1930s Suit: Where to Look?

[Sunny]

I have a brother who has been wanting a vintage suit for some time. Since I know more about clothing of the period than he, I've been lurking here and haunting ebay to watch and learn. But it's to the point where I need advice. He specifically desires something from the 1930s-early 1940s.

I gather that he is a somewhat unusual size; he's about 6'2", built long and slim. He has two modern suits, one 38R and the other 40R; his trousers are usually a 32 waist and 32 to 34 inseam. Think of those long, tall, lanky Scotch-Irish mountaineers from Tennessee. Except that ours went straight to Texas a long time ago.

I'm really looking for advice on how to find what I need. Advice on construction and details to look for is also appreciated, but I gather that it's rather complex when dating for specific years or decades. We do both realize that this isn't going to be cheap. He's got a decent part-time job (full-time in college) and has a ready source of capital with his coin collection. The way I figure it, if a fellow can drop a couple hundred dollars on an early American quarter for his collection, he can stand something similar for a vintage suit.

And I'm just glad it's that brother and not my second one. (I have three.) The second one is 6'8", 32 waist, and at least 36 inseam. All leg, that boy!

 

[slicedbread]

If you'll specify whether he wants a 2 piece or three piece suit, what colors, what style (single breasted or double breasted), as well as what type of patterns on the fabric etc I could probably help you out with an ebay item... It's actually quite easy to find a suitable suit(lol) of that era on ebay...If you're willing to pay the price. If you're willing to pay 100-250 on a suit, then you'll find that you can get just what you want with quite a bit of ease.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Inseam's gonna be the major issue. If he's not worried about letting out the cuffs it'll make it a bit easier . . .

bk

 

[Fletch]

It's actually quite easy to find a suitable suit(lol) of that era on ebay...If you're willing to pay the price.

And wait the time. Everything comes up eventually, it's just a question of looking thru a lot of stuff you can't use until you and the item find each other.

Happily, he's not on any kind of deadline......good luck to you both.

 

[Tomasso]

he's about 6'2", built long and slim. He has two modern suits, one 38R and the other 40R; and 32 to 34 inseam.

I think that your brother may be better suited eusa_doh for a Long.

 

[Fletch]

He might be better off looking in 38L-40L at that. No scarcer in that era than 42-44R (in fact maybe a bit more common as those rangy mountain folk began to outmigrate in the 40s ).

 

[Sunny]

If you'll specify whether he wants a 2 piece or three piece suit, what colors, what style (single breasted or double breasted), as well as what type of patterns on the fabric etc I could probably help you out with an ebay item... It's actually quite easy to find a suitable suit(lol) of that era on ebay...If you're willing to pay the price. If you're willing to pay 100-250 on a suit, then you'll find that you can get just what you want with quite a bit of ease.

I don't think he has much of a preference as far as number of pieces or style. If he has, I haven't wormed it out of him yet; I'll take another whack at him tonight. He was clear about the date, but since that's all he specified he's not picky about the rest. I know he'll be wanting a more everyday work color or pattern. His work is in a coin shop and wearing a suit at all is a bit of a step up. He looks pretty good in both real browns and grays - very dark brown hair, fair skin tone.

Inseam's gonna be the major issue. If he's not worried about letting out the cuffs it'll make it a bit easier . . .

Yes, that's what I'd gathered from watching ebay. I'll tackle him about that, too. While we're on the subject, how prevalent were cuffs? Were they overwhelmingly dominant? Popular among the masses? Or just favored by those who watched the styles? The living historian in me wonders what the average preference was, particularly among very young men like him.

And wait the time. Everything comes up eventually, it's just a question of looking thru a lot of stuff you can't use until you and the item find each other.

Happily, he's not on any kind of deadline......good luck to you both.

Yes, I know how that works. I've been browsing since Christmas and have seen only a handful of trousers that come close, so I was getting discouraged. I may have been looking in the wrong places, though. [huh] Thank you!

He might be better off looking in 38L-40L at that. No scarcer in that era than 42-44R (in fact maybe a bit more common as those rangy mountain folk began to outmigrate in the 40s ).

Hehe, I actually have no idea if they came from Tennessee or not. They're just from the same root stock. And some were in Texas in the 1830s.

I think a Long would be just fine. I'm just reasonably sure that both of the suits he has now are regular, and they seem to fit fine. My mother bought one of them for him, and she has a very good eye for fit. [huh] My father is very long in the body, but the four of us children just have long legs and regular upper bodies. I myself am 5'9" and short-waisted, if anything; so is Bro. No. 2. (The 6'8" one.) But I will also put that on my tackle-the-boy list.

 

[cookie]

Vintage Suits

6'8" with a 32" waist!!! Yikes.

There are quite a good selection of 38-42s on the 'Bay at this moment. None my size of course.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... how prevalent were cuffs? Were they overwhelmingly dominant?

Yes, they were. Sometimes, trousers with very strong patterns (big plaids, checks) didn't have cuffs -- but usually they did. Only in WWII were cuffs restricted, due to fabric rationing. After the war, though, they came right back.

.

 

[Sunny]

Amazing what you find out when you ask...

Last night I interrupted the boy's Access homework and made him figure out his pants. There was some wild variation among his slacks, but the trousers for his one modern suit have a 35" inseam. I made him try them on with his shoes on. To my [untutored] eyes they may be a bit long, but not by much. I'm thinking 34" is the minimum length. ((sigh)) No cuffs for this boy! Barring a miracle.

I couldn't find a size tag at all in his suit jacket, which is beyond weird. It measures 22" across right under the arms; that would that be a size 40, would it not? He had it on briefly and the sleeve length looked fine. But without a tag, I don't know if it was Regular or Long. I'll ask my mother, since she got it for him.

So... On ebay, sellers will list trousers and state the inseam. Sometimes they'll add how much they can be lengthed, either simply as a measurement, or as the depth of the cuff, or some other way. How do I know what the maximum actual length would be? I am a very experienced seamstress, but I don't know the standard terminology for alterations like this. Say there's a listing for trousers with a 2" cuff. That mean the trousers can be lengthened 4", correct? Because there is a seam allowance that is not included in the 2". What about listings that say "can be let down 1 1/2 inches." Does that mean there's just a 1 1/2 inch hem (and some of that needed for the new hem), or is the seam allowance implicit?

6'8" with a 32" waist!!! Yikes.

There are quite a good selection of 38-42s on the 'Bay at this moment. None my size of course.

Um... I discovered some more things last night.
Bro. No. 1: 32" waist, 34-35" inseam.
Bro. No. 2: 33" waist, 39" inseam. Yes, three-nine.

He weighed barely 165 lbs this summer with the 32" waist; I think he put on a little at college. Up to 33" waist. My mother was thrilled back when he finally made it to a 30" waist and the men's Tall sizes were actually available. Ever tried to find 29x36 pants of any kind?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Say there's a listing for trousers with a 2" cuff. That mean the trousers can be lengthened 4", correct? Because there is a seam allowance that is not included in the 2".

If the extra seam material (beyond the cuffs) is long enough, you could lengthen the trousers even more: sometimes by as much as 5", but probably 4.5" or so.


.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

A pair i have was badly frayed at the cuff so i had to shorten 'em. I managed it with a mere 3 mm extra material beyond the cuff. Not recommended for an inexperienced sewer (what is a good word for sewer - one who sews - to make it look like i'm not saying sewer - recepticle of effluence? Is this why seamstress exists as a word?) like me.

bk

 

[Fletch]

I like the word needleman (not to be confused with the name Needleman).

 

[Sunny]

A pair i have was badly frayed at the cuff so i had to shorten 'em. I managed it with a mere 3 mm extra material beyond the cuff. Not recommended for an inexperienced sewer (what is a good word for sewer - one who sews - to make it look like i'm not saying sewer - recepticle of effluence? Is this why seamstress exists as a word?) like me.

bk

Ah, I can definitely manage that. So it sounds like if the material's there, a hem can be done. I didn't know if there was a good reason for having hems at a certain depth; like skirts, which usually need at least 1" to drape well. But I can certainly do a very narrow hem.

I've heard "sewist" before, but that's boring. Seamstress is indeed the woman's word. I'm rather partial to "seamster" for the guys.

 

[Tomasso]

But without a tag, I don't know if it was Regular or Long. I'll ask my mother, since she got it for him.

Just ask her to measure the jacket from the collar seam to the hem. Manufacturers vary but generally over 32 inches is a Long. The manufacturer's designated length (S-R-L) is really not important, it's the actual length. The jacket should cover the wearers rear end with an inch to spare. And, there is no correlation between where a jacket hem hits the hand and proper length.

 

[Tomasso]

If the extra seam material (beyond the cuffs) is long enough, you could lengthen the trousers even more: sometimes by as much as 5", but probably 4.5" or so.


.

There is also a tailoring technique called a French cuff which can maximize the amount of existing trouser length while maintaining a cuff. Additional material (of similar color) is added to the trouser length which allows the original material to be used in its entirety, then a Faux cuff is created using a fraction of the material needed for a standard cuff. Hard to explain, but it's like a plain cuff with a shallow pleat/fold placed where the top of the cuff would normally be.

 

[Mr. Rover]

I had a pair of pants done this way- I thought he miraculously kept the 2" cuff while letting it out an inch...until I brought it home and realized it was a pleat. Very convincing stuff!

 

[cookie]

Suit Enhancing

A 42" can never become a 44" right - due to the cutting of the front panels being insufficent material at say 22" pit to pit? Or can you steal it from the sides if there is enough and the back seam has some selvedge?

 

[Sunny]

There is also a tailoring technique called a French cuff which can maximize the amount of existing trouser length while maintaining a cuff. Additional material (of similar color) is added to the trouser length which allows the original material to be used in its entirety, then a Faux cuff is created using a fraction of the material needed for a standard cuff. Hard to explain, but it's like a plain cuff with a shallow pleat/fold placed where the top of the cuff would normally be.

That is a cool technique. I can sew, quite capably, and I get the general idea. How is the pleat/tuck held in place?

And I can measure the jacket myself when I get home, and have him try it on to see if it fits right. Thanks!

 

[Tomasso]

How is the pleat/tuck held in place?!

Simply stitch the fold together, at the seams from the inside (on both sides of the leg).

And I can measure the jacket myself when I get home, and have him try it on to see if it fits right.

Sure. And, it's better to go by measurements than by manufacturer's sizing, which can vary significantly from one maker to another. Using this primer will help you to gather the measurements from a well fitted jacket which can be used when searching eBay and thrift shops. Good luck.