Were there no 6'2" people born before the 1950's?

[Mario]

I don't know where you got your insights from about Germans being taller than Americans 70 years ago, but let me assure you, tall sizes are nearly impossible to find in German vintage clothing. 20 years ago, in pre-internet times, I stopped wearing vintage because at that time it was virtually impossible for me to find anything I could wear.

:arated:

Amen, bro!

 

[Flicka]

If you lived in Scandinavia or northern Germany, you would find more large vintage jackets. Americans are a little like the Dutch. The bulk of our culture started out small and has grown much taller over the past 70 years. In Holland, the average dutch man was the shortest in Europe in the 1800's. Now look at the Dutch: they are the tallest per capita population of men on earth if you average them all together.

Well, they only got us beat by 0.02 cm... I do think Swedes were always on the taller side, albeit we were probably about 15 cm shorter in averagein the 18th century (people were taller in the Middle Ages than in the 17th/18th century due to better diet). If I think of the elderly men (born in the first two decades of the 20th century) I've met, plenty of them quite tall(not just my relatives but men I actually measured when I worked with passport applications 20 years ago).

I don't know if you can find very much vintage at all here, but I would expect there must have been plenty of clothes made for taller people.

 

[budrichard]

Before WW2, wealth was simply much lower and the money to produce and eat foodstuffs was not as great as it was after WW2 which caused the USA to greatly increase manufacturing and food production and ultimately increasing the wealth in the world. Before WW2 people were often hungry, malnourished and suffered from a variety of illnesses we have very much reduced today.
Look at pictures of Americans from the 1930's, thin, gaunt, compared to today. I also believe the use of growth hormones has contributed to obesity in our society. The average size for military jackets appears to have been a slim 38, certainly different than today. I suspect height was also greatly influenced but have no data one way or the other.-Dick

 

[Edward]

Before WW2, wealth was simply much lower and the money to produce and eat foodstuffs was not as great as it was after WW2 which caused the USA to greatly increase manufacturing and food production and ultimately increasing the wealth in the world. Before WW2 people were often hungry, malnourished and suffered from a variety of illnesses we have very much reduced today.
Look at pictures of Americans from the 1930's, thin, gaunt, compared to today. I also believe the use of growth hormones has contributed to obesity in our society. The average size for military jackets appears to have been a slim 38, certainly different than today. I suspect height was also greatly influenced but have no data one way or the other.-Dick

I believe that the commonality of smaller-sized military uniforms from the period can also be put down to the fact that (especially where conscripted), WW2 was so often fought by kids. Add in peacetime "National Service" in Britain (which continued up to the Sixties), and you can start to see a major reason why so many tiny-size Battle Dress bits are still around: they were made for little boys of sixteen.

People in general didn't eat as well back then as we do now - much less meat, for one thing. Also, not as much sugar or as many processed foods. In terms of being thinner, I should think there's a big difference to the physicality of life back then - less automation, employment for most was much more physical, people walked a lot more instead of getting into a car to travel the length of themselves....

 

[billyb]

To one-up the tall guys...Try being built like a tall guy, and then take away about 3-4 inches in torso length. That's me...5'10", 22" shoulders, 27" arms, 47" chest, 34" waist...and get this...a back length of 23" collar hem to belt line.

So I search and search like the tall guys...and when I finally find something that fits the arms, shoulders and chest the rest fits like a dress.

You should have seen me back in the day in my Army Class A outfit. The bottom of the jacket stopped just north of my knees.

 

[Renault]

I remember a bunch of us joking around at an event complaining about all the smurf size USGI, WWII wool shirts out there. Like 14 x 33, asking who wore this stuff.

Then, the other day I was cleaning out our utility room and I found one of my old bootcamp issue "Sateen" utility jackets I was issued as a 19 y.o. in 1975. Size ,,,,,,,,,, 14 x 33!!!!! We were kids. No way I could even come close to getting into that shirt today!!!!!! I was 135 lbs soaking wet in boot camp!

Renault

 

[Mr Badger]

At 6'3"-4", I've have found that it's easier for me to source vintage sport coats, shirts, suits and pants in the US than over here, but I can still go quite a while without turning up anything at all – our trip to Brooklyn late last year only netted me a pair of okay condition 1950s cream Palm Beach slacks with a few faults for $25 and that was about it...

Other than my lovely 1940s Crombie overcoat, which I found in a UK thrift store (or charity shop, as we calls 'em) for £40, I can't think of a single piece of pukka British vintage clothing that I've bought which fits properly across the shoulders or in the arms...

At least I always have time to help my wife find some lovely things in every vintage store/market we visit, it usually takes me about 30 seconds to work out that none of their menswear will fit me!

 

[Hammer Down]

I tried on a Schott 654 last week (the "casual" racer). It's not for riding, but for summer wear. Anyhow, the arm holes were so awkward and small that it felt like it was made for a scarecrow and it was an XL, my usual size. I could have flexed my shoulders and ripped the jacket apart like the hulk. I'm not a huge guy either, but I used to be really into weight lifting over twenty years ago. Haven't lifted a weight in 10 years. Anyway, my shoulders are still a problem when I buy some items of clothing. Thankfully, I hear that won't be a problem for Aero's stuff, as they tend to design their jackets for men who are men. Not so for Schott. I have found their jackets to be made for men who are boys and fairly short, definitely under 5"10 tall. Now, I have not tried their extended coats, however. Insurrection carries their long aged horsehide. It would probably fit me, but I don't like the look of it. It looks aged in a bad way, as in washed and soaked in a washing machine. It looks like it would not break in well, and the patina would not happen for over ten years, perhaps. To me eye, the aged horsehide looks rather like an old washcloth that has dried in a slightly unnatural shape. I have given up on Schott, aside from the 585, which I will be trying on next week. A friend of mine has one and I will see if I like the way his coat fits me.

 

[pauleway]

Sorry, I just had to vent. I'm better now...

I don't feel sorry for you big guys at all. I'm 5'7" and 165 Lbs,short arms-(German Descent) and would be glad to give up fitting into any vintage stuff for a few extra inches in height. It's a big mans world!!!

 

[ButteMT61]

FWIW, I'm German/English. I'm not so sure race in general is an indicator, although I suppose some races are generally smaller overall. I've had Asian tourists (in Hollywood) with cameras stop me and ask to take photos with me as some sort of circus side-show shots for back home. I get a kick out of it actually. I imagine even someone that's not abnormally large stands out in a place where folks are generally shorter. That's changing with more inter-racial couples and children being born. In about 1000 years, if humans are still alive, I reckon they'll all look alike

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

I'm on the short side but the father of the father of my grandfather was 197 cm, which should be like 6' 5 and something.
In the XIXth century in Italy, he should be quite a sight.
Don't know were he got his "tall" genes from: as far as I know, on paternal side we are generic italians with some jewish ancestry, but, who knows.

 

[Jack Burton]

FWIW, I'm German/English. I'm not so sure race in general is an indicator, although I suppose some races are generally smaller overall. I've had Asian tourists (in Hollywood) with cameras stop me and ask to take photos with me as some sort of circus side-show shots for back home. I get a kick out of it actually. I imagine even someone that's not abnormally large stands out in a place where folks are generally shorter. That's changing with more inter-racial couples and children being born. In about 1000 years, if humans are still alive, I reckon they'll all look alike

What an interesting thread. I've noticed that Asians, both orientals and Indians seem to be taller when raised in the U.S. I think Mexicans tend to be taller when raised here too. I always attributed it to meat and milk being more abundant in the U.S. Or maybe it's just the hormones in the food:eeek:. In any case, I've had friends over the years who were significantly taller than their immigrant parents.

At 6"3" and 220 .lbs, I can only wear tall or long lengths. XL doesn't work for me. One positive is when 44L sizes come along on Ebay, there is not much competition. Shoes is another story as 14 or 15 is a hard size to find. That is changing though. Anyways, I've never had a woman tell me I was too tall I personally wouldn't want to be taller than 6'6" though.

 

[Yeps]

Add one more to the tall and frustrated crowd. I am 6'6" (and the short one in my family), up until this year, I had a 38 inch chest, which made finding anything off the rack (or vintage OTR) virtually impossible. Now I am in the process of gaining weight and making myself bigger (almost to 200 and have already added an inch to my chest) so that might just make things more difficult. My goal is to manufacture an 8-10 inch drop from my chest to my waist.

 

[samtemporary]

6'1", 230 with a broad chest and longish arms. I typically wear a 46L, and have a devil of a time finding clothes that fit. I can't tell you how many vintage overcoats I had to pass up because all men from before 1950 apparently had short arms

 

[MikeBravo]

John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Joseph Cotton, Jimmy Stewart,

 

[Gene]

I believe that the commonality of smaller-sized military uniforms from the period can also be put down to the fact that (especially where conscripted), WW2 was so often fought by kids. Add in peacetime "National Service" in Britain (which continued up to the Sixties), and you can start to see a major reason why so many tiny-size Battle Dress bits are still around: they were made for little boys of sixteen.

You also have to think about how much of that stuff was worn out, pants especially. Guys used their issued gear way after the war for working in, so a lot of it has been lost to just wearing it 'til it fell apart then tossing it. That's another reason why there is so much more vintage women's clothing than men's.

 

[Mario]

I'm 6'1" with a 39" chest, 32" waist and 34" inseam. It's the waist to inseam ratio that blows most vintage deals for me.

John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Joseph Cotton, Jimmy Stewart,

My saying!

 

[Yeps]

I'm 6'1" with a 39" chest, 32" waist and 34" inseam. It's the waist to inseam ratio that blows most vintage deals for me.

Try 32x36.

 

[Mario]

No, thanks, I wouldn't want to! Those two extra inches would finally drive me over the edge.

 

[ButteMT61]

I'm feeling like I should quit b*tching now based on some of your measurements! A couple friends of mine - both O-linemen - get all their clothing custom made. It's really not too bad, but of course it does limit one's wardrobe. The other side is that now with bigger athletes, etc., bigger stuff is made, but it costs a lot. I suppose in my life, I'd stick with this "problem" and keep my size as opposed to being "average/normal/whatever" and have lots of choices.
You'd think there would be more companies catering to us larger and odd-shaped guys. I think most folks here have and spend more money than average men on clothing, and there's money to be made!