Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Who is your style inspiration?

rue

Messages
13,319
Location
California native living in Arizona.
Everyday women from about 1935-1960.

I tend to dress as an average woman from that time period, because I'm a real woman and not a movie star. If I'm going out for a special occasion, I'll look for inspiration from movies (like anyone would have), but most of the time I don't do more than the average woman would have at the time.
 

FedoraFan112390

Practically Family
Messages
642
Location
Brooklyn, NY
1) My maternal grandfather (1920-1975). In his hairstyle general sense of fashion, wearing a mustache.
2) Grand-Uncle (1911-1970) same as above.
3) Paternal Grandpa
4) Clark Gable.
5) Errol Flynn
6) Walt Disney--in terms of when I dress more conservatively.
7) John F. Kennedy -- in terms of casual attire.
8) LBJ-- His myriad of eyeglass styles, along with adopting the "slicked back against the scalp" look his hair had.
9) Jackie Gleason
10) James Dean
 

nice hat dude!

One Too Many
Messages
1,168
Location
Lumby,B.C. Canada
Well where does one learn style from?I wear Boots,Jeans and Cowboy Hats as my daily attire so probably that would have been inspired by"Cowboy"movies.This will upset a few but I like the"Pimp"look also,Big Hat,Loud Clothes and Big Car.(no fur coat)And last but not least to upset the rest of you I also like the look of what most would call the "Costume Gangster"but I'm perfectly happy with my poor taste or lack there of?

Yes it was taken at Halloween but I like the look....such is taste,

IMG0322_zpsbd5e460f.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Last edited:

Chasseur

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,494
Location
Hawaii
Spot for me on all of these like Flo!

Also I'd throw in a few others:

Jinnah the founder of Pakistan:

image00955.jpg


Both Clark Gable and Fred Astaire in the 1930s:
it-happened-one-bfi-00m-kuy.jpg


Clark-Gable-in-China-Seas-clark-gable-22796094-1067-800.jpg


Astaire4.jpg


Robert Donat in "39 Steps"

hitchcock_the_39_steps_gallery_photo_10_new_rd.jpg


And a little Bertie Wooster for good measure:
ITV-ARCHIVE-007.jpg

So some sort of 1930s Anglo-French country gentleman or academic who is down at heels and a little threadbare...


Jean Gabin
tumblr_m0n5pw6t5s1r5rhsmo1_500.jpg

tumblr_lubmwamzmy1r3d5cro1_500.jpg


James Cagney especially in early 30s movies like "Public Enemy"
tumblr_m4t9td8sBX1qe2gsno1_500.jpg


And Maurice Chevalier in workwear
tumblr_m0n5fx3R4P1r5rhsmo1_500.jpg
 
Messages
1,184
Location
NJ/phila
Hi Folks

For me, Cagney, Grant and believe it or not Dwayne Wade from the Miami Heat. Dwayne was the first athletic to come on TV after a game with the vintage glasses and a super bow tie. A totally great look for a young fellow. He looked classy.
Now I am waiting for a celebrity to come on during an interview with a great fedora.
Best regards
CCJ
 

nice hat dude!

One Too Many
Messages
1,168
Location
Lumby,B.C. Canada
Hi Folks

For me, Cagney, Grant and believe it or not Dwayne Wade from the Miami Heat. Dwayne was the first athletic to come on TV after a game with the vintage glasses and a super bow tie. A totally great look for a young fellow. He looked classy.
Now I am waiting for a celebrity to come on during an interview with a great fedora.
Best regards
CCJ

+1 on D Wade
 

Flat Foot Floey

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,220
Location
Germany
I just wonder why nobody mentioned the Laurence Fellows illustrations. I forgot them too but they are really important. The color cominations!


To see the question from another angle: From the Fedora Lounge it would be Sproily and Dinerman.

From Sproily I got my love for grey flannels, dress boots, short jackets and some mix and match inspirations. And he sold me my now favourite suit!
Dinerman inspired me to buy a blanket coat (which I love to death now), chambray shirts, shawl collar workwear (sweater, jackets) and so on. But he is a braver man then I. Some stuff would be too far out even for me but he can pull it off.:eusa_clap

There are some other Loungers who have shown their great taste and many "Holy Grail" pieces but I wouldn't call it a direct influence since I couldn't find (and afford) the same clothes in my size anyway. [huh]
 

resortes805

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,019
Location
SoCal
Musicians and athletes of that era.

Coming up during the neo-swing era, the suits designed by Jorge Avalos of La Bomba vintage blew me away, and still do. The broad shouldered, nipped waist, hi-waisted suits he designed for bands like Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy struck such an extreme silhouette, it really was something else. Although zoot inspired, the suits really created a stocky, blue-collar athletic look. Sort of a dapper mob-enforcer or boxer look.
custom5_2.jpg
custom6_2.jpg
custom7.jpg
custom3_2.jpg
custom11_2.jpg


Looking to develop my own take on vintage style, I delved through antique photos and archival images, consistently being impressed by the look of musicians and athletes of color as well as working class white folk. For me style is more than about clothes, it is also about stance, how the clothes are worn to communicate what message. What the youngsters are calling 'swag' nowadays.

Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis had that hard stance that I admire. My mother side of the family comes from southern Colorado and Dempsey had also been a regional hero. That haircut is killer!
Dempsey.Miske1920.jpg
lina-and-jack.jpg
1212683281.jpg


Trim cut trousers, but again, awesome haircut!
chaplin_with_jack_dempsey_big.jpg
 

resortes805

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,019
Location
SoCal
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the musicians and performers I've admired; lanky with style that produces long & lean lines.
Cab Calloway for sure:
0.jpg
3210533855_60e643197e.jpg


T-Bone Walker for the post-war period.
T_Bone_jpeg(2)-719727.jpg


And perhaps the most amazing hollywood leisure suit this side of Slim Whitman,
1008349-T-Bone_Walker.jpg
81YCKksW+QL._SL290_.jpg
20027909.jpg
 

Metatron

One Too Many
Messages
1,536
Location
United Kingdom
Great thread. For me it's mainly 1930s to mid 1950s casual and workwear, with a bit of military influence too:

Spanish Civil war volunteers:
Screenshot2013-01-15at202841.png


Luftwaffe pilots:
Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-2008-1118-501_Theodor_Weienberger.jpg


The artist Mervyn Peake
MervynPeakein1940.jpg


The actor Dirk Bogarde
Screenshot2012-09-21at030222.png

I would never tuck in my sweater however. ;)

From the fedora lounge: Flat Foot Floey, Baron Kurtz, Two Types, Dinerman cause I think they are original and creative and have a real love for the era.
 
Last edited:

Mr Badger

Practically Family
Messages
545
Location
Somerset, UK
From the fedora lounge: Flat Foot Floey, Baron Kurtz, Two Types, Dinerman cause I think they are original and creative and have a real love for the era.

Seconded! :eusa_clap

I've always liked what I believe the Americans called 'flash', in reference to British bands of the 1960s, who were my original style icons when I was 14 or so – the 'Prince Valiant hair & an armful of maracas' bunch like The Pretty Things & the mod suss of The Small Faces:

the-pretty-things-4.jpg


Rave+1966+SB+88574.jpg


However, as I explored pop culture, literature and movies – more often than not going backwards, thru the 1950s-1920s – I not only realised that I was entirely too large to carry off said skinnyfit styles (at 6' 4"!) but also that such pre-teen heroes of mine as the character of Flash Harry from the St Trinians films and Sgt Joe Walker off Dad's Army looked really cool and that the shape of their clothes actually suited me:

9606806.jpg


Command_Decision.jpg


Add in stories about my great granddad's WW2 black market exploits (making face cream & 'leg painting kits' for his chemist's shop!), and the Brighton Rock crew:

tumblr_m00ji84XXD1rqubcto1_500.jpg


Plus a whole loada R&B, jazz, country and blues icons (Calloway & Gaillard especially!), good old Robert Mitchum and the Memphis street style of the Lansky Brothers, and you've just about got where I'm currently at!

Hopefully, just on the right side of spiv-iness, with a little workwear and rock'n'roll flash on the side! :D

I know that I'm too fugly to ever be considered elegant, in the manner of the great Mr Astaire! :p

So, to recap, from this:

309583_10150805810425471_630600527_n.jpg


To this:

425463_10152351388510471_367730243_n.jpg
 
Last edited:

nice hat dude!

One Too Many
Messages
1,168
Location
Lumby,B.C. Canada
Seconded! :eusa_clap

I've always liked what I believe the Americans called 'flash', in reference to British bands of the 1960s, who were my original style icons when I was 14 or so – the 'Prince Valiant hair & an armful of maracas' bunch like The Pretty Things & the mod suss of The Small Faces:

the-pretty-things-4.jpg


Rave+1966+SB+88574.jpg


However, as I explored pop culture, literature and movies – more often than not going backwards, thru the 1950s-1920s – I not only realised that I was entirely too large to carry off said skinnyfit styles (at 6' 4"!) but also that such pre-teen heroes of mine as the character of Flash Harry from the St Trinians films and Sgt Joe Walker off Dad's Army looked really cool and that the shape of their clothes actually suited me:

9606806.jpg


Command_Decision.jpg


Add in stories about my great granddad's WW2 black market exploits (making face cream & 'leg painting kits' for his chemist's shop!), and the Brighton Rock crew:

tumblr_m00ji84XXD1rqubcto1_500.jpg


Plus a whole loada R&B, jazz, country and blues icons (Calloway & Gaillard especially!), good old Robert Mitchum and the Memphis street style of the Lansky Brothers, and you've just about got where I'm currently at!

Hopefully, just on the right side of spiv-iness, with a little workwear and rock'n'roll flash on the side! :D

I know that I'm too fugly to ever be considered elegant, in the manner of the great Mr Astaire! :p

So, to recap, from this:

309583_10150805810425471_630600527_n.jpg


To this:

425463_10152351388510471_367730243_n.jpg


+1 Badger looks good!!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,641
Messages
3,085,599
Members
54,471
Latest member
rakib
Top