What shirt brand(s) did business people use in the 50's and 60's?

[Patrician]

Watching Mad Men and Donald Draper's stack of white french cuffed shirts in his office desk and the somewhat impeccable style he and his co-workers has made me wonder what brand(s) the american middle class used in the 50's and 60's when it came to white business shirts?

I highly doubt that they spent ~ $150 on shirts as many people do today.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

There was high end and low end just like any other time period.

 

[Patrician]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

There was high end and low end just like any other time period.
Sure, but did the middle class really spend money on high end dress shirts? I have a feeling they all went to brooks brothers and bought ten white shirts and that was it.

 

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by Patrician

Sure, but did the middle class really spend money on high end dress shirts? I have a feeling they all went to brooks brothers and bought ten white shirts and that was it.

You "have a feeling"?
In the 50's in St. Paul there were a dozen men's stores downtown selling "beter than department store" goods. Now there is one.

 

[mp3_aholic]

With regards to the show--Madison Avenue Ad agencies were only a few blocks from the BB store on 44th street. Brooks also had a thriving mail order business at that time.

 

[mr. magoo]

Keep in mind that well-known clothing "designer brands" became popular in the 70s.

Prior to that, people bought at stores, and the brands or designers were far less well known.

Stores had buyers who either purchased directly from factories they knew and trusted to the store's specifications, or designers went from store-to-store (i.e., the trunk show) and the store bought from the designers and slapped store labels on things. That's why when you see vintage stuff, it often has the name of the store in big letters (e.g., BONWIT TELLER) and either has the maker in small letters (e.g., Brioni) or not at all.

In the current structure, the store has been replaced by the licensor (e.g., Ralph Lauren) who does a similar job that the stores used to fill (buying, labelling), or, less often, the makers have taken a marketing role (e.g., Oxxford).

Also keep in mind that a lot more men went to tailors. The guys on Mad Men would've more likely bought shirts from their local shirt-maker, with the bosses spending a pretty penny ($25?) and the peons spending a pittance ($5 or $10?). After that, I believe the well known brands were stores like Brooks, Arrow, etc.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

That's very interesting Mr. Magoo. Thanks for the info. I did know that Arrow was huge back then also Paul Stuart and J. Press.

 

[Tarmac]

modern "branding" was literally invented in the Mad Men era (P&G, soap operas, etc). Prior to that it was far more likely for a person to buy from a variety of sources without a huge concern for what brand it was. They probably wouldn't even really understand the question "what are your favorite brands of clothing?"

 

[Millerp]

Hathaway was considered high end at that time.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Anne? She's pretty high-end now.

 

[Millerp]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Anne? She's pretty high-end now.
LOL

 

[zizou]

so menken's isn't a real department store?

 

[Trompe le Monde]

the upstart MTM service AncientTailor

 

[Robert Hall]

Arrow and Van Heusen

 

[Reevolving]

Would you say that Hathaway picture has underarms that should be tapered?