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

[herringbonekid]

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 understand entirely that at certain events it may be required (although rarely would top hats be required), i would just feel very uncomfortable in it. i also dislike the fact that the men are required to basically all look the same while the women can wear any amount of elaborate confection. but i'm not much of a uniform fan either.

 

[Two Types]

I used to hate white trousers or even suits but now....

I was the same with white trousers. I now own two pairs of white trousers and a pair of white knee length, tailored,buckle fronted, shorts (that were made for playing tennis in). I recently purchased a white jacket for summer. I'm still not sure about a full white suits though. Being fairly large, I feel that a complete white suit might make too much of a statement .... but never say never.

 

[Two Types]

Part of the reason I am not overkeen on 'white tie' formal wear is that the rules are just too rigid (as are the shirt fronts ...). With standard evening wear of dinner suit/tuxedo the choices are wider: shawl collar, peaked lapel, single breasted, double breasted, various waistcoat styles, wing collar, standard collar and so on. I like a choice in what I wear.

 

[MB15]

Hello
One of the things i would never wear: Frock coats. I like morning and evening tailcoats, Dinner Suits, all kinds of formal attire, but frock coats are one of the garments i would never wear.
Same thing for boaters. There are people out there who look good in it, but in my head a picture of me with an boater on my head equals to an clown with his pants and shoes.
Greetings
Marco

 

[Gin&Tonics]

I love the bowler and I think it will be extremely likely I will one day wear one. I similarly find the straw boater to be splendid and think it cuts quite a dash on the right noggin; I may try wearing one someday.

I don't think I could ever bring myself to wear plus fours with long stockings; although I think it's just dandy, the look is SO strange and unheard of in a modern setting, I don't think I could possibly pull it off.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Ah ys. Plus fours. I wasn't sure about them either but I will get some made soon. Marcs amazing country suit made me want them. :eusa_doh:The FL is too much "inspiration" It will ruin me one day.

 

[Two Types]

Oxford bags; they're very baggy.

To be honest, Oxford Bags - despite all the hype - were not really that wide (check the 'Oxford Bags' thread). In reality the original 'bags' were only around 25 inches circumferance at the knees and approximately 23 to 25 inches at the cuffs. In effect, not really that baggy (although they did appear very baggy when compared to earlier trousers - and also when worn by smaller men or those with small feet).

The ones that are often shown in photographs are comedy trousers, made as a gimmick for newspaper consumption. The mistake that has often been made is that people read that the trousers measured 25 inches at the cuffs and think that was the width, rather than the circumferance. Then they make a pair of over-the-top 50 inch bags - which look silly.

 

[David Conwill]

Sock garters. The hatred is amazing. How often are you guys seen in public without pants on?

Further, I vastly prefer my sock garters to crumpled socks.

 

[Shangas]

I've never worn vintage-style sock-garters, but my grandmother used to make me simple home-made ones out of elastic cloth to hold up my school socks when I was a kid. They were certainly handy.

 

[Captain Lex]

Well I'd probably be singing a different tune if I didn't already wear shirt stays, which have the side effect of keeping socks up as well. I have a tremendous need to keep my shirts tucked that outweighs any self-consciousness I may have about what's hiding beneath my pants. For sock garters, though, I'd definitely have to get into a very "ha ha old clothes" kind of mood when I was putting them on.

Also, that ad is amazing. No Sox Appeal indeed.

 

[Vampyre Master]

modern dinner jacket
VM

 

[1961MJS]

Hello
One of the things i would never wear: Frock coats. I like morning and evening tailcoats, Dinner Suits, all kinds of formal attire, but frock coats are one of the garments i would never wear.
Same thing for boaters. There are people out there who look good in it, but in my head a picture of me with an boater on my head equals to an clown with his pants and shoes.
Greetings
Marco

Hi Marco

I have no clue what I'd look like in these, but the Earp family in the movie Tombstone are wearing frock coats most of the time, and they look great. I'm considering one for Winter.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108358/

Later

 

[herringbonekid]

...In the context the bowler, so identified with the City Gentleman (or Public School Man), could in a sense, be seen as the adult version of the Public School Boy's straw boater in terms of being a symbol of class.

it's a shame that the bowler has suffered from such strong associations as it's quite a versatile hat. oddly enough you see lots of turn of the century French men wearing it; think Toulouse Lautrec, and yet it's still in most British people's minds associated with the London businessman. Jude Law gave the bowler a fresh look in the film Road To Perdition...

...which seemed perfect for his seedy, beetle-ish character.

 

[Hal]

it's a shame that the bowler has suffered from such strong associations as it's quite a versatile hat.

The bowler was not unusual as funeral headgear (mostly on older men) in the mining areas of south Wales and north-east England right up to the 1980s; and of course it has Ulster Unionist associations as well.

 

[Vampyre Master]

hi marco

i have no clue what i'd look like in these, but the earp family in the movie tombstone are wearing frock coats most of the time, and they look great. I'm considering one for winter.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108358/

later

+1
vm

 

[herringbonekid]

The bowler was not unusual as funeral headgear (mostly on older men) in the mining areas of south Wales and north-east England right up to the 1980s; and of course it has Ulster Unionist associations as well.

let's not forget Victorian-era Wild West bar tenders as well !

 

[Gene]

let's not forget Victorian-era Wild West bar tenders as well !

Actually the bowler was the most popular hat for original cowboys until the invention of the Stetson"Boss of the Plains."

And I think sock garters are awesome!

 

[scottyrocks]

I like many of thre old styles, so there isn't much I'd not wear, at least not without a try-on first.

I do know that I would never wear a boater in public. And as much as I like the way that bowlers look on others, I don't like way they look on me, so I would not wear one.

I would also not wear an ascot.

 

[MB15]

Hello Mike

Hi Marco

I have no clue what I'd look like in these, but the Earp family in the movie Tombstone are wearing frock coats most of the time, and they look great. I'm considering one for Winter.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108358/

Later

I don't wanted to say frock coats aren't a nice garment. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who look good in their frock coats, but for me, they always feel like an business man from one of the Edgar Wallace books. I can't tell why, maybe because of the almost always black look, the highly formal stance, but i always think of frock coats with an unsure feeling.
Greetings
Marco

 

[gtdean48]

A dickie, an ascot, a homburg, a boater, a flat cap, sock garters, spats.... the list is long. I have owned & worn a derby but doubt I'll do it again.