The Well Dressed Man by The Baron

[Two Types]

Back in the 1920s and 1930s there was a newspaper column, syndicated to regional newspapers in the UK, by the title of 'The Well-Dressed Man', written by "The Baron" (not to be confused with our own Baron Kurtz). His column included fashion advice, he guided men through the so-called 'rules' of formal dress, he made observations on current fashions and reported on future trends.

I am sure these will be of interest. I will therefore endeavour to post as many as I can find, starting with April 1920:

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

That's funny because in germany there was also a "Baron" writing about menswear.

http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/baron-von-eelking-life-in-mens-fashion/

 

[Two Types]

January 1920:

I will also include adverts for male fashions that appear alongside the column:

 

[Two Types]

That's funny because in germany there was also a "Baron" writing about menswear.

http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/baron-von-eelking-life-in-mens-fashion/

Although the German writer was actually a Baron! I doubt if the British one was titled!

 

[Two Types]

May 1920:

It is interesting to note that in 1920 woollen fabrics from Germany were being offered for sale in the UK claiming to be Scottish. it is also interesting to know that the genuine Scottish products were already branded by stamping with a thistle design.

 

[Fading Fast]

These are fantastic - thank you for posting. My very Golden Era and American, not English, parents lived by many rules of dress that where less severe than these - as they didn't live a society life (at all). However, while they dressed a certain way - always a suit and tie to go to someone's house for dinner, white dress shirt only for a non-black tie wedding, for example - they didn't think of them as rules, but more as being simply the way things are done. Perhaps, boiled down to their essentials, it's the same thing, but it felt more organic and natural growing up with parents who believed there was a certain way to dress for certain events, or even for everyday, than these articles feel. It might all be tone, but I never thought of them norm felt they were rules, just good manners and proper etiquette.

 

[Two Types]

June 1921:

 

[Two Types]

August 1921:

It's nice to see that the Baron allows his readers an "unlimited degree of licence" for informal wear, telling them that for the seaside they should wear a grey flannel suit, with a jacket cut as a sports jacket complete with half-belt.

 

[Two Types]

November 1921:

he tells us, "the British wear better clothes than any other nation, but put them on worse."

 

[Two Types]

December 1921:

Elsewhere on the FL, there are discussions on whether or not brown suits were worn during the so-called 'Golden Era'. Well, according to 'The Baron' brown was the fashionable colour for 1921.

 

[Fading Fast]

It's nice to see that the Baron allows his readers an "unlimited degree of licence" for informal wear, telling them that for the seaside they should wear a grey flannel suit, with a jacket cut as a sports jacket complete with half-belt.[/QUOTE]

That is hilarious - the Baron is a lot of things, but easy going is not one of them. Thank you again for posting, these are great fun to read.

 

[herringbonekid]

" the grey should not be too light, and the jacket should be made like a sports coat - long, single breasted and with a half-belt "

it's really frustrating that we don't have a single image of such a British belted-back sports jacket from 1921, neither a photo nor a catalogue illustration, while we have dozens of American examples.

 

[dhermann1]

One thing that stands out to me is how he addresses the issue of whether it's OK to wear a black waistcoat with white tie and tails. He makes it clear that while white waistcoat is much smarter, a black one is completely acceptable. This in 1920, not 1895. But the tail coat requires a white tie with a wing collar.
Don't understand what he means by double collar. Can someone explain? And the checked morning coat! That one came and went real fast, I guess!
This also makes me wonder when the fold down collar became acceptable with the morning suit. Also, when waistcoats other than black became OK with morning dress.

 

[Two Types]

Yes, 'double collar' is certainly a new one for me. I am sure someone will know the answer.

 

[Cobden]

I believe it is a term for a turnover/bent/stand-and-fall collar

 

[Two Types]

I supposed that its rather obvious when you think about it!

 

[Two Types]

January 1922:

It is interesting to see that the lapels of a 1922 morning coat are described as being in the style of those on a double breasted jacket, but rather than refer to a peak lapel are "with what the tailor calls a step collar, instead of the notch used for single breasted jackets."

 

[herringbonekid]

'Double Breasted lapels' was quite a common term for 'peaked lapels' in British catalogues and tailoring magazines. e.g. from Burton's mid 30s:

"coat: S.B. with D.B. lapels, button 1 link, seam back, no vent, plain seams..."

 

[Baron Kurtz]

yes, Willerby used that term, as well, in 1930s catalogues.

 

[Two Types]

February 1922:

It seems 'the Baron' doesn't like cloth caps and recommends a tweed hat instead. Oh dear: