Looking for Top Quality vintage clothing

Baron Kurtz · Feb 8, 2009

Carson Pirie Scott made extremely high quality garments during the 30s and 40s. There was quite a bit of their stuff in vintage stores in IL and IN. And a certain oatmeal fleck sportscoat!

bk

Tomasso · Feb 8, 2009

Baron Kurtz said:
Carson Pirie Scott made extremely high quality garments during the 30s and 40s.

No doubt. Chicago was deep back in the day but Carsons was always considered a second tier operation, compared to Fields. Then there were Goldblatt's and Wiebolt's.

Baron Kurtz · Feb 8, 2009

Funnily enough, i never saw any, at all, Marshall Field's gear in vintage shops. Not even a tie [huh]

bk

Tomasso · Feb 8, 2009

Odd, that is. The whole Midwest was Field's country. And you were a stone's throw away.

Marc Chevalier · Feb 8, 2009

I'm not well versed on top quality makers and sellers outside of Southern California, so I'm grateful to everyone here for sharing their knowledge!

That said, there was one great department store in Chicago that deserves mention: "The Hub."

Another great store, this time in California (and other regions?): "Phelps-Terkel".

.

Marc Chevalier · Feb 8, 2009

Two excellent, long-gone suit making manufacturers:

"Society Brand Clothes"

"Kuppenheimer"

.

Lincsong · Feb 8, 2009

Marc, you forgot to mention I. Magnin and Joseph Magnin up here in San Francisco Bay.

Tomasso · Feb 8, 2009

Marc Chevalier said:
there was one great department store in Chicago that deserves mention: "The Hub."
.

AKA Lytton's. Again, not on the level of Field's but then none were.

Tourbillion · Feb 8, 2009

In Springfield, MO Marx and Heer's were the top stores, or so I was told.

carouselvic · Feb 10, 2009

Woolf Brother's Kansas City

Corky · Feb 10, 2009

Lincoln and JFK both took their oaths and were assassinated...

Lincoln and JFK both took their oaths and were assassinated while wearing Brooks Brothers suits.

Brooks has a few locations in Los Angeles.

The store has changed hands several times in the past quarter century and while the quality of most items has dropped off from what it once was, one can still expect the buttons to stay on the suit until you get it out the door.

benstephens · Feb 10, 2009

Like you Marc, I too do not just buy vintage suits, I look for the higher end tailors if I can.

Here are some, all, I have examples of from this period, and can vouch they are top quality suits.

High end bespoke

Hawes and Curtis, Jermyn Street
Perkins, Sandon & Hepburn ltd, 10 Clifford Street, New Bond Street.
Henry Poole
Jarvis & Hamiliton, 19 Clifford Street Saville Row
Benson & Clegg, 34 Bury Street
Sullivan Williams, Saville Row
Tetley & Butler, 21 Sacksville Street
Lesley & Roberts, Hannover Square (Suits from this tailor are quite often for titled and aristocratic people)

Very good Tailors/department Stores

Hector Powe, Regent Street
Army and Navy, Bespoke department
Austin Reed, Bespoke Department
Simpsons, Piccadilly, Bespoke department
Burberrys
Horne Brothers

This is to only name but a few. Obviously London is spoilt for choice, and has a high concentration of very good tailors.

I have a few suits from some provincial tailors, I will look at the quality of them.

Kindest Regards

Ben

Marc Chevalier · Feb 11, 2009

Thanks, everyone...keep 'em coming!

More high quality stores & manufacturing retailers from the era (and today). Some of these might seem obvious, but not necessarily to folks far from the East Coast:

-- Lord & Taylor

-- B. Altman & Co.

-- Bergdorf Goodman

-- Saks & Co. (Saks Fifth Avenue)

-- DePinna

-- Bernard Weatherill

.

Tomasso · Feb 11, 2009

Also up East: Wanamaker's (Philadelphia and NYC), Filene's (Boston) and Kaufmann's (Pittsburgh).

Marc Chevalier · Feb 11, 2009

Another great suit manufacturer:

-- Stein-Bloch Clothes

.

Marc Chevalier · Feb 12, 2009

In NYC: "Best & Co."

jmacak · Feb 18, 2009

a few stores from seattle area

From a quick survey of my suits:

Lundquist-Lilly
Frederick & Nelson
Seattle Woollen mills
Fahey Brockman
Prager
Littler
Albert ltd (still around, I believe)

cheers

joe

der schneider · Feb 19, 2009

blocks
ayers

redwood and ross

Jacobson's

Are all stores that carried fine clothing they offerd some custom cut garments.

neihman bros {sp}
Ralieghs not sure if that old a company

I recognise and have worked on a lot of the names submitted

I worked for most of the stores I submitted

Geesie · Jun 25, 2009

bump, per other thread

GallatinHatMan · Jun 26, 2009

I grew up in the Indianapolis area and there were some very good Men's and Department stores. The Big Three in Indy were: L. Strauss & Co.; L.S. Ayres & Co.; and, Wm. H. Block & Co. Below those was H. P. Wasson & Company which was middle tier (I had more Wasson's than the other three growing up.)

We also had some very good tailors and men's stores including Richmond Brothers and Kahn's there are more but I don't remember their names off hand as my people were decidedly middle class. I'll try to think of some others though.

We were also influenced by Chicago, Louisville and Cincinnati, but in the Golden Era because of the best Interurban Railway System, Indianapolis was quite literally the hub of central Indiana and most of the state.

Looking for Top Quality vintage clothing

I'll Lock Up

Incurably Addicted

I'll Lock Up

Incurably Addicted

Gone Home

Gone Home

I'll Lock Up

Incurably Addicted

Practically Family

I'll Lock Up

Practically Family

Practically Family

Gone Home

Incurably Addicted

Gone Home

Gone Home

New in Town

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

One of the Regulars

Similar threads

Log in

Forum statistics