Show us their suits

[cchgn]

I know this isn't a period I particularly like (and I'm certainly not a fan of low buttoning two-button jackets) but I still think Stanley Baker looks good here (playing a policeman in 'Violent Playground'):

Well, you know, in all the classic (American) movies, the tell tale sign of a detective or PI was the cheap suits,,,,lol.

 

[Dick Ireland]

So , let me get this right, the first one took minutes and while they may have been smiling at the beginning of the exposure, they 'relaxed' their smiles by the end of the exposure? and that didn't effect the exposure at all? Hmmm, seems like there would be a blur or mouths out of focus or something.

I think what he meant is that the subjects of early photographs were instructed not to smile at all, from start to finish, to prevent the blurring you allude to.

Also, I think back them the portrait photograph was thought of as the poor man's portrait painting--you'd do it once for posterity, so it was how people would remember you forever after. Hence the more serious expression.

I think the idea of smiling came when camera's were put in the hands of ordinary people who would use them to remember happy moments.

 

[Two Types]

I could be wrong but maybe it is just a detachable collar we see here?

These collars do appear to have a tab. this is from 'Honeymoon for Three' (1935):

The tab can be seen here.

 

[Two Types]

Here's my latest offering from an old British film - Honeymoon for Three (1935 - the year of peaked lapels and double breasted waistcoats). Written by and starring Stanley Lupino (the father of Ida Lupino):

Flannels with suit jacket:

Shoes with Tarsal Straps:

He is carrying a rather bold overcoat:

Teddy Bear coat:

 

[Two Types]

 

[Fastuni]

Nice!
The pinstripe suit jacket with white flannels should be well receivd by many a orphan jacket owner.

 

[Two Types]

Nice!
The pinstripe suit jacket with white flannels should be well receivd by many a orphan jacket owner.

Absolutely! Except that it's easier to find an orphaned jacket than a pair of 1930s cream flannel trousers!

 

[herringbonekid]

i'm digging the blunt tab collars. they're quite refreshing for those of us who have been spear-pointed to death.

 

[Two Types]

Agreed. I still love the soft spearpoint collars, but these are increasingly attractive. Some of them have a relatively wide spread to them, which is interesting. I'm tempted to get a couple in this style.

 

[Guttersnipe]

spear-pointed to death.

Ha! That's a good one.

There is something quite distinctive about those blunt collars TT posted. They are taller than what you usually see today. I actually quite like them too.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Mr Lupino had a nice wardrobe (and daughter)

Regarding the collars: Quirrel is ahead of the curve. He ordered a collar like that from Luxire in 2012

 

[Two Types]

Good man. i had forgotten that he had a tab collar shirt made.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

These collars do appear to have a tab. this is from 'Honeymoon for Three' (1935):

The tab can be seen here.

Ok, so the collar shape of the Luxire shirt plus tab. I just meant compared to the spearpoint shape.

 

[Gin&Tonics]

That maybe true on the first one, but certainly not the other two.......photography had gretaly improved by the second one and exponentially by the 3rd one.

So , let me get this right, the first one took minutes and while they may have been smiling at the beginning of the exposure, they 'relaxed' their smiles by the end of the exposure? and that didn't effect the exposure at all? Hmmm, seems like there would be a blur or mouths out of focus or something.

Anyway, The only other thought I gave to it was they may have been put off by having to remove their hats. All of them likely wanted their pics with their hats.

No, you mis understand me. I mean to say that they never smiled at all, but the reason was because they knew they'd be sitting for several minutes, not because they were mirthless individuals.

The sense for formality in the occasion of having photographs done may be at issue, but also remember that simply because the fact of the matter was that photographic technology had improved doesn't mean that the average person being photographed knew or understood that. The old "you must not move a muscle and it will take some time, so don't smile" belief probably persisted longer than the technology demanded it.

 

[Two Types]

Double Confession (1950)

Derek Farr is a sports jacket with a low button stance and elongated lapel:

not a style I particularly like, but nice cloth:

As with most British films of this period, you can tell the villain - he's the one in the bow tie ...

... or the one wearing a black shirt:

This shows the regular styling so that an audience can distinguish between the good guy (nice modern sports jacket) and the bad guy (wide lapels and bow tie):

Very long shirt collar:

suit jacket with mis-matched trousers:

Wide-boy with American-style tie:

 

[Two Types]

Also, a police detective (in his suitably sober three piece suit):

 

[esteban68]

Great stills again TT!

 

[Guttersnipe]

As with most British films of this period, you can tell the villain - he's the one in the bow tie ...

During roughly the same period, in American "JD" films (exploitation films about juvenile delinquency), one member of the gang, generally the crazy one, usually wears a bow tie.

 

[Metatron]

Interesting cast! William Hartnell and Peter Lorre.
I'm progressively going off the low button stance, mainly because I find it makes the jacket less practical (less coverage).

 

[Two Types]

Here are a few grabs from 'The Woman in Question' (1950):]

The contrast between the respectable policeman and the wideboy is shown by their clothes:

It's interesting to see the open pleats above the waistcoat pocket:

The very popular late forties/early fifties British fashion for open necked checked shirts:

The lesser-spotted 1940s corduroy jacket:

The obligatory wide-boy's bow tie:

... or American tie (as an alternative):