Cold enough for you? It is for me. After weeks of 10-30 degree weather with windchill.
Even my heavy wool army overcoat couldn't fully keep the freezing wind at bay.
Now we're finally back to comfortable cold weather. We even had a record snowfall 2 days ago, compared to a very dry winter last year. All this snow reminded me I had a winter related vintage piece I hadn't shared yet.
Here's a 1920's/'30s hunting cap I found on eBay a while ago. While it's a flat cap I've been searching a while for (they've become rare and highly priced due to shows like Boardwalk Empire), it's unfortunately very worn out. I took it to a local hat shop hoping they could at least clean it, but they said the material is too fragile, and it risks falling apart. Oh well, I'll keep it for reference.
I recall as a kid not knowing these caps were called "flat/ivy/cabbie caps" and instead referred to them as a "pancake hat". On the topic of cake, that happens to be the subject of my latest music obsession.
It was hard news to take learning about Patty Andrews of the Andrews Sisters passing. It's now truly an and end of an era, but the impact of the sisters' almost angelic 3 part harmony will live on forever.
I normally post anything art related on my other blog "Animated Adam", but I thought for this I'd share some art pertaining to the "golden era" subject matter. I was recently reading up on the famed animator Grim Natwick, known for creating Betty Boop and having a career in animation that spanned over 75 years. I came across this caricature he did of himself circa 1926.
Grim Natwick, the master draftsman.
The 36 year old Natwick was quite a drafstman. I believe this was done with a paintbrush. It's very of the time and I love it. For those who are curious, this was drawn on animation paper, as per the two peg bar holes on top.
I liked the style of Grims' caricature so much that I took a crack at it.
Drawn and inked digitally on Photoshop, (modern technology! GASP!)
My blog normally consists of me talking about menswear, so I'll break the mold with this next drawing.
Originally a homework assignment for college, I created this casual but elegant '30s woman, based off of illustrations I've seen in Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward catalogs. Haven't figured out a name for her yet. Any suggestions?
That's all for now until the next post. Ending this one with the usual current music obession. "With My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock" by George Formby.
Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a great holiday. My family's little Christmas gathering was quite nice and everyone was quite pleased with all their presents. Since the gathering for Christmas eve was small, I didn't go all out formal, but I did keep the classic dressy look for it.
Nothing super flashy, but went with earth tones for a casual but dressy post-war look, which with the book I'm holding enhances the look. Mostly modern garb, except for my new '30s tie (worn specifically for Christmas) and my late '50s chocolate brown gabardine slacks.
Christmas morning I went with a more casual '50s look. '50s wool pants paired with a late '50s shirt.
The present haul. Classic gifts throughout, nothing electronic.
The flat cap, though not vintage, is a rare example of a modern flat cap with the width and body of 1910's-1930's era flat caps.
TEN-HUT! Hope everyone's got their Christmas shopping done! Today, I'll be posting pictures of my new overcoat, but not just any ordinary vintage overcoat, this one is army issue!
Nice, heavy and thick. Army issue coats have always been of the highest quality and still are today. I believe this is the M1939, as it's dated 1940. I'm guessing this was an officers coat because of the gold buttons. I was skeptical at first because I thought they would be "too flashy" but I've come to like them as they pop against the "breen" color of the wool.
The belted back is not only nice to look at, but it gives the coat the proper fit depending on how much or little you wear under it. Simple idea but quite clever!
I also figured I needed some new (vintage) ties for my family gatherings this christmas, so I picked up these 2 '20s/'30s ties with Christmas colors/themes in mind.
For the holiday, here is a 1932 recording of "Jingle Bells". To all my followers, have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Ha ha happy holidays folks! I just attended a very fun Christmas party at my old job last night, and had quite a good time. I decided I wanted to dress in my best do me do duds for the party. The party was semi-dressy, and quite refreshing for that fact. It wasn't the usual "secret santa" format, rather it was a "white elephant", where names are picked out of a hat and a person picks a present or steals a present that someone already opened. Quite fun!
1926 dated suit, '30s NRA label overcoat, '20s glasses, '50s Homburg, '40s tie, '10s cufflinks, Paul Fredrick shirt, Allen Edmund cap toes.
The present I got from the party. As an animator nothing beats more cartoons to add to one's collection.
First I'd like to catch up with some of the garb I've been sporting for work the last few weeks.
With the weather becoming unusually cold for this time of year, I've been sporting my new shawl lapel cardigan I picked up from Old Navy. While it's only about 55% wool with a synthetic mixture and a little too long in certain measurements I love this sweater and highly recommend it! It really compliments the "classic animator" look I try and attempt.
Though Halloween was practically cancelled due to the hurricane, me and my coworkers did get to have some spooky fun at a party thrown by our bosses. Costumes were mandatory, and after racking my brain trying to figure out what to be on such short notice, I went with an idea I had since last Halloween, a steampunk army engineer.
Nothing super special about my costume. It's really just a mish mosh of some World War Two gear I got several Halloweens ago, with my dad's Vietnam army shirt from around 1970, a couple pocket watches, tweed pants, leather gloves, real glass and metal goggles, and a cheap costume civil war union cap. Though being at a cartoon studio, I kind of wished I went as a cartoon character like I did last halloween. Anyone remember Chuck Jones' "The Dover Boys" (1942)?
Now I'd like share some recent hat finds.
First this tweed flat cap, made by Empire Caps. The little belt on the back says '50s to me, though I'm not entirely sure when that came into vogue exactly.
Maybe it's because I'm a New Yorker, but I love the logo on this cap!
The belt on the back looks almost functional with the extra material, unlike some other caps I've seen where it's just a short piece of material with a buckle sewn to the back. I think this more realistic belt is because it's custom made, rather than ready to wear.
Next is a real pearl of a fedora.
A '40s/'50s Dobbs fifth avenue in virtually near mint condition. It even came with the original hat box (pictures later)
Nice and tall 4 3/4 inch crown with a nice big brim.
Virtually mint condition, probably one of the cleanest vintage hats I've ever own.
Now that my blog is finally up to date, I can make my future posts more organized and simple!
Until then, enjoy my current music obsession. Harry "The Hipster" Gibson perfomring, "Piano Boogie Jump"
Been a while since my last post. Between Hurricane Sandy and crunch time at work I've been putting off updating this blog. So without further ado, I'd like to present a new suit I acquired recently, or rather, my "new" old suit, from the roaring twenties. Finding good photo reference of actual 1920's era menswear itself isn't common. Sure, there's old magazines, photo's and movie's, but finding detailed photographs of the clothing today takes a lot of searching. Most of the time, I've seen '20s suits reffered to as "Zoot Suits" or "Mobster Suits" and presented as having gigantic lapels and thick pinstripes. It's probably due to the average Joe with only hollywood magic to reference making the '30s and '40s being slapped together with the '20s. Though watch any old pre-1934 movie, mobsters tended to have more variety in their wardrobe. So here is a treat for you roaring twenties fanatics, an up close and detailed look at a real 1920's suit from 1926.
6 X 2 double breasted, with medium sized lapels, quite a classic style that never really went out of mainstream fashion, except roughly around the 1955-1967 period, when small lapels ruled and the double breasted suit was cast aside for the more simple 2 and 3 button single breasted numbers. This suit is a prime example from the period. Dated July 30th 1926, it's hard to believe it's 86 years old! While classic, there are some features that set it apart from other eras. The shoulder padding is very minimal, giving a more natural silhouette, and the cuffs feature only 2 buttons, which from what I've seen stuck around for a bit in the '30s and early '40s. Then again in the '60s and '70s.
This suit features a high-gorge (the area where the lapels cross in my book) and the mid size lapels work nicely with the natural silhouette of the suit.
Small simple label.
A vintage clothing enthusiasts best friend, a dated tag.
Like the jacket, the pants are in excellent shape. Plain front, medium sized cuffs, big loops.
Now, a suit from 1926, you'd expect a button fly right? Well to my surprise it came with a zipper. Some of the vintage suit experts, (I'm just an amateur) think the zipper might be original as it had been invented by that time. Though that synthetic herringbone material that the zipper is part of doesn't look period at all, but c'est la vie.
Wow, I actually made an organized single topic post! Next one will return to the usual anything goes format, featuring more vintage hats and Halloween stuff.
