Spats!

[ArrowCollarMan]

Ah spats, shoe spats, boot spats. I love those things! Wish I had me a pair. The non-costumey ones sound pretty expensive though. [huh]

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Try eBay. (It's like a mantra, isn't it?)

You should be able to get a pair of '20s-'30s spats for about 10 bucks, unless you want black or white ones (which go for more money). Most antique spats on eBay are light grey or medium grey, and made of boxcloth (a wool fabric that resembles flannel). You can also find them in light brown, medium brown, dark grey, and black. Rarest of all are the cream-colored or white antique spats, which are invariably made of linen. Good luck!

 

[drownman]

So...how about those spats?

I recently purchased 2 pairs of spats on the bay, one black pair and one olive-light brownish. The black ones were too small, around a size 9 I guess. The beige pair was almost too small, but fully wearable. A snug fit on my 11.5's. They cost £10 each, which might not be the cheapest but still half the price of what I've found available where I live. The overall shape is good, but the leather straps could benefit from some attention.

Now to my real issue! I wonder a little about color matching. I wore the beige ones with white shoes and beige trousers. There wasn't the high contrast of black patent shoes-white spats-black trousers, but then I 'was on my way to work', not 'headed out for a night on the Ritz'. Is a match like mine 'wrong'?

Lastly, I did notice one thing though. Spats call for sock suspenders! My socks got pulled down from the spats This could be due to the tight fit. I did find a pair of sock suspenders on a swedish online auction site that I bought a few days back (erm, not the site, the socks). I need to find a new pair of clips, since the original were dried out, shouldn't be too hard. And I need socks long enough

Now I want a white pair! And a black pair! Ohhh! And a blue pair!!!

 

[katiemakeup]

I LOVE SPATS!!

 

[Naama]

I LOVE spats as well! Wish I had one pair, but I don't know what shoes I could wear with them.... [huh]

Naama

 

[geo]

When did they go out of style?

They went out of style when the Duke, then Prince of Wales, showed up at Ascot without them. After the races, many pairs were found abandoned on the lawn.

 

[Happy Stroller]

From Wikipedia :

Spats are a type of shoe accessory worn in the late 19th and early 20th century. They were stiff fabric covers attached to the top of the shoe and extending up the lower part of the leg. Spats, especially white ones on highly-polished black shoes, form part of the stereotype dress of a wealthy young man of the era, along with a top hat and a cane.
:

====================== End of quote =====================
Worn in the early 20th century? Really?
Strange, I think the Prince of Wales was wearing Morning Dress with a pair of grey spats ( princessdiana.ca/index_files/COUPLE.jpg ). Of course, with such a beautiful lady by his side, it's only to be expected of that gentleman. I would, too, man, were a 6 foot tall bonnie lass to hold on to my right arm.

 

[manton]

Spats protect not so much the boot or shoe but the hose underneath from street mud and horse, uh, droppings. This is less of a problem in the automobile age.

They could be independently washed, and cheaply replaced when necessary. This is not true of canvas or suede topped town dress boots. If you get the uppers soiled, they are hell to clean. They look nice, though, nicer than spats IMO.

 

[geo]

I've been looking for a pair of boots like that for a long time, but the only places I know of that make them are Aubercy, Marc Guyot and a shoemaker in Vienna, and they are all both unavailable and too expensive for me.

 

[manton]

Any of the English bespoke makers will also make them; also very expensive. Don't forget Lobb Paris! Priced like a small car ...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Vintage (used or dead stock) boots like those show up on eBay about twice a year. They end up selling for hundreds, but not thousands, of dollars.



.

 

[manton]

Vintage (used or dead stock) boots like those show up on eBay about twice a year. They end up selling for hundreds, but not thousands, of dollars..

Ah, but will they fit? With bepoke, one needn't worry ... until the bill comes.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

They never seem to be in my size

.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Still going strong in the mid 1930s (according to Esquire):

 

[manton]

Yeah, it was considered the ONLY shoe for formal day wear.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Wow! I used to wear spats around town some years ago. I need to find where I put those things. I have a couple vintage pair, both grey. I always thought they looked sharp when dressed to the nines.

 

[drownman]

I'm glad...

...to see there's an affinity for spats! It's details like such that does it. I am still wondering about color matching, how important is it? Can I wear a beige pair of spats with white shoes and black trousers? I tend to go with the approach 'if it looks good, wear it' over '100% authenticity'. I will most likely wear them tonight with said shoes and trousers, with a feeling of looking helluva lot better than the indie kids

But any input of color matching will be much appreciated! And have a nice weekend now :cool2:

 

[Hammelby]

Move the buttons

I will most likely wear them tonight with said shoes and trousers, with a feeling of looking helluva lot better than the indie kids

But any input of color matching will be much appreciated! And have a nice weekend now :cool2:

And it sure did Drownman! You in your spats looked good (and me in my fresh-out-the-box Old Town Highwaists and waistcoat).

I recently bought a pair of light brown wolly spats (and these matches perfect w. my redbrown wingtip shoes), and they are SOO nice and warm in the scandinavian cold. I bought a size 9 on ebay, but it was too tight. Buut.. i just bought some matching thread and moved the buttons a bit further out, and voila! Spats that fits. Im not an expert on colors, but lighter spats (in same colortone) looks good. On black shoes maby white, grey or dark bottle green spats? Any tips on what to wear for white shoes, im curious too?

Hm.... question for the ladies.
I have always got plenty of flirtatious comments on my suspenders, and now same thing is happening when i am wearing spats.
It makes me wonder.. if suspenders / spats has the same effect on most women as, fully fashioned nylons (the ones with the seem on the back) has on most men??

 

[Jeffrey Jenkins]

Just to add a little info on spatterdashes.

For some reason whenever I see someone wearing spats during the day they are wearing white colored spats, which is a fashion no, no. White colored spats were only worn or reserved for elegant evening wear! Original white spats are the hardest to come by, and they too can be made of wool.

I own numerous pairs of button shoes, and people always confuse them with spats. Spats were worn to keep one's shoes clean, since city streets and sidewalks were no all paved asphalt.

For those gentlemen with larger feet can have spats made for them, there is not a lot to them. A local seamstress should be able to replicate them for your shoe size if they see an original in front of them. Remember, you will need a button hook to take them on and off.

 

[Hammelby]

Good idea, but what fabric (whites)

White colored spats were only worn or reserved for elegant evening wear! Original white spats are the hardest to come by, and they too can be made of wool..

True, and expensive too on Ebay.. So if i want to make a pair of swank white evening spats, what fabric should i make them in do you think?

Wool just makes me think that my feet would melt on the dancefloor?
Maby a thinner woolly fabric, or wool/cottonmix?? They look so sleek on the surface, so im having a hard time to figure out the fabric on the white ones, anyone who has a pair?

(PS. Old spats made of wool i guess is pretty easy to dye? So that might be an idea, if one would like some other neat color than just standard gray/brownish).