1935 suit illustrations: Sample Book

[Marc Chevalier]

Here are some great illustrations from Custom Clothes: Fall & Winter 1935-36. International Tailoring Co., New York - Chicago, an enormous sample book. These would have been considered mildly conservative suits, somewhere between "collegiate" and Brooks Brothers. Note the relatively small lapels. There are some real surprises here! For example:




Take a look at the brown suit jacket on the left. Even though it is single-breasted, the jacket's skirt has no rounded edges: it has a 90 degree angled edge, much like double-breasted jackets do. Odd! Also, the blue suit jacket, at center, buttons all the way to the top button. This gives it the look of a naval uniform.

Some more suits:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Another unexpected discovery: the belted jackets below have vertical breast pockets. Look closely and you'll see a handkerchief peeping sideways out of the pocket. Strange!

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

Does your book have all the wool samples in it? I have one of the International Tailoring books of spring/summer styles from 1923 and it is indeed HUGE. I can't wait to take it down to my tailor and have him make me up a suit with a fabric identical to one I found in the book.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Note that the suit jacket at left is buttoned at the bottom button. This "buttoning" manner was popularized in the '30s by the Prince of Wales' brother, the Duke of Kent. You can also see a round, tab collar shirt.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Does your book have all the wool samples in it?

Yes, it has more than a hundred wool fabric swatches!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Want a waistcoat with your suit? Here were some of your choices:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

How about a belted back for your jacket?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

This really amazed me. You could have your suit jacket's sleeves cuffed.

Or how about making a "fishtail" out of your sleeve? (See option at far left, below.)

And here are some trouser options:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Overcoats. Note that belt-backs were available:

 

[scotrace]

Excellent Pictures.

On a recent American Experience on PBS I noticed the cuffed sleeves on 1790's era coats and thought it was a feature that could be incorporated into a suit design to great effect. And here are the pictures to prove it!

The vertical breast pockets are not my cuppa, but interesting to see.
Overcoats have no outside breast pocket for gloves/another handkerchief - interesting. And it's obvious that overcoats should have belted backs. To my eye, it completes them.
In the picture of the fellow on the left with the bottom button fastened - I actually like the getup of the fellow in the middle with the soft cap.

Neet pitchers y'brung thar!

THANKS!

 

[herringbonekid]

thanks for posting these Mark.
i'd love to have a feel of those genuine 30s swatches.

 

[herringbonekid]

Marc, sorry.

 

[Matt Deckard]

That's what I like to see!

I myself preffer wider lapels tahn the ones shown in the first pics.

 

[Mr. Rover]

I seem to remember a picture of Orson Welles with a square-bottom SB jacket.

 

[jake_fink]

Hi Marc,

Thanks for posting all those great images - and thanks for the ones you posted in other threads on store displays. All fantastic stuff.

Did you pick this up recently on Ebay by any chance? If you did, I'm glad it went to a worthy home, and thanks for sharing.

:cheers1:

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Excellent!

I want waistcoat #260. That button stance is so weird that it's cool.

bk

 

[Mycroft]

I seem to remember a picture of Orson Welles with a square-bottom SB jacket.

Do you reconize them from Citizen Kane?:

 

[Quigley Brown]

Oh man, I am drooling (heavily).

 

[Mr. Rover]

There it is!

Btw, I saw a safari jacket at the London Lounge with the similar back to that overcoat on the left. I think that coat with the inverted pleat would be great to wear. Also nice to see the old school Chesterfield in the last picture of overcoats- they made a big revival this winter.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Vertical pleat pockets

Marc

The style of pocket you display is common on what we call a Norfolk jacket in the UK. See the example below. I paid the equivalent of $5 in a charity (thrift) shop.

Note the gloves protruding.