Show us your suits

[Baron Kurtz]

My word, what a collection. That last one screams 30s. Especially tha label inside the jacket. Very period-correct . . .

And the trousers on the brown herringbone are amazing.

Wow. :eusa_clap

Keep on showing 'em. I'm collecting your pics into my archive . . .

bk

 

[Micawber]

Nice :eusa_clap

 

[benstephens]

Hi Baron,

Yes I think it is 1930s, but the condition is so good. It is very rare to find Flannel suits as it tends to be worn out.

Not a great source to go by, but Hugh Laurie (Bertie Wooster) wears a suit very similar to this one in an episode of Jeeves and Wooster. We met the costume designer for that the other day, he also did poirot as well. He runs a lovely tea room close to Ludlow which plays 1930s music, and has lots of nice 1930s touches.

Also, if you want any detail shots of any of the suits please just ask, I am happy to oblige.

Ben

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Detailed shots of the labels would be great. My main suit archive is labels. I'm trying to do a study of the type-set and fonts used. I'm convinced that these can be used as an indicator of era. Certainly moreso than style. I have quite a few American labels photographed and i think i'm getting somewhere with my type-set/font thesis; it'd be interesting to see if Brit labels of a similar era conform to my thesis or not.

I just love seeing these British suits. The styling is so different from the US suits (which form the major portion of my own collection) that it is a delight to see them. A learning curve too.

I would also desparately love to see more 30s German tailoring. Again, worlds away from what we typically see in British and US suits of the period (at least the german pieces in my own collection are very distinctively styled).

bk

 

[benstephens]

Baron,

A lot of British suits are not actually labelled, or if they are bespoke, have a small little white tailors label in. There is a website, I will try and find it again called the vintage fashion resource, and they have pictures of thousands of labels from all different time periods.

I think it is something that has thrown me a bit with the flannel suit, is the fact it has a label in it, but I think it may be a 1930s label, it is just unusual for a British suit to be labelled like that.

I have never seen a period Austin Reed label in a suit, which is something I would like to. A friend has a Harrods suit, and I have a couple made by the "ideal". I will post pictures of them when I can.


Ben

 

[Baron Kurtz]

One of my Brit suits (pacman) is labelled "Hepworths, Leeds and London".

bk

 

[benstephens]

Oh yes, I forgot about Hepworths, they were a very big tailor/outfitter of the time.

I have a feeling Hepworths were Burtons main competitor, then Slightly more up market was Austin Read etc.

ben

 

[Fletch]

And boy, has that name ever been downmarketed. Not even a shadow of its former self.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Which one? Austin Reed? They still make relatively good MTM, but yes, just another high street store . . .

bk

 

[benstephens]

Austin Reed are not to bad now, I would say on par with Marks and Spencers top end, they are certainly not what they were in the 1930s though.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Since this is the current suit thread and all the gents with the answers are looking I have a question. I bought this jacket as listed as a 1930's. It has no tags at all, pretty heavy wool, fully lined and functioning buttons at the cuffs. My only concern is that it has some shoulder padding. What is the common wisdom here about the padding, amount and years?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

All down to the taste of the customer. No padding to heavy padding, i've seen 'em all from the 30s.

Obviously you'll need to wait to see (as i read it, you have not received this one) but i'd guess that one is indeed 30s . . .

bk

 

[Mr. Rover]

It looks pretty 30s to me, too, but my eye isn't as good a Kurtz's. The pocket flaps, shoulders, lapels, and waist suppression seem more pre-war.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Thanks for the evaluations guys. I actually did receive it today, I just used the photo from the "auction site" because I was in a hurry. This is only my second vintage suit, so I'm still not sure I'm being taken sometimes. You know how it is. Do you have any questions that may help to clarify what I have?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

how many interior pockets does it have? Is there a linen tag (not a union tag) inside any of the inside pockets? Can i see a picture of the buttons used on the cuffs? Can i see a close-up of the buttons on the front of the jacket? Please a pic of the lining too.

frank kurtz

 

[J. M. Stovall]

There are just two interior pockets, one on each side at the chest. There are absolutely no tags anywhere on the jacket, inside or out. These are more auction pictures, I'll have to shoot better ones of the lining.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Not that this needs reiteration, but . . .

You have an outstanding collection of fine suits there Mr Stephens!

 

[jamespowers]

There are just two interior pockets, one on each side at the chest. There are absolutely no tags anywhere on the jacket, inside or out. These are more auction pictures, I'll have to shoot better ones of the lining.

Pretty cool. You have surgeon's cuffs on the jacket. Too bad you couldn't find a date and person's name tag inside one of the interior pockets. Then it would be easy to date.

Regards,

J

 

[Baron Kurtz]

As i suspected, it's German, or int he German tradition. The armholes are super high, right . . .

frank kurtz

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Yes they are, pretty high and tight.