What Has Been the Worst Era for Men's Suits?

[Claghorn]

Seems pretty standard:

 

[ethanm]

Regarding Rothstein, this is what I read "Rothstein was the Moses of the Jewish gangsters, according to Cohen, the progenitor, a rich man's son who showed the young hoodlums of the Bowery how to have style; indeed, the man who, the Sicilian-American gangster Lucky Luciano would later say, "taught me how to dress."

 

[ImTheGroom]

I do wonder though, what will weddings be like when those 20-something clubbers obsessed with thin lapels and skinny ties decide to settle down? One would hope that their sense of aesthetics will improve with age.

I have more than one jacket with 2.5" lapels - one vintage - and I wear skinny ties. My groomsmen and I looked like this at my wedding (and thanks for giving me another excuse to post the picture; I have a bit of a problem).



But, on the topic, obviously the 70's were the worst era for suits. Right now, I think we are at the beginning of a renaissance of wonderful, classic styling in suits. The skinny lapels are working their way out of fashion, and peaks have made a strong comeback. Pants are fitting well again, among those that know what they're doing when they dress - mine below are an off the rack pair from Brooks Bros, so hardly exotic, but they just plain fit, and are made with a reasonable rise. I hope it all also spills over into Tuxedos, as well.

 

[Claghorn]

Regarding Rothstein, this is what I read "Rothstein was the Moses of the Jewish gangsters, according to Cohen, the progenitor, a rich man's son who showed the young hoodlums of the Bowery how to have style; indeed, the man who, the Sicilian-American gangster Lucky Luciano would later say, "taught me how to dress."

I suspect "style" and "how to dress" are speaking to the broader field of proper decorum. This did probably extended to how one dresses, but in this he was simply transmitting his own upper class upbringing (rather than creating any sort of new style to be associated with gangsters).

 

[mactire]

I've been watching the series recently and aside from the baggy pants (and shirts) and way too big shoulders they're not bad at all. At least they don't have slim lapels, gorges that try to disappear on the shoulders or buttoning points at the diaphragm.

I think you've hit on what I subconsciously like about them, they're not as ridiculously big as the 80s, but still have a bit of a noirish feel to them or something. One of the last shows where everyone wore suits until the current revival I think.

 

[MisterFu]

I have more than one jacket with 2.5" lapels - one vintage - and I wear skinny ties. My groomsmen and I looked like this at my wedding (and thanks for giving me another excuse to post the picture; I have a bit of a problem).

But, on the topic, obviously the 70's were the worst era for suits. Right now, I think we are at the beginning of a renaissance of wonderful, classic styling in suits. The skinny lapels are working their way out of fashion, and peaks have made a strong comeback. Pants are fitting well again, among those that know what they're doing when they dress - mine below are an off the rack pair from Brooks Bros, so hardly exotic, but they just plain fit, and are made with a reasonable rise. I hope it all also spills over into Tuxedos, as well.

The morning suit will always get a thumbs up from me (I won't even nit-pick the non-standard pattern on your pants as I am so glad to see that somebody still knows how to dress for a daytime wedding). Frankly, I think it's time to bring back the stroller for daily wear ;-) .

I think you are right about a renaissance of sorts. A lot of it is driven by the fascination the public has with period television shows such as Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, etc.. I have had a couple of suits with double breasted waistcoats that I thought would remain unique in this modern age. Yet starting last year, I see Paul Stuart, Ralph Lauren and now even Suit Supply all selling the double breasted waistcoat. If I had to venture a guess, it's in no small part thanks to the DB vests sported by Nucky Thompson in season 2 and 3 of Boardwalk Empire.

One strange side effect of this rediscovery of menswear by the public is that we are seeing an astonishing array of styling elements making a simultaneous comeback. Edwardian, Jazz Era, Mad Men; you name it and it's out there right now. My hope is this doesn't turn into the bizzaro-world of the 1970's where they attempted to integrate 20's and 30's themes with baroque elements (test-pattern jackets with giant hacking pockets and shirt ruffles). So far though, a lot of the stuff I am seeing in the last 18 months is pretty damn excellent.


Ralph Lauren Purple Label

Paul Stuart Phineas Cole

Suit Supply

 

[ImTheGroom]

I made a conscious decision to hi toward the more obscure, but traditional, check pattern. There is a long history of wearing check trousers with morning dress, it just hasn't been seen much since the mid 20th century. I assure you, my details are all absolutely correct. Plys I can wear these pants way more often than cashmere stripe. I also considered chalk stripe.

 

[EFV]

Bumping this thread because it's an interesting subject.

Going back through the (now widely available thanks to Google pic search) centuries of menswear you can find what people have considered silly fads in each era. It's best illustrated by actually posting pictures of the good and the bad of each era, by a highly personal sense of taste of course. Let's start from the 40's:

40's

Hasn't aged with grace:

Spoiler: The Zoot suit, popular from 1930's-40's

Good:

Spoiler: Fairly classic cut by today's standards, with quite generous width but clean lines and draping

50's

Hasn't aged with grace:

Spoiler: 50's saw the rise of youth culture, which of course spawned outfits that would not age well. I kinda like the teddy boys, but it's not exactly good taste

Good:

Spoiler: Cary Grant, what else needs to be said? The pants might have stuck out as being somewhat wide today, but otherwise this is quite"timeless"

60's

Hasn't aged with grace:

Spoiler: Love their music, but this look would probably stand out as "odd" today

Good:

Spoiler: Making this too easy, but I chose Sean Connery. Sure the lapels are a bit slimmer, the buttoning slightly higher and tie narrower, but this is still a nice look

70's

Hasn't aged with grace:

Spoiler: Oh the horror, nothing redeeming about this

Good:

Spoiler: Alec Guiness, meticulously dressed in 1979 adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

80's

Hasn't aged with grace:

Spoiler: Don Johnson, no words needed

Good:

Spoiler: Focus on Prince Charles, classic and elegant ensemble

90's

Hasn't aged with grace:

Spoiler: The reign of the wide shoulders and low buttoning point

Good:

Spoiler: Admittedly, it's hard finding good stuff from the 90's, but it existed

00's - present

Will not age with grace:

Spoiler: Thom Browne, a symbol of everything wrong with the "modern" suit, i.e. too tight, short et c

Good:

Spoiler: Ethan of the Armoury, always in well cut classic garments that compliment his build

So, what can be deducted from this?

Nothing really, but even though the 70's and early 90's saw an outbreak in widespread use of horrible menswear, every era has seen both crap and greatness. The common denominator of the successful looks seem to be an adhering to classic measurements, colours and fabrics. Even though we can clearly tell that the Cary Grant suit would look dated worn today, it doesn't make us laugh either.

 

[MrDaniels]

I am still going with the Late 80s/ Early 90s.

 

[NefariousSabatour]



\

So, what can be deducted from this?

Nothing really,

hilarious

 

[size 38R]

The current era. for sure.

 

[MarcDavidMiller]

1970s, followed by today.
When I was a young teenage my father offered to have 2-3 leisure suits made by his tailor (circa 1976). I told him that I would wear a leisure suit when President Ford and Walter Cronkite (then CBS news host, “the most respected man in America”). To his credit, Cronkite never wore a leisure suit; can’t say the same about Jerry. View attachment 1416279 View attachment 1416279

 

[FPB]

Ha! This thread is hilarious (and interesting). I'm glad it was resurrected!

1970s suits were bad in terms of colors and designs, but at least they (usually) fit well.
1980s-90s were bad for oversized fit, but generally patterns and colors were solid.
2000s - whenever. Nothing, I mean nothing looks worse than a man wearing a sausage skin suit. Please burn yours if you still have one.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Every era has had its share of crappy suits.

 

[smittycl]

No, it was hilariously awful all the way through. This, for example, was under the 60's, and caught my eye:

"The post-war era led to some dramatic cuts in the suit industry. Due to rationing of supplies, suit design became even more simplistic and streamlined, with double-breasted suits becoming exceptionally rare. This change influenced virtually all contemporary suits, from the Nehru suit of the ’60s"

First, rationing took place during the war, not after it. In the late 40s and early 50s (you know, what most people refer to as the postwar era- who the hell associates that with the 60s?), the style known as the "Bold Look" was a fairly popular design. Double breasted, large shouldered, loose fit. You know, a reaction to wartime rationing. The slimmer designs of the late 50s and 60s were a reaction against the loose and bold styles that were themselves a reaction to the closely cut suits of the 30s and wartime era.

It misplaces historic eras, doesn't understand what the hell rationing is and when it tends to exist, so on and so forth. It was just generally wrong throughout.

Rationing in the UK finally ended in 1954, well after the war. It hit them much harder than rationing in the US.