Which items of vintage clothing would you never wear? And why?

[Yeps]

formal wear holds zero interest for me; white tie, tails, top hat, wing collars etc.

Maybe this is partially because I am a classical musician, and so I stand a chance of actually getting the opportunity to wear it, but I love formalwear. I think that there is no mode of dress more flattering to the male figure. Something about the lines that it creates, and the purity of the black and white, and everything all pressed and starched. It is just fantastic.

I can't see myself ever wearing full out safari clothing (especially a pith helmet). Maybe the jacket, although it would have to be very smartly cut. For me those are purely functional garments, and not very aesthetically pleasing, and the functionality of modern equivalents is vastly improved.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

To start this off, my wife thinks I look stupid in any hat.

I don’t like boaters. I tried one on at Levine’s in Saint Louis last year and it didn’t look that bad, but was very stiff and didn’t feel good on my head.

I don’t like the way that Homburgs, bowlers or derbies look on me. I tried on several at Hatman Jack’s in Wichita, and they just didn’t look right. I like Bowlerman’s look, but it just doesn’t work for me. I think that Seth Bullock’s hat in Deadwood might work though.

I don’t even like the idea of driving caps, six and eight panel caps either. I don’t know why, but I’ve never even had one on my head. I’ll try one on next time I’m in Hatman Jack’s, but I’m sure I won’t get one.

I probably wouldn’t wear sock garters, I don’t know why. I’ve got skinny feet and usually wear fairly thick socks, so I probably don’t need the thin socks that would need a garter anyway.

I’ll never wear a bow tie solely because Paul Simon Illinois Senator wore one.

I’ll almost certainly never buy an expensive panama hat. The more expensive a felt hat is, the longer it will probably last, but I don’t see that in Panama’s and I like to own things I can’t screw up. Based on that concept, my straw hat of choice is the Sun Body with vent holes.

I wear deck shoes almost daily, alternating with my WW2 repro roughouts and hiking boots. While not being at all fraternal, or preppy, I do wear deck shoes with no socks, polo shirts, and shorts. I used to own an pair of madras shorts, but that was a few decades back. I do own tasseled loafers, but don’t wear them much. They’re too nice for aerospace, and I’m an office type.

Later y'all

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

My two

1) "Plus" anything trousers
2) Sock garters (I keep thinking of Joel McCrae in "Foreign Correspondent" escaping the bad guys. They have him trapped in his hotel room. He's getting dressed and is wearing his shirt, tie, socks with garters, and shoes. He puts on his robe and steps out of the window onto the ledge and escapes. I always laugh at this and wonder which fate would be worse: to be trapped by the movie Nazis, or to be caught in public pantsless and in sock garters.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

For me it would be:

Bowties
Leather Jacket/Fedora combination (I'll wear one or the other but not both because of the obvious Indiana Jones imagery)
Ascot
Oxford Bags
Double breasted vest

 

[Captain Lex]

Almost everything everyone mentioned in this thread is something I'd really, really like to try, but haven't had the opportunity yet. I even have an inclination to even stranger clothing...Edwardian dress, Inverness capes, regular capes, etc. Not a lot of opportunity, yet, though.

I do not, however, go clean-shaven, which is pretty much the classic style.

 

[Shangas]

I think White Tie and Tails looks interesting, and I could probably wear it. But I'd stop at putting on the top hat! That'd be a bit wierd for me. Personally, I think wing-collars are pretty nifty. They're a lost style that nobody uses anymore.

Double-breasted coats/jackets...not my thing. Double-breasted waistcoat, maybe, but I doubt it.

I'm also not much of a boots person. I prefer proper shoes (lace-up or loafers).

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

This thread is much more interesting than the other (not specified to vintage clothing) in the observation bar. There it just turned into the usual "modern life is evil" rant we did have so often.

Sometimes it is a development though. I used to hate white trousers or even suits but now....

 

[Shangas]

White suits? Or suits in general?

I wish I had a suit. I don't have one.

Okay, I have ONE, but it's a butt-ugly monstrosity that I have never bothered to wear. I wore it once for my graduation and NEVER again.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I meant white suits. But yes...maybe some more years back even suits at all.

You should get one, Shangas. Why do you hesitate? I don't know about vintage and thrift stores where you live but I bet it would be possible. A three piece of course because you already enjoy waistcoats so much.

 

[Gene]

Formal wear can look good in certain instances:

 

[Shangas]

I'm fortunate that I volunteer at my local thrift-shop. It's about two blocks from my house. But I've never found any good suits there. The closest I ever got was a matching blue waistcoat and jacket (trousers gone AWOL). But I've never managed to buy a full suit there that ever fit me. I'm a small guy (5'6") and relatively slim (approx 136-138 pounds), so finding suits isn't easy for me.

 

[ButteMT61]

Most of it. Much of it would make one look like a clown outside of an event, and much of it isn't all that appealing. I like a few select items from the past, but most of it I prefer to watch someone else wearing in a movie, etc.

 

[MikeBravo]

I don't think I could wear a bowler, it makes me think of the Minister for Silly Walks

 

[Captain Lex]

That's funny. That exactly why I would wear a bowler.

 

[Shangas]

Hail the Ministry!!

[video=youtube;IqhlQfXUk7w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqhlQfXUk7w[/video]

 

[MikeBravo]

I don't think the boater is for me, my face is too long

Mind you, young Shangas pulls it off very well

Red trousers? Would have to be in context with a long jacket of suitable colour, I've seen Tim Wonnacott (a style icon of mine) do it well. And where does he get those vests?

 

[Shangas]

This is me and my boater:

You like it that much, huh Mike?

 

[The Good]

We all have our favourite things. And reading through the various posts one can see the wide spread of enthusiasm for certain items, but the way certain items are hated by some among us.

There are a number of things I don't particulalry like (such as outward facing pleats on trousers or narrow brimmed hats). Also, I could never imagine wearing a bowler hat, evne though I think they can look splendid.

But my least favoured thing of all is the Straw Boater.

To me, the boater says 'English Public School' like nothing else. I immediately think of growing up in a town that was often filled with boys from the local public school who (thought they did not actually wear boaters) seemed like they should be wearing them. I think it was a class thing: in those days I was not as tolerant as I am now. The social divide between us was enormous and for some reason it is the boater that seems to mark that divide. I'm sure it is rather illogical since they also wore brogues and blazers of the type I am now rather keen on.

So what are you certain you will never wear?

Oxford bags; they're very baggy, and I highly doubt they would harmoniously go with the rest of my style. To me at least, they're about as tacky as wide bellbottoms from the 1970s. I'm not particularly a fan of the wide pant aesthetic in general, but it could work with vintage 1930s and '40s suits.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I seldom like loafers with tassles, though I wear loafers frequently. The tassles just say Wall St. 1980's to me for some reason.

Loafers are kind of my thing, but tassles make me cringe! Pee Wee Herman...

Sock garters look goofy, though I have thought on countless occasions how handy they would be, my socks are constantly falling down.

I don't think I can pull off boaters, derbies, homburgs, or the like. I think they're really neat, I just don't think they look good on me. Same with stingy brims or high crowns.

 

[Stearmen]

The Wright Stuff

Some men can pull of the Bowler look, others can't!