The Fedora Lounge Guide to Esquire Men's Fashion, 1933-1948, By Flanderian

We are grateful to member Flanderian for taking the time to scan and share his collection of Esquire illustrations. Over the years, Fedora Lounge members have turned to these images again and again for inspiration, education and dating of their own collections.
Here is the full collection of posts in one location and without distracting comment.

-Scotrace



What follows is my collection of Esquire magazine’s sartorial illustrations from what is often termed, their golden age. Esquire was an outgrowth of the earlier publication, Apparel Arts. Apparel Arts was begun in December 1931 as a Christmas edition. It was published by the Menswear Service Corporation, among whose publishers were William Hobart Weintraub, David A. Smart and Arnold Gingrich. It was a trade publication intended for the menswear industry, and distribution was limited to wholesale buyers and retailers. It was published periodically during the year with varied special editions sometimes bringing the total to eight.

It was a lavish publication for a magazine and bound between cardboard covers. In addition to the fine, commissioned sartorial illustrations intended to illustrate trends, it contained industry advertising, which was also sometimes lush, articles on how to dress and merchandising, and even tipped-in cloth samples for some of the clothing illustrated.

The publication was often used as a point-of-sale trade stimulator by retail salesman, and proved so popular among retail customers that many copies of AA tended to disappear from the retailers. Learning of this, AA’s publishers began Esquire as a sister sartorial and general interest magazine intended for the public. The first issue was an autumn 1933 issue (I believe published in September ’33.) with Arnold Gingrich as its managing editor. Beginning with the January 1934 issue it became a monthly publication. In addition to featuring many of the sartorial illustrations from AA it also contained both fiction and non-fiction articles from many of the top writers of the day. Included among the authors in the first issue were Ernest Hemmingway, Ring Lardner Jr., John Dos Passos, Dashiell Hammett, Ersklne Caldwell and Gene Tunney.

As well as I’ve been able to determine, all of the sartorial illustrations (Fashion plates.) that appeared in Esquire during this era also appeared in Apparel Arts. But not all such illustrations from Apparel Arts made it to Esquire.

Both publications used freelance commercial illustrators who they commissioned to illustrate fashion plates on an ad hoc basis. Some were trained professionally, while others were largely self-taught. The illustrators also produced work that appeared elsewhere, notably for adverting, some of which found its way into the same magazine issues for which that illustrator provided fashion plates.

Among the illustrators who did sartorial illustrations for Esquire during that period were Laurence Fellows, Robert Goodman, Leslie Saalburg, Charles Fox, Louis Hurd, Frederick Stewart Heidgerd, Charles Frederick Peters, Ruth Sigrid Grafstrom and others. Many are particularly fond of Fellows’ work, and I share their enthusiasm. Robert Goodman was the only illustrator I know to have become an Esquire staff member, becoming Esquire’s Art Director in 1945. And Ruth Grafstrom was the only female illustrator from that era of which I’m aware.

What follows what is a essentially complete collection of Esquire’s sartorial fashion plates from their first issue, through to those July 1947. I’ve also included selected sartorial articles and advertising illustrations that I considered particularly relevant and meritorious. I know many/most/all (?) of the illustrations have appeared on-line here and elsewhere, or in print, but this is the entire group in one place, in digital form with decent resolution. They continue to inspire and instruct me, though I’ve seen them all now many times. I’m hoping that other members may enjoy them too.

I intend to post 5 or 6 of these illustrations daily in chronological order. I love discussing them, and am always learning more about them, and would like to do so with any members who may wish too.

The following illustrations are from the autumn 1933 issue of Esquire, their first -

 

The following illustrations continue the autumn 1933 issue -




This concludes the Autumn 1933 issue.

 

The second issue of Esquire published was the January 1934 issue. These are the first 5 illustrations from that issue.

 

And this is the final 6 from that same issue.

 

These are the illustrations from Esquire February 1934.

 

And the rest of February 1934.

 

These are the illustrations from the March 1934 issue of Esquire.

 

And these are the rest of the March 1934 illustrations.

 

These are the illustrations from the April 1934 issue of Esquire.

 

Looking over this post, I realized that the number of illustrations looked fewer than I recalled. And, yes, I had omitted some.Though of more specialized interest, and a couple perhaps not the best illustrations, here are the balance along with a couple illustrations of selected ad art.

 

These are the illustrations from Esquire's May 1934 issue.

 

And the balance of the May 1934 issue.





And an ad photo as the models are turned out so well in mode of the era.
.

 

These are the illustrations from Esquire, June 1934.

 

These are Esquire's illustrations for July 1934.

 

And this is the balance of illustrations from Esquire, July 1934.

 

These are the illustrations from the August 1934 issue of Esquire.




I consider this ad art from illustrator Leslie Saalburg among his best.

 

These are the illustrations from Esquire September 1934.

 

This is the balance of September 1934 illustrations.




Illustration from Fell Sharp.

 

These are the Esquire illustrations from October 1934.

 

This is the balance of illustrations from Esquire October 1934.