1930's Joseph & Fiess Co. Pinstripe Tweed Suit!

[Atterbury Dodd]

Selling my 1930's Joseph & Fiess Co. Pinstripe Tweed Suit!

Grey with blue pinstripes!

Jacket Measurements:
Chest 18 3/4
Shoulder 16 7/8 across back
Collar 1 3/4 tall
28 3/8 from back of collar to hem
24 1/4 Sleeves

Pants Measurements:
30 1/2 inside waistband
15 flat on outside of waistband
Inseam 29 1/2
Cuff 1 1/2
(I wear 29 waist jeans and for some reason these trousers are tight... I measured them three times so I'm sure I got them right! Can be let out a little bit I think)

Vest Measurements:
17 across bottom of very low armholes
19 1/4 back

$350 for this rare suit! More pics to follow!

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

 

[Rabbit]

A very nice suit in a conservative cut, I like it. Looks more like late 1950s, early 60s to me, though - the lapels, the shoulder, the waistcoat... out of interest, are there any other labels in it? The waistcoat has just two pockets and what looks like internal breast pockets?

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

Let me see if I can find some more labels! I would be surprised if this suit was made as late as the 50's or 60's... but, I'm no expert.

 

[Guttersnipe]

A very nice suit in a conservative cut, I like it. Looks more like late 1950s, early 60s to me, though - the lapels, the shoulder, the waistcoat... out of interest, are there any other labels in it? The waistcoat has just two pockets and what looks like internal breast pockets?

Soft shoulders, narrower lapels and flat front trousers were (are) a fixture of the Ivy League cut from the 1920s until the present day. Note the high stance of the bottom button compared to the pockets? That is pretty typical of early '30s cuts. Joesph & Feiss Company started marketing the "Clothcraft" brand about 1920 and this suit is cut exactly like a late 1920s/earliest '30s Brooks Brothers suit I own. Per the Internet, J&FC was unionized into the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America in 1934, so if there is no union label, that might be a indicator.

Edit:

Actually, turns some pictures of my Brooks Brothers suit are floating around the Internet:

 

[Rabbit]

Note the high stance of the bottom button compared to the pockets? That is pretty typical of early '30s cuts.

I did notice the many specs that indicate 1930s. I can't put my finger on it, it's just the lapel shape and overall cut. The heavy fabric and good pressing might play tricks on me, though, and I'm certainly not an expert either. I've handled only a dozen perios suits and studied illustrations/ photos, no more.
Actually, the only spec that's against 30s standards seems to be the waistcoat with only two pockets, no chest pocket. I can't see it too clearly on the photo, but it looks like there is something at the chest, as if there are internal pockets there.

Atterbury, you got a PM.

 

[Rabbit]

Looking at the pics again, I guess it's the very wide lapels (much wider than half the shoulder section) in combination with the length of the lapels, rolling down to the buttoning point, and the high gorge that makes me think it might be post-war.

The buttons, the font on the label, the piped seams all look 30s enough to me, though, but not specific or exclusive for the 30s.

Sorry for turning this into a discussion, but I'm really interested in this suit. Would anyone care to chime in?



Guttersnipe, I don't quite see the connection to your BB suit. The lapel width on yours is normal for the period, unlike the tweed suit. Also the shoulder construction looks different, almost deconstructed (not that it matters).

 

[Fastuni]

I have no doubt that this suit is 1930's. Everything looks perfectly right for a mid-30's US two-button SB.

The waistcoat has 4 pockets - one can see this on closer inspection. The photo is a bit unsharp and the fabric hides the pockets a bit.

The buttons are very "30's European-style" BTW - rather unusual for America but very lovely!

For what it is worth... if this suit had been my size, I'd certainly have made an offer!

For comparison: my mid-30's US suit. Note the similarity of lapels, shoulders, silhouette and button stance:

 

[Rabbit]

Thank you, Fastuni, for your help.

I had thought it might be the unfocused bit, but wasn't sure. The more I look at the suit, it's the angle of the edge of the lapels that confused me.

I still see a lot of difference to your example just posted, but then you have already forgotten more about more vintage suits than I'll ever know!
The outer edge on the tweed suit's lapel is something like 40 degrees from vertical (I'm exagerating slightly) while your example is the more "normal" higher angle, more like 20 degrees or whatever.

Still checking to see if my 37" chest fits in it, and if it does I'll take this lovely suit.

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

Rabbit, I got your messages, I'll get some more careful measurements, probly with pics. Thanks for the helpful discussion ya'll.

 

[Johnny J]

Cannot tell if it has highwaist trousers. How long is the rise?

 

[Rabbit]

I looked through the Esquire illustrations which is still a pretty good reference (real-life clothes even though from an élite part of the population only), and I couldn't find any SB notch lapel jacket with an angle as described before combined with the "long" lapel of this particular shape.
I'm referring to the outer egde (the long side, marked in the collage below) of the lapel which normally points more toward the sky; here it points to the shoulder seams. The latter variety is more "normal" for a shorter notch lapel that starts from a third button, but not for a lapel that starts low, right from the second button.

To illustrate my point: Most any 1930s SB notched and "long" lapel I've seen has a shape more or less like the one on Fastuni's brown suit. The tweed one is a new species to me. The right one (Dinerman's pic) has a lapel that starts from a higher position and it's wider, too, so just to differentiate: The latter is not the lapel shape I'm talking about.

One thing to keep in mind is that the lapel appears to have no roll with the current pressing.

Cannot tell if it has highwaist trousers. How long is the rise?

Good point. Will you add that to the list, Atterbury?
Front rise and back rise, starting from the crotch seam. Or, if there is a wedge-shaped piece at the crotch, starting from the center of that piece.

 

[Guttersnipe]

From Apparel Arts Vol. II, No. 1 (Christmas 1934). Same lapel shape.

 

[Rabbit]

From Apparel Arts Vol. II, No. 1 (Christmas 1934). Same lapel shape.

The shape, yes. The angle as illustrated above, no. It's not the same thing and makes for a completely different look. Yes, it's a 1930s suit but of a somewhat unusual style.

 

[Guttersnipe]

The shape, yes. The angle as illustrated above, no. It's not the same thing and makes for a completely different look. Yes, it's a 1930s suit but of a somewhat unusual style.

To my eyes, there's nothing unusual about this suit. It looks like the jacket doesn't fit Atterbury well though the chest and shoulders, which is causing the chect/lapels to bow.

 

[Rabbit]

Ah, now that's a new angle (lame joke, I know). Seriously though, I had considered that earlier but rejected the theory because the torso fits well enough overall - back, chest, shoulders, and see the "correct" semi-overlap at the lowest button.