HOLY GRAIL Suit -- Summer Edition

[Marc Chevalier]

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/1940s-Vinta...pt=Vintage_Men_s_Clothing&hash=item1c21af61a1


Holy Toledo! A suit made of cream gabardine -- rarer than Palm Beach cloth! And look at that outstanding silhouette! Lounger Reetpleat has one that is nearly identical.


And here's a 1940 color photo of some men wearing the same type of suit: http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P02647.jpg

 

[Chasseur]

Oh that is a dream one alright... I'd settle for cream gab trousers in my side...

 

[avedwards]

My size as well. I'm glad you posted this as I wouldn't have seen it otherwise but I'm also annoyed as it'll drive the price up .

How comfortable would rayon be in warm weather though?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... I'm also annoyed as it'll drive the price up .

No, my posting will have zero effect on the final price. Here's why: this suit is so rare and so desired by hardcore collectors --the ones who search daily for new eBay auctions and bid big money on 'em-- that they would have found this auction no matter what. Believe me, I'm of no help to them.

 

[rcfko]

What colour shoes would you wear with that suit? Light brown wingtips?

 

[avedwards]

Definitely some shade of brown (although black would look OK it would harmonise as nicely as brown in my opinion). I'm sure spectators would work equally well to single coloured shoes. Not sure about white so I'll leave that for the experts to decide.

 

[avedwards]

I meant to say black wouldn't harmonise as nicely. Unfortunately you can't edit posts in this section of the lounge. :rage:

 

[avedwards]

No, my posting will have zero effect on the final price. Here's why: this suit is so rare and so desired by hardcore collectors --the ones who search daily for new eBay auctions and bid big money on 'em-- that they would have found this auction no matter what. Believe me, I'm of no help to them.

I agree that it'll have little or no effect on the end price. Hence why FL policy changed a few years ago to allow links to live auctions to be posted. As usual with the nice suits you post links to I'll have to resign myself to saving the pictures in case I ever come into enough money to have a good tailor make me something similar.

 

[Rudie]

Tan, white bucks or blue suede shoes.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

What colour shoes would you wear with that suit? Light brown wingtips?

Lots of choices. Solid colored shoes: white, cream, or British tan. In spectators: white (or cream)/black (or dark blue), white (or cream)/British tan, white (or cream)/brown, or even light tan/British tan.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The summer weight gabardines are actually very cool in hot weather.

The 1930s one I own (belted back no less) is more of a winter weight cream wool gab.

the one above is an amazing suit. Good luck to bidders!

bk

 

[dhermann1]

I love the wedding picture you attached, also. It's full of little lessons on period style. Are both of the men wearing button down collars? That's what it looks like to me. I'm making a note of that fact.
Oh, and why oh why must they ALWAYS say "Gangster" about every double breasted suit???

 

[avedwards]

Oh, and why oh why must they ALWAYS say "Gangster" about every double breasted suit???

Or every pinstriped suit? I doubt many suits formerly owned by "gangsters" would end up on ebay due to the amount of wear and tear they would have been put through .

 

[Mario]

Or every pinstriped suit? I doubt many suits formerly owned by "gangsters" would end up on ebay due to the amount of wear and tear they would have been put through .

You mean bullet holes?

 

[avedwards]

You mean bullet holes?

Possibly, or some other violence related damage. I'd imagine a lot of the suits we seem in ebay which are in good condition were probably owned by people with very mundane office jobs meaning they got relatively little wear. Or owned by people who weren't in jobs requiring a suit so their suits only got worn on special occasions.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I'd imagine a lot of the suits we seem in ebay which are in good condition were probably owned by people with very mundane office jobs meaning they got relatively little wear. Or owned by people who weren't in jobs requiring a suit so their suits only got worn on special occasions.

I think the second is more likely than first. You'd be surprised how much mileage day in, day out wear puts on suits (even mundane office work), especially when you only have two or three of them, as was so typical with guys in the golden era.

More than anything, though, I suspect we have folks with an overabundance of clothes and proper care/storage practices to thank for vintage pieces in good condition.

 

[Guttersnipe]

That white gab suit is amazing, by the way!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Or owned by people who weren't in jobs requiring a suit so their suits only got worn on special occasions.

A surprising number of these vintage suits --even the business suits-- were purchased by their first owners as a "wedding suit", and were hardly ever worn by them again.

 

[Mario]

On German Ebay, a surprising number of vintage suits (of the few that make it to the 'Bay) is actually listed as something like 'Grandpa's wedding suit' (with 'Stresemann suit' as the other option).

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

US $146,48? I doid expect much more and didn't even bother to bid on it.