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Suits - Pre 1920

Broccoli

One of the Regulars
Messages
264
Location
Sweden
The brown coat once had black silk around the edges, but time has made it brown/green/khaki. It is very worn. Fancy, thick lining. These clothes have been worked in!

Why do you think I couldn't sell it? I'd get too attached to it?
 

Rabbit

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,561
Location
Germany
The brown coat once had black silk around the edges, but time has made it brown/green/khaki. It is very worn. Fancy, thick lining. These clothes have been worked in!

Why do you think I couldn't sell it? I'd get too attached to it?

No, I meant that finding a buyer isn't always easy. The vintage market isn't something that one can depend on. Some time ago, HBK sold an exquisite 1910s (or was it 1920s, I forget) orphaned suit jacket which didn't get that much attention despite its excellent condition, and it sold for a fairly low bid.
Of course if it's cheap enough, I wouldn't think twice about buying an early piece like this (if I were you, I mean).
 

Broccoli

One of the Regulars
Messages
264
Location
Sweden
It is an uneven market, very true. I'll buy it, but not for a price I'm not certain I'll get it sold for. These old pieces are very interesting to study as well
 

Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
1900s? 1910s? White flannel cutaway coat. I've never seen anything like this before. What context do you suppose it would have been worn in? According to the person I bought it from, it was originally sold in Big Timber, Montana, but there are no tags, so I only have the word of the person who they bought it from to confirm that.

 

Rabbit

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,561
Location
Germany
Extraordinary find, Dinerman. Can we see a photo of the back and the liner? It looks like a 1890s coat of a summer suit to me. Not an unusual cut for a suit of that period.

from American Fashions 1897 and 1898:

AsSYLpP.jpg


abl0H79.jpg
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
Dinerman, I have a very similar silk jacket. It even has the same one button cuff on an open slit. but not as cutaway at the front.
1poy0YN.jpg

aT9ssx9.jpg

e9ea4je.jpg

Ma6iCN5.jpg

zkMr7Y4.jpg

CLeaS3G.jpg


open cuff
bWu90zS.jpg


buttons held on by a ring
0PKxv48.jpg

efxDlaT.jpg


what date would you put on this?
 
Last edited:

Papperskatt

Practically Family
Messages
506
Location
Sweden
Wow! I'm away from the internet for a while and some awesome thins turn up! Those suit parts from Broccoli are really cool, especially the green jacket and waistcoat. I wish that I had found them...

And I agree on HBK's theory of the age of Dinerman's white jacket. It looks early teens to me.

Now excuse me while I disappear for a few more weeks as I need to keep renovating my house...
 

Eddie Derbyshire

Practically Family
Messages
849
Location
Riddings, Derbyshire, UK
Dinerman, I have a very similar silk jacket. It even has the same one button cuff on an open slit. but not as cutaway at the front.
1poy0YN.jpg

aT9ssx9.jpg

e9ea4je.jpg

Ma6iCN5.jpg

zkMr7Y4.jpg

CLeaS3G.jpg


open cuff
bWu90zS.jpg


buttons held on by a ring
0PKxv48.jpg

efxDlaT.jpg


what date would you put on this?

Looks great TT. It's a tricky one (for me anyway, so let me have a go :) ). You could easily see that button-stance up to the 1940s, I'd reckon, but the lapels say much earlier? The cuffs and lack of a breast pocket again could be an indicating factor, or indeed just something to do with the cloth used (i.e. silk=summery=slightly less formal?). My gut says late 1920s? Those shoulders seem to lack the padding that would come later than that, and there isn't an awful lot of cut-away on the jacket's front.

Superb jacket though. Is it fairly stiff to wear?
 

Eddie Derbyshire

Practically Family
Messages
849
Location
Riddings, Derbyshire, UK
1900s? 1910s? White flannel cutaway coat. I've never seen anything like this before. What context do you suppose it would have been worn in? According to the person I bought it from, it was originally sold in Big Timber, Montana, but there are no tags, so I only have the word of the person who they bought it from to confirm that.


Very nice Dinerman. Seems odd for it to be such a summery colour (and cut, to be honest) and yet to be in a fairly thick flannel. As you say, it is difficult to pin-down the situation it might have been worn in. You don't suppose it could have been a service jacket? Like for a waiter or valet? A thicker version of a Duck (Duc?) jacket?
 

Rabbit

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,561
Location
Germany
Very nice deconstructed summer jacket, TT. The removable buttons would indicate that it's intended to be a washable jacket. The WWII RAF linen bush jackets of their tropical uniform have buttons with rings just like that.

I wonder if silk as old as that is better suited for handwashing or for dry cleaning? Tender stuff in any case.
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
I haven't worn it yet since it needs to be professionally pressed (Barmey - who is a tailor - is going to sort it out for me). The silk is so soft it is beautiful. The construction (shoulder seams, interior design, lack of breat pocket etc) made Barmey think it was no later than the early 1920s, but it is difficult to tell. He was impressed by the amount of high quality hand stitching on the jacket.
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
Or maybe go whole-hog with a straw boater and double-round collar?

The straw boater is at the top of my list of things I would never wear. I would feel like a public school ******* of a certain type (think of the famous 1970s photo of Tony Blair wearing a boater). More likely it will be white shoes, grey flannels, cravat and a soft collared linen shirt. The stiff collar look doesn't work for me.
 

Broccoli

One of the Regulars
Messages
264
Location
Sweden
Papperskatt are you interested in the brown jacket? It is very well worn but still in incredibly sturdy condition. I have yet to decide what I do with the green jacket/vest. They are in the freezer now, not sure if I should start cleaning and repairing or if I just should sell them. I might wash/repair and let it hang in the closet for a while and see how that feels. But if some people really, really want them I might as well let them go right now?
 

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