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What's this kind of suit called?

lindyhop

New in Town
Messages
4
Location
California's big central valley
Greetings,

I have no eye or memory for fashion, so please be kind, and patient with me.

Wife and I go dancing, most Saturdays, at a ballroom, where the dress code is minimal, if they have one at all. One sees quite a variety of styles, from zoot suits and Elvis impersonators, with pompadours, to jeans and tee-shirts. All kinds of dancing... swing, waltz, fox trot, latin, and so on.

Our dancing is not real skillful or flashy, so we're not exactly hungry for the spotlight. Still, I'd like to dress a little more fashionably there than I do now.

One night, I saw this guy... I think he was wearing a linen suit. It was in some kind of moderate earth tone, a rather light shade, as I recall, not much of a pattern, if any. I've been thinking of getting one like it. I've gradually realized that the "linen suit" terminology doesn't say much. Linen is just a fabric, and linen suits seem to come in every imaginable style. (They seem expensive and hard to find, too, but that's another story.)

So, I'm gonna describe the style, as best I can. I'm going on memory here. Maybe someone can tell me what this style is called, if it has a name.

The suit hung rather limply. It didn't seem to have a lot of padding or reinforcement, to give it shape. A casual, natural look. The jacket didn't seem to have real big shoulders. Maybe more like natural shoulders? The lapels didn't seem real broad or narrow -- maybe a bit wider than on a contemporary business suit. The coat looked like it was cut large. The owner didn't button it. It seemed intended to be worn open. The coat might have been cut somewhat long.

The pants seemed somewhat baggy, pleated, and somewhat high-waisted, but not so extreme as with a zoot suit. The overall effect was somewhat retro, though I'm not sure what era. Maybe about the same as the zoot suit era.

Any thoughts? Links to photos?

Thanks,

Lindy
 

resortes805

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,019
Location
SoCal
Sounds like a mid 1950's look.

87.jpg
 

lindyhop

New in Town
Messages
4
Location
California's big central valley
How twue, how twue.

I still need a little help with identifying this style and figuring out a name for it, though.

Another picture or two would help.

I tried searching Google images for 1950s mens suit, and similar terms. The business suits don't look too promising, but I keep coming across something called a "rockabilly suit."

What does that mean, exactly? Is that what I want? Is that what T-bone is wearing?

Cheers,

Lindy
 

Matt Crunk

One Too Many
Messages
1,029
Location
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
mike said:
I've always thought emulating blues musicians' style sounded like a wonderful idea... take a look at Frank Stokes, Big Bill Broonzy or virtually any of these teens-forties blues men and women!

Yes, they really had class back in the day. Unlike today where everyone wants to look like a gangsta or something fresh off a prison yard.

-MC
 

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