h-e-l-p. Palm beach linen suit..

1on1 · Feb 16, 2018

Nice to see the "tightly knit" community still going strong here..

Ok here's my dilemma. Been searching high and low but no one's been slingin a 30's PB pleatback linen suit on ebay/etsy for quite a stretch so I thought I'd check here again to see if anyone's entertaining the idea of selling theirs. Ideal size would be a 36 jacket with 28-29" trousers. Must be patch pocketed and pleated back. Alternatively if anyone knows any vintage shops online that may currently be selling one, I would appreciate the heads up.

thanks
1on1

MondoFW · Feb 17, 2018

A wonderful suit was sold for $530 today.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/152786239027

Shame... I was drooling over this one. You and me are in the same boat, finding a nice 36-38R is strenuous. I'm no help, but keep me updated on your progress.

Fading Fast · Feb 17, 2018

MondoFW said:
A wonderful suit was sold for $530 today.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/152786239027

Shame... I was drooling over this one. You and me are in the same boat, finding a nice 36-38R is strenuous. I'm no help, but keep me updated on your progress.

Holy cow - gorgeous / stunning suit and amazing condition. Did something in the measurements not work for you?

Tiki Tom · Feb 17, 2018

Wow. That was a nice one. They never have them in my late 20th century size. I may have to approach our local “Hong Kong tailor.”

1on1 · Feb 17, 2018

yea i did tail that 40's PB linen on ebay..sadly i got buried in an avalanche of other desperate bidders. Still, given a choice i would shoot for a 30's rendition,although given the finite nature of vintage i am now having to look at the more plain-er 40's version..lets hope i wont have to lower my standards right down to a polyester version of PB suit from the 70's lol!!. Who knows, maybe someone up in here would realize they have an "outgrown" their pair of PB's and decide to sling it here or elsewhere.

So -have we seen the the last of these legendary suits ? On second thought If i could find enough of the "genuine cloth" i would consider getting a repro...i am fortunate enough to know a master (atleast in my eyes) tailor.

Why did i let all those auctions pass me by ??? guess i always thought there would be another one around the corner. Oh well, life goes on.

1on1

1on1 · Feb 17, 2018

ofcourse you could always stumble onto one in a B&M shop..many of them instagram their latest wares but that's still needle in haystack scenario.

MondoFW · Feb 17, 2018

Fading Fast said:
Holy cow - gorgeous / stunning suit and amazing condition. Did something in the measurements not work for you?

All the measurements would have been perfect for me, except for the inseam, which i would have just taken in. The price was my problem.

Fading Fast · Feb 17, 2018

MondoFW said:
All the measurements would have been perfect for me, except for the inseam, which i would have just taken in. The price was my problem.

Understood - it was steep, but it's so rare to find one in that condition. Hopefully, you'll find one soon.

1on1 · Feb 18, 2018

i'll second that..these suits are getting seriously hard to find (separates less hard ofcourse), one suit comes up for auction about every 6 months or so nowadays..as FF mentioned, especially if its immaculate. Ironic thing is, I slung atleast a half dozen of these PB suits myself, back when the pickin was rich

trouble was, I was never into suits back in the day...I should've consulted a tea leaf reader before slingin the lot..ahhwell.

GHT · Feb 18, 2018

MondoFW said:
A wonderful suit was sold for $530 today.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/152786239027

Shame... I was drooling over this one. You and me are in the same boat, finding a nice 36-38R is strenuous. I'm no help, but keep me updated on your progress.

You are right, that is a beautiful suit. Finding a suit like that for a much lower price is going to take some searching. Reason I say that is because I was in the market a couple of years ago. I would have bought a double breasted like that, if one had been available, but my preference was for single breasted. It was for a themed wedding, in the end I had one made to measure. It cost just over £700 including shipping cost, that's well over $1000. So you see why they are not cheap, add to that the exclusivity of the linen, half belt, pleated back and you can see why finding one at a budget price is so difficult.

1on1 · Feb 18, 2018

GHT - Is that repro suit still hanging in your closet ? Would love to see how it looks and what type of modern-day linen was used.

re: the waiting game, at this rate we might all have to wait years before we lay claim to one...still more surprising to me is that there are so many size 36's vying for these suits..I would have thought the bigger sizes would garner stiffer competition.

GHT · Feb 19, 2018

1on1 said:
GHT - Is that repro suit still hanging in your closet ? Would love to see how it looks and what type of modern-day linen was used.

It was made to an original pattern, there was just one item that looked, not exactly wrong, but not to my liking. The box pleats didn't hand as well as box pleats on a wool fabric, the tailor explained that it was because the linen was so much lighter. What he suggested, and consequently did, was to tack the pleats together. So perfectly did he do this, that you really have to look close in order to see the line of the pleats.
The wedding had an Hawaiian theme, so for the ceremony, I wore the suit with a collar and tie and a garland of flowers around my neck. Later, at the reception, when the dance floor warmed things up, I changed out of the collar and tie and donned an Aloha shirt. One thing about linen, don't dance wearing it, unless you don't mind the crumpled effect. The car was suitably dressed up with ribbons and garlands too.

1on1 · Feb 19, 2018

Looking good - indeed I would've missed the box pleat lines..were you not a fan of the classic "fan pleating" around half belt ? English or HK tailor ?

At any rate, you "own" this suit. Well done!

1on1
PS nice accessory.

Benny Holiday · Feb 19, 2018

I've been thinking about ordering one of these using measurements from my tailor. I've got some great shirts and shoes from Magnoli over the years and I like the vintage-style fleck in the linen:

http://www.magnoliclothiers.com/nassau-linen-suit-tailor-made-suits-by-magnoli-clothiers-p-137.html

Happy hunting!

MondoFW · Apr 5, 2018

I'm intetested in this suit: seller claims it's from the 40s, can anyone confirm? The lapels look oddly more modern..

rocketeer · Apr 5, 2018

I quite like these suits, they sort of remind me of Sidney Greenstreet in the Maltese Falcon, it shows even fat blokes like me can wear them(But I'm not quite as fat as old Sidney hehe) I presume by the labels shown here that Palm Beach is a trade name as I usually refer to any white linen suit as being a Man From Del Monte combination of jacket and trousers.
Were this my suit I would accompany it with fine straw trilby/fedora (call it what you wish

or folding Panama and white or cream shoes.
Is there an official name for the design as I would be interested to know? I am hoping to buy one for my holidays in Greece this summer, probably new as a couple of genuine vintage suits usually have some faults such as repairs or stains. Certainly nicer evening wear than my usual ensemble or holiday shorts a short sleeved shirt and beach shoes(NOT Crocs

haha) The patch pocket design with the back belt certainly look better than jetted pockets seen on most modern versions, some of which look like, (Say it quietly) short chef's jackets.
Cheers, J.

Patrick Hall · Apr 6, 2018

It's 40's. Palm Beach cloth is a holy grail among vintage tailoring aficionados. The details of the proprietary fabric blend were lost when Goodall Mills closed. PBC is extremely cool-wearing, doesn't wrinkle like linen, drapes well. The only drawback is that the mohair in the mix gives the fabric a coarse hand. PBC is extremely robust, and can hold up to a good soak in oxygen bleach, and can be laundered with detergent. Safe bet those stains will lift.

Somewhere in here you will find Dinerman's extremely detailed guide to PBC, including the means for dating PBC suits by the labels.

EDIT: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-fedora-lounge-guide-to-palm-beach-cloth.72054/

DOUBLE EDIT: I am wearing my favorite PBC suit in my avatar! It's great stuff, and everyone into vintage tailoring should own a suit cut from PBC. It is truly iconic.

MondoFW · Apr 6, 2018

Patrick Hall said:
It's 40's. Palm Beach cloth is a holy grail among vintage tailoring aficionados. The details of the proprietary fabric blend were lost when Goodall Mills closed. PBC is extremely cool-wearing, doesn't wrinkle like linen, drapes well. The only drawback is that the mohair in the mix gives the fabric a coarse hand. PBC is extremely robust, and can hold up to a good soak in oxygen bleach, and can be laundered with detergent. Safe bet those stains will lift.

Somewhere in here you will find Dinerman's extremely detailed guide to PBC, including the means for dating PBC suits by the labels.

EDIT: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-fedora-lounge-guide-to-palm-beach-cloth.72054/

DOUBLE EDIT: I am wearing my favorite PBC suit in my avatar! It's great stuff, and everyone into vintage tailoring should own a suit cut from PBC. It is truly iconic.

I can definitely see the demand for Palm Beach suits from the 30's and 40's on the 'Bay. The one I showed caught 8 watchers and sold extremely quickly for $200. Shame too, but the shoulders would have fit me a bit snug, in hindsight, so the jacket probably would have only seen the light of day for one summer (I'm a growing man). As summer approaches, the search continues for one of these suits. The one in your avatar is no exception to the elegance of these garments. Wish me luck on the hunt! Thanks for the link to that Lounge dating guide.

1on1 · Apr 6, 2018

MondoFW - Not sure I follow you..you slung a PB Linen on the 'bay recently? It makes the two of us..im on the hunt as well, except I am looking for the smallest possible size..36 with 28-30 inch waist.

MondoFW · Apr 6, 2018

1on1 said:
MondoFW - Not sure I follow you..you slung a PB Linen on the 'bay recently? It makes the two of us..im on the hunt as well, except I am looking for the smallest possible size..36 with 28-30 inch waist.

Nah, I wasn't the owner. A guy sold this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-PA...942244?hash=item25f27b13e4:g:NSwAAOSwVzRaxW53

A great suit in a size that's unprecedented for garments of this age. I would have grabbed it immediately if the shoulders were an inch or two wider. I'll have to keep looking out. The trousers had a 28'' waist, which is what you're looking for.

h-e-l-p. Palm beach linen suit..

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