30s-40s British Workwear Influenced Style

Eddie Derbyshire · May 19, 2015

Aye it is but it's about €18 so if you only want something for a fiver it proves a little uneconomical. At least that's how much it was a couple of years ago when I bought some stuff - I saved up so I could buy more and make it worth the the postage!

Two Types · May 19, 2015

Last time a number of us got together and ordered in bulk. One person took delivery then posted/delivered them (that was easy though, we were all in the London area). Might still be worth considering.

Eddie Derbyshire · May 19, 2015

That's a good idea! The uses of the Fedora Lounge network.

BootsNBraces · Jun 1, 2015

It might seem an odd question but were Collarless shirts an actual design in themselves, as in - were there any shirts designed as Collarless, rather than simply being an interchangeable collar shirt without a removable collar attached?

That would be a collarless shirt without the included means to attach a collar.

herringbonekid · Jun 1, 2015

Joshua Barrett said:
It might seem an odd question but were Collarless shirts an actual design in themselves...

i assume so. there's no mention of collars on this page of work shirts from Kays, 1930:

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Edward · Jun 2, 2015

I love thee terminology in those ads!

I did at a time wonder whether this was a manufacturing glom-on to a general trend of men wearing shirts without attaching the collars, but seeing them sold like this I rather suspect they were aiming at those who would previously have been buying military surplus shirts that lacked a collar by design, owing to the high-collar of WW1 era military tunics. (When did the military stop wearing those shirts... and when, then, did they stop being widely available as surplus? Did the drop off in surplus availability stimulate commercial production of this style?)

Metatron · Jun 2, 2015

I love the solemn wording in the advert
'This shirt is generally worn by the artisan class.'

Flat Foot Floey · Jun 8, 2015

Great thread. Yes, the swedish deadstock trousers are a cool and a good deal.

Joshua Barrett said:
Are button down collars period appropriate?

While I am no expert on british workwear I've seen them in a number of french movies from the period. Jean Gabin seemed to like em. Also Albert Préjean in Sous les toits de Paris.

Rudie · Jun 8, 2015

Curious angle on that breast pocket.

BootsNBraces · Jun 8, 2015

Splendid! I love it when people come onto the thread and provide evidence which makes buying the look easier!

Eddie Derbyshire · Jun 8, 2015

I'd reckon it's all about what you match it with. It'll have the right look if it's accompanied by the right jacket, hat and tie etc.

Flat Foot Floey · Jun 8, 2015

Or knitwear. It's not recognizable in the pic but this is a button down shirt too:

Eddie Derbyshire · Jun 9, 2015

True! I quite like that look - although he could do with a tie

I do miss knitwear in the summer months...

Flat Foot Floey · Jun 9, 2015

You asked for working class. ;-) But he does wear a tie earlier in the movie.
Note the shirt is buttoned all the way to the top which has a certain vintage appeal too.

Eddie Derbyshire · Jun 9, 2015

Haha true. It's a look that is appealing but I've never been able to pull off. There's a picture of my Grandpa somewhere with his mine working colleagues in the 1940s and it's a very similar look. If I can find it I'll upload it.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

BootsNBraces · Jun 11, 2015

Picked up this FINK Clothing shirt in a charity shop the other day.

I don't imagine the design is particularly period appropriate but it is the closest thing I've found to a spearpoint collared shirt as of yet.

I'll try and get a better photograph of the shirt when I have time.

Eddie Derbyshire · Jun 11, 2015

Looks good! Either as it is or with a nice wool tie.

Dr H · Jun 11, 2015

BootsNBraces said:
Picked up this FINK Clothing shirt in a charity shop the other day.

I don't imagine the design is particularly period appropriate but it is the closest thing I've found to a spearpoint collared shirt as of yet.

View attachment 30703

I'll try and get a better photograph of the shirt when I have time.

Spearpoint shirts here (http://www.darcyclothing.com/shop/shirts/20th-day-formal.html). Not cheap, but the quality is good.

Eddie Derbyshire · Jun 12, 2015

Hello folks,

As I mentioned earlier, I've found that picture of my Grandpa (Papa to me) with his workmates at Langton Pit, circa late 1940s. My Papa is on the far left. What I find interesting is actually the caps aren't typical of what we would usually see for the era. My Granny says that he always did wear 'different' clothes than was the fashion-norm. Although he wore a splendid DB suit for his wedding - I'll have to scan the photo of that.

Thanks for looking!

BootsNBraces · Jun 14, 2015

Thanks for sharing!
I sometimes forget how relatively modern some of the clothing of the time looked, looking primarily at your Grandfather's top in this shot.

30s-40s British Workwear Influenced Style

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