics of, say, rare and valuable Hawaiian shirts, and then using the images to create repros of the shirts.

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Yes, i always go with a notepad and pencil to sketch the really cool stuff i see.

This is an amazing sory, Marc. The 20s clothcraft stuff i own is fantastic. Mine is labelled "Clothcraft by (or is it "for") Joseph and Feiss". Who were Joseph and Feiss? A menswear store? A cloth manufacturer? A clothier?

bk

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Who were Joseph and Feiss? A menswear store? A cloth manufacturer? A clothier?

"Joseph and Feiss" was a very successful U.S. suitmaking company; "Clothcraft" was its signature brand. Joseph & Feiss did for the suit industry what Henry Ford did for carmaking. They applied 'scientific management principles' to suit manufacturing.


Read a fascinating article about the company (and Clothcraft) here: http://www.ohiostatepress.org/books/Complete PDFs/Nelson Mental/03.pdf


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