How to Pull Off a Look

[ArrowCollarMan]

Better picture of the hair cut I want.

 

[Feraud]

I say MOE! If I were a tough guy, I'd wear my hair like that!!!

=WR=

lol lol Yep! One needs to be built like Schwarzenegger to go around with that cut!

Better picture of the hair cut I want.

That is not a bad cut but she looks terrible in a suit.

If you want the 1920's look you have to get a 20's cut! There have been some very good pictures posted of vintage era haircuts.

It is your perogative to leave it long, but it isn't going to look like the period you want to emulate. You will look like a JCrew catalog. Not a bad thing but not 1920's.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

That hair cut is very Gordon Gekko!

 

[resortes805]

If I were you, I'd leave it long (REALLY LONG) in the front and on top and give a super trim to the sides and in the back. Having long hair on top is actually pretty versatile because you can switch between the 20's rogue look (a la River Phoenix in Indy 3, or Brendan Frasier in the mummy) and the pompadoured 50's (like the King!). Just my opinion. Enjoy it while it lasts kid.

 

[Mr. Rover]

That's how I have my hair-short on the sides but the front-most hair on my hairlinereaches my lip if I pull it as far down as it will go, but I sweep it to the side or comb it back every morning with a bit of Royal Crown.

P.S. I just watched Thin Man last night, and the creepy son, Gilbert, has the same haircut as that model/Gordon Gecko.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I just watched Thin Man last night, and the creepy son, Gilbert, has the same haircut as that model/Gordon Gecko.

So did Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan".

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

My haircut! Basically all that happened was that I made it shorter and slicked it back. =/ I like the look under a hat alot better...I may get the cut altered a bit but I'll wait and see.

Emulating the 1920's seems alot different than I had imagined. I seemed to have gone for more of what I like at the time rather than stick to a particular look. The suit I got: not 1920's. The haircut: not 1920's. Shoes, hats, nothing! Grrr. In an attempt to make old styles work in the modern world I have failed without trying. But something more specific would probably make this thread much more relavent.

I'll started with this: "How to pull off a vested look". I am very fond of wearing a vest with a suit but what ways are there to do it? Nowadays vests tend to be low-cut and loosely fit. The low cut isn't really an issue but the loosely fit doesn't look so good to me. Vest looked like they were worn tight. Also, the watch chain worn with the vest; what ways are there to looping the chain and so on? What colors coordinate well? Whats too flashy? Is a satin vest no good for a regular suit or a vest with deigns on it?

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

I a feeling everyone gave up on me.

 

[Briscoeteque]

On the subject of vests, I love them. All of them. You can get vintage fitting vests, you just have to eiather buy them seperate or vintage. I usually wear black vests with grey suits, and brown or blue with brown suits. Patterns are cool, like some of the crazy early 1900's brocade things. I'd wear one, but the suit would have to be totally solid, as would the tie.

Pocket watches? Absolutely. Put the watch in the pocket that's on the side where the chain can just slip under the buttons without going over (if that makes sense). That's usually the right side, though I have some great reversible vests too. I loop the chain twice on the second button from the bottom that's buttoned, so technically the third button.

That look you have isn't bad, but it's simply not vintage at all. It's a good way to wear a fedora and still look modern. Don't try to mix modern and vintage, (beyond the wearing of the fedora, which is pretty much vintage) because you'll just look like a hipster. And no one really likes hipsters. Their girls wear jeans under housedresses and the guys wear fedoras and have neckbeards. Not cool.

 

[Renee]

I'll weigh in on the most recent pictures you've posted. Primarily, you're making a mistake that a lot of people make, in that you're trying to pair dressier elements with blue jeans.

Blue jeans are fine, very practical for daily wear, but they were work clothes. Remember that when you wear them. Look at some old pictures from the Great Depression - there's plenty to be found online - and you'll get a good idea of how blue jeans were worn. I know you said you liked the 1920's era, but I don't think work clothes had changed significantly between then and the Great Depression. (Denim overalls were popular too, but I don't know too many young men wanting to sport overalls these days! lol)

Get your jeans hemmed; I know that's the current style, but they're simply too long. Wear them with work boots (there's a recent thread on boots in another forum to give you some ideas of what to look for) and a leather belt. Tuck your shirt in and forget about a tie. If you need to wear a jacket, remember to keep the material appropriate; your corduroy blazer would work much better with jeans than the jacket you're wearing in the picture. Hats seemed to vary quite a bit, though the fedoras worn with the work clothes were sturdier than your straw one.

You don't need to dress totally vintage to pull off a more classic and classier look. Just try to get a general overall "feel" for the era you're interested in. And, as a bit of advice, stop taking such a "scattergun" approach. It's impractical, and can be expensive. Concentrate on one look at a time. If blue jeans are a practical choice for general wear and school, focus on a period-approprate way to wear them. One pair of boots and a belt, 3-5 shirts, two pairs of jeans, a jacket and a hat will probably be all you need. Once you get this look tweaked, you can then move on to dressier clothes.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I think that ArrowCollarMan is still in the process of discovering himself and understanding what his preferred look is. He's not necessarily trying to achieve a Golden Era, Fedora Lounge-approved style. In fact, he seems to be discovering that this is precisely not what he wants.

ArrowCollarMan thought that he wanted a '20s-'30s look ... and now that he knows what an authentically '20s-'30s look really is, he finds that it's not his cup of tea.

ArrowCollarMan, rather than aspiring to a prescribed style, just invent your own. I know that you will seek guidance and feedback along the way, and Renee and others will be happy to give you good advice.

 

[Wild Root]

1920’s work wear…

Yep, I have to agree… jeans are work wear! They are as far as I’m concerned! You’ll never see me wear a sport coat with jeans… NEVER!

Arrow, if you haven’t seen the movie “Brother where art thou” you should! There’s some great examples of depression era work wear… if worn correctly, it will look really cool.

Your jeans are long but, don’t hem them!!! Roll them up brother! Get a nice deep turned up cuff on them… that’s how so many depression era men wore them! A look that I like is that of denim overalls with wide legs… a blue button work shirt and a newsboy cap! The cap should be a real floppy one to achieve the proper look! Roll up the cuffs and sleeves to the shirt… it will look really cool, trust me!

=RS=

 

[Renee]

ArrowCollarMan, rather than aspiring to a prescribed style, just invent your own. I know that you will seek guidance and feedback along the way, and Renee and others will be happy to give you good advice.

Hey! Is that a polite slap on the wrist for too much input?!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Nope. Input is great. What you and others give helps us all.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

how to pull off a look...

If you wear it, and beleive in it, it will look good.

Thats it. Doesn't matter what the heck you are wearing if you beleive you look good in it and act with the quiet confidence that you are in style.

Other people will all have opinions....ignore what you don't like or is said in a manner less then courteous.

To thine own self be true.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Wise words.

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

The reason why I started by saying like that style from the 20's-30's is because its primarily what I draw. I though "hey, maybe I could pull off that look". No such luck. The jeans, yeah, I can see why thats a big deal. I did buy a pair of khakis only yesterday! They're flat front but they seem to wear well with suspenders. They're not very dressy just a casual wear. Jeans I figure I'll still need because they are druable and salcks arn't always the best thing for everything...unless I can find more druable slacks. I have an idea in my head about what some things should look like but I can never find the items nessecary for that look. Alot of things I want are very particular and almost are non-existant. Until I can afford the money for a custom-made suit I think I'll just be where I am now. By the way, how much does a custom-made suit cost? On average?

 

[Zach R.]

I don't know about you guys, but I hadn't worn a pair of jeans for years until last month, I bought a pair because I promised my classmates I would wear "normal" clothing at least ONCE this year before we get out(and only once).

Anyway, those things were HEAVY! I don't know how people walk about in those things, its like I'm wearing lead weights on my legs. Hand me back my trousers please.

In my opinion, if all you want is a classic and neatly trimmed look, slacks, dress shoes, and a button down cotton dress shirt are all you really need, don't try to overdo it, simplicity can sometimes be the best COA.

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

Its spring and soon to be summer. I think my kahkis will do just fine until fall comes around. By then I'll have to find a black and a grey pair.

I did see a very nice cotton/linen suit at JcPenny yesterday. It was a very nice cut and a good, light material. I just thought to myself "Man, now all I need is a white vest and a skimmer!"

 

[Mojave Jack]

I don't know about you guys, but I hadn't worn a pair of jeans for years until last month, I bought a pair because I promised my classmates I would wear "normal" clothing at least ONCE this year before we get out(and only once).

Anyway, those things were HEAVY! I don't know how people walk about in those things, its like I'm wearing lead weights on my legs. Hand me back my trousers please.

Zach, I'm with you. I haven't worn jeans in years. I think I have a pair somewhere in my closet, but I'm not sure.

Some of my co-workers wear jeans year around, here in the desert! They even wear them when we go out to the field. It absolutely blows my mind. I can't stand how consticting and hot they are any time of the year, but in the Mojave?! In August?!

The thing is, here I am wearing what has been proven for years as the best adapted clothing to the desert, lightweight, loose fitting, light colored, breathable materials, but I am the oddball who's "really into that old school s**t," as one co-worker put it. :eusa_doh: