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30s/40s industrial style on the cheap

dancinggods

New in Town
Messages
36
Location
nashville, tn
Dressing in vintage styles can be expensive. I'm not looking to dress up in suits, but just simple work-man's clothing. Even then, all the pants and shirts I've lusted after have been from Japan or some limited edition piece by a major company that costs a lot (like the 1920s edition dickies for around $200). The whole point in dressing in working class clothes is to not spend a whole paycheck on a couple outfits that will get worn out.

My interest is in easily available and affordable pieces that have been around since the pre wwii times and have hardly changed. I'll name off a few things I've been wearing, but would love to hear more ideas.

For pants I wear dickies 874 oroginal fit. They are more high waisted than most pants on the market and are cheap. In the winter I wear a matching dickies original fit long sleeve twill work shirt. I like to have it buttoned all the way. As a plus, men's tall sizes are available for my long arms. The pants and shirts are less than $30 each.

In the summer, I could wear the shirt sleeve version, but lately just wear a white or black hanes t-shirt tucked in, with the belt line right at my belly button.

I wear red wing 10877 boots. These are the most expensive, but good shoes are worth an initial investment. I know this design dates to the early 50s, but it still fits my scope pretty close.

For tennis shoes, I wear white chick Taylor's, the design has changed a bit since wwii days, but they're cheap. I'm also looking into getting some pf flyers. I don't really have casual wear, I'm not too satisfied with modern 501s, so I just wear the dickies for all occasions. I've got a newsboy style cap I wear often as well.

Recommendations along these lines for a working class style relevant anywhere in the past 70 years would be helpful to me, and perhaps others as well. Cheap, timeless and easy to come by are the guidelines!

Thanks!
 

Fastuni

Call Me a Cab
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2,277
Location
Germany
I'm not looking to dress up in suits, but just simple work-man's clothing. Even then, all the pants and shirts I've lusted after have been from Japan or some limited edition piece by a major company that costs a lot

Wearing and collecting vintage tailoring (suits etc.) is cheaper nowadays than a lot of vintage workwear. Workwear is all the rage also among reproduction companies... tailored garments are rather niche.

If you look for true vintage workwear(ish) items, that are durable, cheap and easy to get: surplus 40's to 60's military items from Scandinavian countries (particularly Sweden). The trick is to get neutral/civilian looking items (that are not overly military in appearance or color - such as olive-green).
Mixed with other civilian items it makes for a great vintage workwear outfit on the cheap.
 

dancinggods

New in Town
Messages
36
Location
nashville, tn
Wearing and collecting vintage tailoring (suits etc.) is cheaper nowadays than a lot of vintage workwear. Workwear is all the rage also among reproduction companies... tailored garments are rather niche.

If you look for true vintage workwear(ish) items, that are durable, cheap and easy to get: surplus 40's to 60's military items from Scandinavian countries (particularly Sweden). The trick is to get neutral/civilian looking items (that are not overly military in appearance or color - such as olive-green).
Mixed with other civilian items it makes for a great vintage workwear outfit on the cheap.

I guess I should have been more clear. I'm not looking for vintage clothing, but new clothing by companies who haven't changed their designs much since the wwii era. Scandinavian surplus is not something I can easily acquire and will fit me well (see my comment about needing long sizes). Vintage, reproductions, and surplus are all harder to find. I want to buy something locally. As I said, with the outfit I outlined above, I look like a timeless worker from anywhere in the last 70 years. Aside from the shoes, the whole thing costs about $75 including military boot socks, the undershirt and underwear. And I could buy the whole thing here in town.
 

Rudie

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2,069
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Berlin
Well, if you were a worker in 1940 I doubt you were wearing modern Dickies and Red Wings. ;)
 
Messages
11,149
Location
SoCal
I'm in a similar boat.
I wear my Mossimo flat front olive shorts ($19 from Target) almost year round, but I'd love to find a long pant version. Gap/ Bannana/jcrew all change their fits, and colors yearly...
I love the idea of the vintage field trouser M-1951, but would love a new civilian make without going for the RRL officers chino at $100 on ebay.
Any thoughts? are the dockers d3 any good?
 

dancinggods

New in Town
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36
Location
nashville, tn
Well, if you were a worker in 1940 I doubt you were wearing modern Dickies and Red Wings. ;)

Haha, well let me change my date to 1953 to accommodate my red wings. Then my dickies are the closest approximation to the dickies that were available in 1953. Someone has to understand what I'm talking about asking!! Ha
 

dancinggods

New in Town
Messages
36
Location
nashville, tn
im specifically interested in clothing from american companies that have been around since the wwii era, and specific designs that have hardly changed since then. Does this make sense? Once again, I can wear my MODERN 874s, but when on, they look nearly the same as they would have in the 40s. Especially if I press them.
 

Rabbit

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2,561
Location
Germany
Cheap, timeless and easy to come by are the guidelines!

im specifically interested in clothing from american companies that have been around since the wwii era, and specific designs that have hardly changed since then. Does this make sense?

I know what you're after, but if these are your requirements, you won't find much. What Price Glory, as already mentioned, makes decent repros. Old companies still in existence today offering largely unchanged designs like Red Wing does, that's the exception on today's market. Add to that your requirement of low prices, and the selection is quickly becoming very thin.
 

tropicalbob

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,954
Location
miami, fl
A great deal of the clothing made in the Fifties and before, particularly workwear, was made by small, local companies that were driven out of business during the Seventies with the arrival of the "super-ships" that could carry tons of foreign goods from places where they were more cheaply made. The old locally-made workwear was just that and was made into rags when it was worn out.
 

dancinggods

New in Town
Messages
36
Location
nashville, tn
I'm not even looking for anything with this thread, per say. I'm pretty satisfied with a style that is close to the time period I like, and I'm happy with the look. I wanted to share my findings, as I've found it really hard to find simple classic looking work pants that sit at the waist and don't cost a lot. Of course more tips aligned with the kind of outfit I've been wearing was a secondary reason for writing the OP. But dickies 874, red wings, black or white chucks or pf flyers, white or black tshirts; these are pretty much my daily attire for a 30s, 40s, 50s working class look. I'm a simple guy, I gave up in driving myself crazy trying to find vintage or repros I liked that also FIT. I like being able to go to my local store, get some pants, know they're gonna be there and still have a classic look.

So folks with a similar mind to me, take note if my tips sound helpful to you.

Also, for casual wear, those pointer jeans look interesting, and I live in Nashville so it's cool they're in Bristol (like 4 hours or so away). Does anyone know how they stack up next to modern Levi's for the most classic wwii +/- era look?

And I'm still open to hearing about other long running stateside companies that have products that have changed little in all the years.

Thanks!
 

sartana

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42
Location
Chula Vista, CA
How accurate to the 1930's original fit are Ben Davis work jeans? Are their current 'original fit' jeans truly original? If so, they would seem to be a nice item for a fair price.....
 

dancinggods

New in Town
Messages
36
Location
nashville, tn
How accurate to the 1930's original fit are Ben Davis work jeans? Are their current 'original fit' jeans truly original? If so, they would seem to be a nice item for a fair price.....

That term "original fit" is confusing. I tried calling dickies today to find out what year they consider to be "original." They didn't know or wouldn't tell me.
 

dancinggods

New in Town
Messages
36
Location
nashville, tn
Those ben's originals are nice, and I love that they offer an option for suspender buttons for an extra $5. I also like the gorilla leg ones, those remind me of old 40s pants if they were long and cuffed.
 

Dickie Teenie

A-List Customer
Messages
367
Location
Iowa now Athens Gr.
Did i hear 40's gorilla leg, try Prison Blues. Not local, Oregon inmates make them. Right at $30 a super buy. Go to Prisonblues.net not the .com site.
 
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dancinggods

New in Town
Messages
36
Location
nashville, tn
Oh! The prison blues are great. What an awesome classic look for a great price, and with suspender buttons! These would be great for casual work. Suspenders, a white or black tshirt and some pf flyers. This would be great for yard work.
 
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Rick Morgan

New in Town
Messages
8
Location
NJ
Big Yank Workwear is no longer made but dead stock shows up a lot. The pants are wonderful, higher cut with full legs.
 

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