Romanian Fashions in the mid-20th Century

[Two Types]

Some of these have already been posted in other threads, but I thought I'd create one thread to keep them all together. The fashions are very distinctive and give a good insight into the fashions on the period in one of Europe's less obvious locations.

They are from the archives of Romanian photographer Costica Acsinte.

Here goes, I'll start with some portraits:

Note the two breast pockets.

Great fabric on the left.

more twin breast pockets!

another very narrow cross over on a DB jacket

super-sharp labels and a one button jacket

another one button jacket

more wide peak lapels

peak lapels that reach the shoulder seam

curious lapels

 

[Two Types]

More portraits:

great fabric on the left, with a fancy pocket.

These buttoned pockets seem to be rather popular.

more curious lapels: the bottom bits are wider than the collar, but they aren't peaked. Odd.

another buttoned breast pocket

fancy breast pocket

interesting casual zip-up knitwear.

 

[Two Types]

Some more portraits:

what can you say about these lapels?

another buttoning breast pocket

I love this look!

 

[Two Types]

I've no idea what this outfit is!

a rather shady looking character

wonderful coat and hat combination

 

[Two Types]

Summer outfits:

Winter:

 

[Two Types]

Here are some suits:

Wedding, 1920s?

Nice suit, not sure about his sandals:

a rather odd outfit:

now, these are wide trousers:

 

[Two Types]

more suits:

 

[Two Types]

 

[herringbonekid]

some rather large tie knots in these photos.

loads of nice jacket-shirt-tie-pullover combos, and who'd have thought that the Romanians would have such a thing for lapel width and shoulder height ?

 

[Fastuni]

The German tailoring periodicals from the 1930´s mention the ¨Balkan-fashion of padding-waste¨ (Balkanmode der Watteverschwendung).
Apparently this was a Southeastern European thing.

 

[herringbonekid]

Fastuni, that's interesting. the only other suit i've seen with shoulders as highly-padded as some of these was German !
a friend of mine owns it. i'll try to get some photos from him.

 

[simonc]

Some lovely stuff there TT thanks!

 

[Broccoli]

Of course there are some interesting cuts to be seen in these pictures, but to me these are mainly just examples of people that are badly dressed. A lot of dirty, wrinkled clothes, bad fits and no harmony in many outfits.

 

[Two Types]

I've just noticed: this jacket appears to have had some alterations made to the front. I wonder if it's a double-breasted jacket that has been converted to single-breasted?

 

[Two Types]

Of course there are some interesting cuts to be seen in these pictures, but to me these are mainly just examples of people that are badly dressed. A lot of dirty, wrinkled clothes, bad fits and no harmony in many outfits.

I don't think they are 'badly dressed', I think they are just normal people wearing their normal, everyday clothes. Yes, many of them are wearing dirty, wrinkled clothes but this is a relatively poor country in the 1930s. When you only have one suit, and have to wear it everyday, it's going to look 'lived in'.
And some of them look like they are in small towns and villages (looking at the state of their shoes I'd guess they were living in areas without paved roads).

 

[Fastuni]

TT, I think this may be just a DB worn open. Maybe it was a bit too tight.

 

[simonc]

I'd like to see a Belgravia or 5th Avenue thread of 1930's in contrast to this.

 

[Two Types]

 

[Metatron]

Of course there are some interesting cuts to be seen in these pictures, but to me these are mainly just examples of people that are badly dressed. A lot of dirty, wrinkled clothes, bad fits and no harmony in many outfits.

But I think it is fascinating to see what everyday people wore, not just Cary Grant or Gary Cooper.
Sometimes those who deviate a bit from good taste can be unexpectedly original and creative.
There is no subtlety in some of those peak lapels, but plenty of flair.

 

[herringbonekid]

i agree with TT and Metatron.

as amateur fashion historians i think it's important to remind ourselves what ordinary, un-aibrushed, non-fashion-obsessed people looked and dressed like.
and if their clothes are a bit wrinkled and dirty, well, that's life !