Vintage styles: matching hat to suit

[ism]

I'm new to the forum (first post) and I'm not sure if this has been discussed elsewhere (I searched, but didn't find). I'm also very new to the whole idea of fashionable dressing (especially that which involves a hat of any kind), so please forgive any ignorance I put on display here...

I've recently become very interested in 1920's-1940's men's fashion and have therefore been looking at a lot of old fashion magazine images. I've seen a lot of what appear to me to be "fashion faux pas"... for example a navy pin-striped suit with brown shoes and a BLACK fedora... or what appeared to be a black/gray suit with a dark brown fedora.... or mix-matched fabric patterns... etc...

My question is this: were these guys just super awesome and could thus get away with these things, have fashion rules changed, or am I simply mistaken in what I believe to be fashion protocol? How does one know what is "permissable" when combining elements (hats, shoes, jackets, etc) when assembling a vintage-inspired ensemble?

Sorry for the long post and thank you for your assistance in advance

 

[Not-Bogart13]

These are issues I find myself asking about as I encounter them. The short answer is; Yes, the rules of fashion of changed over the years. The long answer involves issues of necessity, shades of color, balancing by way of accessories, etc, etc, etc.

I think the best plan is to learn as you go. When you're looking to buy certain wardrobe items, or encounter an issue while actually dressing, post the questions attached to it. For example, I recently asked about wearing a tan trenchcoat with an otherwise gray outfit. I also recently learned that an earthy brown or green works with gray.

Welcome to the madness that is dressing well. It takes some work, but it's worth it.

 

[ism]

Thank you for your advice... I think that sounds both reasonable and preferable . I look forward to learning. I'll do as you suggest, and post specific examples as I build my wardrobe...

 

[DerMann]

If you're the Duke of Windsor, you can do whatever you please.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I'm with you - the idea of matching the hat & shoes to the suit. Browns, tans & creams together, black, gray & blues together. I've just never liked earthtones (browns) mixed with water/sky tones (grays, blues & black). But in the day, I'm sure wardrobes weren't as large and varied as most think, or at least for men, it didn't matter as much then as it does now in our more enlightened "metrosexual" age. If your best shoes (or at least newest) were black, your best hat was gray and your best suit was brown, that's what you wore when you got "all dressed up." You wore your best, and if they didn't match (or at least what we today say is "matching") that's life. And if you got your picture taken - even better because color didn't exist and in black and white, it doesn't seem as jarring as perhaps it did live.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

If you're the Duke of Windsor, you can do whatever you please.

Well, I'll have to see if there are any Dukedoms available on eBay! lol lol lol

 

[ism]

I'm with you - the idea of matching the hat & shoes to the suit. Browns, tans & creams together, black, gray & blues together. I've just never liked earthtones (browns) mixed with water/sky tones (grays, blues & black). But in the day, I'm sure wardrobes weren't as large and varied as most think, or at least for men, it didn't matter as much then as it does now in our more enlightened "metrosexual" age. If your best shoes (or at least newest) were black, your best hat was gray and your best suit was brown, that's what you wore when you got "all dressed up." You wore your best, and if they didn't match (or at least what we today say is "matching") that's life. And if you got your picture taken - even better because color didn't exist and in black and white, it doesn't seem as jarring as perhaps it did live.

That's good info, thanks. I'm actually attending a 1940's-themed dance tomorrow and have been debating on what to wear. I really want to wear a proper "suit", of which I only have 2: an all black business suit and a very nice navy pinstripe. My favorite shoes are brown... I like the navy pinstripe suit best, and my only fedora is a gray with very subtle maroon/lighter-gray pinstriping....

so what do you guys think????

 

[Dr Doran]

This thread will answer many questions:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=18122

 

[ism]

Doran, thank you very much... that's totally awesome. :eusa_clap

 

[Dr Doran]

Doran, thank you very much... that's totally awesome. :eusa_clap

No problem.

 

[NonEntity]

There have always been and still are The Rules, and it's best to play by The Rules until you develop enough experience to bend and even break Them.

For example, in my younger days, I would have never mixed blues and browns, but as my taste matured, I realized that some such "mismatches" were great looking and quite distinctive, as few others were doing it.

It's all in the way you do it that matters. For example, for colors like blues and browns that are not traditionallyy complimentary, there needs to be a unifying element such as texture, pattern, accessory, or level of formality to tie it all together, and strive to work with two, but never more than three total main colors.

For example, just today I mixed blues and browns and recieved several compliments. It was cold and windy, and I put on a navy turtleneck, a light blue pinpoint oxford shirt over that, camel cotton dress twill trousers, saddle leather belt and shoes. My top layer was a navy pea coat, camel beret, and a cashmere scarf by Burberry in its traditional plaid pattern.

Here's why it worked: Everything was at the same level of formality--dressy casual. The shoes and belt were both saddle-colored leather with off-white top stitching, which tied my waist and feet together. The slacks and oxford shirt were of similar weave pattern, welding them together, and the navy blue turtleneck beneath the shirt brightened it by way of contrast but matched the navy pea coat, unifying them.

The slacks, shirt, beret array provided a camel, blue, camel stack that avoided the all-one-color uniform effect. The pea coat and beret have a very similar texture, counter-acting the color differences, and bringing those two articles together. Finally, the scarf accessory, with a camel background and red and black stripes making a large-block plaid, tied all the colors together, plus added a small splash of red accent.

This outfit broke The Rules, but it looked smart and tasteful because it utilized all four unifying elements and limited main colors to camel and two shades of blue. And the only really expensive item was the scarf, which I found blowing about in the middle of the street years ago, and so, quite literally, picked up for free.

When you are first starting to break away from The Rules, some good things to keep in mind when buidling your wardrobe is to acquire quality items that will last, are versatile and go with at least two other combinations, and be willing to risk the occasional faux pas in the pursuit of standing out from the background noise of style boredom.