Esquire’s Complete Golden Age Illustrations:

Fading Fast · Oct 25, 2020

Tiki Tom said:
Not sure that slogan would fly today.

Yup, but I can't imagine it was particularly effective even back in its day.

Flanderian · Oct 25, 2020

Fading Fast said:
A wonderful outfit and very Flanderian.

First time I remember hearing of this brand:
View attachment 273714

Thank you, sir!

Tiki Tom said:
Not sure that slogan would fly today.

True!

But also drolly ironic.

Flanderian · Oct 25, 2020

Here are July 1944's illustrations.

Flanderian · Oct 25, 2020

These are August 1944's illustrations.

Fading Fast · Oct 26, 2020

Uh-huh

Fading Fast · Oct 26, 2020

Fading Fast said:
The diamond pattern is a beautiful pattern that seems to have been forgotten today:
View attachment 261502

Back in the summer of 2018, I went to a Brooks Brothers 100-year anniversary exhibit at Grand Central Station that included this 1940s suit from its collection:
View attachment 261501

And a close-up of the pattern:
View attachment 261503 ...

Fading Fast said:
...
⇩ Looks like a variation on our old friend (from a few days ago) the diamond pattern (or is it similar but not really one?).
View attachment 262744

Fading Fast said:
I...I'm getting, at least, an echo of our old friend the diamond pattern in that sport coat:
View attachment 270693

Periodically in this thread, see above, we've discussed the diamond pattern, which is rare to find today.

Coincidentally, it popped up twice recently in old movies I was watching.

First, in a movie from 1951 called "Take Care of Our Little Girl" (comments on the movie here: #28011) I spotted this diamond pattern in a sport coat worn by actor Jeffery Hunter (best pic of it I could find):

And, then, I saw this, what I think is a, "broken" diamond pattern as it looks like the diamond pattern alternates with a barleycorn or some sort of checkerboard stripe in Walter Pidgeon's sport coat in the 1941 movie "Design for Scandal" (comments on the movie here: #28030, second movie down):

walter-pidgeon-rosalind-russell-design-for-scandal-1941-BP9XD6.jpg

Tiki Tom · Oct 26, 2020

Esquire All American Jazz Concert, 1944. Metropolitan Opera House, New York City.

Flanderian · Oct 26, 2020

Fading Fast said:
Periodically in this thread, see above, we've discussed the diamond pattern, which is rare to find today.

Coincidentally, it popped up twice recently in old movies I was watching.

First, in a movie from 1951 called "Take Care of Our Little Girl" (comments on the movie here: #28011) I spotted this diamond pattern in a sport coat worn by actor Jeffery Hunter (best pic of it I could find):
View attachment 274020

And, then, I saw this, what I think is a, "broken" diamond pattern as it looks like the diamond pattern alternates with a barleycorn or some sort of checkerboard stripe in Walter Pidgeon's sport coat in the 1941 movie "Design for Scandal" (comments on the movie here: #28030, second movie down):
View attachment 274021

Great photos, of some great tweeds!

Thank you.

Tiki Tom said:
Esquire All American Jazz Concert, 1944. Metropolitan Opera House, New York City.

Wonderful film clip! Superb photos and delightful jazz.

Flanderian · Oct 26, 2020

Here are Esquire September 1944's illustrations.

Flanderian · Oct 26, 2020

These are the October 1944 Esquire illustrations.

Faux Brummell · Oct 26, 2020

I realize the U.S. had other priorities in those days but it still breaks my heart to see how much they reduced their formal wear illustrations!

Flanderian · Oct 26, 2020

Faux Brummell said:
I realize the U.S. had other priorities in those days but it still breaks my heart to see how much they reduced their formal wear illustrations!

Interesting observation, and accurate I think. Earlier the December and January issues would usually be chockablock with evening wear, now, essentially none.

Fading Fast · Oct 27, 2020

Looky-looky, our old friend the diamond pattern.

Kudos to illustrator Saalburg for perfectly catching the look - the look you want to get as a man - on the woman's face. It's there only for a second, and it's subtle, but if you don't miss it, you know you have an opening to start chatting.

And what is it with bookstores and pickups. Perhaps the most-famous bookstore pickup scene ever filmed is from "The Big Sleep," which starts with Dorothy Malone giving "the look" to Humphrey Bogart. And here's the look:

And the full scene (she's firing look after look out at Bogie throughout):

Just a wonderful pic (and darn fine-looking blue herringbone suit):

Tiki Tom · Oct 27, 2020

Regarding July 1944, matching shirts and sun umbrellas! Great marketing concept for summer 2021. Anyone want to launch a start-up with me?

Re: “the look”. I get that look all the time. But usually they are thinking “is it time to call security?”

I love the shirt-tie-suit fabric snippets. Helps me visualize the combinations better. I confess that I had previously thought that such daring combinations were a product of the 1990s.

FF, the diamond pattern was completely off my radar screen before this thread. Thanks for pointing it out. It is the small details that bring out the era.

Tiki Tom · Oct 27, 2020

Great clip from the Big Sleep.
Acme Book Shop! Expected to see the Coyote in there buying booby trapped books.
“I’ve got a bottle of pretty good rye in my pocket” is a line that only Humphrey Bogart could get away with.

Flanderian · Oct 27, 2020

Fading Fast said:
Looky-looky, our old friend the diamond pattern.
View attachment 274511

Kudos to illustrator Saalburg for perfectly catching the look - the look you want to get as a man - on the woman's face. It's there only for a second, and it's subtle, but if you don't miss it, you know you have an opening to start chatting.
View attachment 274512
And what is it with bookstores and pickups. Perhaps the most-famous bookstore pickup scene ever filmed is from "The Big Sleep," which starts with Dorothy Malone giving "the look" to Humphrey Bogart. And here's the look:
View attachment 274513
And the full scene (she's firing look after look out at Bogie throughout):

Just a wonderful pic (and darn fine-looking blue herringbone suit):
View attachment 274514

Great movie stills! Thanks.

Bookstores are definitely beneficial to social interactions. I think its meditative browsing breeds a sense of intimacy allowing casual, but very personal, interaction. (Too bad I never realized until it was too late to be of benefit!

)

Tiki Tom said:
Regarding July 1944, matching shirts and sun umbrellas! Great marketing concept for summer 2021. Anyone want to launch a start-up with me?

Re: “the look”. I get that look all the time. But usually they are thinking “is it time to call security?”

I love the shirt-tie-suit fabric snippets. Helps me visualize the combinations better. I confess that I had previously thought that such daring combinations were a product of the 1990s.

FF, the diamond pattern was completely off my radar screen before this thread. Thanks for pointing it out. It is the small details that bring out the era.

I too appreciate the addition of a close up photo of a snippet of the cloth illustrated. Think it's very effective too.

Manhattan retailer Paul Stuart has resurrected historic tweed patterns from time to time. Dug this out of my archives, with the smaller inset showing Scottish tweed in one form of diamond pattern. From Paul Stuart 1983.

Flanderian · Oct 27, 2020

Part #1 of Esquire November 1944.

Flanderian · Oct 27, 2020

Part #2 of Esquire November 1944.

Flanderian · Oct 27, 2020

These are the December 1944 illustrations.

Flanderian · Oct 28, 2020

These are Esquire's January 1945 illustrations.

Esquire’s Complete Golden Age Illustrations:

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