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What would you not be seen dead in?

vitanola

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,254
Location
Gopher Prairie, MI
Might as well get the ones with the "maternity panel" on the side. Just wear them with "your jeans rolled down".

IMG_3510.jpg

Those look for all the world like the "Congress Gaiters" which were nearly ubiquitous in the '60s and '70s.

images (2).jpeg



They bring back unhappy memories of President Johnson...











and of President Grant.
 
Messages
16,869
Location
New York City
About half of my students wear pants and jackets or hoodies made out of that horrible, spongy, sweatpants-like material. It's all they know. A guy in one of my classes asked me what material my jacket was made of. It was corduroy. God help us.

From the '30s through the '90s (even despite the brutal beatdown traditional attire took in the late '60s / '70s) a lot of the professional world and personal world for "dress-up" events (weddings, funerals, even dinners at holidays, etc.) was pretty constant. Sure, lapels and tie widths changed, some things faded (vests) or, all but, went away (hats), but the basic construct for men - dress shoes, a suit (or sport coat and dress slacks), tie, dress shirt, overcoat - and the basic materials expected of each - were reasonably constant.

But we seem to really be entering into a new attire universe. I've read here that some wearing a sport coat and tie have been asked "why are you wearing a 'suit'." Hence, as with your student's "what material is that" question for corduroy, a huge data base of knowledge could be gone in a generation or two.
 

Hal

Practically Family
Messages
590
Location
UK
Fading Fast's interesting posting raises the point of aesthetics. But the clothes cited by tropicalbob in his posting are of a material which gets soaked through with the least amount of rain, thus quickly becoming heavy, clingy and unpleasant to wear. Modern nondescript casual clothing such as this is actually MUCH less practical, in many respects, than is the traditional/classical wear described by Fading Fast. At any rate, it seems so to me!
 

Wesslyn

Practically Family
Messages
836
Location
Monmouth, Illinois
There's probably a lot I wear that most folks on the lounge would never wear, just as there's a lot I wear that others probably are totally cool with.
For me, it's less about WHAT you're wearing, and more about HOW you're wearing it.

Except those damn camo tuxes. Those need to be shunned out of existence.
 
Messages
15,259
Location
Arlington, Virginia
From the '30s through the '90s (even despite the brutal beatdown traditional attire took in the late '60s / '70s) a lot of the professional world and personal world for "dress-up" events (weddings, funerals, even dinners at holidays, etc.) was pretty constant. Sure, lapels and tie widths changed, some things faded (vests) or, all but, went away (hats), but the basic construct for men - dress shoes, a suit (or sport coat and dress slacks), tie, dress shirt, overcoat - and the basic materials expected of each - were reasonably constant.

But we seem to really be entering into a new attire universe. I've read here that some wearing a sport coat and tie have been asked "why are you wearing a 'suit'." Hence, as with your student's "what material is that" question for corduroy, a huge data base of knowledge could be gone in a generation or two.
All my son wants to wear is sweats and that egregious Under Armor workout wear that stinks to high heaven. God help me I have tried, but its all the kids wear these days. I want to start a fire in the back yard. I have to remind myself about jail time, and then I come to my senses [emoji14]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 

vitanola

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,254
Location
Gopher Prairie, MI
I could have gone all day without remembering those things. Good Lord! I need to bleach my eyes and memory now. [emoji14]

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Well, they were the popular city shoe for both sexes here in the 'States from about the time that elastic was first commercially exploited. Between 1840 and the late 1890's these shoes were ubiquitous. They fell out of fashion very quickly. By 1905 or so they were relegated to thecwardrobes of the elderly.
 
Messages
15,259
Location
Arlington, Virginia
Well, they were the popular city shoe for both sexes here in the 'States from about the time that elastic was first commercially exploited. Between 1840 and the late 1890's these shoes were ubiquitous. They fell out of fashion very quickly. By 1905 or so they were relegated to thecwardrobes of the elderly.
Yep. I can see that. Awful.

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MondoFW

Practically Family
Messages
852
But we seem to really be entering into a new attire universe. I've read here that some wearing a sport coat and tie have been asked "why are you wearing a 'suit'." Hence, as with your student's "what material is that" question for corduroy, a huge data base of knowledge could be gone in a generation or two.

I've wanted to vent about this issue, but have never found a good opening for it. This happens all. the damn. time. I have even had people say "nice suit" or "why are you wearing a suit" when I don't even HAVE a coat on. Also had a friend sarcastically say "nice suit" when I only had an overcoat. Luckily since high schoolers aren't very adept with traditional attire (not that they really have a reason to, but I'm surprised some information hasn't rubbed onto them through media), I can wear my ill-fitting clothes, and they'll still find it amusing! Obviously, I'm aware of how the fit of clothes makes or breaks an appearance. I'm a kid, and I lack the time and money to get my stuff tailored at this point of my life. Not to mention, most vintage articles require it, because of my ectomorphic build :(
 
Messages
16,869
Location
New York City
All my son wants to wear is sweats and that egregious Under Armor workout wear that stinks to high heaven. God help me I have tried, but its all the kids wear these days. I want to start a fire in the back yard. I have to remind myself about jail time, and then I come to my senses [emoji14]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

My guess, when he "discovers" girls, he'll address the smelly clothes issue - funny how that works.
 
Messages
16,869
Location
New York City
I've wanted to vent about this issue, but have never found a good opening for it. This happens all. the damn. time. I have even had people say "nice suit" or "why are you wearing a suit" when I don't even HAVE a coat on. Also had a friend sarcastically say "nice suit" when I only had an overcoat. Luckily since high schoolers aren't very adept with traditional attire (not that they really have a reason to, but I'm surprised some information hasn't rubbed onto them through media), I can wear my ill-fitting clothes, and they'll still find it amusing! Obviously, I'm aware of how the fit of clothes makes or breaks an appearance. I'm a kid, and I lack the time and money to get my stuff tailored at this point of my life. Not to mention, most vintage articles require it, because of my ectomorphic build :(

Usually it's LizzieMaine who has me Googling words, but you got me there first this morning with "ectomorphic."

ec·to·morph
ˈektəˌmôrf/
noun
PHYSIOLOGY
a person with a lean and delicate body build.
At 6'1", 150lbs and what has been described as a "small boned" (or "bird like" by those being less kind) frame, I guess I'm ectomorphic myself (which sounds more bug like to me, but that's what happens when you attend a State University - you get what you pay for).

As you get older (even by your late 20s), you'll find great advantages to your frame as clothes really do fit better - male models are ectomorphic [using a new word in a sentence helps one to commit it to memory) because clothes show best on them (in my younger days, I was encouraged / solicited to model by several in that industry as I had the exact measurements they look for in men).

Also, and I have no idea why, women seemed to care more about "mass" in men in high school, but by my later 20s, I noticed that some women seemed to like a lean frame more - and holding it through to my now advanced age of 53 has put me in a small group who hasn't put on weight since college.

Hence, what can seem a challenge young, will, in my experience, serve you well as you get older. Also, you seem pretty darn smart as it took me years to learn the importance of fit - modest quality clothes that are well tailored will look much better than ill-fitted expensive ones.
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,341
Location
New Forest
At 6'1", 150lbs and what has been described as a "small boned" (or "bird like" by those being less kind) frame, I guess I'm ectomorphic myself (which sounds more bug like to me, but that's what happens when you attend a State University - you get what you pay for).
There was a boy at school whose lean frame earned him the sobriquet: "Stick." It was actually shortened from stick insect. Everybody called him stick, even the teachers.
 

MondoFW

Practically Family
Messages
852
Hence, what can seem a challenge young, will, in my experience, serve you well as you get older. Also, you seem pretty darn smart as it took me years to learn the importance of fit - modest quality clothes that are well tailored will look much better than ill-fitted expensive ones.

It's difficult to NOT know the difference between quality fit and badly fitting garbs.
Also, regarding your comment about slim models, in clothing catalogs in the early 20th century the figures modeling the garments are always depicted as towers! Maybe this is what people wished they looked like, because the circa 1940 suit I bought definitely doesn't match this body type. Hopefully tailoring will go a long way with it, the suit is great.
 

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