Esquire’s Complete Golden Age Illustrations:

[Flanderian]

The balance of May 1945.

 

[Flanderian]

These are Esquire's illustrations for June 1940.

The illustration below is either the beginning, or near it, of Esquire using live models to illustrate the clothing they discuss. Sometimes done well, but as we shall see, not always. And it least to my eye, lacking the dramatic impact of the better drawings, and of the artist's eye to amend reality to something closer to the ideal.

 

[Flanderian]

These are the Esquire illustrations from July 1940.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Re: May 1945. Wait. Fishing while wearing a tie? The past is a different country. We will never quite understand it.

 

[Flanderian]

Re: May 1945. Wait. Fishing while wearing a tie? The past is a different country. We will never quite understand it.

Indeed!

At one time many workman would even wear a tie under their smock or overalls while laboring.

 

[Flanderian]

Here are the illustrations for August 1940. Not my favorite batch, but it's what they decided to publish. Coming years soon bring many changes, but gems can still be found among them. The last page, Colors Made Easy, offering sartorial how-to tips became an increasing focus of the editorial content. I also assume it was a favorite among readers, and the original model for such advice which can now be found on the Internet, in books, etc.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Learned a new word!

cynosure
/ˈsʌɪnəʃʊə,ˈsɪnəʃʊə,ˈsʌɪnəzjʊə,ˈsɪnəzjʊə/
noun

1. a person or thing that is the centre of attention or admiration.
   "Kirk was the cynosure of all eyes"

 

[Fading Fast]

Re: May 1945. Wait. Fishing while wearing a tie? The past is a different country. We will never quite understand it.

Indeed!

At one time many workman would even wear a tie under their smock or overalls while laboring.

Agreed, it was a very different place. And that period's thoughts and norms around dressing were incredibly different than today.

I know I've mentioned the before, I had a grandfather (born ~1890) who was very poor, but still he wore a suit and tie or sport coat and tie everyday of his life. And, I assure you, he wasn't snobbish at all (the exact opposite), it was just how he knew to dress. He lived in a horribly rundown apartment building and some (not all) of his friends into the 1970s also dressed that way.

Heck, in addition to Flanderian's point, think about gas-station attendants who (some even into the 1970s) wore ties or bow ties.

 

[Flanderian]

Agreed, it was a very different place. And that period's thoughts and norms around dressing were incredibly different than today.

I know I've mentioned the before, I had a grandfather (born ~1890) who was very poor, but still he wore a suit and tie or sport coat and tie everyday of his life. And, I assure you, he wasn't snobbish at all (the exact opposite), it was just how he knew to dress. He lived in a horribly rundown apartment building and some (not all) of his friends into the 1970s also dressed that way.

Heck, in addition to Flanderian's point, think about gas-station attendants who (some even into the 1970s) wore ties or bow ties.

For me, attempting to dress well is in large measure indicative of respect for ourselves, and others.

Your mention of gas station attendants brought back a vivid mental image of Louie Zahn in his grease smeared coveralls, and often hands, with a neat shirt and tie beneath. The owner, and mechanic, of our neighborhood Esso gas station didn't make his living on the seat of his trousers.

 

[Flanderian]

These are the Esquire illustrations for September 1940.

 

[Fading Fast]

For me, attempting to dress well is in large measure indicative of respect for ourselves, and others.

Your mention of gas station attendants brought back a vivid mental image of Louie Zahn in his grease smeared coveralls, and often hands, with a neat shirt and tie beneath. The owner, and mechanic, of our neighborhood Esso gas station didn't make his living on the seat of his trousers.

I remember we had a roofer, in the '70s, come to our house once to give us an estimate. He was dressed in a sport coat and tie, but quite reasonably, showed up for the job dressed with his crew in work clothes. He did some work for us over the years and, when he was just coming by to "talk" about the job or something, he was always dressed in a tie and sport coat, but when he worked on the job; work clothes. As a kid, I always thought it was a way of him making a statement that he was a businessman as well as a workman. A lot of that was still going on in the '70s.

Now, today, my plumber, who shows me pictures of his new cars, houses (regular and summer) and quite-frequent vacations, shows up in his work clothes all the time. I have no issue with that - the norms are what they are and I don't expect anyone to do anything more than the norm - and I'm glad he does so well (I never feel he's showing off, he's just enthusiastic about his stuff). I do laugh, though, as if you saw this guy on the street -I'll just say it, he looks pretty sloppy and kinda shabby - of course, many workmen look fit, successful, etc., not this guy - you'd wonder if he even had a place to live. Meanwhile, the last time he was over, he showed me his beautiful new stone driveway he just had installed.

 

[Flanderian]

I remember we had a roofer, in the '70s, come to our house once to give us an estimate. He was dressed in a sport coat and tie, but quite reasonably, showed up for the job dressed with his crew in work clothes. He did some work for us over the years and, when he was just coming by to "talk" about the job or something, he was always dressed in a tie and sport coat, but when he worked on the job; work clothes. As a kid, I always thought it was a way of him making a statement that he was a businessman as well as a workman. A lot of that was still going on in the '70s.

Now, today, my plumber, who shows me pictures of his new cars, houses (regular and summer) and quite-frequent vacations, shows up in his work clothes all the time. I have no issue with that - the norms are what they are and I don't expect anyone to do anything more than the norm - and I'm glad he does so well (I never feel he's showing off, he's just enthusiastic about his stuff). I do laugh, though, as if you saw this guy on the street -I'll just say it, he looks pretty sloppy and kinda shabby - of course, many workmen look fit, successful, etc., not this guy - you'd wonder if he even had a place to live. Meanwhile, the last time he was over, he showed me his beautiful new stone driveway he just had installed.

Sigh . . . !

Different priorities. I respect that, but feel sorry for him - not out of contempt, but pity for what I feel he's missing.

 

[Flanderian]

Here are October 1940's Esquire illustrations.

 

[Fading Fast]

Sigh . . . !

Different priorities. I respect that, but feel sorry for him - not out of contempt, but pity for what I feel he's missing.

What I find interesting is that he has beautiful and pin neat cars and homes, but even the pics of him at his house and with his cars has him dressed no differently than when he shows up at my apartment to do work. Clearly, clothes just don't matter to him.

 

[Fading Fast]

Some really good stuff in here. It took me years to "discover" this, but a medium-price suit well tailored will look much better than an expensive suit not-well tailored.

 

[Flanderian]

What I find interesting is that he has beautiful and pin neat cars and homes, but even the pics of him at his house and with his cars has him dressed no differently than when he shows up at my apartment to do work. Clearly, clothes just don't matter to him.

We all have different values, I suspect autos are a passion, whereas clothing simply a necessity. These are biases that from my experiences tend to form early and become part of the individual.

Some really good stuff in here. It took me years to "discover" this, but a medium-price suit well tailored will look much better than an expensive suit not-well tailored.
View attachment 266977

Esquire in one its better moments. Advice becomes a greater aspect of Esquire as time goes on, and being able to more easily compare it over the years, they're not above contradicting themselves!

 

[Flanderian]

November 1940's Esquire illustrations.

 

[Flanderian]

We briefly interrupt this cavalcade of on-topic vintage Esquire illustrations with a photo which was not included among those published by Esquire, but which would have been a worthy addition; the esteemable Gary Cooper wearing well a double-barreled tweed sporting suit.

 

[Flanderian]

These are Esquire's illustrations for December 1940.

 

[Fading Fast]

From "Putting on the Ritz" (1929 Irving Berlin):

Dressed up like a million dollar trooper
Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper
Super-duper