The REAL gangster look

[happyfilmluvguy]

Since one of the many observations of wearing a suit with a fedora is to relate the look to a mob member, the mafia, or a gangster, what does the real gangster look, look like? 1920's to 1930's.

 

[anselmo1]

For starters, try this picture of the Mad Dog Coll mob of the 1920's.

 

[Hammelby]

woho! cool thread - cool picture - more!

 

[Feraud]

Criminals of the 20s and 30s looked just like everyone else. Perhaps a bit better dressed if they were successful at their profession.

 

[AlanC]

The predominance of sb peak lapels is interesting. The tall guy on the far left has only one button, too (hard for me to make out the others). I really like the three-piece on the far right.

 

[Fletch]

Mad Dog (Vincent Coll) was shot to death early in 1932 - age 23 - so this pic dates from before that. He is the tall man at the left, recognizable by his deep dimple chin. The others, l-r, were Mike Basile, Patsy Del Greco, Dominick Odierno and Frank Giordano. (Names from WRKO, Boston).

The SB peak suit, often very short-skirted and scalloped in front, was typical of the early depression years and, I think, of slightly flashier East coast sharpie styles rather than the rest of the country. You see men in lineups wearing jazz models, with shirred pockets and high double-button waistbands.

Funny how there were always a bunch of guys around 5'4" and one big lug of 6'2" or so. Perhaps the average height among prospective criminals was shorter than that for the general male populace of the time (due to poor nutrition as kids, predominant ethnic mix, or ???)

I assume Coll blinked when the flash went off - but what explains the white garbage under the eyes? Zinc oxide ointment?

 

[Barry]

Is the guy in the middle wearing a glove on his right hand?

Is his hand just really hairy?

Barry

 

[Brad Bowers]

Great photo. This might be a bit fftopic: , but what I noticed, besides the guy wearing a DB with no tie(!) is the hat colors. We tend to think of hats as varying shades of gray and brown, but light colors were quite prevalent in the 1920s through the early Depression years. This photo is a great illustration of that, and shows that light colors will go with dark suits just fine.

Very nice mix of suits in the lineup!

Brad

 

[Fletch]

Is the guy in the middle wearing a glove on his right hand?
Is his hand just really hairy?

It's in shadow, back behind his hip.

 

[Hammelby]

Criminals of the 20s and 30s looked just like everyone else. Perhaps a bit better dressed if they were successful at their profession.

I found this, i dont know if the source is perfect?..
http://www.lindyhopping.com/fashionhistm.htmlhttp://www.lindyhopping.com/fashionhistm.html

"A discussion of men's fashion during the thirties would be incomplete without recognizing the gangster influence. Gangsters, while despised as thieves, paradoxically projected an image of "businessman" because of the suits they wore. However, they didn't choose typical business colors and styles, but took every detail to the extreme. Their suits featured wider stripes, bolder glen plaids, more colorful ties, pronounced shoulders, narrower waists, and wider trouser bottoms. In France, mobsters actually had their initials embroidered on the breast of their shirts, towards the waist. They topped their extreme look with felt hats in a wide variety of colors: almond green, dove, lilac, petrol blue, brown and dark gray. High-fashion New York designers were mortified by demands to imitate the gangster style, but obliged by creating the "Broadway" suit."

 

[Feraud]

I found this, i dont know if the source is perfect?..
http://www.lindyhopping.com/fashionhistm.htmlhttp://www.lindyhopping.com/fashionhistm.html

"A discussion of men's fashion during the thirties would be incomplete without recognizing the gangster influence. Gangsters, while despised as thieves, paradoxically projected an image of "businessman" because of the suits they wore. However, they didn't choose typical business colors and styles, but took every detail to the extreme. Their suits featured wider stripes, bolder glen plaids, more colorful ties, pronounced shoulders, narrower waists, and wider trouser bottoms. In France, mobsters actually had their initials embroidered on the breast of their shirts, towards the waist. They topped their extreme look with felt hats in a wide variety of colors: almond green, dove, lilac, petrol blue, brown and dark gray. High-fashion New York designers were mortified by demands to imitate the gangster style, but obliged by creating the "Broadway" suit."

Thank you for posting the link. It is a very interesting read and we are able to examine the source of the quote if necessary.

Did the gangster adopt the loud suit or the suit adopt the gangsta'?

 

[Fletch]

In France, mobsters actually had their initials embroidered on the breast of their shirts, towards the waist

I'm shocked! Shocked!!1

Actually, according to Alan Flusser, that's where the monogram ought to be if you don't have a pocket. (And IIRC, if you have a pocket, you shoudn't have a monogram.)

Almond Green, BTW, is a term associated with with the Morris Minor and Cooper Mini cars:

I would think this color would be known as loden or lovat green in the clothing trades. Uncommon for a felt hat at any time.

 

[flat-top]

If you guys remember this book:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=15423
Golden Era "criminals" were for the most part, a well dressed bunch of characters!

 

[kools]

The pants all seem longer than I would expect. There is quite a bit of break.

Also, I will admit that being associated with a gangster when wearing a suit is a pet peeve of mine. There are plenty of other types of people who wore suits over the last 100 years. I can't imagine gangsters wanting to stand out in a crowd that much.

 

[Fletch]

If you guys remember this book:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=15423

Remember it??!! REMEMBER it??!!!
I based my @!!%$!! AVATAR on it!!!

(How'd I do, BTW?)

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The predominance of sb peak lapels is interesting.

You hit the nail on the head. From around 1929 to the mid 1930s, sb peak lapel suits were dominant. The average man seemed to really take to them. Newsphotos of the time are rife with sb peak lapels. They were as ubiquitous then as 3-button suits are now. The mystery is, why are vintage ones fairly difficult to find?


Most sb peak lapel suits from the early '30s had this generic cut. And yes, most were 2-button:

.

 

[Feraud]

The pants all seem longer than I would expect. There is quite a bit of break.

Good point.
We tend to get caught up in the exact measurement and fit of a garment based on movies and pictures but think of what the "average joe" looked like back in the day?
The picture is representative of real people of the era.

 

[WEEGEE]

The big moth bite

Marc Chevalier--

The mystery is, why are vintage ones fairly difficult to find?

Bullet holes ???

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Mob wars and Great Depressions are tough on suits. lol

.

 

[Feraud]

I know a guy who works wonders on ice pick holes but cannot do a thing about bullet holes and bloodstains. :eusa_doh: