What $35.00 gets ya these days...

[Cabinetman]

An antique mall an hour's drive from home was the site of this find. Only flaw I can find is the lack of the "first inside button" at the trouser top. May have been a hook closure. Well, you know what I mean, the part you'd fasten prior to zipping. The outside button does the trick, though, until a repair can be made. Otherwise, this is tremendous quality, and Mother's Day 2006 in central IL was plenty cool enough to wear this worsted wool. A stellar find, if I do say so.

Also bought a Pilgrim, gray straw that day for $15.00. Probably 50's or 60's. Then the suit was discounted at the register (booth occupant had a sale), so my total for the suit and hat with tax was $42.09!

 

[Andykev]

Great Suit!

Very "Bogie" al la "Maltese Falcon". Nice. Too bad, most of the vintage stuff is not for fat farts like me.

Hey, be sure to turn down the cuffs, that cabinet sawdust can play hell on the trousers.lol

 

[Briscoeteque]

Very nice suit for a very nice price!

 

[Benny Holiday]

Sharp as a tack, Cab

A superb find! Dontcha just love that price!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

A great, great suit -- definitely 1930s -- that fits you VERY well! Congratulations, and keep it up!

 

[Mr_Misanthropy]

Dang Cab, too bad you didn't have that at the opera house concert, we could have both been sporting pinstripes!! But regardless, that's a GREAT suit, and it looks great on you. You'd better throw that in the steamer trunk for the QM, I'd love to see it.

 

[Cabinetman]

Dang Cab, too bad you didn't have that at the opera house concert, we could have both been sporting pinstripes!!

I had pinstripes then, they were just more subtle - a pinkish/orange-ish stripe on the tan/beige/khaki field. But, yes. I probably would have worn this one were it in my possession then. More evening feeling than the tan suit. What else is great about this is that it came up at the right time. Well, is there ever a wrong time? I mean this was the next print I was looking for. Well, maybe when a great suit becomes available, then we say, "That's exactly what I was looking for!" More a function of quality and size. If it fits, then it becomes what we were looking for. Opportunistic feeding, or something. Of course the price was ridiculous. That was gravy, but definitely sealed the deal.

Still think I'd like a navy with pinstripe, then maybe some separates. I also want to find some more casual items, and things the "working man" or tradesman would have worn for more the everyday wardrobe.

Glad you like this suit, guys. Thanks.

Say, Marc, what says 1930's to you about this? I can't find any dating inside of it, and I just assumed 40's. What are some real differences between 30's and 40's suits? And please feel free to simply link me to a thread if this has been covered. Thanks!

Cab

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Wow ...

A great suit. Not often you find one that nice.

30s high gorge. High nipple covers. Probably the lapels are indicative, also, but can't see 'em.

nice one!

bk

 

[Senator Jack]

What a great find, Cab! Is that black, dark blue, or charcoal? Can't tell. Seems to me pre-50s black suits are the hardest to find. (black dress shirts - impossible) And did you have the altered at all? It fits so well it looks like you had it custom made.

There's an expression in Greek, said whenever someone acquires a new article of clothing. It's 'Me ya' (with a short 'e') and it means 'Wear it with health'. So congrats and me ya!


Regards,

Sentaor Jack

 

[Mr. Rover]

Wow- that suit is just glorious. Great fit- you look like you walked out of a Sears Roebuck catalogue.

 

[Cabinetman]

Better shot of jacket

Uh...."nipple covers," Baron??

Maybe this shot gives a better idea as to age.

As far as custom tailoring goes, yes. There are tags inside that say as much and one can also see where the alterations (very good work) were made. However, it was not tailored for me...or was it? (enter Rod Serling) This is how we found it and how lucky we are!

 

[Johnnysan]

...an antique mall one hour away, eh? Am I missing some great finds?? Come on brother, be a pal and spill!

Great suit, Cab! Too bad I'm in the same league with Andykev...the only guy my size in the 1930's was Sydney Greenstreet! lol

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Uh...."nipple covers," Baron??

Top buttons, Sir! The ones that sit just above where the nipples are.

40s jackets tended to have these lower than 30s (In fact the whole button stance was lowered.) Deeper gorge as result - and lengthening of the torso line. Of course these are not hard and fast rules. I have a 40s suit that you would swear blind that it was mid-30s, and i've seen an NRA suit that is so 50s that it's unreal. Personal taste of the customer and all that.

On yours: Is there a union workers label in the inside breast pocket? If so, can we see it? It'll help with dating.

Have your dry cleaner press the creases back into the arms (i see the remnants of one down the front of your left arm) ... a great look.

bk

 

[Cabinetman]

We thought buttons, too.

I'll take a couple union label pictures later. For now, I can tell you that in the lower right corner of this suit's label is the number 80 (if that means anything) and on my tan suit that we are almost certain is 40's (see the Overdue Cruise Pic in the Steamer Trunk) has the number 40, if I recall. Anyway, as I said, I'll shoot those later and post.

I also didn't know what "gorge" meant, but I see what you're saying now. Basically the plunge of the jacket's neck line? Is that right? And 30's coats had higher gorges than 40's coats, more or less?

 

[WEEGEE]

VERY NICE

what a great buy.:eusa_clap

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I'll take a couple union label pictures later. For now, I can tell you that in the lower right corner of this suit's label is the number 80 (if that means anything) and on my tan suit that we are almost certain is 40's (see the Overdue Cruise Pic in the Steamer Trunk) has the number 40, if I recall. Anyway, as I said, I'll shoot those later and post.

Good, good.

Lower left corner will probably be where the definitive information is stored. That, and the design of the sewing machine (unless you have one of the weird union labels with the shaking hands) though i am certain that this will be '36 or '39 with a sewing machine enclosed in an oval motif, as opposed to the diamond motif-enclosed sewing machine of later union labels.

bk

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I should be so lucky!

I have today off so after picking up my 1942 army tunic from my tailor, then it's off to the estate sale store to see what I can find. Hope some of your luck rubs off on me! Great find! You don't usually get a deal like that for 10 times the price.:cheers1:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Say, Marc, what says 1930's to you about this?

As you surmised, "gorge" refers to a jacket's "cleavage" closure.

Let's look at that jacket again. What makes it almost certainly '30s is:



-- The extreme "hourglass" shape.

-- The padded yet rounded shoulders. (A very distinctive shape that came into its own between 1937 and 1940. Shoulders made before and after those years looked different.)

-- The creased arms.

-- The shape of the lapels. After seeing hundreds of vintage '30s suits, I've gotten a sense (almost a sixth sense!) of what '30s lapels look like.

-- As Baron Kurtz already pointed out, the high gorge and the high button stance. ("Nipple covers" -- what an expression!)

Identifying the age of a suit is not an exact science. Here's an example: for one season -- 1947-'48 -- double-breasted suits were made in a high-gorge '30s style. You can imagine how difficult it is to correctly date those suits! In addition, many conservative, older men (especially those living in the Midwest) continued to have suits custom-made for them in the '30s style -- all through the '40s and even into the '50s!

All in all, I stand by my guess that YOUR suit is from the '30s. At the very least, it could be from the early-to-mid '40s, but I doubt it. I'd put my money on the late 1930s.


.

 

[Wild Root]

Mmmmmmmm, 30's eh?

Cab, that’s a killer suit my friend! I’m very happy for you!!! Good things come to those who wait!

So, this suit looks 30’s eh? Well, I have a three piece suit I got off of ebay that most would think is 30’s… it’s not, it’s dated 1941! Like Marc said, there were plenty of conservative men who continued to have suits made 30’s cut into the 50’s! Now, about the sleeve creases… all my suits have them! When ever I get a vintage suit, 30’s 40’s, the sleeves are creased! Not just isolated to the 30’s! I’ve seen many an early 40’s movie 1940-1942 and the suits are cut just like those in 1938-1939! Men’s suits didn’t change much till after the war. The hour glass figure cut was carried into the late 40’s from what I can see in my own collection. Mostly just on custom tailored items.

BK, don’t pervert this discussion with referring to the high buttons as “nipple covers” that’s just in bad taste. I’ve always thought they were buttons. Say, why don’t we just put tassels on them wile we’re at it! lol

Say, one last thing, the pants to that suit kind of have more of a 40’s cut to it… I could be wrong. However, it’s a great suit and it looks like it fits you very well!

=WR=

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The hour glass figure cut was carried into the late 40’s from what I can see in my own collection. Mostly just on custom tailored items.

I believe it ... but the key words here are: "mostly just on custom tailored items."

Older and/or more conservative men who wanted to hold on to the '30s style, decade after decade, had few options to do so. They were pretty much limited to hiring custom tailors.

As for creased arms, it seems to me that by the late '40s, most mass-produced suits were being sold without them. Creasing the arms continued through 1945, then lost popularity. That's my sense of things, but I may not have the big picture on this.