That's an Odd One

Once in a while in this hobby (or should I say addiction?) you'll stumble upon something that's just plain odd.

Case in point, while browsing an online vintage shop I ran across a strange sports coat.  The seller described the jacket as being from the 1940s and made of navy blue flannel material.  It is dated but the date is incomplete: "4-1-?8".  I believe that jacket is from the late 1920s or possibly even the 1930s, though the former is most likely.  Looking at the photos provided by the seller we see some unique characteristics.

-Fishmouth lapels
-French cuffs
-Pleated patch pockets
-Multi-pleated and bi-swing back but lacks a belt
-Dual vents in the back, something fairly unusual to find on vintage sports coats

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The buttons were obviously moved at some point in time.

You might expect to see this kind of odd sports coat sold in a fashion forward city like New York City or Los Angeles.  But no, it's originally from ol' Indianapolis, smack in the midwest.  I've found in my searches that some of the craziest, most unusual and 'Hollywood-esque' vintage actually comes from small town USA.

I purchased this jacket and when it finally arrives I'll post photos up, so keep an eye on this blog.

WIW: Hollywood Wants its Jacket Back

The Hollywood jacket: the epitome of the 1940s/1950s 'in crowd'.  Movie stars and hipsters alike wore them.  They were the casual wear item for a generation of cool kids.

Heck, Elvis wore a very cool two-tone mint green and black belted Hollywood jacket (along with co-star Judy Tyler) in "Jailhouse Rock".

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Like young Elvis, I was a "cool kid" today.

Recently I ran into a near-perfect condition belted Hollywood jacket in my size.  Unlike Elvis' jacket, mine is made of very fine suede leather with matching leather buttons.

Today it was paired with Ralph Lauren 'Chaps' trousers and a blue herringbone shirt to give the kit an extra pop of color.

It has the typical  style of lapel found on Hollywood jackets, just with subtle stylistic differences.  The front actually reminds me of pre-WW2 casual German jackets with the slanted yokes, slanted breast pocket flaps, and gusseted breast patch pockets (the Germans did some very interesting and eccentric sartorial things in the 1930s and even after the war).

The back is just as nice as the front, with its gathered back beneath the yoke:

Here's the tag showing it was made in Mexico.

I'm lucky to have such a great Hollywood jacket in my collection, especially in this great condition.  It looks to be unworn and with the original belt- somewhat unusual to find since belts were often separated from their jackets over the decades.

At roughly 60 years old this is a fine showcase example of the iconic Hollywood jacket.

Hollywood: Inventor of Legend, Destroyer of Vintage

Hollywood has been an important force in the American social scene for about a century now, often giving us inspirational, insightful and, no doubt, entertaining films and television. Rocky, It's a Wonderful Life, The Best Years of Our Lives, Gone With the Wind, Rear Window, etc. The list goes on.

Those films and many others are legends, a normal part of popular culture. That's what Hollywood is known for: creating and changing popular culture.

Kid Galahad



Something Hollywood is not well know for is destroying vintage clothing but it is second to none in that regard.

It may or may not be common knowledge that Hollywood regularly uses original vintage clothing in the making of its films and TV shows. There are two main reasons for this: first, modern reproductions are often unable to capture the look and feel of Golden Era clothing and, secondly, real vintage clothing is often much cheaper to buy or rent than it is to reproduce. And that second part, the price, is the main reason Hollywood opts for the real deal.

And here's the rub: film and theater are rough business and things get destroyed, especially 70-year-old clothing. Look at the recent movie "Hugo" by director Martin Scorsese. According to the costume designer for that movie, Sandy Powell, hundreds of vintage pieces were destroyed during filming:

"There were literally over 1,000 costumes, so it took us a long time. We contracted costume rental companies, and we actually did a lot of buying, we sort of scoured markets and secondhand stores both in London where it was filmed and also in Paris; there are great flea markets there. And then we were filming so long, some of the extras were wearing the same clothing for weeks on end, and a lot of the original vintage pieces actually ended up falling apart, disintegrating."


The movie "Titanic" was just as bad, using many original vintage pieces during filming, especially dresses and gowns.  These were unfortunately shredded by the end of filming, just like the pieces used in "Hugo".
　
History disintegrating and being destroyed just to make a movie. If an architecturally important building or a valuable piece of artwork were purposely destroyed for the filming of a movie there would be an outcry from the media and the public. Yet when hundreds of historical pieces of clothing are allowed to fall apart for the same reason there is nothing.

Vintage fedora ruined in "Boardwalk Empire".

Several months ago I was approached by a costume designer from a popular and well known cable TV channel. They were looking for original 1940s/early 1950s pieces of men's clothing for an upcoming series about a detective in 1950s Los Angeles.  I was enthusiastic about supplying vintage to be used in the production of the TV show but soon remembered the horror stories like those above.  As a result, although I would have loved to participate in and supply the filming, I denied the studio both the sale and rental of my vintage (many of the same pieces found at the haberdashery).  I was even told by the costume designer that pieces rented were not guaranteed to be returned in the same condition and may not be returned at all, having 'disappeared' from the set.  And anything bought might be thrown out after filming.

That is unacceptable.

Vintage is a non-renewable resource.  Once it's gone, it's gone.  Reproductions will always be around and plentiful but collectors of vintage clothing are like the Hollywood studios: we prefer the real deal.  And while vintage is still fairly easy to find it is getting more difficult.  Eventually it will be impossible to find.  The days of large costume departments are gone: it's much easier (and cheaper) to buy 'new' costumes for a movie and throw them out at the end of filming.  It's the result of our disposable society.

What can be done to stem the destruction that Hollywood is sowing?  Little if anything.  No one really cares, except for those few vintage nerds like ourselves.  All we can do is watch history disappear piece by piece, right before our eyes. 

And all of it caught on film...

...Or Maybe This is the Best Tie...

I love the old western ties. Can't really put my finger on it, but I just like them.

Maybe it's the oddness of the thing: who in their right mind would wear a tie with a bucking bronco on it, or a steer's head, or leather stitching along the edges?

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I guess it's the character of the tie, character that few others have. Few ties today have character like the mid-1950s tie shown above. It's tastefully artful and fun without being grotesque, absurd, or childish like so many modern novelty ties.

Not to mention it grabs the eye like none other.

WIW: A Casual Tuesday

Yesterday was gorgeous. The temperature neared 70 degrees though it was a bit windy. But I'm not complaining.

It was also a day off from work for me so I made the best of it. I pieced together the below kit for bumming around town.

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The pieces I chose are iconic.
~Early 1950s Bailey of Hollywood fedora
~1950s rayon Ricky jacket
~Modern Aris Allen wide-legged trousers
~Modern Stacy Adams 'Kingsman' spectators
~Modern faux suede casual shirt

Note that only two pieces used are actually vintage while all the rest are modern. That just goes to show that a man with limited financial resources can still piece together a good vintage-esque kit with very little actual vintage.



Vintage is getting more expensive and harder to find. The resourceful vintage man merely needs to remember that many modern pieces can fill a hole in his collection and, when worn right, can look just as good as the real deal.

Best Tie?

This may be one of the best vintage ties I've ever owned.

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You just have to love the western theme, and the leather stitching along the bottom really sets it off. This kind of tie has been at the top of my list for some time now. And in New-Old-Stock condition, no less.



Hollyvogue was a quality tie maker back in the day.



Took about 60 years or so for it to finally sell to someone who will wear it. I paid a bit more than 29 cents, though!

WIW: Heat and Hollywood

To beat the heat sometimes you have to go the simple route: shirt, tie and trousers. No suit, no jacket. It makes for a classic look in the heat of the day, especially if the trousers are high-waisted.

-1950s NOS Hollywood Waist trousers
-1940s painted palm tree tie
-1940s barely used Freeman shoes
-1940s Stetson Panama hat
-Modern shirt

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The trousers shown were until recently NOS (New-Old-Stock) meaning they were never worn, never hemmed and still had the original tags attached. Finding such an item is rare, especially when you factor in that these are highly desirable Hollywood-waisted trousers, not to mention the baby blue color.

What is a Hollywood Waist? As the photo below shows, a Hollywood Waist has no waistband. The material is continuous from the leg hem all the way up to the waist. Such a waist makes for a sleek pant.


It also helps that Hollywood-waisted trousers are normally very high-waisted with a rise of 12 inches or greater. Trousers with such high waists will sit at or above the wearer's navel and around the natural waistline, making them wear more comfortably than trousers that sit on the hips. It also gives the wearer a more athletic and long-legged appearance, something shorter men should utilize. Though, there is a point at which trousers can become too high waisted...



^I have to admit, those do drape pretty well.

But I digress.

Of note is the 'slubbing', those woven lines in the fabric. Slubbing could be considered a flaw in the material but is often used to good effect as decoration and texture. Slubbing is quite common in Golden Era clothing, specifically from the mid-1940s through to the 1950s.

Note the slubbing as well as the fine workmanship of the shoes:



The original tag for my trousers, priced at $6.95 which is roughly $63 in today's money. I'm happy to have paid only $25 for 'em.