When are you too old for a Beatle's suit

[Tomasso]

It's Not Really A Question Of Age...........

I think that a lean and trim physique is required to pull off the close cut of the 60's Beatles/Rat Pack suit.

 

[Rundquist]

A lot of what the Beatles wore was really cool stuff (throughout the entire career of the group). Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), the Fedora Lounge has a narrow range of focus (1920’s-1940’s). I myself like to let the “coolness factor” dictate whether I like something or not. This is not to say that someone may not like something simply because they don’t like it.

I did see a post that MK made about a jacket that he purchased recently (I use MK as an example only because I know him personally and I doubt that he will take offense). He bought the jacket because he thought that he liked it (although for some reason he wasn’t sure). He wasn’t sure that he liked it until he saw a period picture of Humphrey Bogart wearing a similar jacket. To me personally, that doesn’t make any sense. I either like something or I don’t. A lot of what I like happens to be old, but I don’t like it just because it’s old. I like it because I like it. "Knock yourself out, man" is what I say. To me high waisted men’s pants are just as kooky as anything from the 60’s. Cheers

 

[MrBern]

I think that a lean and trim physique is required to pull off the close cut of the 60's Beatles/Rat Pack suit.

I'd have to agree. Otherwise you look more like The Rutles!

 

[jamespowers]

I was watching A Hard Day's Night, again, the other day, and it again got into my head that I need a Beatle's suit. It took all of one minute to find a company that makes them. $400 gets you any suit.

A Hard Day's Night.

Love the chesterfield collar on this one, only I think the sharkskin might be a bit too loud. I still do wear sharkskin, even at my age, but only the muted kind.

Here's the famous collarless - inspired by Pierre Cardin's 60s suits.

Perhaps it's a bit TOO recognizable. Without the piping, it could work.

Finally, the Ed Sullivan suit.

Conceivably, I can get away with this one. Note the chesterfield collar again.

Apart from diehard Beatles' fans, I don't believe anyone would instantly recognize the Hard Day's Night and Sullivan suits.

Yes, yes, I know - not Golden Era, but how about a word from our Rat Pack/Mod members. Matt? Briscoteque? Do I need to have my head checked?

Regards,

Senator Jack

All I can say for the top two is: Yeah Babay! Oh behive.

Regards,

J

 

["Doc" Devereux]

I either like something or I don’t. A lot of what I like happens to be old, but I don’t like it just because it’s old. I like it because I like it. "Knock yourself out, man" is what I say. To me high waisted men’s pants are just as kooky as anything from the 60’s. Cheers

Well said! :eusa_clap

I like stuff with a noir-ish bent because it looks good on me, but between the collar and the hat brim there's a shaved head (to hide the bald patch that kicked off in my twenties) and a couple of amber studs in my left ear (to draw attention from the fact that it sticks out more than the right one). I wear a pencil moustache for the same reason as Howard Hughes: so people don't notice the ugly scar on my top lip. But somehow it all works together, and isn't that the only thing that matters?

The more I see the Ed Sullivan suit, the more I like it. It wouldn't work on me because my frame's the wrong shape, but it's a real beauty of a design.

 

[EL COLORADO]

I actually much more prefer the swingin 50's and 60's suit styles, to the often "squarish" golden era.
Even though over 50% of my suits are golden era.


The Beatle suits are great,....but they were essentially avant garde outfits made to be worn for performance and for rock stars.
And actually that would be a cool topic deserving of its own thread.
That of,...vintage performance clothing.

 

[Sefton]

I think SenatorJack could pull off that look. There's nothing wrong about mixing up your styles...and there's nothing wrong with being spot on for a certain period of fashion. Sometimes I try to look all 30s or 40s but I also love 50s styles and right now I'm wearing a 30s style Fedora with 50s eyeglasses. I like it and it matters not one whit to me if it isn't a "period correct" look. Maybe we should have a thread/poll about this. Do you 'mix and match' your eras?[huh]

 

[MrBern]

older beatles

Senator, ever seen this clip of later mustachioed beatles wearing the 1963 gear?

compare

 

[Cody Pendant]

Rule of thumb on the Yellow Submarine....

Never wear a style again that you wore to your Senior prom. In other words, if you were there the first time leave it in the past. You would look like you got it out of your own closet, cuz you never put it out. You would not look "hip" , just dated.

 

[Senator Jack]

They really hated that look, didn't they? Too bad they didn't go back to Gene Vincent look instead.

 

[filfoster]

Too Old

Age 30. Remember? "Don't trust anyone over 30...wearing a Beatles suit." -John Lennon

 

[Forgotten Man]

I'm too OLD-fashioned to wear one lol

 

[jamespowers]

I'm too OLD-fashioned to wear one lol

lol lol lol How about 1 year old?

 

[Senator Jack]

I think grown men talking about how to dress like Indiana Jones more than a bit ridiculous, but out of respect, I keep my nose out of those conversations.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

Disagree

In my estimation, you're never too old for them.

Jon

If you (like me) are old enough to have watched the Beatles on Ed Sullivan or to have stopped at the G.C. Murphy 5 & 10 cent store on the way home from school to buy the new Beatles 45 rpm record, you are too old.

 

[Senator Jack]

I don't know. I was at a party where a guy well into his 50s was wearing the Shea Stadium jacket and he looked great. Suit may be different. I think the Ed Sullivan and Hard Day's suits could work. I'm not so sure about the collarless.

 

[Edward]

Interesting website, that Beatlesuits.com. I'd struggle to find something on there I personally would wear. I'm not big on the Sixties at all, but that's a personal preference for other looks, mixed with an instinctive rebellion against the way in which the decade has been overly romanticised and festishised by mainstream popular culture, under the influence of the generation which lived through it. To my eye, the Beatles really did, at least early on, make their own impact with the clothing, at once making the break away from the fifties looks, yet retaining a sense of the 'band uniform' that worked back then. In a very real sense (and I'm sure it wasn't any coincidence, da Brudders all being big fans), this was the forerunner of the Ramones' "uniform" of some years later, and it was actually after becoming a Ramones fan that I began to understand what the Beatles were shooting for...

Some of those Beatles looks I like more than others. I love the Buddokhan suit... I can see that jacket really working with tight white britches, almost Adama Ant / Regency style. Love the combination of the dark green satin on the lapel and the black of the jacket. The Shea jacket has a cool, military vibe to it - puts me in mind of high Victoriana, the Boer Campaign era. Made up in linen, that could be a cracking Summer jacket. Again, too, I'm put in mind of the later punk rock adoption of military jackets... a case of plus ca change...? The Sullivan jacket could be a great item for a night out, dressing up a pair of slacks (or, perish the thought, jeans). The lack of pockets, though, would be a problem. Much as that made for a great, smoothe outline that really worked on stage, it would be a major limiting factor when trying to wear the jacket day to day. To me, the Beatles certainly had style (even if not always my style), at least right up until they stopped appearing live - therafter, it all descended into 'hippy generic' a bit too far for my tastes. Note how - in my opinion, anyhow - whereas the younger Beatles looked sharp, and to a degree timeless, the later beards-and-flared-jeans look has dated very badly.

The thing is that for most of these items they're just rather too distinct to be a realistic option for the average person, unless you specifically want to look like you are "dressed up as a Beatle". Not that they can't be a cool look and not that the Beatles didn't look sharp, but they are such an iconic look (especially the first two) that it would be virtually impossible to get away from that association; the comparison between this and dressing head to toe in Indy's gear is entirely apt. To pursue that comparison further, just as many wear some elements of the Indy costume - the jacket, or the hat, or whatever - with other items, thus adopting a cool part of the look but making it your own, this could work with a bunch of the Beatles stuff. Some of those jacket - like the Sullivan - in cut, being shortish, neat, etc, have a slight nod to my imagination of the 20s.

The Chesterfield collar is a detail I love, especially when adapted into a city look (I think it was originally a 'country' thing in England?). That's one thing I think would carry over well into a Beatles-inspired look.


FWIW, as a closing comment, my favourite Beatles look by far was the Hamburg era, Gene Vincent thang, though I've always preferred denim over leather trousers. I love those photos.... I once stumbled into a small gallery in Notting Hill, not long after I moved to Lodon in 1999, which was selling limited edition prints of Astrid Kirche's original shots of the Beatles back then. The most expensive was of John, George and Paul in a line on stage, at £250. The one I really wanted, however, was only GBP75 - that was the classic shot of Stuart Sutcliffe (the coolest Beatle of them all, and the only true fifth Beatle) standing on the steps of that house, bass beside him. I never could find that place again - such a shame, that would have been very cool to have on my wall.

 

[volatile]

I've got an incredible brown asymmetric Sixties three-piece suit that I picked up in Glasgow a while back... I must post pictures in this thread over the weekend...

 

[Widebrim]

Just stumbled upon this resurrected thread...

Interestingly enough, a couple of days ago I was watching some Rolling Stones clips from '64-65, and was again noting how when the other Stones would break out a bit into their own fashion-thing, Brian Jones would usually wear a black suit and thin tie. I personally am into early-60s style, and seeing Jones made me break out my maroon and black Rat pack sportcoat, along with an appropriate Damon's thin necktie.

As far as age and "Beatles suits" go, though, I think physique is the main consideration, as Tomasso pointed out.

 

[Widebrim]

They really hated that look, didn't they? Too bad they didn't go back to Gene Vincent look instead.

That was the look! But would that look have helped or hindered their future career? I tend to think the latter. The Queen and Ed Sullivan would not have approved...