1930s evening ensemble

Every piece is vintage except for my socks, and I bought them all separately across the country over two years. Almost everything required repairs.

The jacket had damaged sleeve lining which I replaced. One of the front buttons had bent and busted off, and was placed in a pocket. It’s roughly 1930s I think. The company was Foreman & Clark Clothes, “Upstairs from coast to coast”.

The trousers are Basil Durant Inc. New York. Most likely 1930s as well. Basil Durant was a vaudeville actor who started a tailoring business after vaudeville’s decline. It has silk lining on the trousers which had to be restitched.

1940s/30s? Red Suspenders. I’m honestly not as sure on the date for these, but they are in perfect condition. Bonus picture of Paris Swing suspenders about 1930s or 40s.

Paris garters 1930s or 40s.

1910s/1920s vest. It was heavily yellowed from starch which came out with gentle hand washing. Unknown maker

1920s/1930s evening shirt. This one probably had the worst damage since I know it was used by costumers/actors. The second buttonhole was completely opened and ravelled. Various stains and pinholes. I had to rebound the buttonhole.

1900s-1920s collar

Silk scarf about 1940s.

1970s Floreshime shoes.

1890s-1910s watch fob.

Vintage Beige Tan Corduroy Sport Coat Belted Front & Back Safari Wide Collar Blazer by H.I.S. Men's Size 44 R 1970s does 1930s This is so Over the top, Every larger guy who ever said I WISH I could find a belted back jacket....here is your wish

Fred Astaire aboard the S.S. Berengaria arriving in New York City after a European vacation, c. Apr, 1936

Circa 1930 real photo postcard from a strapping young swimmer to his friend, reading:

Bill One of the pleasures I have got from coming to this school is getting to know you, and I hope I'll see you in the future. That was a marvelous time we had on the top floor of Dunbar our first year seeing how much we could get away with under Ken Willis' eyes. I certainly hope your are first catcher for the baseball team this year. Lots of luck. Jim.

'Austin Reed - Good Clothes for Town and Country'

Poster advertising Austin Reed bespoke menswear (c. 1930).

Old Hollywood + Androgyny

Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, & Katharine Hepburn in the '30s & '40s

The guide to a well-dressed summer gent in 1930-something.

I know someone who wears two-tone shoes and on him, it looks pretty snappy.

A Young Person's Introduction to Early 20th-Century Western Fashion

am i hip with the kids yet

General information Dotschkal, Janna. "1920's." FOUND. October 21, 2016. English Heritage. "Fashion Through History: Episode 3 – 1930s." YouTube. April 16, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Standardized Sizes in Womens Fashion and Why They FAILED." YouTube. May 16, 2021. Vintagebursche. "100 Years of Classic Menswear - and what we can learn from each decade." YouTube. February 29, 2020. Zebrowska, Karolina. "1920s Fashion Is Not What You Think It Is." YouTube. May 20, 2018.

Accessories Cox, Abby. "Flappers, Y2K, & Capitalism are Why Women "Don't" Have Pockets." YouTube. January 12, 2023. Cox, Abby. "The Disappointing Truth On Why We Don't Wear Hats Anymore..." YouTube. December 18, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of the Iconic Cloche Hat: Making 1920s Fashion." YouTube. September 18, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "When Hats were Illegal: Sewing a Goth Edwardian Hat." YouTube. February 21, 2021. Sheehan, Sarah. "Neo-Egyptomania." PatternVault. December 31, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Why Did We Stop Wearing Hats?" YouTube. April 28, 2020.

Cosmetics Banner, Bernadette. "Making and Testing a Victorian Skincare Routine." YouTube. April 8, 2023. English Heritage. "1930s Makeup Tutorial | History Inspired | Feat. Amber Butchart and Rebecca Butterworth." YouTube. December 18, 2018. Holland, Evangeline. "On How to Be Lovely." Edwardian Promenade. April 15, 2010. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Controversial History of Color Season Analysis." YouTube. November 4, 2023.

Fabrics Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Elastic." YouTube. July 4, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Wearing Overalls to Boycott Fashion Greedflation? Weird History of 1920." YouTube. March 16, 2024.

Gowns and formal wear Banner, Bernadette. "I Redesigned Mary Poppins' Jolly Holiday Dress Based on REAL Edwardian Lingerie Gowns." YouTube. February 20, 2021. Banner, Bernadette. "I Remade Mary Poppins’ Dress to be Actually Edwardian." YouTube. July 9, 2022. Cox, Abby. "Alexander McQueen & the Patriarchy Problem in Modern Fashion." YouTube. October 20, 2023. Cox, Abby. "What Makes a Gown Haute Couture (like House of Worth) in Victorian and Edwardian Eras?" YouTube. September 19, 2021. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "An Edwardian Woman's Fashion Evolution." YouTube. June 4, 2022. Oakes, Leimomi. "Terminology: what is a lingerie dress or lingerie frock? (and blouse, and skirt)." The Dreamstress. July 21, 2018. Rudolph, Nicole. "Stop Idolizing Coco Chanel: a shocking history of theft." YouTube. January 13, 2024. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Truth about the Fringed Flapper: Making 1920s Evening Dresses." YouTube. November 6, 2022. Vintagebursche. "1920s Theme Party - How to dress." YouTube. December 9, 2023. Zebrowska, Karolina. "1920s Fashion Encyclopedia, Pt 1: Daywear." YouTube. November 27, 2019.

Hair care and styling Banner, Bernadette. "I Tried Following a Real Edwardian Hair Care Routine." YouTube. May 12, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "Getting Dressed in the Edwardian Era / Gibson Girl Hairstyle Tutorial." YouTube. June 12, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "Titanic-era Hair Tutorial // Getting Dressed in the 1910's." YouTube.September 4, 2020. SnappyDragon. "Historical hair myths debunked : How often should you wash your hair—daily shampoo or no shampoo?" YouTube. August 12, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Weird Edwardian Beauty Tips." YouTube. February 11, 2017.

Laundry and starching Banner, Bernadette. "Ok but how did the Edwardians WASH these dresses?" YouTube. August 3, 2022.

Outerwear Cox, Abby. "Athleisure: Destroying Fashion & the Environment." YouTube. January 18, 2024. Rudolph, Nicole. "150 years of Masc Women causing a Moral Panic." YouTube. June 17, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Jeans, T-shirts, and Hoodies: Time Travel 101." YouTube. March 20, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "SPRING/SUMMER FASHION TRENDS REVIEW but it's 1936 (ft. original fabric samples!)." YouTube. April 22, 2022.

Shoes Rudolph, Nicole. "I Made Witchy Edwardian Shoes by Hand!" YouTube. March 14, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Making 100 year old Comfy Slippers: Free Pattern!" YouTube. December 30, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Myth of Tiny Feet "Back Then"." YouTube. September 26, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "The True History of Stiletto Heels : the battle between Ferragamo and Dior." YouTube. August 26, 2023. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Why Is No One Talking About 1930s Shoes?" YouTube. September 15, 2020.

Undergarments Banner, Bernadette. "1903 Patented Bustle Pad Reconstruction." YouTube. June 8, 2019. Banner, Bernadette. "Achieving That Classic Edwardian Shape: Reconstructing a 1902 Bust Bodice." YouTube. April 16, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "So What are Guimpes Anyway? // Examining Antique Edwardian Guimpes." YouTube. August 21, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "They Wore Corsets in the 1920's?!" YouTube. January 29, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "Did Brassieres End the Corset?" YouTube. February 28, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Dressing in Edwardian Clothing: Undergarments and Layers of 1907." YouTube. November 1, 2020. Rudolph, Nicole. "How Flappers got their Figure: the 1920s Silhouette." YouTube. July 10, 2022. SnappyDragon. "How pin-up photos fooled dress history : the making and marketing of lingerie pictures." YouTube. April 1, 2023.

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Oscar Winners

The Sting / Paul Newman as Henry "Shaw" Gondorff and Robert Redford as Johnny Hooker

Year: 1973

Designer: Edith Head

To close out the month of Oscar winners, here's a twofer. I couldn't decide which of these suits I liked better, so I'm featuring them both! (Actually, that's not quite true. Gondorff's suit is definitely the more tasteful combination. But on the other hand, Hooker's is more memorable as a costume.)

There are detailed writeups of both suits on the men's fashion blog BAMF Style: go here for an analysis of Gondorff's brown glen plaid suit and here for commentary on Hooker's russet striped suit.

Men window shopping, ca. 1939.

Photo: Wurts Bros. via MCNY

being crazy about some guy is wild i just thought of him n was like "he would look so hot in a lovecraftian horror setting"

Edward G. Robinson "Little Caesar", 1931

Gary Cooper, 1931

hey send me your recs for what to watch for 1930s style inspiration

Why is it that menswear was suddenly westernized at the beginning of the republican era? Why wasn't that the case for female fashion aswell?

I'm not an expert on menswear by any measure, but I do not think Chinese menswear was "suddenly" westernized at the beginning of the Republican era. Chinese tailors making Western men's garments began appearing in the mid 19th century, so there was a longer history of Western menswear in China. Chinese tailors making Western menswear had existed since as early as 1850, and the first registered Western tailoring business with its own store was established by tailor 江良通 Jiang Liangtong in Shanghai in 1896 (source). Many Chinese immigrants residing in Japan have also been learning the craft of suit making since at least the 1870s, catering to Western men residing in Japanese port cities like Yokohama (source). Some of them later brought their craft back to China and helped proliferate the Western menswear industry.

Chinese men’s fashion in the Republican era was also not entirely Western; the 长衫 changshan, which was Manchu-Chinese in origin and construction, was immensely popular, and was paired with Western accessories like hats and leather shoes.

Source

1920 photograph. One man is wearing Western garb and the rest are in changshan.

Women's fashion didn't westernize as quickly for, I think, multiple reasons: 1) women did not go out of the house and participate in civic life as much as men did, so there was less of a need to dress "professionally" and in a "civilized" manner, which, under the context of Western colonialism at the time, meant Western fashion. 2) Chinese women’s fashion of the 19th century was already quite versatile and compatible with Western women’s fashion silhouettes, so there were more opportunities for simplification and the incorporation of Western elements, instead of adopting Western fashion wholesale and relegating native fashion to the realm of “cultural dress”, which was more the case in Japanese womenswear at the time. 3) Western womenswear required a separate industry for the making of undergarments like corsetry, which was a sophisticated and difficult craft in itself. It would be more economic for Chinese tailors to make men’s suits, which required fewer specialized undergarments. As complicated undergarments became less common in the West, Western women’s fashion also became more popular in China. 4) Many Chinese women who wore Western fashion prior to the Republican era were sex workers or actresses, which lent it a less respectable connotation. This reputation gradually disappeared over the course of the Republican era.

Source

1935 photograph of actress Hu Die with Soviet actress Lyubov Orlova. Here you can see the compatibility of 1930s cheongsam with Western women’s eveningwear silhouettes.