Kays Clothing Catalogue

[Two Types]

Suits:

1927

1933

1937 a beautiful flecked belt-back suit:

1940

1943

1947

1959

 

[Two Types]

More suits:

1920

1931

1933

1937

1940

1946

1950

 

[Two Types]

... suits ...

1953

1957

1959

 

[Two Types]

Looking at the suits, it seems that everything looks good until about 1957, and by 1959 things are really going downhill. It makes me think of an earlier comment by HBK about the turning point for British menswear coming in 1956: it seems he was right!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I'm quite partial to those 1959 cuts, tbh. Esp. second from right. A last hurrah of older styling, perhaps?

 

[Nettie]

Oh that's great - have just had a look at web site - lots for us ladies too, how ever, I seem to be missing that fetching yellow rain poncho (1957) from my vintage wardrobe great for our English summers

And yes would love copies of any books if they published them!

 

[Sloan1874]

Fascinating stuff. Certainly very different from the stuff you get in catalogues nowadays. When I used to cover the local sheriff court, lawyers invariably claimed that their clients had a hefty catalogue debt to reduce the rate at which their fine would be repaid.

 

[Metatron]

Great to see these up here, TT - and bravo to Kay's for putting up that website.... It would be great if they did a print run of these, akin to the books already on the market that collect illustrations from US Sear's catalogue together by decade. "Everday Fashions of the [decade X]", I think that's the title. I have the 30s/40s/50s volumes at home. Some really nice images - great not only for details of specific items, but contemporary ideas of what should be worn with what for the construction of a very period accurate look.

Agreed, an admirable initiative.

 

[Hyena Stomp]

Thanks for sharing! Love those Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs scarves in your first post. Never seen those before.

 

[Two Types]

BK: "I'm quite partial to those 1959 cuts, tbh. Esp. second from right. A last hurrah of older styling, perhaps?"

For me, the turning point is the move to the two-button single breasted jacket. A 2 button is fine when it has a high button stance but, for me, as soon as the deep 'v' appears I just don't like it as much. When i look at the blue three piece from 1957 i don't have the same reaction, simply because the waistcoat fills the space above the jacket closure.

 

[herringbonekid]

there's a definite American influence once you get into the 50s, especially noticeable in the casual wear. the suit illustrations seem to be aiming for a 'bold' look.
i must say most of the suits of the 40s and 50s don't resemble British suits i've actually seen in real life. they look too wide in the shoulder and long in the body, but it might just be the illustrations.

 

[Edward]

there's a definite American influence once you get into the 50s, especially noticeable in the casual wear. the suit illustrations seem to be aiming for a 'bold' look.
i must say most of the suits of the 40s and 50s don't resemble British suits i've actually seen in real life. they look too wide in the shoulder and long in the body, but it might just be the illustrations.

I'm sure it is in part years of conditioning, but I'm not sure I'd want to buy something from a drawing rather than an actual photo nowadays! (That said, I still love these illustrations). A distinct American influence post 1950 would make sense: that's the point at which English language popular culture begins to be increasingly dominated by the US. Post-War, US army bases, rock and roll, Elvis, later on the death, for the most part, of the British film industry, replaced in the mainstream by Hollywood.... I was born in 1974, and I've probably, in my entire lifetime, seen more US films than non, and possibly almost as much US-sourced TV as that from anywhere else.

Something I wonder.... what level of the market were Kays aimed at? Much of the concept behind these catalogues, as I understand it, was that you could pay in a small amount on a per week basis and have the item right away, rather than paying the full amount up front. Given that this would have appealed to a lower-income market, is it possible that the suits were simply less sturdy than what tends to have survived, and would have been handed down through several people as well?

 

[herringbonekid]

A distinct American influence post 1950 would make sense: that's the point at which English language popular culture begins to be increasingly dominated by the US.

too true. my personal feeling is that British men's style had a crisis of confidence and lost it's way in the 50s as it tried to copy the US. you get many poor quality dacron-polyester versions of the American 'atomic' shirts, and the suits don't seem to know whether to be bold or continental. the one thing the Brits were really good at - the 30s shape - gets jettisoned as it now looks too stuffy. consequently most 50s British clothing looks (to me) unconvincing and lacking in identity.

Something I wonder.... what level of the market were Kays aimed at?

similar to Burtons; affordable clothing for the average working class family. i've never found a Kays brand suit, but it seems, looking at the pages, that they had various named ranges under the Kays name.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

On suits, the 4x1 double-breasted from 1959 looks good to my eyes, most of the rest of the 50s fashion made me wince!

 

[Sloan1874]

I'm sure it is in part years of conditioning, but I'm not sure I'd want to buy something from a drawing rather than an actual photo nowadays! (That said, I still love these illustrations).

Something I wonder.... what level of the market were Kays aimed at? Much of the concept behind these catalogues, as I understand it, was that you could pay in a small amount on a per week basis and have the item right away, rather than paying the full amount up front. Given that this would have appealed to a lower-income market, is it possible that the suits were simply less sturdy than what tends to have survived, and would have been handed down through several people as well?

That occurred to me too. But then, I guess a lot more people either didn't have access to the High Street shops that we have nowadays, and that the expense of a suit was too much for many in lingering post-war austerity, so perhaps catalogues didn't have quite the same down market image as they do now. I'm with you on the 'buying from a drawing' aversion too - artistic licence must've played a big part in these images. I can imagine there was many a sigh of disappointment from people receiving their suit, only to find it wasn't precisely 'as sketched'.

 

[Edward]

That occurred to me too. But then, I guess a lot more people either didn't have access to the High Street shops that we have nowadays, and that the expense of a suit was too much for many in post-war austerity times, so perhaps catalogues didn't have quite the same down market image as they do now.

Yes, that's what I was getting at - austerity times, not a lot of money around, and, crucially, a lack of alternative credit options (these days, folsk would just dump it all on the visa) made the old "club books" a very important source for a lot of people. I also remember a time in the early Eighties when, at least in semi-rural Northern Ireland in an era when a lot of folks didn't want to travel into Belfast, these sorts of mail order outlets would have been your only real option if you wanted to buy certain brands like Levis. Really, while ecommerce has sped up the process, it's not that different otherwise.

I'm with you on the 'buying from a drawing' aversion too - artistic licence must've played a big part in these images. I can imagine there was many a sigh of disappointment from people receiving their suit, only to find it wasn't precisely 'as sketched'.

I suppose back when it was the norm people would have worked around it.... It just occurred to me as quite funny that while I found myself gazing wistfully at these images, I also remembered being very suspicious of a big-name, US-based retailer that only had drawings, no photos, on their website. Some of us are never happy, eh? lol A combination of both would be great, though.... (Lip Service, an "Alternative Clothing" label well respected in my punk/goth/psychobilly days, used to do that. It was the best of both worlds, as sometimes a line drawing gives you a clearer idea of details that aren't so clear in even the best of photos. Especially important when 99.9% of items proffered are black, noir, or deep charcoal.... ).

 

[Two Types]

Here's some more:

1931

1937

1940

1943

1947

1957

 

[Two Types]

Sports & Leisure wear:

1928 tennis

1930 sports coat

The text informs us that, contrary to the illustration, the jacket has pleats and a stitched down rear belt and is available with patch pockets:

1930 swimwear

1933 Tennis wear

1933 Hiking

1937

1937 swimwear

1938 swimwear

 

[Two Types]

more sport and leisure:

1943

1950

1953

1957 swimwear

 

[Two Types]

Footwear 1940s:

1940

1943

1946

1947