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Putting it all together

Orgetorix

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,241
Location
Louisville, KY...and I'm a 42R, 7 1/2
Baron Kurtz said:
I just HAD to know!

(strangely i don't think i've ever seen a 30s/40s brit or euro collar-attached shirt; hence my interest when i saw that your one appeared to be collar-attached)

bk

Surely the Brits and Europeans weren't still wearing stiff collars on a day-to-day basis in the '40s?
 

Marc Chevalier

Gone Home
Messages
18,192
Location
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
Baron Kurtz said:
(strangely i don't think i've ever seen a 30s/40s brit or euro collar-attached shirt)

Back in the '80s, a vintage clothing store ("American Rag Cie.") in Los Angeles used to import lots of '30s menswear from Germany. Tons of dress shirts with long, pointy, attached collars. These shirts tended to have very long tails ... they almost looked like nightshirts, but the collars had removable celluloid or bone stays in them, a detail not found in nightshirts.


.
 

Matt Deckard

Man of Action
Messages
10,045
Location
A devout capitalist in Los Angeles CA.
I have a european dress shirt... and those tails are crazy long. You have to tuck them in just right so it doesn't look all bunched up under your trousers. I'm gueeing the vintage european trousers were thick enough to cover the scads of material.
 

Mr. Rover

One Too Many
Messages
1,875
Location
The Center of the Universe
Marc Chevalier said:
Back in the '80s, a vintage clothing store ("American Rag Cie.") in Los Angeles used to import lots of '30s menswear from Germany. Tons of dress shirts with long, pointy, attached collars. These shirts tended to have very long tails ... they almost looked like nightshirts, but the collars had removable celluloid or bone stays in them, a detail not found in nightshirts.


.


So vintage shirts did have collar stays? I was always under the impression that they didn't ever, so I always ask for shirts made with optional stays and never put any in.
The dress shirt maker here makes them with built in stays by default. This weekend, I decided to get a shirt made with a long, pointed collar and forgot to mention to not put stays in. Atleast I know I won't be totally off if he had them made with built-in stays. And I'll have a nice stiff collar...
Does anyone know if you can still use a collar bar with the plastic stays?

-Ray
 

Marc Chevalier

Gone Home
Messages
18,192
Location
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
Vintage German shirts from the 1930s did have removable collar stays, yes. Vintage American shirts from the same era *sometimes* did. I even have a '30s tab collar shirt which has removable stays, albeit short ones.


You are not supposed to use collar bars and collar stays together. Leave the stays out, lightly starch the collar instead, and slip on the collar bar.


.
 

Mr. Rover

One Too Many
Messages
1,875
Location
The Center of the Universe
Ah...well, the collar I chose was actually supposed to be used with hidden buttons, but I asked them to make the same shape without the buttons.
The collar kind of resembles this one, which is a hidden button collar from my custom tailor. I asked them to make mine a tad longer, though. We'll see if they nailed it on Saturday (Sunday for you Western Hemisphereans). The collar looked like it came straight out of a 30's Arrow shirt ad.
I got it made in white broadcloth with regular 2-button barrel cuff.
5097.jpg


If the collar is satisfactory, I'll get one made with french cuffs, too.
I also spotted that they had a club collar available, too...maybe a striped shirt with a white cuff and collar for that?
Maybe I'll get one of those made, too. They're not too bad at 900NT a pop (about $27USD).
 

benstephens

Practically Family
Messages
689
Location
Aldershot, UK
A lot of shirts had attached collars in England in the 1930s, In the Army and Navy stores catalogue 1938, they offer both, I think the collar attached being more expensive. I will scan the page latter for people to look at.

Kindest Regards

Ben
 

herringbonekid

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,016
Location
East Sussex, England
Marc Chevalier said:
Back in the '80s, a vintage clothing store ("American Rag Cie.") in Los Angeles used to import lots of '30s menswear from Germany. Tons of dress shirts with long, pointy, attached collars. These shirts tended to have very long tails ... they almost looked like nightshirts, but the collars had removable celluloid or bone stays in them, a detail not found in nightshirts..

Marc, that is exactly the type of 40s shirts i have. and the one shown on the previous page is of this type. i take the stays out so the collars are softer. they're mainly german but some could be swiss too.
 

benstephens

Practically Family
Messages
689
Location
Aldershot, UK
I have a very similar French shirt. I find the English shirts have slightly more rounded corners to the points. Do your foreign shirts have very thin yet stiff collars?

Ben
 

benstephens

Practically Family
Messages
689
Location
Aldershot, UK
Thankyou for the pictures, My subject of interest today is collars!

I meant material, my French one is very thin, Here is a picture of my French shirt and an English one next to it. The English one is short sleeved, and the 'points' are more rounded to give a more sporty look.

FrenchShirt.jpg


Ben

(I have a feeling we may be going slightly :eek:fftopic: here, I have posted on the spread collar thread!)
 

herringbonekid

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,016
Location
East Sussex, England
the fabric weight varies from papery thin to quite heavy !
as you can see from my photo above, the point width isn't too consistent either. i guess every manufacturer had their style. also the exact year is anyone's guess.


( i have the spearmint colour CC41 st.michael brother of your shirt )
 

benstephens

Practically Family
Messages
689
Location
Aldershot, UK
I have a light green (Spearmint?) CC41, but made by Kencella, Long sleeved though. I think that was a popular colour.

I think the St M shirts are nice fits. I really like the middle one of the three you posted.

Ben
 

Marc Chevalier

Gone Home
Messages
18,192
Location
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
The '30s German shirts have the longest and pointiest attached collars I've ever seen, period. That said, I've run into some '30s British detachable collars that are equally pointy. (www.ebay.co.uk has a few right now.)


The American collars --both detachable and attached-- were shorter and less narrow at the points. Two examples are below. (Most of you have already seen these pics, but they might be new for Ben. Thanks for your patience!)



30sshirt.jpg


shrttie4.jpg







Compare those to the collar on the Swiss shirt below:


dsp_gh1.jpg
 

benstephens

Practically Family
Messages
689
Location
Aldershot, UK
Thankyou ever so much Marc, It is interesting to see how collar shapes differed from country to country. That Swiss collar certainly has a point on it!

BK, Thankyou, that shirt looks to have less of a curve in the collar?

Cheers

Ben
 

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