It’s back to reality, post-Experiment, but while I was away I did have a chance to chat with instructor Bobby White about some of his impeccable garments. He directed me to Magnoli Clothiers as a great source for vintage reproduction three piece suits. I must agree with Mr. Whi-te on this one, as the tailoring and fabrics look spot on.
Magnoli Clothiers is more than just menswear, it “is dedicated to the reproduction of vintage clothing, historic garments and popular film costumes. These reproductions, however, are not costume pieces, but tailor-made, high-quality clothing…any piece of mens clothing that you can provide images of can be reproduced. We can copy a garment you already own, or, by analyzing various images, we can reproduce any article from photograph or film stills.” The sky is the limit, or you can choose from their impeccable sample suits, pants, leather jackets, sport coats, shirts, vests, shoes, hats, and accessories.
The prices are no bargain, but for custom pieces…consider this an investment in looking awesome. Reasonably priced vintage repro menswear is hard for Lindy Shopper to find, but I am on a reproduction kick right now so I thought it best to share. Did I mention shipping is included in the price? That helps a bit.
Here are some of the great pieces you might want to own:
Cagney suitDillinger suitFairbanks suitMarshall suit - more awesome belt-back actionPrinceton tweed suitBoardwalk linen blazerMcCoy jacket - with pockets and belted back for maximum sportinessHighway jacket - because the Rocketeer is HOTTTHughes jacketJoker vestHollywood pantsOxford Bags
Last month I put out the call for a shopping challenge, asking Lindy Shopper readers to send me on a mission for your heart’s desire, the garment you have been unable to find and add to your wardrobe. My first response was from Rich Werden, a fellow dancer and vintage clothing enthusiast who I met last year at All Balboa Weekend. One of his challenges (email subject line: “You want a challenge!?!?”) was to find a Norfolk jacket, or as Rich more aptly put it:
“The Coup de grace is a belt-back sport jacket that would actually fit me. The naming of this style is difficult: sometimes these jackets are called Action-Backs, Norfolk, or Bi-Swing jackets. The style was popular in heavy wools n’ tweed as an outdoorsman thing for going sport shooting in England, but of course, being a dancer, I wouldn’t want anything so heavy. Really, Nick Williams has an excellent white one that I have been jealous of for years! I can’t even find a place that would do one bespoke!”
Out of my element and, perhaps, out of my league, I set forth my online quest for this belt-back jacket. My first stop was eBay, to look for the right key words for my eBay searches, as the plan was to look online, but also have searches sent to me daily using the key words Rich gave me for this particular jacket. The term “Norfolk jacket” yielded the most results, almost all of them in tweed.
One of the jackets caught my eye, as it was in a lighter color and sans tweed, so I clicked through to view the auction description. The auction was for a vintage 1970’s Norfolk jacket, offered for sale by Bookster, a British company that sells vintage menswear, but also has their own retail web site for custom menswear – “Home of The Bookster Range, Craft Tailored in England from the Finest British Tweed, Wool and Linen Cloths at Accessible Prices.”
A promising start. I honed in on the word “linen” – yes, here’s a dancer-friendly fabric!
I messaged Rich with the link, hoping that this was even close to what he wanted. Rich agreed that the linens would be the way to go. 🙂
The price is where things get squirrely. Everything is so customized and “bespoke,” down to the number of buttons, vents, regular v. comfort waistline, sleeve length, back length, pockets, shoulder pleats, yowza…I did a sample order, pretending to order a linen Norfolk jacket for my husband and the cost came out at around $550 U.S. This seems like a lot, but if this is THE piece you are missing and you will wear it until you are old and gray, I’d say it would be worth the investment. We do want to invest in some quality pieces, even though Lindy Shopper is always looking for a bargain. Or you could always settle for the disco-era Norfolk jacket they listed on eBay for $65.00.
As a side note, you can also order knickers from Bookster as part of your tweed or linen suit.
Matt Deckard's Action-Back
Rich upped the ante and found another website, Matt Deckard Apparel based in Los Angeles, offering several versions of the action-back jacket from this side of the pond. The photographs on this site give you an excellent idea of how the pieces will look in an ensemble – such classy gents! Prices range from $800 to $1,500 for a bespoke suit, so maybe the Bookster jacket isn’t looking so bad as an investment.
I’d like to thank Rich for this wonderful foray into menswear – I hope this information will help some of you in your searches as well!
My friend and fellow dancer Matthew Glassman forwarded me the link to this silk sportcoat on the Jos A. Bank website, on sale for $69.00, and I thought it was good enough to repost. Much like your wardrobe’s MVP, the blue sportcoat, you can add one of these lovely silk jackets to jeans or slacks if you aren’t in the market for an entire suit and want a more versatile piece…or maybe you just like sportcoats. 🙂
The jacket is 100% silk fabric in a great check pattern – subtle, yet interesting. Available in two colors, light olive and black/tan, with a center vent in the back. This coat retailed at $350.00, so at $69.00 this is an amazing deal.
Fortunately for men, it’s relatively easy to put together a versatile wardrobe. Once you own several pairs well-fitting “basics,” you can mix and match shirts, pants, jackets and accessories into numerous permutations of outfits/looks.
A great, navy sportcoat or blazer (or jacket from a navy suit) is the Swiss Army knife of your wardrobe; it goes with everything. Wear it with pressed dress pants and a crisp dress shirt (tie or not) and you’re clear for dinner at a nice restaurant. It goes great with jeans on a night out in town. Basically, it will elevate most any outfit you can throw at it. Needless to say, this is an invaluable attribute when you’re short on space, packing for a weekend of dancing.
You’ve got lots of choices here:
the gilt buttons of a blazer or the dark buttons of a sportcoat
center vent or side-vented (i.e. single or double)
hacking (angled) and/or a ticket pocket (the small pocket above the right one).
Darted or undarted
pick stitching or not
I recommend a solid, Navy jacket, but some striped jackets can work if the stripes are are thin or more subdued. Â Here’s an excellent example (click the photo for the auction):
RALPH LAUREN PURPLE LABEL WOOL BLAZERJACKET 150's SZ 44, starting at $49
This jacket would typically start at several hundreds of dollars. Why? In general, it’s made in a better way (which often means more difficult and more expensive). It’s made with high quality fabrics (Super 150’s wool). It’s probably a fully canvassed jacket (vs. fused). Â Plus, Purple Label is Ralph Lauren’s premier brand.
Happy hunting!
(Do yourself a favor and only button the top button of a 2-button jacket, never the bottom button If you’re wearing a 3-button jacket, button either the middle or the middle and top buttons. Again, never button the bottom button).
Every season, snow or sun, it appears that designers have forgotten how to make cute dresses with sleeves. There are notable exceptions, but the majority of the festive holiday dresses I have found this season are without sleeves, or even straps for that matter. I don’t like being cold and, when the thermometer reaches below freezing, I don’t feel right stepping out of the house without something on my shoulders, even to a dance, but I hate covering up my dress with a sweater or jacket.
Perhaps the solution lies somewhere between a bolero and a shrug – this adorable ruffled jacket, by Etsy seller dominiqueansari, covers the shoulders, leaves enough dress showing, and even enhances the loveliness of your ensemble. It reminds me of some 1930’s dress tops I’ve seen, with lovely, flattering draped ruffles over the sleeves, only you can add this jacket to any dress for the desired effect. The large sleeve openings make this jacket danceable and comfortable, with a modern nod to vintage. The Ruffled Jacket comes in 7 colors and will only set you back $39.98, plus shipping.
You could be dressed up like a million dollar trooper this holiday season in this fantastic 1930’s tuxedo, available on eBay from seller catalpa1961 with a starting bid of only $9.99! I do wish the seller had pressed the tuxedo and shirt before taking the photos, but you’ll have to imagine it after a pressing. Even with wrinkles, it’s easy to see that this tuxedo has some wonderful detailing, like the satin lapels, satin stripe down the leg, double breasted coat and vest, and, my favorite detail, checkerboard satin covered buttons on the coat and vest. This tuxedo has the rare added bonus of a period Arrow tuxedo shirt in good condition. Just add socks, shoes, studs, and cufflinks and a bow tie and you’re fit for any fête.
My Baby Jo has a little bit of everything to help you embrace your inner pin-up girl, and some essential menswear clothing and accessories for the swing era gent. My Baby Jo has a retail store in Los Angeles, CA, but thankfully they also offer their excellent 1940’s and 1950’s-inspired clothing, shoes, and accessories online.
The website has a great selection of women’s dresses, swimwear, undergarments, hair flowers, jewelry, shoes, handbags, cosmetics and men’s jackets, shirts, pants, shoes, hats, pomade, ties, and vintage watches. The vintage men’s watches are especially good, with watches from the 1920’s through the 1950’s that look like they are in sturdy, wearable condition. Their swimwear selections feature the best of Esther Williams’ swimwear line. The site also offers some fun pieces that may fill gaps in your wardrobe or Halloween costume (like that Rosie the Riveter jumpsuit – where else do you find that?). They also have an extensive selection of men’s hats and hat-care items, including brushes and felt cleaner.
There’s so much goodness here, I’ll try to narrow down my favorites:
Mrs. Moore Day Dress, comes in 5 colorsV-cut Plaid Jacket - lots more of these on the site in different fabricsAlika dress, also comes in red and in a pencil skirt styleMotorcycle sweaterMarilyn eyelet tie top, also in blueLeading man two pocket shirt with topstitchingRiveting jumpsuit, also in blue stripes and blackMelton captoe by Johnston & MurphyHow cute is this sailor outfit?Tailored double pleated trouser - available in 13 different fabricsSo many hair flowers, but the orchids are my favoriteThere are tons of hats in traditional colors, but this green fedora was my favoriteLove the face on this 1937 watch
It’s been a while since anything gentlemanly crossed my path for the blog, but here’s a wonderful double breasted navy suit from the jazz era, listed on eBay by seller privatescreening. From a “high quality prominent Seattle estate,” this suit has wonderful details, like pants cuffs, peaked lapels, a matching 6 button vest, button fly, and lots of pockets. A great investment for your wardrobe, as any of these pieces could be worn separately or together. The price is a bit up there, but comparably much less than the other three piece vintage suits popping up on eBay as of late.
Here’s some more jazz icon screenprinting madness on Etsy, this time from seller nelesc, who offers not only Billie and Nina on raglans, but also any icon of your choice on an asymmetrical hoodie/track jacket. Any icon, you say? How about three, like all three Boswell sisters?
Who would be on your track jacket?
Insert your jazz icon hereNina Simone long sleeve tee
I am very impressed with the selection of clothing that eBay seller Emerald City Vintage has posted, for both men and women. If Emerald City is from Seattle, then it comes as no surprise to me that this seller has excellent threads, as my own excursion to Seattle last year yielded three critical wardrobe items.
The selection is primarily 1930’s through 1950’s clothing and the starting prices are generally around $20.00. Some of the items for sale are buy it now – whether or not some of these items are reasonable is open to interpretation, but some of the buy it now items are what you would pay in a decent vintage store and others are a bit pricier.
Randomly, there are also several dirndls in the store, if you are looking for something befitting Oktoberfest.
Overall, this is a very focused selection of garments for swing era ladies and gents, with lots of great basics for both men and women. Here are my favorites from this week’s selections (but I would encourage you to browse the eBay store, as there are lots of different sizes available in similar items, such as pants):
1950's black sweater1940's three-tone rayon dress1940's Tuxedo1936 three piece suit 1930's belted back suit1940's double breasted suitWWII uniform1940's or 50's striped pants
I can’t resist posting a tuxedo on here, even though most of you will probably never be seen in a tuxedo at a dance; however, in the off-chance you are feeling dapper and festive, here’s a lovely tuxedo that popped up on eBay from 1932. It looks pristine. The tag on this tux reads “Kennedy’s” and is dated October 10, 1932. I wonder who was buying a tuxedo in the middle of the Great Depression…
Check the measurements for sizing, but the seller is posting this is approximately a 33 inch waist on the pant and a 36 jacket. Note that the seller will not re-list the item if not sold. With two days left on the auction, no bidders, and a $49.99 start price, this could be a fantastic deal!
I really am speechless as to how to describe the suiting on the Indochino web site. It manages to be all things at once: cool, classic, vintage, modern, tailored, and edgy, with a slight sense of humor, a dash of executive, and a pinch of street cred. I’d like to think there’s a little something for everyone here and, with suiting tailored to your measurements, perhaps there’s a perfect fit for everyone as well.
I started out looking for three piece suits and quickly noticed the attention to detail on these garments. There were varying lapel widths, peaked lapels, excellent fabrics, and options like choosing your pant leg width, pick stitching, and a functional buttoniere. The term bespoke is tossed around a lot – items custom-made to the buyer’s specification – and I like it! The best part is that these custom suits cost much less than even your local tailor would probably charge you – I do try to keep the things I post on this blog under $200, but considering comparable expense for such suits as these, the Indochino price is a discount.
Never fear! There are things other than suits on this website, and well under $200. Shirts with custom cuffs and collars, vests in three different cuts, ties, cufflinks, pocket squares, and even a tie clip! *nods to Lindy Dandy* There are also gorgeous blazers, overcoats, and pants that are in that upper range, but…well, you should see for yourself.
I am, perhaps, most impressed with the construction of suit jackets, which have a canvas interlining to provide structure and drape. That extra layer is just another barrier between the lead’s sweat and the follower – just think followers, if the guy is wearing an undershirt, a dress shirt, and one of these jackets, that’s 5 layers of fabric the sweat has to wick through until it reaches you! Every little bit helps.
Here’s what I’m loving:
The Havana Suit - a lovely linen suit for summer The Montecristo - the brown linen adds a nice twist on summer suitingThe Black Pinstripe Suit - classic, and check out those peaked lapels!Blue Pin Stripe Double Breasted SuitNavy Blue Pin Stripe SuitThe Nouveaux Socialite Tuxedo - LOVE thisThe Performer Full Dress Tuxedo - it's killer diller!The Weekend JacketThe Nouveaux Socialite VestLight Gray VestMetallic Trifecta CufflinkGood Groove Tie Clip
Run, don’t walk, to Winston-Salem, NC to experience the gorgeous vintage clothing and treasures at Putting on the Ritz. The store owner Hans Hauser has a lifelong passion for vintage clothing and accessories and it shows in every square inch of the house he has converted into a vintage clothing store. Through his vintage consignment sources, friendships with vintage collectors, and his own efforts to retrieve specific pieces from faraway locations, Hans has collected one of the best, if not the best, vintage clothing and accessories collection for sale in the state.
I met Hans about 5 years ago when my friend Sharon Ferris directed me to this treasure trove. I purchased a 1940’s bathing suit that I wore to VBLX that year for the battleship dance. Even though I had not seen him in 5 years, he knew immediately who I was today and pulled out the picture I sent him of me in the bathing suit from behind the countertop. My friend Laura Boyes and I ended up exploring the shop and chatting with Hans for about 3 1/2 hours – excellent company and excellent vintage!
The shop is jam packed full of a mix of vintage, designer consignment, and glitzy clothing. The list of notables is long: straw boaters, men’s 50’s hats, Yves Saint Laurent black satin pumps, a white fur capelet, 50’s prom and day dresses (some with matching jackets), 30’s and 40’s gowns worthy of an MGM movie, flowered 40’s day dresses, a velvet trimmed 40’s suit, wide brim ladies hats, art deco costume jewelry, wedding dresses from the Victorian era through the 50’s, delicious 40’s platforms, bias cut lingerie, and a burnout velvet 20’s dress that came home with me.
If you are interested in any of the clothing items I have posted or would like to know more, please contact Hans Hauser at (336) 659-9944. He is happy to work out arrangements over the phone and he also does layaway.
Putting on the Ritz
304 Harvey Street
Winston-Salem, NC
The shop is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
P.S. Pardon my unmade face – I think it’s easier on the clothes if I don’t wear makeup when I try on vintage clothing.
White 40's crepe dress, buttons up the front with scalloped edge around the buttons.Pink 50's cotton sundress with matching bolero jacket.Light blue 40's crepe gown shown with wide brim blue straw hat with a velvet ribbon.Union Jack crepe evening gown that did not actually fit me, so I am holding the zipper on the side. This dress is stunning in person and will look much better on someone else.This 20's burnout velvet dress is mine! Navy blue 40's (?) sheer dress with painted on polka dots and matching under-slip. 50's plaid day dress with really cool polka dot detailing where the plaids cross. Leopard print bathing suit - rawrrrr! MGM starlet white evening gown with gold trim and cutout triangle in the front. Made for someone tiny.Brown 40's suede platforms, small size.Green suede 40's platforms with perforated suede and button detail, small size.More gorgeous art deco brooches. Boater hats - gents, sorry there wasn't more for you in the store. The boater on the left with the blue and red ribbon was sized 7 1/8. No size was found in the boater with black ribbon, but I tried on both and the boater with the black ribbon was slightly larger, so I'd say it was about a 7 1/4. Michael Q., here's looking at you to check a boater in one of these sizes off your shopping challenge!View of some of the men's hats.View of one of the main rooms in the store. Adorable sportswear hat of unknown decade. SO CUTE!Green satin platforms!Mexican straw luggage.A view of what I am calling the wedding dress corner.
I’ve been looking for WWII uniforms and contemplating getting something similar to these for the Greenville Lindy Hoppers’ G.I. Jive, June 18-19, 2010 in Greenville, SC (Atomic Rhythm All-Stars are playing the Friday night dance! *shameless plug*). If you were thinking about heading to the Virginia Beach Lindy Exchange that same weekend, you could sport one of these looks on the U.S.S. Wisconsin battleship dance.
I couldn’t get a picture to load for the Nurse’s Uniform, but if you hold your mouse over the link, it should give you a preview of the eBay auction page. Or you could just click on it. 🙂
Lindy Shopper 