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What to wear??

rocketeer

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,605
Location
England
I think there is an inevitable element of Americanisation in these things. Partly it's the nature of the "vintage community", insofar as such a thing exists: the information is all online, it's international, and the rest. Partly also it's the case that the glamourised version of the 30s/40s/50s that a lot of us are taken with is very much an American verison - the influence of Hollywood (old, and especially new (period pieces). I still maintain that the proportion of those of us in our forties and fifties who got into hats and maybe even leather jackets other than bike jackets as a direct result of Indiana Jones is higher than many might be prepared to admit. ;) ). Music also. You see it even more pronouncedly on the fifties scene, where it's all about American music, cars, and clothing styles. I've got no issue with this - I'd rather those than the reality of life in the UK in to fifties (rationing until 1956, and all the other issues it had with post-war austerity). It is a shame, just, when you encounter a lack of awareness of this.
On the Vintage front, in the 70s when I was a Ted vintage was only a word that described vintage cars and wine. 40s and 50s homeware and clothing was just old stuff. Into the 80s and so called vintage still didn't exist but in the early 80s here in the UK we stood out importing all these old American clothes that they(the Yanks) didn't want, or very few at least.
WWII style had not caught on till later so no A2s at 50s music night unless you were me(yes blowing my own trumpet) but then of course I didn't quite fit in until the Indiana Jones thing caught on.
Now on to the War & Peace thing. The 40s look took hold but girls rarely take on the Home Front English look as it was not that glamorous so the majority go for the Hollywood Glam look. Unfortunately those trying to look like 1940s and 50s teens or starlets tend to be well into their 40s or 50 years in age. And to be really honest it looks rather silly to see a 50 year old woman wearing pedal pusher pants and bobby sox or those knitted jumpers with Mexicans on them(or did older women wear things like this).
 

Seb Lucas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,562
Location
Australia
Same here, Edward. As far as hats are concerned, when I was young, men here generally wore the Akubra Squatter or a Akubra Stylemaster (which came uncreased). In the bush you generally saw Squatters. Those cowboy/Western style Akubra hats didn't take off widely until the Man form Snowy River movie in the 1980's.

Hats were were just called felt hats; wide brim or narrow brim. The word Fedora (although originally from a play) didn't take off here until the internet. We did sometimes hear the word trilby since we were a colony. Akubra's range and availability was limited 40 years ago - the Snowy River film and Raiders revived the hat industry.
 
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mikedaddy321

New in Town
Messages
5
Lots of good advice for cold weather coats and jackets to wear with my homburg. But we are having a mild winter in Kansas, any light jackets or shirt suggestions?

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,081
Location
London, UK
Lots of good advice for cold weather coats and jackets to wear with my homburg. But we are having a mild winter in Kansas, any light jackets or shirt suggestions?

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

I've worn mine with just a lounge suit, no overcoat, as the season requires. Can work with a trench coat, though I think a covert coat flatters a homburg better if you want a light outer layer.
 
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