How to Pull Off a Look

[ArrowCollarMan]

Pictures!



I tihnk it has a nice contrast and it seems to go with the "casual dressed-up" look I was going for =D

Oh, and here are some pictures I never posted.


You can't see much because my old camera went to hell, but the basic outfit is still visible. I'm thinking of wearing that for the colder weather. Although one question: how do I make it not look so harsh? Its very contrasting and hard on the eyes.

 

[jake_fink]

I tihnk it has a nice contrast and it seems to go with the "casual dressed-up" look I was going for =D

Oh, and here are some pictures I never posted.


You can't see much because my old camera went to hell, but the basic outfit is still visible. I'm thinking of wearing that for the colder weather. Although one question: how do I make it not look so harsh? Its very contrasting and hard on the eyes.

Your old camera took evocative pictures, or was there a mist in your room?

The blue shirt looks fine with that suit. Looking good.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

On the "extras" on the Saving Private Ryan DVD, they mention that they had camera lenses made with no coating in order to recreate the look of an old documentary.

 

[Wild Root]

I tihnk it has a nice contrast and it seems to go with the "casual dressed-up" look I was going for =D

Now see, what I tell ya? It's as if they were meant for each other man!!! Like Burgers and Fries! One thing to take into account, a light suit that's almost white, you can pair it with lots of light colored shirts or dark... it's very versatile! I like the tie you picked... it looks perfect!!! Remember, striped dress shirts were very popular in the 20's and 30's... even into the 40's!

=WR=

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

Tie was onece my grandpa's. About 70% of my ties were his. I don't wear most of them but they are older (and most ride short) I'd say anywhere from the late 70's to mid-90's.

Speaking of that, I've got one tie I can't quite date and I'd also like to wear it, but it usually doesn't look any good. It's a very stark grey.

 

[Wild Root]

Now, what was your grandfather doing with such new ties? lol

That gray one you pictured is kind of nice... if I were you, you could wear it with the gray striped pants.

One thing you need to take into account when dealing with "Grampys ties" older men wear their pants higher then men do today... it is a tradition that goes back to the Depression! But, even in the 50's and into the early 60's there were men wearing their pants at the natural waist. That is one reason why your ties aren't hitting the belt or, passing it as is the trend of today.

To emulate a time period correctly (I now hear coast to coast *Groan* here goes Root again lol ) it is advantageous to wear clothing the way they did and that means wearing ties shorter and pants higher and sleeves shorter and blah, blah, blah.

But, you're working on a style of your own and it's coming together... that linen suit is a looker and you have a flare for this... just stick around the Lounge and learn with us... I understand how seeing some fashions from the period you say you love may be a shock and may not make sense but, when learning vintage fashion one has to have a very open mind.

=WR=

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

I'm still trying to make it fit with today. I dunno, I feel like at least somewhat participating in this period of time. But as for "Grampy's Ties" I got a bunch more that I like but cannot match. Why are the ties so "new" you ask? I dunno, maybe the old ones wore out. My mom has two of his ties he had in the late 30's I think (damn they're short). They're made out of wool and have stripey designs. I might post a picture at some point. they're not very wearable seeing as that they're old and frayed, still cool though.

 

[tofu]

To emulate a time period correctly (I now hear coast to coast *Groan* here goes Root again lol ) it is advantageous to wear clothing the way they did and that means wearing ties shorter and pants higher and sleeves shorter and blah, blah, blah.

emulating a time period is fine, but that doesn't mean everything from that period looked good to begin with.

shorter ties? that may look okay on a slender fellow, but tie bottom to top of waistline seems to look better on most people. slimmer ties look great. i like them much better than the generic 3.75-4" ties we have today, but then again, the ultra slim ties in the 1" range look silly in my opinion.

pants higher? again that depends on the person. modern designers have some really low cut pants (ie hedi slimane), which only certain people can pull off without looking sleezy, and i think some of these really high waisted vintage pants look goofy on some people as well.

wear what looks best on you. there's absolutely no reason to emulate something just for the sake of emulating it. it becomes a "costume" if that's the case.

i like the approach you are taking with your clothing much better now than i saw in your original posts. you are keeping some vintage items, but not using what (i think) would look odd on you. you look classy. keep up the good work.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... that doesn't mean everything from that period looked good to begin with.

As seen in the "Dressing down - '30s style" thread.

.

 

[Sefton]

As seen in the "Dressing down - '30s style" thread.

.

I thought that some of those 30s outfits were pretty neat. Cheer up friend!

 

[shindeco]

Wore this the other day and quite liked the effect so I took a picture. The jacket is part of a suit (mid 40s) and the tie is 30s; everything else is modern. The trousers, believe it or not, are high-waisted, pure linen and I bought them at Macy's for $20! If I get back down to the States again soon, I'll try and get another pair.

 

[magneto]

(and an Aside re: ties)

Wore this the other day and quite liked the effect so I took a picture. The jacket is part of a suit (mid 40s) and the tie is 30s; everything else is modern.

Looks pretty sharp!

If it's not too OT, I had a question re: ties (since I saw ties were being discussed upthread). I was watching some late 30s movies last night and noticed when some of the characters removed their jackets, the *back* of the tie wa a good 3" or so longer than the front. Was this common (i.e. in the well/normally dressed man) or was this a sign that the characters were unkempt & sloppy?

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

My ma is trying to dress me like a normal teenage boy. She says I should "embrace my age". Despite the fact that some modern styles look good on me I still want to keep my classic touches such as the fedora and the blazers. She isn't humoring the idea of slacks and she want me to wear sneakers etc. NO. NO I'M NOT GOING TO! I need to figure out how to use some classic elements with the newer styles. I'll go nuts if she tries to break me of hats, so help me god!

 

[Wild Root]

Arrow, I feel for ya buddy! When I was a very young man, I never wanted to wear what every one else did. I'd wear what ever I wanted to and that even included a Darth Vader costume when I felt like taking over the universe .lol So, when I found the 30's and 40's styles... my folks were relieved to one extent that I was dressing some what more respectable. lol I'm blessed with parents who don't try to make me something I'm not. Also, my folks never felt that "My age" was worth living! Too many bad influences saturate this generation. Now, believe it or not, there was a window of my teen years that I did dress contemporary such as wearing Stussy T's and ball caps, used to shop at Miller's Outpost and all those hep shops when I was a teen. But, those didn't make me popular, nope so, I found my style and I have stuck to it ever since.

Wear hats, wear what you like... soon your parents will realize how much more respect you get by wearing nicer clothes. Bottom line is you have to be you!!! Every Teen seems to rebel against they're folks, some with very bad looking T shirts and jeans... and in your case, dressing classy is in fact rebelling against your folks and society. You were blessed with taste, don't waste it, don't stop wearing what makes you happy!

Keep it up my young friend!

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

... and in your case, dressing classy is in fact rebelling against your folks and society.

I think I just like it more than anythign else. I try to emluate whatever I'm into.

I'm going to try and post my new clothes to give everyone a visual of what I should do with them.

 

[Wild Root]

And that's exactly what you should do. Just happens that your folks don't agree with your style which seems to me kind of odd. I'd think most folks would be overjoyed if their young son wanted to dress classy and not as the rest of the majority.

Let's see some pics!

=WR=

 

[The real Henry]

My ma is trying to dress me like a normal teenage boy. She says I should "embrace my age".

I get to hear exactly the same from my mother![huh] When I first came up with my desire for vintage clothing, she always said something like: "Why do you want to look like your great grandpa?" or "You won't find a girlfriend like that!"lol

I totally agree to everything Wild Root said! (Well, except the Darth Vader thing! )

BTW- Arrow hold old are ya?

Regards,
Henrik!

 

[Wild Root]

I totally agree to everything Wild Root said! (Well, except the Darth Vader thing! )

Well, thank you Henry, but, the Darth Vader thing was before your time... it was something I did when I was 10 and 11 years old. Still enjoy Star Wars though.

=WR=

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

I didn't think this looked so good.


But it looks nice here.


This is what I wore today. I'm wearing shirts I got from Old Navy. I like 'em.








I wore this yesterday while ice skating.


This looks good for school, I think. I know I like the shirt alot.


I like most of the styles I got. The t-shirts I'll wear uner blazers because I like that look. The problem with this is I'm having a hard time making it go together with my "classic mind-set".

 

[Mr. Rover]

You're heading in the right direction, ACM, but it's really much more of a "prep" WASP look IMHO than a vintage look.
You'd have to be wearing the bright orange striped shirt with white slacks in the right context IMHO. If you were going to the beach or something (I was thinking yacht...) then it would fit. I like the look, but it's loud.
The blue polo and jeans is a typical look you'd find here, nothing vintage-y about it except it has a collar. I think that if you want to keep your polos untucked, try to find shirts that hit higher on your waist. The Old Navy shirts are nice but they seem to be going all the way down to your crotch.
Kudos to you and your love for vintage! Ja yo! (Oh my gosh- I'm starting to use Chinese idioms on the Lounge....)