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Show us your British suits

herringbonekid

I'll Lock Up
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6,016
Location
East Sussex, England
some scans from a 24 page Horne Brothers booklet, probably early to mid 30s:

Horne_brothers_01_zps7490a163.jpg


Horne_brothers_03_zpsc9ed93dc.jpg


Horne_brothers_04_zps97882cd2.jpg


Horne_brothers_05_zps1e7eac4a.jpg


Horne_brothers_06_zps060b65f0.jpg


Horne_brothers_07_zps82932baa.jpg


Horne_brothers_08_zps440e1169.jpg


Horne_brothers_09_zpsc927c541.jpg


Horne_brothers_10_zpsd86da1d9.jpg


Horne_brothers_02_zps91389615.jpg
 

herringbonekid

I'll Lock Up
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6,016
Location
East Sussex, England
Baron, you're more hardcore than me if you can date by head illustration style !
i was just going by the suit cuts. could even be late 20s do you think ?

notice that all the DBs are 4 button.
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
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5,456
Location
London, UK
Rather bold stripes from the 1938 film 'Penny Paradise':

PennyParadise-stripedsuit5_zps1e8053d3.jpg

PennyParadise-stripedsuit2_zps81c7880b.jpg


It is easy to think that such a suit might be a costume piece, rather than a regular suit. However, I was recently reading about the film company (ATP - which later became Ealing Studios) and this would have been a rather low budget production. As such, it appears that most of the male costumes used by the studio were regular suits, acquired through high street shops.
 

esteban68

Call Me a Cab
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2,107
Location
Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
It might not have been so bright in colour, black and white film often brings out the contrast more then reality.
Rather bold stripes from the 1938 film 'Penny Paradise':

PennyParadise-stripedsuit5_zps1e8053d3.jpg

PennyParadise-stripedsuit2_zps81c7880b.jpg


It is easy to think that such a suit might be a costume piece, rather than a regular suit. However, I was recently reading about the film company (ATP - which later became Ealing Studios) and this would have been a rather low budget production. As such, it appears that most of the male costumes used by the studio were regular suits, acquired through high street shops.
 
What kind of character is wearing the suit, TT?

The whole ensemble would, I think, NOT be welocome in the Putting It All Together thread. The mixture of stripes in suit, tie and shirt, the herringbone cap that doesn't work well with the stripes, the trousers that don't close properly at the waist. Altogether a mess.

Seems like the character might be a bit of a spiv or chancer?
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
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5,456
Location
London, UK
Absolutely: He is a bit of a dodgy character. He only wants to marry the girl after he discovers her dad has won the pools.

That said, whilst it's the sort of outfit that would be way too over the top for me to wear, I can imagine someone else wearing it with such a confident swagger that they'd get away with it (Yes Edward, I'm thinking of you).
 

epr25

Practically Family
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622
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fort wayne indiana
Hi I know this is not that helpful without photos, I will be taking some tonight. I believe that I have quite a find. Today I was lucky enough to purchase a navy pin striped double breasted wool suit made by Lesley & Roberts, 16 George Street, Hanover Square London, dated 11-37. I will be selling this but the only reference that I could find was one suit from 1989 on ebay but they were asking $595? I thought that it would be a good move to gather more information about this suit before it's listed. Does anyone have a good resource they could point me to?
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
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5,456
Location
London, UK
I don't recognise the name of the tailors however George Street is just around the corner from Savile Row. I believe that many very good tailors have traditionally been based in the streets around 'the Row' and thus the suit could easily match the quality of Savile Row tailors of the period.
 

herringbonekid

I'll Lock Up
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6,016
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East Sussex, England
Lesley and Roberts were acquired by Welsh and Jefferies (Savile Row) in 1999:

http://welshandjefferies.wix.com/welsh-and-jefferies#!the_story/c161y

...they are in the same premises, but they still have their own site:

http://www.lesleyandroberts.com/

L&R have supposedly made suits for Rudolph Valentino, Clark Gable, Cary Cooper, and Bing Crosby (can't get much more 'golden era' than that list)

... and Michael Powell, director of 'the Red Shoes':

http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2009/05/my-50-year-old-black-tie.html#.UgqD72S3iuM
 
Last edited:

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