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  1. CrimsonSox

    Historical Clothing Reviews and Guides

    This thread is to post historical review of firms and guides to style (1960s and older). We'll start with a guide to Paris firms from Vogue, July 15, 1931. Some fascinating finds: robes and handkerchiefs made of "sheer linen printed in the designs and colours of foulards." We'll also discover...
  3. CrimsonSox

    Menjou's tailoring stories from "It Took 9 Tailors"

    Adolphe Menjou was an actor from the Golden Age of Hollywood. His book, It Took Nine Tailors (1948) has some great stories and insights about tailoring. One surprise is how many fittings it took to perfect the flawless suits we associate with photos from the 30s: Quote: He lived...
  4. CrimsonSox

    Douglas Fairbanks Jr. interview

    An interview with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in Vogue August 15, 1966. Note the trimness of his shirt cuffs in the picture. Some surprises: he doesn't wear any lace-up shoes, only side elastics from Maxwell's and loafers. His shirts are from Turnbull and Asser, Sulka, and Charvet. As wide ties...
  5. CrimsonSox

    Italian conservative business dress

    This is a thread devoted to Italian conservative business dress -- the more soporific the better. The fashionable side of Italy, as in Pitti Uomo, is interesting and gets a lot of attention. But Italian businessmen are exceptionally good at conservative business dress and deserve their own thread. The original...
  6. CrimsonSox

    Do people take pictures of you in public?

    When you're in public, in a subway or walking down the street, have you ever seen someone take your picture without your permission? Seems rather odd and intrusive. I was with my wife on the T in Boston tonight when a woman pointed her iPhone in our direction. I imagine that forum members who...
  7. CrimsonSox

    The issue with narrow pants

    I can appreciate the slimming effect of slender trouser legs, but there's a drawback to their being too narrow. The front crease does not fall neatly, but tends to bunch up in front of the shins or knees as the fabric clings to the leg. Here are a few examples, starting with President Hollande...
  8. CrimsonSox

    The linen evening shirt

    A surprise to black or white tie wearers today is that formal evening shirts were once made primarily in linen. This example is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was made in 1900, and belonged to the last Czar: Quote: Source...
  9. CrimsonSox

    Prince Charles single-breasted jacket

    We rarely see Prince Charles in single-breasted jackets, but he wore one recently for the opening of the Prince's Drawing School at Dumfries House. The jacket is a darted 3-roll-2. He's paired the tweed jacket with corduroys instead of grey flannels. The sleeves have turn-back cuffs...
  10. CrimsonSox

    Guide to suit quality 1949

    This is a fascinating guide to the quality of different full-canvas suits, published in 1949 by the U.S. government. It also has a guide to fabrics on pages 6-7. Fused suits make no appearance in this volume. You can read the book here...
  11. CrimsonSox

    Old Brooks Brothers

    This thread is for pictures and articles about the beloved old Brooks Brothers, before it was sold to Allied Stores in 1981. It's the Brooks that my wife always associates with my father-in-law -- traditional, elegant, and well-made clothes. The first image is from the December 1, 1945 issue...
  12. CrimsonSox

    Fred Astaire and tone-on-tone

    Something quite interesting is how often Fred Astaire would wear a tone-on-tone ensemble. The shirt and tie would not be exactly the same color, but they would be different shades of a similar tone. In all three of the following outfits, Astaire wears a pale blue-grey shirt that is close to...
  13. CrimsonSox

    What suit shoulder do you prefer?

    On the spectrum from more natural to more structured suit shoulders that are tasteful and well-done, what do you prefer? For a contrast, see Vice President Bush's more natural shouldered suit, compared to President Reagan's structured shoulder from the 1981 State of the Union address...
  14. CrimsonSox

    Suit puckering?

    What causes a suit chest to pucker, as in David Beckham's suit here? Is it humidity, or some other cause, and can it be solved by a good pressing? I believe the suit in the photo is a RLBL, which is full canvas, so I don't think it's a case of a delaminating fusing. I have a suit from the...
  15. CrimsonSox

    Mad men vs. the trendy modern suit

    What looks better on Don Draper? A: B: It's hard to see the excesses of our own time, until our vision is corrected by a knowledge of history. There are two grey suits here, but only one is tasteful. The other is too short. Like this: I know what suit I'd wear: Just...
  16. CrimsonSox

    What happened to the blue-grey suit?

    If you look at photos of the Kennedy, Johnson, or Nixon Administrations, it's surprising to see how many blue-grey suits there were. It's a beautiful color, but it's rare today. Compare this picture of Nixon's cabinet with Obama's. Nixon is wearing a blue grey suit. Incidentally, Elliot...
  17. CrimsonSox

    Navy on navy: Prime Minister Cameron

    A line we often hear about a necktie is: "you need more contrast in that outfit." This can sometimes be valid, but it overlooks how tone-on-tone, especially navy-on-navy, can be beautiful. Compare Prime Minister Cameron's different ties and how they work better or worse. Navy tie on navy...
  18. CrimsonSox

    A. Caraceni videos

    There's footage of a fitting and pattern making at A. Caraceni of Milan with Mario Caraceni and his grandson, Massimilano Andreacchio, beginning at 4:45: http://www.voxsartoria.com/post/31067346363/corso-di-alta-sartoria-a-caraceni-milan. Both are dressed magnificently, with a beautiful fit on...
  19. CrimsonSox

    Have you ever been completely happy with a sportscoat or business suit?

    There's a quote from Charles Dickens that says, "Probably every new and eagerly expected garment ever put on since clothes came in, fell a trifle short of the wearer's expectation." Have you ever been completely happy with a sportscoat or business suit? Or has there always been some small...
  20. CrimsonSox

    What causes shoulder dimples?

    What causes downward dimples on the top of a suit shoulder? How can they be fixed? These are different from divots, which are on the side of the sleevehead. Here's an example of dimples (the suit is worn by Yukio Akamine, who's one of the foremost sartorial experts in Japan). You can see...
  21. CrimsonSox

    Ralph Lauren Boston alterations experiences?

    How is the alterations staff at the Ralph Lauren store in Boston? Any experiences?
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