What era of dress or style doyou prefer?

[Edward]

UK - post war, pre-rock and roll: Due to clothing rationing and the general post-war war shortages, men wore a mixure of whatever was available. Old 1930s jackets with mis-matched trousers (since suit trousers were worn out). Nicely relaxed when necessary, but with the ability to be smart when necessary. Hats starting to go out of fashion, shoes still great, Tootal ties and scarves ever-dominant. But with elements of American fashions thrown in.

That's actually not far off how I habitually dress most of the time, based around available vintage, repro, and modern pieces I like. I've recently come to realise that I dress less often like it's the late forties, and more like a guy from 1950-56 who hasn't quite realised it's not still the Forties... Given my druthers and money no object, I love most styles for men from about 1930 (or around when trousers got wide as the norm) to around 1954ish (or at least when waists started to drop a bit and legs got a bit too naroww - though that said, I'm a sucker for the Ted look as well). I like British suits from the early-mid thirties, American tailoring from the late Forties (can't go past that Bogart look! Big Sleep, Maltese Falcon stylee). Same thing for really casual wear... For formal wear - black or white tie, formal daywear - it has to be the pre-war thirties.

I've been tempted by a zoot, but I'm not sure I'd ever actually do it. I don't know where I'd actually wear one, really, and over here they have a very strong association with the lindy hop scene (I'm a tribal jiver, with many bad experiences of lindies. Nuff said.).

 

[Metatron]

early to mid 1930s is where fashion and tailoring peaks for me, I like fitted jackets with still normal sized shoulders paired with baggy pleated trousers.
Like Edward and two types, I also like the late 1940s and early 1950s dishevelled postwar look.
But I generally enjoy casual clothes between the 1930s and 1950s without being to picky.
I also think the current vintage resurgence is quite fortunate, there is plenty of nice clothing out there, except for high waisted trousers.

The things I don't like from this timeframe are:
Double breasted suit jackets with 'solar panel' lapels.
Massive shoulders
Formalwear. Probably an unpopular opinion here, but it's just too delicate a look for me, and I hate the lack of options.

 

[cchgn]

Definitely 50's and 60's, with the slimmer lapels and sleeker blends. If I wanted a suit to look like a Tux, I'd get a Tux.

James Bond, the Rat Pack-Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sanatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, (pre Vegas))Elvis Presley, Henry Fonda, Rory Calhoun, Nat King Cole, etc.

Madmen put the 60's style back on the map.

 

[Foxer55]

cchgn,

James Bond, the Rat Pack-Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sanatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, (pre Vegas))Elvis Presley, Henry Fonda, Rory Calhoun, Nat King Cole, etc.

I prefer the '50s and '60s styles with a casual looking 2-button jacket, single breasted, single vent jacket. The only difference I have in slacks is pleated slacks and cuffs because over the years I've decided to stick with this despite what any store is selling. My recollection of the '50s and '60s is that pants were typically non-pleated, and without cuffs. I dunno if its just me and my physique or the way clothes are made but I do like the suits and jackets the guys above would wear. My problem is, being a size 40/42 Long the jackets hang down waaay far below my butt and look baggy. I do have one tailor made suit that looks pretty much the same way. The suits from the '50s and '60s seemed to me to have a tighter, sleeker look.

 

[cchgn]

I read an article back in the early 80's in GQ that covered the fashions in the last 100 years and it said that fashions reflect current events. When the economy is good, lapels and ties get wider. When things get tight, so do the lapels and ties. They said that with the speed of innovations and technology in the 50's, the pace of life stepped up and fashion got more simple and compact. They likened it to folks being in such a hurry, ties flying and getting caught in revolving doors, except that fashion got smaller and tighter to prevent that. Think of Cary Grant in Hitchock's North by NorthWest. New fabrics allowed for sleeker looks and inspired new designers, etc.

 

[Megan Steigerwalt-Guise]

Hi everyone. This is my first post . I prefer 50s 60s and 70s fashions but I love anything from the beginning of the 20th century up to the 70s.

 

[Megan Steigerwalt-Guise]

I read an article back in the early 80's in GQ that covered the fashions in the last 100 years and it said that fashions reflect current events. When the economy is good, lapels and ties get wider. When things get tight, so do the lapels and ties. They said that with the speed of innovations and technology in the 50's, the pace of life stepped up and fashion got more simple and compact. They likened it to folks being in such a hurry, ties flying and getting caught in revolving doors, except that fashion got smaller and tighter to prevent that. Think of Cary Grant in Hitchock's North by NorthWest. New fabrics allowed for sleeker looks and inspired new designers, etc.

I read the same about women's fashions. The hems get shorter as the economy gets better.

 

[Two Types]

IWhen the economy is good, lapels and ties get wider. When things get tight, so do the lapels and ties.

Not sure how true that is: in the late 1940s the British economy was exhausted yet lapels and ties were wide. As the economy improved through the 1950s and 1960s ties, trousers and lapels got narrower. In the mid seventies, when the economy was in a mess again, everything got super-wide again.

 

[Edward]

early to mid 1930s is where fashion and tailoring peaks for me, I like fitted jackets with still normal sized shoulders paired with baggy pleated trousers.
Like Edward and two types, I also like the late 1940s and early 1950s dishevelled postwar look.
But I generally enjoy casual clothes between the 1930s and 1950s without being to picky.
I also think the current vintage resurgence is quite fortunate, there is plenty of nice clothing out there, except for high waisted trousers.

The things I don't like from this timeframe are:
Double breasted suit jackets with 'solar panel' lapels.
Massive shoulders
Formalwear. Probably an unpopular opinion here, but it's just too delicate a look for me, and I hate the lack of options.

I think what I love most about formalwear is wearing the same thing as everyuone else3.... but wearing it better.

Definitely 50's and 60's, with the slimmer lapels and sleeker blends. If I wanted a suit to look like a Tux, I'd get a Tux.

James Bond, the Rat Pack-Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sanatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, (pre Vegas))Elvis Presley, Henry Fonda, Rory Calhoun, Nat King Cole, etc.

Madmen put the 60's style back on the map.

It certainly did... I'm not a fan of the Sixties look on myself, but Mad Men made me reevaqluate it and I can certainly appreciate how sharp and clean it looks on others.

 

[Benny Holiday]

I think what I love most about formalwear is wearing the same thing as everyuone else3.... but wearing it better.

:eusa_clap Well said!

 

[fgradowski]

I'm a 50's gal. I love, love, love New Look style dresses! I got my glasses after falling in love with Marilyn's in How to Marry a Millionaire. Oddly, my favorite film star is Rita Hayworth and my favorite film of her's is Cover Girl, which was in the late 40's. I seriously wish I could look just a little bit as good as Rita.